"Shaolin : AH ! AH!
AH!
Tai Chi : Bom ! "
This was the Tai Chi
description that my teacher, Fan Kui, who spoke no English, was used to give.
That would need some interpretation. The Shaolin style is always strong, Tai
Chi is not. Tai Chi is based on the concept of relaxation and then, suddenly, it
explodes. A simple phrase that needs more explanation. What does relax mean?
Relax does not mean collapse on the couch and do nothing. No, quite the
contrary. Relax means to be active, to do everything you want/need to do, but
without being tense. If you're tense you finish hurting yourself. I will not
dwell on the dramatic significance that this sentence could have in the life of
every person I know, starting from me. We stick on the martial application, and
for now we need to know that Tai Chi is the martial art of relaxation and it
combines the concepts of life of Taoism... to which the Force of Star Wars deeply
inspired. Then relax for a fight. Collect energy and then suddenly BOM! The
explosion releases the stored energy. This concept is typical of Chen Style Tai
Chi, from which the other styles are coming, linked to other families. Relax
and hitting. Silk and steel masters say. The movements should be soft and fluid
as silk drapes that wrap around the opponent. Soft, but difficult to tear. Then
the steel strikes with violence.
These movements and
concepts are summarized in what are typically called "forms".
Sequences of movements students learn by heart and repeat endlessly, trying to
grasp its meaning. Needless to say, there are dozens and dozens different and
that the same form can vary greatly from teacher to teacher. I learned two
forms in my time in China and now I'm trying to improve. The first is the form
74 (from 74 movements that compose it) called first routine of the old frame of
the Chen Family.
I report here a movie of
this form. My performance during the exam. There are some errors and several
imperfections, but the overall assessment was positive. Anyway you should have
no trouble noticing the silk and the steel.
Good vision, and may the
Force be with you!
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