On "Abandoning Self and Following Others" in Tai Chi Chuan Combat

by langrentoh1 on 2012-03-09 16:39:40

On "Abandoning Self and Adhering to the Opponent" in Tai Chi Chuan Combat - Zhang Zhijun

The combat strategy of Tai Chi Chuan in pushing hands and free fighting can be summarized in four words: "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent."

"Abandoning self and adhering to the opponent." This is the general principle, the overall guideline. If you want to hit me, the usual response would be to block you, evade you, and then look for an opportunity to strike back. But there is a more sophisticated method: when you want to hit me, I guide your hand towards my body. By following your force with curves and spiral movements, I take control of your strength. To put it into a formula, your force plus my force through curves and spiral motions all come under my command. This is Tai Chi Chuan's approach.

Some might say, "I don't use the principle of 'abandoning self and adhering to the opponent,' and I can still knock people down. Isn't that possible?" We argue that while you may indeed be able to knock people down, it is not the essence of Tai Chi Chuan's power, nor does it match the subtlety of Tai Chi Chuan's combat techniques. Tai Chi Chuan requires us to conform to the opponent no matter how stringent the conditions during confrontation are, to be able to "abandon self and adhere to the opponent" under various circumstances, and to solve problems using sticking, adhering, connecting, and following. At the same time, "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent" aims to achieve the goals of "self-compliance and opposing noncompliance," "leading the opponent into emptiness," letting the opponent fall short rather than land effectively. When you come, I make you miss; if you want to emit force, let it out, if you want to attack, go ahead, extending and contracting freely. This is the graceful realm that everyone practicing Tai Chi Chuan push hands and free fighting aspires to.

The core of "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent" is transforming passivity into initiative, which is the optimal way to protect oneself. One must take the lead, cleverly dismantling the opponent's offense while simultaneously organizing and implementing one's own offensive actions. "Abandoning" should not be done blindly, otherwise it is wasteful; "adhering" should not be done blindly either, otherwise one risks being controlled. To achieve "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent," the following key points should be mastered:

1. Conform to and alter the opponent's force

When two parties engage in combat, both move forward, but one party jumps out. It may feel like just a bump caused them to jump out, but in reality, the other party added a small circle during the instant of contact. This slight curved motion made the opponent float up. Therefore, upon making contact, the first step is to accurately identify the direction of the opponent's force and try to follow it while altering its direction. Otherwise, one may end up going out without realizing it. Regular practice should focus on developing sensitive tactile perception and listening skills, disregarding temporary gains or losses. Winning a single bout is a momentary gain, whereas only by knowing the size, length, direction, and speed of the opponent's incoming force at the point of contact can one achieve lasting success. Conforming to the opponent's force is merely superficial; during the process of compliance, one integrates their own force with the opponent's, then uses curves and spiral movements to change the direction of this combined force. We are required to adhere to this principle to neutralize the opponent's first, second, and even third forces. Imagine having such a method of compliance and transformation; regardless of how powerful the incoming force may be, it will inevitably result in the opponent falling short and losing balance, thereby being controlled by us.

2. Avoid disconnection and resistance

In push hands, there are two obvious mistakes: "disconnection" and "resistance." "Disconnection" and "resistance" are common issues when practicing Tai Chi Chuan. "Resistance" means stiffness, while "disconnection" means softness. "Resistance" makes the force too rigid, and if your spiral movement has sharp angles, flat surfaces, straight lines, protrusions, or broken momentum, the opponent can easily detect your intentions and counteract them, leading to "resistance." We say that peng (ward-off) energy is the overall energy of Tai Chi Chuan. When the opponent applies force, the response is peng. Peng can be directed upwards, forwards, etc., and guiding the opponent's force in any direction is correct, except for directly opposing it. However, beginners often overlook the many correct methods available during confrontation and resort to resisting with a single method. Yet, this is an unavoidable stage in learning Tai Chi Chuan. With diligent practice, one can shorten the time spent in this phase. While overcoming "resistance," one must also be cautious about avoiding "disconnection." "Disconnection" means being overly soft, relaxed, unprepared, and completely collapsing. "Losing oneself" is vastly different from "abandoning oneself." "Abandoning oneself" is for the sake of change, whereas "losing oneself" lacks initiative and leaves no room for further tactics, inevitably leading to defeat.

3. Develop awareness of cyclical defense and continuous attacks

In "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent" and "leading the opponent into emptiness," attention should be paid to ensuring that after one striking point moves, the next one quickly follows. When the opponent attacks, your hand retreats, but your elbow must advance, otherwise you are giving up your position to the opponent. Using only your hand to guard the front line might cause "resistance"; surrendering your position outright is "disconnection." To avoid "disconnection" and "resistance," one must skillfully use the second point to protect the first, the third point to protect the second, continuing endlessly. After the hand strikes, the elbow follows, after the elbow the shoulder, after the shoulder the hand again, and so forth in a cycle. This is just the variation of the upper three sections. If one can utilize the entire body harmoniously, using the hands, elbows, shoulders, chest, hips, knees, legs, and feet in a cyclical manner, it becomes even more wonderful. Moreover, one must have the awareness of continuous attacks. Many people stop moving after issuing a strike in push hands, leaving themselves unprepared for the opponent's next attack due to the absence of a follow-up strike. In fact, if another force were applied at that moment, the opponent would have fallen. Even if there appears to be no immediate follow-up strike after the first one, one must maintain mental readiness for a second strike. The most important thing is not to lose this awareness.

4. Distinguishing between guiding and striking hands

In Tai Chi Chuan combat, it is essential to differentiate between the "guiding hand" and the "striking hand," which is crucial for "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent." The fundamental purpose of "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent" is to lead the opponent into emptiness, control them, create a situation where oneself is compliant while the opponent is noncompliant, and then effectively strike the opponent. Therefore, our two hands should have distinct roles. One hand is called the "guiding hand," primarily used to neutralize and guide the opponent's incoming force, making it "fall into emptiness." The other hand is called the "striking hand," responsible for attacking the opponent. Of course, these two hands are interconnected, and only by coordinating and cooperating can they fulfill the dual tasks of "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent" and striking the opponent. The determination of the "guiding hand" and the "striking hand" depends on the direction of the body's rotation. If the body turns left, the left hand is the "guiding hand," and the right hand is the "striking hand." If the body turns right, the right hand is the "guiding hand," and the left hand is the "striking hand." The role of the "guiding hand" is twofold: to guide and alter the direction of the opponent's incoming force and to direct our own striking force and the opponent's fall. The function of the "striking hand" is relatively straightforward: to set a target and expand outward. Combining spiral rotation with the body's overall rotation allows for the execution of the striking intent. The role of the "guiding hand" is more significant than that of the "striking hand." Through curves and spiral movements, the "guiding hand" can make the opponent's force ineffective against us, neutralizing their power invisibly. The "striking hand" changes according to the variations of the "guiding hand." As the boxing theory states: "Leading the opponent into emptiness, combining and then emitting," "leading the opponent into emptiness" is the ingenious application of the "guiding hand," "combining" is the function of the "striking hand," and "emitting" is the effect. If one cannot distinguish between the "guiding hand" and the "striking hand" in actual combat, then the application of techniques becomes blind, making it impossible to practice the highest principle of Tai Chi Chuan combat: "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent."

(For a detailed discussion on "guiding hand" and "striking hand," see another paper: "Guiding Hand" and "Striking Hand" in Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands.)

5. "Storing and Emitting Change" and "Neutralizing and Striking as One"

Ultimately, "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent" is a method whose purpose is to achieve "storing and emitting change," and its ultimate realm is "neutralizing and striking as one." Any force consists of three elements: magnitude, direction, and point of application. By changing the point of application and controlling the direction of the opponent's incoming force, the magnitude of the force becomes irrelevant to us. Tai Chi Chuan has the treasures of sticking, adhering, connecting, and following. As long as we maintain contact with the opponent's limbs, we can follow their momentum, bend and rotate according to their movements, adjust our own balance, and probe the situation of their force, responding appropriately and guiding them accordingly. During the process of sticking and yielding, since we neither disconnect nor resist, encountering force leads to its neutralization. When the opponent's force fails to reach its target, two scenarios can occur: continuing forward causes their own disadvantageous posture, or terminating their force results in their retreat. Both will alter their center of gravity, creating conditions for us to disrupt their balance. At the same time, note that this process of "neutralizing" is also our process of "storing." Once this process is completed, it means: first, the threat to us is eliminated, and second, a favorable situation where we are compliant and the opponent is noncompliant is created. Then we can transform "storing" into "emitting" and "neutralizing" into "striking." This is called "storing and emitting change." A higher realm is "neutralizing and striking as one." Under the overall principle of "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent," Tai Chi Chuan masters can achieve "neutralizing is striking, striking is neutralizing" when their techniques are proficient and they understand the force dynamics. Or, in many cases, the first part of a movement is "neutralizing," and the latter part is "striking." There is no distinct transition, or the transition between neutralizing and striking happens seamlessly.

6. Utilizing the Wonders of Folding

Boxing theory says: "Folding lies in the wrist." In fact, the whole body should be capable of folding, though the wrists and chest-waist area fold the most. Folding in Tai Chi Chuan involves using curved and spiral movements to change the direction of coiling force. That is, to go upward first downward, left first right, forward first backward. When the opponent's force arrives, a fold neutralizes it effortlessly. Because these reverse movements can easily give the opponent a false impression, if the force is spherical, the opponent won't know where you're going. If it's linear, the opponent can clearly see your direction. Additionally, curved spiral movements combined with speed produce explosive power, causing a brief blank in the opponent's brain or artificially making them inhale. Often, delivering a strike during the opponent's inhalation easily injures their joints, damages their tendons, and even harms their internal organs. Folding is a relatively refined technique that easily achieves "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent" and "leading the opponent into emptiness."

7. Incorporating Specific Body Postures and Footwork

If the opponent's force is strong, fast, and comes from tricky angles, it adds difficulty to "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent." In such cases, if hand techniques cannot resolve the issue, use body techniques; if body techniques cannot resolve it, use footwork. If one step doesn't work, use two; if two don't work, use three. Repeat as necessary. Tai Chi Chuan has five types of footwork: advancing, retreating, looking left, looking right, and stabilizing. These include moving forward, stepping back, turning left, turning right, and maintaining stability in the center. Among the five steps, "stabilizing" is the foundation, and the other steps evolve from it. When stabilizing, the five toes should be firmly planted, allowing all joints to move freely. If the opponent's impact force is too great, you can step back, but it's better not to unless necessary because stabilizing helps maintain the integrity of one's technical movements. Conversely, applying coiling force during movement provides even greater advantages. Therefore, during combat, if both parties' hand and body techniques are insufficient, whoever can use footwork to change the magnitude and direction of the opponent's force and shift their center of gravity will achieve the goal of "self-compliance and opposing noncompliance."

In summary, "abandoning self and adhering to the opponent" is the overarching principle of Tai Chi Chuan combat techniques. On this basis, Tai Chi Chuan also possesses superior combat techniques such as "overcoming hardness with softness," "controlling movement with stillness," "avoiding strength and striking weakness," and "responding last but arriving first." These techniques are the most brilliant parts of the profound Tai Chi Chuan system. They are easy to learn but hard to master, easy to understand but difficult to practice. Practitioners can only progress step by step and gradually enter a higher realm through diligent training, frequent summarization, courageous exploration, and continuous elevation.