About spirals
Spirals are perfect circles.
Every movement in Tai Chi is based on circles,
just like the shape of the Tai Chi symbol.
A silkworm will only stop producing silk when it dies.
(Chinese saying)
Spirals
This silkworm will only stop producing silk when it dies.
In mathematics:
A spiral is a curve which emanates from a central point
getting progressively farther away as it revolves around the point.
Vertical circles.
We could not imagine any martial art without vertical and horizontal circles.
Follow the circle to find the straight line (square).
Follow the line (square) to find the circle.
The Vitruvian Man.
The circle in the square, and, the square in the circle.
The Vitruvian Man.
"The navel is naturally placed in the center of the human body. While lying face upwards, hands and feet extended,
a circle would be drawn with the navel as its center, this circle touches fingers and toes.
It is not just by a circle, that the human body is thus circumscribed, as may be seen by placing it within a square.
When measuring from the feet to the crown of the head and then across the arms fully extended, we find the latter measure
equal to the former; so that lines at right angles to each other, enclosing the figure, will form a square".
Leonardo DaVinci (circa 1487) The Vitruvian Man.
Our left arm and right arm are not equal, they are opposites of one and the same. We have a right and a left arm and
drawing circles they are completing each other.
Every time we deliberately move our arms, it is a daily experience of real magic: the power of mind over matter. Without a
conscious mind commanding our arms, our arms could not rise unless we are lighter than air. Tai Chi Chuan combines
physical, mental and spiritual functions with basic emotions into a system that we can reconstruct. Humans have the ability
to imagine, to mentally construct natural sensor patterns, remember them, and then use them as if they were real.
The Vitruvian Woman.
The circle is a perfect shape.
But.
The spiral is the most perfect circle.
In Tai Chi Chuan we use a combined mechanism called:
'waving and twisting spiraling'.
Growth spirals appears often in nature: shells, spiral galaxies, cyclones,
the approach of a hawk to its prey, of an insect to a light source... etc.
Using the short stick to feel spiral energy. (Ssan su chin)
Trees grow in spirals.
Full power Tai Chi Chuan involves twisting and spiraling.
The Chinese term to describe this is ‘realing silk';
it looks like a wave undulating your body.
Realing silk is essential for health as well as for martial applications.
Beginners demonstrate just a wave or a circle.
Advanced students internalises this 'chin' to
a 'very subtle wavelike internal circular good feeling vibration'.
Continue moving arms and legs in a spiraling fashion.
Using spiraling energy allows to attack with immense power
from angles that your opponent is not prepared for to counter.
Circles create lines, lines create circles.
Circular and/or spiraling movements can create lines of projecting.
All Tai Chi movements are at least minimally curved or circular,
even if they appear to be linear.
All Tai Chi and Bagua Zhang movements are at least minimally linear,
even if they appear circular.
All Tai Chi movements are at least minimally straight or linear
even if they appear to be curved or circular.
Spirals: the circle (yin) and the line (yang).
Lines (yang), squares (yang), triangles (yang),
are specific versions of circles.
When we realize the relationship between opposites is found in every movement
and in every reality, we are practicing Tai Chi Chuan.
(see: About the sword form)
Tai Chi Chuan was intended for real self defence,
not for competition.
Using Winding silk and Reeling silk as a brutal defence
against very brutal attacks.
Winding silk (Ssan ni chin) is the reverse of realing silk( Ssan su chin)
Any muscular or mental tension,
Any over-stretching will limit or destroy this 'chin'.
Winding and reeling silk must flow spontaneously to or from you.
You just did it and it worked.
It takes time to master.
Silk reeling is a technique that exploits the advantage of spiral movements.
When this technique is developed by an internal master,
his chi can interrupt or disturb the flow of chi in the internal organs.
Which is intrinsically a very powerful martial weapon.
Whirlpool galaxy
Spirals exist as an embodiment of a cosmic law found in nature.
The Indian (Sanskrit) word for silk reeling is 'snake coil' or 'kundalini'.
In the West, the twin snakes entwined around
the wingerd staff of Mercury* form the symbol of healing and medicine.
* the spine.
Spirals in nature are reflected all around us as the symbol of a universal plan.
The health benefits of Tai Chi tie on strongly with the practice of the Yang Lu Chan.
On small frame level, chi is manifested in the tiny turnings of both hands.
At that level
Tai Chi is not only about 'reeling silk' but it is also about 'pulling a silk thread'.
Palms can ‘roll and pull a silk thread'.
In the internal Yang Lu Chan form
we must have yin and yang in the hands, we must 'pull a silk thread'.
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'Rolling and Pulling a silk thread' is the highest level of Tai Chi Chuan.
Easy? Not really.
"Use the yi to move the qi, use the qi to move the body"
Tai Chi Classics.
yi : thought-intention-mind.
The spiral is one of the oldest symbols known to be used,
it represents beginning and growth of all things.
Ireland :
Celtic spirals (triskelions).
Three spirals in one make triskelions appear in constant growth,
swerling endlessy around their axis.
Spirals are reflections of a universal plan.
We are part of the plan. This plan is our plan.
Tai Chi is not about styles, masters, families.
Tai Chi is about the underlying principles of the universal plan.
Tai Chi circles and spirals:
There is a difference between circles and spirals.
The circle is the most symmetrical and regular of all shapes,
because of its symmetry the circle is considered as the perfect shape.
The circle has no beginning and no end, it's the perfect shape.
but,
there is no evidence of perfect shapes on Earth or in the Universe.
Therefore the circle is a symbol of wholeness, eternity and integration.
The cycle of life and death is a full circle.
Life through his death spirals.
We learn to integrate. We learn to relate our own centre to the circle of life.
We learn to integrate our circle of life to the cosmic circles of life.
The secrets of Tai Chi circles and spirals :
Try to find the centre of the circles, it's more difficult than it seems.
Try to find the centre of the spirals, it's more difficult than it seems.
Circles and spirals
There is a difference between a circle (ellipse) and a spiral.
The circle is a perfect shape, the spiral is a perfect circle, a spiral simply goes around and around.
Circles :
The circle (ellipse) is a perfect shape, Our mind is oriented to circles, once we complete one circle, we start another.
In the beginning Tai Chi Chuan is about circles, try to find the centre of the circles. Beginners can make arm circles but
are not relaxed enough to make body circles. Take a look at the circle, the area of the circle - the empty space inside the
circle - represents Wu Chi (emptiness), the outside of the circle represents everything-anything. The circle is a universal
symbol, there is our own biological circle of life, there are the seasons, there is the Earth, the sun and the moon.
If we look at our own blood circulation, we all know how poor blood circulation can effect our state of health. There are
circling atoms, and the number of circles in the Universe is infinite. While the Earth is circling the sun,
it is rotating in a circle on its axis. Once every 28 days the Earth's relationship to its moon creates another circle.
Remember that "our sun" is only one of billions of stars all of which have their own circling planets, and those planets,
their moons. The number of circles in the Universe is mind-boggling. From the micro level of atoms and molecules, to the
macro level of planets and their orbits, circles and spheres are found in every aspect of our experience. Tai Chi players
are 'full circle gardeners', gardeners know that the garden history will always be coming full circle.
Spirals :
Don't be satisfied with circles, but be certain that a wider one is possible. A circle is the reflexion of eternity,
if we put several circles over each other, then we get a spiral. So, the circle is a perfect shape, but the spiral is the
most perfect circle, a spiral simply goes around and around. Even our DNA is a spiral, it forms a twisted spiralling ladder
or a double helix spiral. DNA carries the genetic information in a cell, it is capable to self-replication, and it consists
of two long chains twisted into a double helix (telomeres are a DNA sequence that appears at the end of a chomosome, they
protect the end of the chromosomes. DNA is not the same as Jing, but to me telomeres could refer to the Chinese concepts of
Yin-Yang and Jing. I think). So, in Tai Chi Chuan spirals are very, very important subjects for all advanced students and
one that has both mental-medical-martial and philosophical aspects. The Taijitu seems a circle but the ball is the design of
the Taijitu, not the circle. Infact the circle of the Taijitu is a reference to something multi-dimensional. Think of a
helix spiral, a helix always operates in at least three dimensions, even time is composed of multi-dimensional spirals of
energy that intersect. If "the moment now" is the only time that exists, then advanced Tai Chi Chuan has the opportunity to
have a positive effect in all the time spirals right "now", because the moment now is a multilayered and multidimensional
intersection of all that is.
The Taijitu and Tai Chi Chuan
The black and white shapes of the Taijitu represent the multi-dimensional dynamical spiralling interactions between the two
poles Yin and Yang. Keep in mind that in Tai Chi Chuan there is no "ball-holding position", holding the ball refers to
something else, it refers to "ball turning and ball rotation", It refers to the spiralling energy of Tai Chi Chuan.
Ball turning and ball rotation are easy skills once you know the theory behind circles and spirals. In the body the spiral
dance begins, it surrounds the body, as it is above, so is below.
Silk reeling, silk winding and rolling and pulling a silk thread are easy skills once we understand the theory behind them.
The Taijitu is a combination of a spiral and a circle, (a sort of "spircle"?). The inside of a circle is empty, it
represents Wu Chi or emptiness, The circle explains the way energy works : outside a circle (= anything), inside Wu Chi
(= emptiness). But the Taijitu is also a spiral turbine, think you're in the middle of a hurricane, in the middle the sky
is blue and birds can fly without suffering harm, in the middle it's a peaceful emptiness. The Taijitu illustrates the way
that energy travels from the feet to the head. Root and twist the foot, allowing the spiralling power to travel up the legs,
let the power spring upward at the knee, and allow the power to move freely in any direction at the waist. When the
"ming men point" is in circling motion, it will lead to form many circles and spirals. In the midpoint of the kidneys
(between L2 and L3) on the vertebrea there is a point called 'ming men point', it's the balance point between the left
kidney (Yin) and the right kidney (Yang). It's the harmony point. Do not try to force or direct, the spiralling power in
your body knows where to go. Drive the spirals upward through the back and let the spiralling power penetrate the crown
point at the top of the head. Merge your spiralling power with the spirit of universal spirals, making them one. Drive the
spiralling power to the palms, to the fingertips. In martial Tai Chi Chuan spiral power should be reserved for extreme or
life-threatening situations, as it is specifically designed to cause internal damage to an opponent. Because we drive
internal spiral power into an opponent's body in a manner similar to that of driving a screw into a piece of wood,
spiralling power is sometimes also referred to as screwing power. Take care.
About waves and vibrations:
Chinese physical thinking was dominated throughout
by the concept of waves and vibrations rather than of atoms.
Joseph Needham
Reeling silk
"Use the mind (yi) to move the qi, use the qi to move the body".
Intro
In Tai Chi Chuan rules or principles just repeat themselves. The Taoist thinking pattern that has influenced the Chinese
people for a long period of time is circular in nature. Chinese often repeat something they have spoken about before, this is
because it is how they think, they think circular. Chinese is a dynamic language, so the verbs are used mostly. The
Chinese emphasizes intuitive thinking mode and tends to natural flow of thinking in compliane with the order and time of
events. The difference between western and eastern thinking is that western thought is personal, linear and individual
while eastern thought is general, integrated, circular and holistic. Remember that your Tai Chi form should be integreted,
intuitive, repetitive and circular. Tai Chi tends to natural flow, ideas and movements repeat themselves, only time and
context are different.
The Tai Chi classics are clear : "When one part of the body moves, all parts move. The dantien -the center of the body-
must lead all movements."
As the dantien moves a spiral is initiated throughout the body. All Chinese internal martial arts are about circles,
but they are not about circles, they are about spirals with no beginning and no end. There are many video's about Chen
style reeling silk. There are few video's about Yang style silk reeling. Keep in mind that reeling silk and winding silk
does not exist in Tai Chi Chuan. They are orly metaphors, they refer to the way the movements feel. A metaphor is a metaphor,
a metaphor is just for refering to things, it's a literary figure of speech that uses a suggestive image or a comparison
between unlike things. Silk is the stuff that is wound onto the reel. A reel works by rotation, the rotation of the reel
pulls the thread onto the reel, and the reel rotates in a circle about it's central axis. And, it works... So, use the mind
to move the qi, use the qi to move the reel. The mind should be at the beginning and the end of each posture, but not how
the hands got to this position. Try it out: part horse's mane, grasp the bird's tale, single whip... or whatever. Keep in
mind the human isn't the reel, the human operates the reel.
Chen style masters use big and open reeling silk spirals. The Yang Cheng Fu style does not have such as 'reeling silk'.
Master Zhenduo : "The reason for this is because the Yang style is so slow that silk reeling should already be within
the form. In the Yang style there is a continuous rotation, it has a silk reeling element. This internal rotation must be
constant and should be involve the whole body and the whole arm, not just the forearm". The usage of large circle silk
reeling (Chen style) is to expand energy to the limbs and to create a strong flow of energy together with motion. The
usage of small circle silk reeling (Yang Cheng Fu) is to compress the energy to become solid power. To me the Yang Lu Chan
is a perfect combination of both, a strong flow of energy and compression of energy : yin and yang.
Some people say that in the Yang style the practice of reeling silk is a waste of time. All movements of the Old Yang,
inwards or outwards are about rolling, reeling or pulling a silk thread. All movements flow or counterflow reel silk.
The expression of the movement may be straight or circular but the body is always a spiral. So, if you are an advanced
student you should always put it in, and don't care about Tai Chi Styles, or who you see doing it or not doing it, you always
should. In the internal martial arts the body always spirals, spiraling is basic, not advanced. On the other hand
spiraling is advanced stuff in the sense that few can make it happen consciously with intent. It's advanced stuff because
spiraling won't power your internal martial art until you can control it. Few have the patience to put in time, it takes
most who can do it many years to develop, and of those who can do, fewer still are going to integrate "being" that way as
opposed to just "training" that way. spiraling, silk reeling is advanced stuff in the sense that if we only use the hands,
the silk breaks, but if we mobilize the mind to move the qi, and the qi moves the entire body, silk movements will be
very succes- and powerfull.
Again, silk realing, silk winding and rolling a silk dread in the palms are just metaphors, they refer to the way the
movements feel (Chousi). In the Chen style spiraling energy is visible. Chen masters use big
spirals, it allows them to show their students exaggerated spirals so that they can "see" what should be happening on an
internal level. It brings it into awareness, and as awareness grows the spiraling motions get smaller and smaller until
they become invisible. In the Yang style spirals are invisible, that's the highest level of the Yang style. In the small
frame Yang Lu Chan style spiraling energy is not visible, but sometimes it is expressed in external fa-jing movements.
In the martial sense spiraling is used for (yinhua) (neutralizing the opponent's force) and
for (luoxuanjin) (striking, a strike that has a rotational quality will do more damaging).
Chansi means getting wrapped up the spiraling web of the opponents energy, it's a method of
transmitting and generating energy, and Chousi is how it feels. However, expressing spiraling
chi (fa jing) is always a side effect of using the 'yi' to guide the 'qi'.
I wish you good luck.
I'll answer your questions.
walter.marsoul@telenet.be