Grandmaster Wu Wenhan
Grandmaster Wu Wenhan, the lineage holder of Wu/Hao Style Taichi (Tai Chi, Taiji) Chuan, is best known for his research on Taichi. At 82, he is still agile and swift when performs routines. He recently shared his secrets at the International Taichi Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee.
He emphasized the importance of focusing the mind while practicing Taichi. The mind should be set with intent (Yi) before any movement is engaged. Taichi is a spiritual regiment allowing practitioners to nurture their vital energy (Chi, Qi) by being mindful. Through the practice of Taichi forms, one can cultivate the spirit and store the Chi within his or her physique.
It is essential to distinguish Solid and Empty while practicing Wu/Hao Style Taichi. Not only do we need to constantly identify which foot is solid and which foot is empty; we also need to interchange Solid and Empty between our hands from movement to movement. In Wu/Hao standard, a solid foot carries 70 – 80 % of the body weight while an empty foot carries 20 – 30% of the weight. It is important to be mindful while working through the routine.
Unlike the Yang Style Taichi’s requirement for extended arms and elbows, Wu/Hao Style discourages large motions. The general rules are the right (hand) does not cross over to the left side, the left (hand) does not cross over to the right side, the hands neither reach above the head nor below the lower body, also the hands do not extend beyond the toes. All moves need to be gentle and circular with the same slow speed. Footwork needs to be light, swift, and smooth. Grandmaster Wu reminded practitioners to use Yi to coordinate the eyes, hands, torso, waist, and feet.
With this rather restricted form, some may suspect the powerfulness of the Wu/Hao Style, however, Grandmaster Wu provides strong argument; in Wu/Hao Taichi, the eyes lead the hands not the other way around. The eyes can reach a greater distance than the hands could ever hope to. Again, Grandmaster Wu urges all practitioners to useYi while studying Taichi.
Comments
Nice Article Violet. :-) Still Jealous of your trip to Nashville ;-)
Good Article, Violet, mindfulness is everything.
Maggie, you are absolutely right. Yi leads the core of the body which controls all movements.
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