Month 11, T’ai Chi video 4 – “Chi sticking to the back”

[Anonymous]

What is “chi sticking to the back”? How does one know if one has that? Are there exercises to foster the chi sticking to the back? Has this been covered previously, and if so, could you tell me which month and which video give this instruction?
Is there a book by Bruce that explains this information? I have looked in “The Power of Internal Martial Arts” but found only reference to sticking as used in fighting (pgs. 133-134), not “chi sticking to the body.” Also, I did not find reference to “chi sticking to the back” in “Opening the Energy Gates of the Body.”
Thanks for any help on this question.
Marcia

[Anonymous]

Marcia –
Check out “Repulse Monkey” video 3 and Slanted Flying video 20.
The explanations are somewhat brief, but are there.

I too have some questions about this technique, but I haven’t quite formulated them succinctly yet. There’s an interesting concept underlying this, which I’ve not ever thought about and it tweaks my interest.

Anyone else have any experience or thoughts about this practice?
Peter

[Anonymous]

Hi Marcia, best wishes in your practice- as I understand it that isn’t an ABC 123 steps type of practice, but an approach; as it is a reference/line in the TaiChiClassics (each of the lines in the TaiChiClassics seem to have different layers, and thus practices to devel- etc)..
The book Opening the Egates- the SpineStretch practice is the beginning of that (sets the stage.. relates to the “elevator balance” Bruce has mentioned, and goes over in “TaiChiTips” pluck-pulls up back and descends down front (and through front, drains down legs to feet)… [there are some good points summed in those- on YT channel, also on this site only the first 10 or so.. but there were

There are some brief comments in the Power of Intl Arts (but that book is dispersed hints, I’ve seen some comments that it “doesn”t have practices” while- having first only had that to learn from- it has alot, but you have to read-between-the-lines and reverse-engineer… but only a few pts here and there..

So in the training circle TaiChiClassics videos- I’d rewatch all of those… many have references that relate to the others (I first saw them as part of the TaiChiMastery.. so a while back- must have rewatched them a few times.. over time.. — woven through are parts that relate to this.) Explicitly a few sections, relating to chi permeating to the base and transforming.. and Bend the Bow (33 and 36, but other pts relate to Qi&Spine&’spirit’ and spherical awareness..etc).. so (a few specifics below, but on review of the titles some others might seem more related.. let alone the info within those that may not even seem tied per the name..

in TaiChiClassics videos: Lesson 31 (Qi&Bones), Lesson 32 (The Spine); also it is referenced in Month 9 H&E sections (a few mentions) — those last might be the best reference

– the Heaven&Earth (qigong) as relates to fully-released (not forced or pushing-full) breathing.. going into spine, and the spinal-verts feeling like floating disks (dishes in a sink all stacked up.. sink filled up with water so the dishes just ‘slightly’ float.. still stacked up and stuck/connected, but able to shift-flux a bit…

-Qi can penetrate and adhere a bit.. – but it is more the qi being moved through the Aura behind the front (the space behind you)to conter-balance the visual focus that is in front of you.. and your hands (and toes) being all ready to reach-out&touch in front of you.. how enliven the space “behind you” to that exact same degree (not in the same way, but As-much.. to balance)… which is done by moving the field, [opening-closing KaiHe the energyfield related to KaiHe a spot of flesh.. which is different from moving your joints-skeleton as.. etc… just something

[I haven’t viewed the Month10 or Month 11 videos yet.. but just having seen Month 9 that did come up interestingly..

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most of all, it would depend what you have integrated into your System, opened-up and made aware and felt- even with those in Bruce’s group (let alone other teacher-practioners out there), I’d heard of different dynamics (espec Bend the Bow) but when I felt from a few certain people, woah- a totally different aspect (never would have guessed and my system “recalculated” to the new-possibilities.. so depends on that exper of what/how these mean

I hope this adds- luck ( and share what you conclude/discover) cheers

[Anonymous]

To add a shorter comment to my other (longer- hopefully more content-rich) response, rather than ‘how do I do the technique QiAdheres to the back?’ as if it was a technique.. it is more that, one of the results of TaiChiChuan practice is connection of the full body, presence, the development of a sense of int’l-power, etc.. and also a result is that ‘Qiadheres to the back’… so in that sense, how? -all the parts of TaiChiChuan..
so all the aspects and components interrelate into a whole flowing set of qualities, that transform over time (body&mind). and one of the elements of that can be described as (the above phrase).

[That percolated in my subcon, so it seemed needed to add- I hope this, and other offer value to those reading. -to any EArts instructors, a better way to communicate this? -Do I seem off-base? -different ways to express and different things are heard/understood per the listener.]

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Peter and Taokua, for your helpful responses. I did re-view the videos you mentioned,, Peter, and am paying more attention to my back now when I do Repulse Monkey. Patience is an important key in this work, I think.
Marcia

[Anonymous]

Raise the back,
hollow the chest.

Such simple phrases make up the Tai Chi Classics.

However, it takes years of sincere practice before you can master these principles.
Take for example the principle to “Relax” (song).
This takes a life-long work in progress.

Bruce’s treatment of Qi in the back in Repulse the Monkey is unique and brilliant.
Seldom do commentators explain Qi sticking to the spine.

So study carefully Tai Chi Session 7 of Month 10.

Gordon Muir’s book on the traditional long form as taught by Master TT Liang (Bruce studied with Master Liang, too) treats the principle briefly.
“In reality, the back should be rounded and mobile…”

Master Wang Hao Da in an article in “Tai Chi Magazine” published in August 2000 advocated replacing the surface with the deep.

With respect to the back, he used the back to replace the front. He noted that the zhong ding (central channel) is very thin (a Golden Thread). So he used the Back to replace the Front. Qi is hidden behind the zhong ding at the back of his body. Wang’s back was very powerful.
But his front was empty. He never let an opponent touch his own force. If you touched his front, his force was in his back behind. His adjustments were made from the back of his body. He used his spine to never let you catch his back.

There are many other tai chi principles to support this concept of Qi sticking to the back–breathing, breathing from the back, spiral energy, relaxing the chest, separating the shoulder blades, yin and yang when there is up there is also down energy flowing, opening vertebrae one by one.

But the way Bruce uses Repulse the Monkey is an easy exercise–relax and hollow the chest as the front arm drops down and back and then let the forward rising arm round the back and allow the Qi to raise up.

Ah, the profoundity of taiji.

Bob
Post Falls, Idaho

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