Taijitu

Here at SPC USA, Sifu Jones and Sifu Perhacs often speak of “cool” chi.   You have undoubtedly Sifu Perhacs, or, for those who have had the opportunity to listen to/interact with Sifu Jones, say things like “stay on the yin side of things”.  I would like to take an opportunity to delve into this concept just a little deeper.

In a previous blog post, Sifu Perhacs discussed yin and yang with regards to “balance”.  Now I would like to drill down into the Taijitu, the name of symbol that Westerners often refer to as the “yin and yang symbol”, and provide a metaphor that will dovetail nicely into the reasons why Sifu Jones and Sifu Perhacs (myself included) are huge proponents of the “yin” side of things.

The Taijitu is divided into two main parts: yang and yin.  Yang, the white portion with the black dot, has the following attributes: aggressive; hot/heat; harsh; repelling; male energy.  Yin, the black portion with the white dot, has the following attributes: attracting; cool; soft; female energy.  Without being gender specific, I would like to invite everyone to look at the Taijitu thru the eyes of Eastern martial artists.
All of us, whether we have had any training in the martial arts or not, are familiar with the following contrast: white belts are novices, and black belts have attained a level of dangerous expertise and martial proficiency.  In fact, as a student develops his/her martial abilities, said student will make a transition thru the color wheel, eventually attaining the desired goal of “black” belt.

If you have had the opportunity to watch this progression, experience this progression for yourself, or simply watch a white belt perform the same kata or techniques alongside a black belt, you will notice the following: the black belt martial artist is more fluid; the black belt martial artist is more graceful in his/her movements; the black belt has an economy of motion; the black belt is simply “better” in ways that cannot be easily quantified.

This is also very true in the world of chi gung.  Yin systems lend themselves to grace and fluidity of body mechanics and economy of movement; this is achieved with a mind that is still and a spirit that is relaxed and confident.  Yin systems also promote a sensitivity that is available only when the [internal] energy being transmitted is “cool”; the soft movement and cool energy allow for things like “extrasensory perception” to take place- you are able to “sense” an attack and defend without consciously knowing how and why.  Sifu Jones and Sifu Perhacs have been around long enough, trained hard enough, and done more than enough research to understand the “how’s” and “why’s”, which is why they train in this yin, circular system versus the traditionally taught “yang” styles.  [Question: what other chi gung methods and/or instructors have you come across that actively links and proves, via the latest scientific data, the existence and properties of chi thru the latest scientific data?] Yang energy and styles are hot and uncomfortable; difficult to control and develop; very destructive in nature and application, so much so that the person training in the technique will often cause as much (or more) damage to him/herself as they would to an opponent.  There is limited longevity in such a system.

This is not to say that one is more powerful than the other.  The Taijitu clearly shows both yin and yang being equal, making up the large-scale dichotomy of the physical world around us, but also shows what was discussed Sifu Perhac’s previous blog posting: that there is “yang” within “yin”, and vice versa.  Believe it or not, many of the exercises Sifu Jones and Sifu Perhacs teach are, in fact, “yang” exercises; “how” you incorporate and engage your mind and thoughts and physical body (especially with regards to how relaxed you are as well as how hard you do the exercises) is what ultimately dictates whether or not said exercise is “yang” or “yin” in practice.  The difference is subtle, but it is there…

V/r

Don Brown [Certified Instructor]