Tai Chi Concepts and Experiments

Préface

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Auteur

Robert Chuckrow, Ph.D. (experimental physics NYU) has been practicing tai chi since 1970. He is certified as a master teacher of Kinetic Awareness® and has authored six books, notably The Tai Chi Book (YMAA, 1998).

Dr. Chuckrow has studied tai chi, chi kung (qigong), and other movement and healing arts under masters such as Cheng Man-ch’ing, William C. C. Chen, Elaine Summers, Alice Holtman, Harvey I. Sober, Kevin Harrington, and Chin Fan-siong.

Robert Chuckrow teaches and resides in Ossington, New York.

Texte du rabat

This book clarifies and makes accessible critical aspects of the art that are currently understood and manifested by only a small number of high-level practitioners. Numerous step-by-step experiments are provided for readers to experience and perfect these critical tai chi aspects. This interdisciplinary book utilizes elementary physics, physiology, anatomy, psychology, and spirituality. It contains detailed analyses and explanations for achieving internal, expansive strength, known as nei jin, and for attaining optimal timing and natural movement.

Résumé

The Tai Chi Concepts and Experiments book clarifies and makes accessible critical aspects of the art that only a small number of high-level practitioners currently understand and manifest.

Numerous step-by-step experiments are provided for readers to experience and perfect these critical tai chi aspects.

Contents include:

• The meaning and importance of releasing tension in movement for stability, health, and spirituality.
• The differences between contractive and expansive strength including a promising mechanism for the nature of expansive strength.
• Numerous experiments for readers to recognize and experience expansive strength and to confirm that they have achieved it.
• Elucidation of famous master’s sayings on mind, strength, and chi.
• Health and martial advantages of expansion over contraction in tai chi.
• Protocols using expansion including those for helping an excess curvature of the upper and lower spine and for relieving plantar fasciitis.
• Quotes from the classics and how they confirm the interpretations of the principles of tai chi.
• How to achieve optimal balance through an understanding of physical, anatomical, physiological, and mental factors.
• A detailed analysis of “rooting and redirecting” including physical and internal aspects.
• Understanding natural movement from physical, philosophical, health, and martial points of view.
  This interdisciplinary book utilizes, elementary physics, physiology, anatomy, psychology, and spirituality. It contains detailed analyses and explanations for achieving internal, expansive strength, known as nei jin, and for attaining optimal timing and natural movement.

Contenu

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Author’s Background

Author’s Note

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: Relax

1. Cheng Man-ch’ing
2. Yang Cheng-fu
3. The Meaning of Relax
4. Attaining Sung
5. The Importance of Releasing Tension in Doing T’ai Chi Movement
6. Push-Hands
7. A Seeming Contradiction

8. Shedding Some Light on the No-Strength Paradox
   CHAPTER 2: Expansive Strength

9. Background
10. The Current View of Muscular Action
11. Differences Between Contractive and Expansive Strength
12. Some Experiential Evidence for Expansive Strength (Experiments You Can Do)

13. A Promising Mechanism for Expansive Strength
    CHAPTER 3: Swimming on Land

14. Professor Cheng’s Advice
15. My Initial Skepticism
16. My Eventual Realization
17. The Mental Aspect
18. “Zombie-Style T’ai Chi”

19. Swimming on Land is Only a Tool for Recognizing Chin
    CHAPTER 4: Elucidation of Famous Masters’ Sayings on Strength

20. Li, Chin, and Nei Chin
21. Ch’i, Breath, and Internal and External Strength
22. An Analysis of Cheng Man-ch’ing’s Distinction Between Two Different Types of Strength
23. An Attempt to Further Elucidate What Professor Cheng Wrote
24. An Analysis of Yang Cheng-fu’sCommentary on Strength
25. Breath and the Tan T’ien
26. Health Aspects
27. Martial Aspects
28. Mind, Breath, Ch’i, and Strength

29. Summary
    CHAPTER 5: Advantages of Expansion Over Contraction in T’ai Chi

30. Briskness of Regulation of Strength Compared for Both Types of Strength
31. Alertness
32. Endurance and Health Benefits
33. Leverage and Fine-Motor Control
34. Developing Bodily Unification
35. Educating Bioelectrical Pathways

36. Deception in Self-Defense
    CHAPTER 6: Health Protocols Using Expansion

37. Expansion for Reeducating Upper-Back Alignment
38. Expansion for Reeducating the Lower Back
39. Improving the Cervical Spine Using Slow, Relaxed Movement

40. Expansion for Relieving Plantar Fasciitis
    CHAPTER 7: Balance

41. Gravity
42. Leg Strength and Mobility
43. Finding the Centers of the Feet
44. Knee, Ankle, Arch Alignment
45. Center of Mass
46. Balance Experiments
47. Vision

48. Other Factors
    CHAPTER 8: An Analysis of “Rooting and Redirecting”

49. Conditions for Optimal Stability

50. Internal Aspects
    CHAPTER 9: Natural Movement

51. Understanding Natural Movement
52. Elements of Natural Movement
53. Independence of Movement
54. Reasons for Studying Natural Movement
55. Examples of Unnatural Movement
56. Tools for Studying Natural Movement
57. Some Basic Physics Concepts

58. Animate and Inanimate Natural Movement
    CHAPTER 10: Stepping Like a Cat

59. T’ai-Chi Stepping
60. *Yin*and *Yan*g
61. Weight Transfer
62. Difficulties in Stepping Like a Cat
63. Order of Stepping: Heel First, Toe First, or Whole Foot?
64. Practicing Stepping to the Side Using a Movement From the T’ai-Chi Form
65. Stepping Naturally
66. The Swing of the Rear Leg During Stepping Forward
67. The Swing of the Forward Leg During Stepping Forward
68. Stepping at the Right Moment
69. Experiments for Attaining Proper Stepping

70. Swing of the Arms During Walking
    CHAPTER 11: Periodic Movement and Timing

71. Periodic Motion
72. Periodic Motion Terms
73. Driven Periodic Motion
74. Linear, Driven, Horizontal Periodic Motion (“Withdraw and Push”)
75. Analysis of the Motion in “Withdraw and Push”
76. Importance of Timing of “Withdraw and Push”
77. Circular Motion of Right Arm in “Single Whip”
78. Centrifugal Effect
79. Centrifugal Effect with Gravity
80. Conical Pendulum
81. “Swinging” About a Vertical Axis, Arms Swinging Side-to-Side
82. Benefits of “Swinging”
83. Fa Chin

84. T’i Fang
    CHAPTER 12: Additional Physical Concepts

85. Constraints

86. Rolling Without Slipping
    CHAPTER 13: A Clarification of “Secret” Teachings Revealed by Cheng Man-ch’ing

87. Basic Concept…