Notes on Practice -- Taiji

Taichi -- a martial art

In this academic year, I am tring to create my own visual language which combines the elements of chinese painting with oil painting. We know art usually relates to culture. Taiji is a traditional, centuried notion of Chinese culture.

'The philosophy of t'ai chi ch'uan is that, if one uses hardness to resist violent force, then both sides are certainly to be injured at least to some degree. Such injury, according to t'ai chi ch'uan, is a natural consequence of meeting brute force with brute force. Instead, students are taught not to directly fight or resist an incoming force, but to meet it in softness and follow its motion while remaining in physical contact until the incoming force of attack exhausts itself or can be safely redirected, meeting yang with yin.'

The way that Taichi works is interesting. I think the important point is 'meet it in softness and follow its motion while remaining in physical contact' It not means they will against other when the attact happens. Acutally every move of Tai Chi follows the other's movement. Tai Chi uses the power of others to against other and make the other steps. Chinese painting shows the similar process of it. understanding (using) the existence flows to make the next step. Even the flow is strong, powerful, sometimes wrong.

Tai Chi certainly comes from Taiji-- the philosophy of China. And the core concept of Taiji is this:

'Taiji is understood to be the highest conceivable principle, that from which existence flows. This is very similar to the Daoist idea "reversal is the movement of the Dao". The "supreme ultimate" creates yang and yin: movement generates yang; when its activity reaches its limit, it becomes tranquil. Through tranquility the supreme ultimate generates yin. When tranquility has reached its limit, there is a return to movement. Movement and tranquility, in alternation, become each the source of the other. The distinction between the yin and yang is determined and the two forms (that is, the yin and yang) stand revealed. By the transformations of the yang and the union of the yin, the 5 elements (Qi) of water, fire, wood, metal and earth are produced. These 5 Qi become diffused, which creates harmony. Once there is harmony the 4 seasons can occur. Yin and yang produced all things, and these in their turn produce and reproduce, this makes these processes never ending. (Wu, 1986) Taiji underlies the practical Taijiquan (T’ai Chi Ch’uan) - A Chinese internal martial art based on the principles of Yin and Yang and Taoist philosophy, and devoted to internal energetic and physical training. Taijiquan is represented by five family styles: Chen, Sun, Yang, Wu(Hao), and Wu (NQA {Meeting}). There are also many other and/or more modernized styles'

'Understand the principle' My teacher told me that when you make a painting, try to do whatever you want. And use every steps of your painting to make next steps. Chinese painting is un-planned. Before we start a piece of chinese painting. We just hold the overall situation of this un-done picture. Then every mark and step will depends on people's motion during that time. So Chinese painting, in some case, can be done very quickly. Because all that step we do, follows the rule of aesthetic. That means, before we paint, we have to learn the basic regulation of painting. Then we painted as this rule. To use the power of the rule to contrul the whole piece of picture.