Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Discussion on the three big Chinese internals, Yiquan, Bajiquan, Piguazhang and other similar styles.

Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Postby Yeung on Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:24 pm

Chen Xin 16 fighting steps: compare, prepare, touch, stick, discern, action, connect, follow, leading, forward, fall, emptiness, obtain, strike, speedy, finalize. (Chapter 5, Section 5:2,page 296,Chen Shi Taijiquan, edited by Gu Liuqing, 1963, in Chinese)
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Re: Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Postby Trick on Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:32 pm

Who is Chen Xin? Does he elaborate deeper on the subject or did he just write 16 words to ponder on?
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Re: Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Postby charles on Thu Jul 19, 2018 3:54 pm

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Re: Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Postby Trick on Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:55 am

Thanks, that was interesting reading
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Re: Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Postby marvin8 on Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:58 pm

Trick wrote:Thanks, that was interesting reading

Excerpts from “Illustrated Explanation of Chen Family Taijiquan:”
Chen xin wrote:70. EXPLANATIONS OF TAIJIQUAN APPLICATION

The doctrine of creation and destruction allocated to the Five Phases embraces all things under heaven. In hand-to-hand combat, weaker fighters are associated with yin. The yin substance which is able to destroy yang corresponds to water. Water can destroy fire in accordance with the doctrine of the Five Phases, a concept which people find easy to understand.

In contrast, the application in boxing practice of power contained in the energy channels and collaterals is not so easily understood. Energy channels need to be relaxed, made softer and more open for power to be released. Then, using jing essence in combination with a quiet mind, one becomes able to listen to the reactions or intentions of the opponent. Only then can one discern the proper opportunity to attack effectively. A solid response to your attack means the opponent has a plan and is trying to implement it. Your counter-response should be soft, otherwise you will not be able to listen to the opponent's condition accurately. If you listen with concentration, using the 'soft' way of listening which involves both your hands and ears, you will perceive the optimal boundaries for your actions, that is, the perimeter within which you may advance safely without losing your position or get beaten. As the saying goes, "To get the tiger cubs without entering the den — only a real hero with innate courage and power is able to do so."

This is a difficult technique within reach of only those with great character and courage. The position required to avoid certain defeat is a very firm and stable stance, one that would instill fear in the opponent. From this stance, suddenly change your position from soft to hard, catch your opponent off guard while she is still in a position of softness in an attempt to attract you into her trap of emptiness. The moment you reach your boundary of safety', seek out opportunities to strengthen your position—use form, color, measure, courage, power or deportment—in fact, anything at all which could stabilize your new hard aggressive stance. This is how the hard destroys the soft through employing fire against water, by maintaining your softness till the edge of the border, only to launch a fierce attack on the opponent at the very last moment. Until that point, continue to obey her pull', pretending there is no weakness in her soft position and that she still has the upper hand.

This is the key to practicing Tui-shou[93]: anticipate your opponents moves without him detecting your intentions; retreat in defence without letting him catch hold of you. First, advance softly, listening attentively to your opponent. Then, while still in the soft position of 'listener', begin to turn gradually and retreat, thus attracting the opponent's advance into your trap of emptiness. If he does not advance, it means he understands your maneuver. He may still decide follow you, however, with an eye to catching you out on any tiny error you may make, hoping to turn the tables around and surprise you. He may do this slowly, quickly or in some other cunning manner, but you will find that suddenly, midway through your posture, his softness may have turned into hardness as he grasps your hands and slowly lures you further forward toward him, thus forcing you to lose your position and advance. As soon as he senses you are not stable in your position, he will use all his strength to attack, activating all his knowledge and senses to exploit all opportunities to defeat you.

At the moment of attack, you must quickly change your mode from soft to hard and utilize as little strength as possible to ward-off the crest of his attack. He may then become aware of the dangers of isolating his force if he invests more effort in pursuit of victory. Though he may have regretted not advancing a moment ago, now he dares not advance, knowing that he will be beaten. At the same time, he dares not retreat for to do so now means certain defeat. However, neither advancing nor retreating also leads to certain defeat, just as an exhausted soldier who with his hands tied around his back, facing down and unable to move, is left trapped without supplies. How can he carry out his mission in such conditions? True mastery is the ability to drive the opponent into such a corner with no chance of escape.

[93] 'Push hands', a partner-based Taiji sparring technique. . . .

Though it is often said that 'hardness overcomes softness,' the truth is that softness always conquers hardness.' Hence we see the opponent first acting softly then proceeding to hardness. This shows that softness contains hardness, in the same way that a gently written work may contain hard-edged themes. In fighting, this is reflected in the sequence of attack where the opponent may advance with an aggressive and hard stance, only to find himself submitting to your easier', softer and more sensitive approach. By easier' I mean fending off a violent adversary at the peak of his aggression (or hardness) with your forearm, turning your torso and taking backward steps to slightly re-adjust the direction of his attack. Next, try to avoid the movement of his hands and block his view by placing your hands in front of his face. While this happens, let him continue moving in the same direction, carried away by his momentum and forgetting both his left and right sides. This way, you can defend against any attacks from the left or right leaving him at a disadvantage. If you still have difficulty doing this, coun-ter-attack from the side in the same direction of his attack to accelerate his descent into emptiness. Hence the saying, "It is easy to destroy hardness but difficult to destroy softness. . . ."

72. THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IN COMBAT

When two opponents start fighting, each thinks of victory. Both fighters push against each other with about ninety percent of their resources, but it is really the remaining ten percent which determines the final outcome. The question is: who will seize this remaining ten percent to gain advantage in the final position? If your opponent takes it first, you lose; if you seize it first, victory is yours. Both opponents are equally strong and fully alert at both ends of the line. As the saying goes, "Before setting out on one's journey, check the way to go!” Jing essence culminates at the crown of the head and guides Zhong-qi upward. The position of your hands should be slightly higher than the opponent's. Lean your torso slightly forward to draw nearer to the opponent, thus restraining him. Do not let him dominate by pushing his force into your part of the common space'. Your advantage lies in the speed you establish: if your spirit rises slowly, you will lose; if it rises rapidly, you will have the advantage. To maintain this advantage, move your hands quickly forward as if going to break a bamboo stick — it can be done if you are swift enough.

The endgame in chess is similar: victory is determined by a single move. When chasing a deer, the swift-footed succeeds. Before going into action, troops should first be supplied with provisions and fodder. This is what is meant by "check the way to go" — it refers to the method of mental preparation. Hence to practice Taiji boxing successfully, you need to move all parts of the body simultaneously to gain an advantageous position in accord with your pulse and breath, using opening and closing. Before raising your hands, you need to activate them to control the upper position. Don't let shen, qi, blood and the pulse (mat) be interrupted even for a moment. Even while the play of hands goes on, you should always be thinking of ways to improve your position. To obtain advantage, your turns need to be agile and your movements quick. Train your body in the moves every day during sparring practice so that they become second nature. This way you will never lose. Your movements for every single position will be directed by your mind/heart, shifting freely from straight streams to steep turns.
Last edited by marvin8 on Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Postby Trick on Fri Jul 20, 2018 11:04 pm

Chen Xin in the OP I had no idea who he was and his thoughts seemed uninteresting. But now just a few post forward it’s almost as I know the guy :) Thanks for another good read
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Re: Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Postby taiwandeutscher on Sat Jul 21, 2018 2:55 am

As a sinologist, I must say, that I don't like the English translation. It seems it is a certain interpretation of the original, far off from the original. I never understood why a bullogs is translated as a flute. I did publish the 1st. section, alas in my native tongue of German.
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Re: Chen Xin 16 fighting steps

Postby Yeung on Fri Jul 27, 2018 2:55 pm

Yeung wrote:Chen Xin 16 fighting steps: compare, prepare, touch, stick, discern, action, connect, follow, leading, forward, fall, emptiness, obtain, strike, speedy, finalize. (Chapter 5, Section 5:2,page 296,Chen Shi Taijiquan, edited by Gu Liuqing, 1963, in Chinese)


陈鑫擖手十六目:较、接、沾、黏、因、依、连、随、引、近、落、空、得、打、疾、断。
较、接、沾、黏、因、依、连、随、引、近、落、空、得、打、疾、断。

I cannot find the 16 fighting steps in Chen Xin’s book, but it was in page 35 of Chen Xufu’s book published in 1935 with some differences.
In any case it seems that it is the combination of two classical sayings of Yin Jin Luo Kong 引進落空 and Zhan Lian Nian Sui 粘連黏隨 from A manual handwritten by Li Yiyu,
presented to his student, Hao He (Weizhen) – 1881 (translation by Paul Brennan, May, 2013)

打手歌
PLAYING HANDS SONG
掤捋擠按須認真。上下相隨人難進。
任他巨力來打我。撁動四两撥千斤。
引進落空合即出。粘連黏隨不丢頂。
Ward-off, rollback, press, and push must be taken seriously.
With coordination between above and below, the opponent will hardly find a way in.
I will let him attack me with as much power as he likes,
for I will tug with four ounces of force to move his of a thousand pounds.
Guiding him in to land on nothing, I then close on him and send him away.
I stick to him and go along with his movement instead of coming away or crashing in.
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