ТАЙЦЗИ-ЦЮАНЬ СТИЛЬ ЧЭНЬ
World
Chen Xiao Wang Taijiquan Association
http://taijichen.narod.ru
Training Advice for Chenjiagou Taijiquan
By CHEN XIAO WANG
Learning Chenjiagou Taijiquan is similar to learning other forms
of sports. There are some basic facts and training requirements which
will be helpful to know. I hope that what I have delineated below will
benefit all who love learning Taijiquan.
1. When learning Taijiquan,
do try and practice in a place which is quiet, peaceful and the air is circulating
freely throughout. The ground that you are practicing on should be
level as well. If practicing outdoors, pick a spot which is not too
windy. When you are practicing indoors, do leave the windows open to
let the fresh air circulate around the room, as the fresh air will have positive
effects on your health and for training.
2. There’s a saying for
learning martial arts, “饿伤气，饱伤胃 (er shang qi, bao shang wei)”. This
is practical commonsense which states that when you’re hungry, training harms
your qi, and when you’re too full, training will harm the digestive system.
When you’re too hungry or too full, you should not go into too taxing a training
routine. If you have to train soon after a meal, do make sure that it
is only a very light training workout.
3. Always start from a
high stance to loosen up the joints. When you feel sufficiently relaxed
and warmed up, you can then practice at the more demanding middle to low
stances. This way, you lessen the chances of getting a muscle pulled or other
sports injury.
4. After your training,
please do not sit down immediately to rest. Do walk about a bit to let
your breathing regulate itself back to its normal mode before sitting down.
5. Do take note that with
martial arts training, you must not try to accelerate your progress by over-exerting
your own limits. It does not work that way, there are no short cuts,
and it means you must train yourself in stages, bit by bit. Train
with moderation. Adjust the frequency of your training, the intensity
and the level of difficulty based on the height of your stances according
to your age group, fitness level and physical health. As a rule of
thumb, if you feel relaxed, comfortable and alert after training, it means
you have trained at your optimal intensity and level (that is just right
for you). On the other hand, if you feel shaky, tired, and take longer
than others to recover your breath, it means you have trained beyond your
body’s capacity. In this instance, you must tone down your training
activity accordingly.
6. A proverbial saying
goes that,”练拳如逆水行舟，不进则退 (lian quan ru ni shui xing zhou, bu jing ci tui)”.
Literally, this means learning Taijiquan is like a boat flowing against
the current, if you are not determined in pushing your way forward, you
will be swept backwards. The key to learning Taijiquan lies in your
perseverance. As far as bodily fitness and self-defense skills are
concerned, these will only materialize after you accumulate concerted, regular
practice over a period of time. If you are in the habit of “三天打鱼两天晒网 (san
tian da yu liang tian sai wang)”, it will be very difficult to evidence any
improvement in your level of skill or foundation. The saying uses the example
of a fisherman who casts his nets 3 days for fish and thereafter needs 2
days to rest and dry his nets. It is used to exemplify an individual
who is weak-willed and lazy. Actually, learning Taijiquan will train
up your self-discipline and determination. Even if you are not in
the mood or feel lazy, you will be able to overcome these internal blocks
and carry on with your own training. However, in this situation, start
off your practice with a fairly relaxed stance level. When you have
not fully controlled your inner emotions, you will not be able to concentrate
on generating your qi. So if you try to train at the lower stances,
you will not be able to maintain a line of connection for your qi, it will
get broken easily, and your qi will not reach your “梢节 (shao jie)”; the tips
of your extremities. When this happens, you will find your postures
awkward and it may have negative effects internally. So, when you
are feeling low, please do not attempt to train intensely at low stances
to trigger your mind and body to set off adrenalin, and to set you into
the right mood. Only when you have sufficiently adjusted your mental
and physical states, then you may practice at your regular intensity and
level.
7. If women in their menstrual
period continue with Taijiquan training at a suitable intensity, it will
help to regulate and maintain the flow of blood and qi along the body’s meridians.
As the saying “通则不痛，痛则不通 (tong ci bu tong, tong ci bu tong)” goes, when
yur body feels pain, it means the balance in your body is disrupted.
Conversely, you will not feel any discomfort when your body’s qi is flowing
smoothly through the meridians. Hence, there is no harm in keeping
up with a light dose of Taijiquan training. In fact, the Taijiquan
training may even help to prevent or alleviate the various abdominal pains
associated with having menstruation.
8. Women in their pregnancy
may also continue with their Taijiquan practice. However, they should practice
very gently, and it should not be vigorous or aggressive. For those
movements which are more extreme, they can simply execute a rough approximation
of them, so long as they do that with the intent firmly in mind (example:
do not stamp your foot, do not fajing etc). Symptoms of bloatedness,
constipation can be avoided during pregnancy simply by observing a light
practice Taijiquan regularly. Metabolism will be improved as well and will
facilitate an easier delivery. It is beneficial not only for the mother but
for the foetus as well.
9. During training, if
you feel thirsty or dryness in the throat, you may drink a little warm water
to moisten your throat. On one hand, drinking too much water during
your training increases the workload on your digestive system, and causes
undue pressure and harm to it. On the other, it also causes you to
loose a lot of salt and electrolytes when you perspire which is not good
for you too. Especially in hot weather, when you are more prone to
perspiring, try adding a little salt to your drinking water to quench your
thirst and to replenish the salts lost through your perspiration. After
training, you should not consume cold liquids as well. This is because
the heat generated in your body after the training will be in opposition
to the coldness of the liquid. This causes an imbalance which disrupts
the flow of blood and qi.
10. For your Taijiquan uniforms, you do not need
to bind your waist tightly with sashes unlike other forms of martial arts.
Just make sure that your fastening at the waist is right for you, and does
not interfere with or obstruct your movement and breathing.
11. After your Taijiquan training, remember not
to fan yourself or sit down immediately. Wipe your perspiration away
quickly to prevent getting chilled. You must “避风如避箭 (bi feng ru bi jian)”
avoid the wind (getting chilled) like avoiding arrows.