“Thirty spokes are joined in the wheel’s hub. The hole in the middle makes it useful.” – Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu – Chapter 11 In the West, we refer to the area of the lower torso where a belt is worn around as the waist. This is not the same in China. The Chinese word for waist is 腰 Yao and it is referring to the lower back; lumbar spine (L1- L5). This is the area Yang Chengfu is referring to in his 10 Essentials; Song Yao; “Relax the waist”. The lumbar relaxes down opening the vertebra. Lifting the buttocks compresses and locks up the lower spine. The body’s vertical Centerline (perineum to crown) is the wheel’s axle. The waist is not the wheel. The wheel is the torso. Often turning the waist is done incorrectly simply because of the misconception of what is the axle and what is the wheel. By envisioning a horizontal wheel with eight spokes it is possible to better understand the eight energies and five directions. Five Directions: The hub is Center. front, back, left, right.
Eight Energies:
4 Square (Cardinal points)
4 Diagonal (Ordinal points) Everything we need to learn about the Eight Energies is taught in the movement “Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail” in the Yang Family Hand Form. Its theory is expressed in the Bagua (8 Trigrams) found in the Chinese classic, I Ching (Book of Changes) and the Magic Square (Lo Shu). It is important to understand, the Hand Form is intentionally nonsymmetrical. It is an exercise for developing a righthanded* boxer. To develop uniform energy it is best not to use martial techniques, but Qigong exercises like those found in Daoyin. 拳 Chuan is boxing. Most have a biased view of Tai Chi mainly because they have only been exposed to its yin aspect; slow, soft, and steady for internal cultivation. It is its Yang aspect; fast, hard, and spontaneous that are applicable when externalized for combat. *We do many things proficiently on one side only; write, throw a ball, play guitar, etc. with no need to learn it on both sides. Some people learn the whole Long Form on the other side. This is not necessary. “Potential of change” is not found in level equal symmetry, but in the interaction of diversity. Only if Yinyang** are connected can we practice Tai Chi; back generates forward, left generates right, down generates up, inhales generates exhale, etc. When a person dies, they have no Qi; the exchange of Yinyang ceases. **This is why it is written properly as 阴阳 Yinyang, not Yin and Yang. They are two aspects of a whole; 太极 Tai Chi.