A Guide to Learning and Practicing the
Competition Routines of Tai Ji Quan
Is the Competition Routine Only Used for Competition?
Although the competition routine of Tai Ji Quan is branded as the "competition style", its functions is not restricted to the competition only. It has the obvious affections on keeping fit because of the following characteristics the competition style has.
1. Scientifically designed
The competition routine emphasizes the biomechanical principles that are in accordance to the physiological structure of the body. This helps improve both mental and physical health. For example, the format of the competition routines is arranged in sequence according to its difficulty - from the easy to the difficult ones, and the strength needed in the routine - from the weak to the strong.
2. Overall completeness
The competition routine of Tai Ji Quan pays close attention to the balance development between the right and left parts of the body including a symmetrical layout of the movements. Besides, it is rich in its technical contents thus providing a beneficial overall workout for your health.
3. Adaptability
In order to efficiently serve its health purposes, the competition routine is accustomed to change according to the specific situations due to its adaptability. For the aged people, they are not obliged to perform the difficult movements but reducing the amount of movements or lowering the demands. They can also choose to perform certain movements according to their own health conditions. According to the research done by Beijing Sport University in the different styles of Tai Ji Quan, it has been proven that the long term training in the competition routines can recover and improve the nerve system, blood circulation, digestion and other major systems of the body with good affections for health.
How to choose the right competition routine for yourself? Go back to table
1. Depends on the learner and the characteristics of different styles
People have different physical conditions, preferences and health, therefore, you should take all these into considerations before choosing one of the styles. After that, pick up the style that is suitable for yourself. For example, for young people who usually have stronger physique and more energy, it is better to choose Chen style. For the elders or those with weaker physique, Sun style will be more suitable as it has less strenuous stances. For those who prefer tranquility, or those with a mild character, they will find Yang style more appealing.
In conclusion, the right style of Tai Ji Quan will help you to have a more enjoyable and less stressful training, and to benefit you both in your health and in your competition.
2. Depends on the goal of the individual and the circumstances
For those who choose to learn the competition routine of Tai Ji Quan solely for the purpose of competing in Tai Ji Quan competitions, you should consider the trends of a certain competition style to choose besides his own physical conditions. For example, in the national and the international competitions, there are more participants in 42 style Tai Ji Quan and Tai Ji Jian both in Men's and Women's, so the competitions are fierce. For male, the competition routine of Chen style has a higher standard while for female, it's Yang style. Whereas Men's Sun style, Women's Chen style and Men's and Women's Wu style have less participants, it is wise to choose those that you may have more chance to win.
How to learn the competition routines of Tai Ji Quan? Go back to table
1. Be confident with definite goals
To have a strong confidence and a focused goal are the most important factors when learning the competition routine of Tai Ji Quan. For those who learn to keep fit, they must have the faith that learning and practicing Tai Ji Quan will bring them the benefits. For those who learn for participating in the competitions, they'll have to have strong will to win. They shouldn't be afraid of the tough training and the unavoidable setbacks, and should try to strike for every possible chance for the improvement.
2. Be well read and well informed
With the development of information technology, the learners could further enhance their knowledge and perfect their skills through reading books, listening to recorders and even using the multimedia resources, such as video tapes and VCDs. Sometimes, to the extent, that you can master the competition routines even without a coach in person. Quite a number of people are known to have learned and practiced Tai Ji Quan by using the multimedia teaching materials and some even won places in competitions besides keeping fit. But of course, if given a chance, it is always more beneficial to learn personally from masters.
3 Learn and practice systematically to perfect your skills
In the early stage of learning and practicing Tai Ji Quan, you should always try to improve your skills systematically. It is not wise to learn too much or hasten the learning pace, instead try to perfect your skills of every single movement by practicing again and again until you fully master it in case you form bad habits which will affect both your improvement of skills and scores in competitions. If you are learning Tai Ji Quan on your own (as opposed to learning from a master in person), the best way is to combine the "motion" and "motionless" aspects of Tai Ji Quan. This so called motion means to follow the video tape or VCD and practice accordingly. This so called motionless means to read the key points intensively, and pay special attention to the photographs of each movement.
How to Master the Competition routine of Tai Ji Quan Go back to table
1. Learn the basics and practice regularly
The basic practice includes the practice of the basic mentality and the movement etc. which are the foundation required to master the competition routine of Tai Ji Quan, otherwise, it will be really difficult to reach a high level. It is necessary to acquire the flexibility, balance and learn the basic movements through the strict, intensive and diligent training. Even after reaching a competent level, you should still need to keep on practicing the basics which can be the best guarantee to your success. For instance, the motionless and moving stances of different styles of Tai Ji Quan and Tai Ji Jian are the best exercises which you need to practice regularly.
2. Focus on the key points and have a balanced training on both the mind and the movements
All the competition routines of Tai Ji Quan have strict technical requirements and this series provides a clear illustration of the important techniques of all the competition routines of different Tai Ji Quan styles. Mastering these important techniques will bring you a speedy and steady improvement in your skills. Apart from reading, it is also crucial to follow the demonstrations in the VCD which comes together with the books in order to understand the important aspects and features of Tai Ji Quan. It is also a good way to prevent you from performing the movements without any internal forces or meanings.
*** Important Hints when taking part in the competitions of the competition routine of Tai Ji Quan
1. Obey the rules and regulations, and notice the important details
Due to the fact that there are definite standards of performance regarding the competition routines, the referees usually judge the performance according to these standard rules. Therefore it is important for the participants to perform according to what is required in the standard and avoid the situations which would constitute violations and result in unnecessary point deductions. You should be aware that it is sometimes difficult to get the right posture when learning from books alone. For example, in the earlier version of the competition routine of Chen style, it is required to display a small circular movement at the beginning while in actual practice, what we do is a slightly bigger circular movement. That's the reason why you should refer to the videos on these differences. You should also pay special attention to the notification of changes issued before every competition which usually contains the latest amendments on the rules and the movement requirements. Sometimes the chief judge and the referees might have different interpretations regarding the movement requirements and that will some times result in slight changes in the competition process and the point deductions if you are unaware of them. For example, in the 42 style of Tai Ji Quan, there are some differences in turning foot inward and landing the heel and toes. So you should try your best to get a mutual understanding with the referees about the requirements before the competition.
2. Improve your mentality and avoid getting too nervous during the competition
Almost everybody gets nervous during the competition with the symptoms of the shaky limbs, losing balance or making wrong movements which are mainly caused by mental factors. Some participants may have their hearts beat as fast as 180 times per minute. Why do they have such a high heart rate while performing is mainly due to the nervousness. We know that the technical requirement for Tai Ji Quan is "to have a peaceful mind and a relaxed body" but the competitions will definitely affect the state of your mind. Therefore the important thing is to let yourself learn to control yourself. Firstly, you need to understand that it is natural feel nervous, so there is a no need to worry about it. Secondly, you can improve your mental readiness by participating in the simulation practices. Thirdly, the extreme nervousness usually happens when performing the difficult movements like "standing on one leg". Therefore putting more effort and attention in such movements is a good way to overcome such difficulties. Lastly, it would be helpful to learn about your faults during your practice and check whether the movements are performed according to the requirements of Tai Ji Quan. In general, you can reduce your nervousness by improving the quality of your mind, your physique and your skills.
3. Get ready in advance and begin on time
Appropriate and sufficient preparations in advance will be helpful in getting good results during the competition. The preparations include a good knowledge of the competition ground, the direction of the performance and the duration allowed for warming up. In most cases, it is advisable to begin warming up 20-30 minutes before the competition by jogging slowly, rehearsing the full set of the routine or concentrating on the important movements. Warming up exercise is considered sufficient when you begin to perspire slightly and feel comfortable with the pulse rate around 120 times per minute. This is not, however, a universal standard for every participant since everybody has his own habits and body conditions. It is considered the best when you can best display your skills. The conditions of the competition grounds is also important. You should check whether it is carpeted, and if so, check the quality of the carpet. You should also check how many participants will be allowed to perform simultaneously and the position of yours. The direction of the performance (to the referees and judges accordingly) and the quality of the allowed costumes and also important points you need to notice.
What are the special characteristics in the competition routines of the different style of Tai Ji Quan?
The competition routines of different styles of Tai Ji Quan share a lot of common characteristics such as "using your mind to guide your movements, combining the softness and the hardness and having the similar structures and names of the movements" etc. But surely each has its own specific characteristics. The details of the differences are as the followings:
1. The competition routine of Chen style Tai Ji Quan Go back to table
The competition routine of Chen style Tai Ji Quan is famous for its distinctive rhythm and the magnificent postures. When practicing, it is important to emphasize on the "spiral twisting force" and the basic requirements of relaxing, agility and springing which are the special features of Chen style Tai Ji Quan. The movements stress on the twisting of the torso. The twisting force of the upper and lower limbs are connected through the twisting motion of the spine and the changes of folding in the chest and the abdomen in order to obtain a full twisting force all over the body. For the upper limbs, twist the arm and wrist in coordinately like twisting a wet cloth dry. For the lower limbs, twist the ankles, the thighs and the calves in like driving in a screw. For the force, you should avoid over emphasize releasing the force which would result in displaying a stiff force or a false one. After releasing the force, it is imperative to maintain the continuity with the next movements without the severance in the force
Methods to overcome such obstacles: In order to master the correct techniques of the force releasing, you should bear in mind that it is "from the extreme softness to the extreme hardness". At the beginning, you should emphasize the extension of the body movements from the internal motions to the twisting motions and finally to the external releasing of the force. It is also important to specifically train the force releasing of individual movement and other supplementary exercises such as the exercises of the flexibility and the "pole trembling" exercise.
The hand forms of Chen style Tai Ji Quan are also different from other Tai Ji Quan techniques. The main difference is that the palm is in the form of a Chinese tile and slightly retracted inward with the thumb and the little finger slightly folded and facing each other, and the tip of finger slightly pointed backward. This is in agreement with its attacking features and a distinctive difference of Chen style from others, so you should remember not to confuse it with other styles of Tai Ji Quan. The "hook form" of Chen style is also different as it is a natural clutching of all fingers. For the footwork, rubbing and moving foot with the stationary one before treading out is also a distintice feature of Chen style. Sometimes the learners missed the rubbing motion, it is usually related to the strength in the footwork and the understanding of the "emptiness and solidity" besides the differences in the ground quality. In addition, accuracy regarding where and when the feet should rub against each other is also of great importance. You should specifically train the footwork techniques separately, and should strengthen the legs and feet through practicing standing stances.
2. The competition routine of Yang style(楊式) Tai Ji Quan Go back to table
The competition routine of Yang style emphasize the out-stretched and open-handed movements which are more gentle and slightly slower than others. The whole set has the features of the coherence, agility, outstretching with steadiness and elegance. You should avoid over emphasize the gentleness and the low posture or over extend the movements and paying too much attention to the visual attractiveness which would easily result in the distortion of the movements like kneeling posture and lifting heels. Over emphasize the gentleness will also result in transforming this routine into a calisthenics drill and failing to display its stability and strength.
Methods to overcome such obstacles: Focus on the key techniques of Tai Ji Quan besides practicing the standard movements. You should supplement your daily practice with the training methods such as the hand pushing exercise to understand the key and basics of Tai Ji Quan and maintain the special features of this style.
3. The competition routine of Wu style (武式) Tai Ji Quan Go back to table
The Wu style has very prominent characteristics. Every movement strictly follows the sequences of the "commence, succession, open and close". By looking at its movement you can easily discover that although there is a consistent intermission between every major connection of movements, the momentum is not in anyway broken but carried through with the special emphasis on the internal movements and internal strength. Sometimes a few complete movements are grouped into one combination but it still follows the sequence. This is the distinctive characteristic of Wu style.
It is important for you to avoid the ambiguous and incorrect display of the movements and the omission of the necessary sequences in case losing the color of Wu style Tai Ji Quan. When practicing, it is advisable to practice them separately by breaking the external movements into 4 sequences before connecting them up.
Another one of the characteristics of Wu style is never let your hands extend over your feet. Wu style has the strict requirement that the hands should be corresponded with the feet by not extending over the toes. Many practitioners who are used to practicing other competition routines are not used to this requirement.
Methods to overcome such obstacles: Understand the characteristics of Wu style Tai Ji Quan first and try to find out the ways in technique. The main method is to practice the angle of the joints, portray it onto the body postures through training and gradually form into a habit.
It is also a difficult skill for the beginners and many practitioners of other Tai Ji Quan styles in not being allowed to overlap the left and right hands. The key is the movement of the waist. You can start from training your body movements such as using signs to guide the trail of the hands. The signs can be the zip of the coat or your chest where you can refer to the limit the trail of your hands.
The characteristics of the body movements in the competition routine of Wu style is very prominent. The key points are as the followings: Keep your chest in, stretch the back, round the crotch, protect the wrist, life your head, hold the crotch, drop the shoulders and elbows, jump, deflect, align the coccyx, sink the "Qi" down to "Dan Tian", and clarify the emptiness and solidness.
4. The competition routine of Wu style(吳式) Tai Ji Quan Go back to table
The competition routine of Wu style Tai Ji Quan has the significant characteristics mainly portrayed in its body posture "upright when slanting". It emphasizes the bow stance while having the weight leaning forward such as "brush knee and twist step", "step back whirl arms", "step forward to grasp the peacock's tail" and "fly obliquely" etc. For the posture, it seems that the body is leaning forward while actually, from the head to the heel through the buttocks, the 3 points form a straight line slanting towards the ground which is known as the "upright when slanting".
In footwork, it focuses on stance of the Chinese character "川" . Both feet are paralleled with the tips and the heels facing the front leg in alignment with the toes. Both feet in bow stance is alike stepping on the edges of the Chinese character "川". The requirement for the footwork in empty stance is also on the character "川" by having the empty foot placed onto the center line of the character. Another characteristic in Wu style Tai Ji Quan is its "horse stance", in another name known as the "pile stance" which other styles of Tai Ji Quan seldom have. Its hand postures emphasize the opening of the "tiger mouth" with the thumb facing upward.
When practicing,, try to avoid movements of leaning the body, folding in the waist and pushing the buttocks out by seeking the "upright when slanting" posture. Don't extend the knees beyond that toes or lift up the heels without keeping the balance between both feet etc.
Methods to overcome such obstacles: Understand the characteristics of Wu style Tai Ji Quan first and after that, add the practice of the single movements and use the guiding signs for training when necessary. For example, the training in footwork of Wu style Tai Ji Quan can be done by drawing 2 parallel lines according to the width of the shoulder and place the feet onto each of the lines. Do the supplementary exercises such as stretching the ankles for accompanying.
5. The competition routine of Sun style(孫式) Tai Ji Quan Go back to table
The footwork of the combined advancing and retreating is one of the main characteristics of Sun style Tai Ji Quan. It requires the "follow up step" when advancing and the "draw in step" when retreating just like a worm wriggling and the leaf floating in the water. The routine presents the liveliness when moving, precision in its paces, suitable distance in its steps, lightness and agility in its footwork. When stepping up, move your legs steadily between the emptiness and the solidness with your weight sunk in the center under the crotch. While shifting the weight, keep the the body steady without the obvious ups and downs. When the hind leg follows up onto the fore leg, the distance in between is approximately 10 cm and a springing force should also be concealed within the movement. When retreating, relax the waist, sink the crotch down and draw in your leg. The advancing and retreating should be performed like sliding on an arc in the steady and even speed.
During practice, such faults often occur: the hind leg is forced to lift up when stepping forward; when shifting the weight, there's no changes in the internal strength and the landing point is not precise; the distance between both feet is either too close or too far; you may step onto the other foot when turning foot inward and the steps may be drifted without a sunken strength.
Methods to overcome such obstacles:
First, understand the essential character of the footwork. Then, practice the advancing and retreating with the aid of the signs and marks (such as drawing lines on the ground) to limit the distance and the landing points of the steps.
The opening and closing of hands is another important characteristic in the competition routine of Sun style. When opening or closing hands, pay attention to the changes of your chest during the breath with the elbows and the shoulders sunk and prevent the elbows from lifting up or lacking of the internal force and the "Qi".
Methods to overcome such obstacles: Properly understand the essentials of the movement by using the stimulation of the external force, such as the resistant force and the supporting force and the key points of the movement. You can hold a ruler or a stick with the same length as your face and form the opening hands stance to overcome the wrong movements of the hands.
6. The competition routine of 42 style Tai Ji Quan Go back to table
The competition routine of 42 style is mainly designed for the purpose of competing. It is being standardized in its movements, the positions and the layout. When practicing, you should follow the strict rules and refine every movement. As there are many styles used in this routine, people often get confused on how they should perform these movements. In fact, according to the regulations and the arrangements of the routine. the characteristics of this routine are very similar to that of 48 style Tai Ji Quan which are mainly adopted from Yang style. The movements of other styles are also carried out in the manner of Yang style but remained the original posture of the movements. For example, the movement of "cover and strike fist" taken from Chen style still requires the releasing force but modified in the footwork and hand postures. Another example is the "Jade girl working with shuttles" taken from Wu (吳) style, the body is kept upright instead of keeping it "upright when slanting".
At present, the competition routine of 42 style Tai Ji Quan is the only weaponry competition style to go along with the competition routine of 42 style Tai Ji Quan. In some competitions the score of both 42 style Tai Ji Quan and Tai Ji Quan are accumulated and the winner will be given an all-round award. This competition routine of Tai Ji Quan was designed based on the traditional movements of Yang. Wu (吳) , and Chen style Tai Ji Quan with more emphasis on Yang style. This competition style shares the similar traits with the competition routine of 42 style Tai Ji Quan and the technical characteristics are as followings: The posture is elegant with the force penetrated onto the sword and the movements are agile and steady with the well balanced softness and hardness.
The most common difficulty the learners face when practicing this routine is the coordination of the body movements and the ambiguity of the sword movements.
Methods to overcome the obstacles: a) Master the movements of Tai Ji Quan before learning the movements of Tai Ji Jian. You have to master the basics before advancing to the higher levers. Tai Ji Quan is the basis for Tai Ji Jian because the body movements, stances and footwork used in Tai Ji Jian are identical to Tai Ji Quan. You can understand the important techniques of Tai Ji Jian by practicing Tai Ji Quan and apply them to the sword play. b) Learn the routine systematically and focus on the accuracy in movements. For the beginners, it is crucial to perform every movement precisely according to the key points. The beginners should avoid learning too many movements at a time without fully understanding the important points of each in case to form the formation of the wrong movements and the bad habits which will be very difficult to correct later. c) Master the movements before practicing your mind and then combine the movements and your mind into one. Tai Ji Jian is the swordplay guided by your mind and the "Qi". However, when you begin to practice the sword, your should first pay attention to the external movements (mainly the regulations of the sword) such as the differences between striking sword and pointing sword and the route of the waving sword etc. The correct external movement is the precondition in using your mind whereas, of course, the form and mind are not completely separated. This is only the different stages of practicing the sword. If the mind is used correctly. it can increase the accuracy of the movements. What we want to achieve at last is to use your mind to guide your sword and to combine both the sword and the mind into one to reaching the high level of unifying the form, mind, spirit and sword into one.
Complete Routine of 42 Style Tai Ji Quan