Re: What Is Peng
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 12:50 am
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I don't think of Peng as up force, rather as a sphere expanding outwards in all directions simultaneously. So past the mid line of the body Peng presses down, above that line it uproots. I have felt people hit my legs with a down force and my upper body with an up force causing a "freeze" . So to me Peng is multi functional. How to develop it is the interesting part!
Peng is a directed force with a very specific result on the other person.
So if you expanded or inflated like a ball in six or all directions that equals peng?
Well no, I dont think so.
windwalker wrote:Peng is a directed force with a very specific result on the other person.
there is pung, a movement and pung jin, a property of something that a movement has or not.So if you expanded or inflated like a ball in six or all directions that equals peng?
Well no, I dont think so.
Its ok not to think so,,,it would be better to know.
how does one inflate like a ball?
jin just means force or skill.
But do we call that peng - well many people can and do, I just question here the value of that; i think it's just become a convenience more than anything.
The boat and water analogy is a very good one I think for peng.
Then even if a feather or something as light as a fly falls on the body, it will be felt. But one does not allow the feather to stop or the fly to rest its feet. The feather cannot stop because it does not arrive at a flat or stable surface, For the same reason, the fly cannot stand balanced; it will not stop its fluttering wings and alight on the body. This is an extreme way of describing the light agility of Taiji push-hands.
windwalker wrote:The boat and water analogy is a very good one I think for peng.
The problem with this analogy, is that it often leads one to the wrong conclusions.
Think about it.Then even if a feather or something as light as a fly falls on the body, it will be felt. But one does not allow the feather to stop or the fly to rest its feet. The feather cannot stop because it does not arrive at a flat or stable surface, For the same reason, the fly cannot stand balanced; it will not stop its fluttering wings and alight on the body. This is an extreme way of describing the light agility of Taiji push-hands.
boats and such weigh a lot more then flies and feathers
We're also dealing with here with the English language and how we best can translate and describe in ways that clarify a foreign idea and group of concepts. Assigning to many meanings and contexts to one foreign language word I think makes things a little less intuitively clear.
Why do we have to bring in flies and feathers to this. It seems like we're getting to the point of using Peng as a catch all for a bunch of things that we can and do articulate seperately.
windwalker wrote:Thanks for an insightful and well reasoned "discussion"
always goodWe're also dealing with here with the English language and how we best can translate and describe in ways that clarify a foreign idea and group of concepts. Assigning to many meanings and contexts to one foreign language word I think makes things a little less intuitively clear.
The thing is, is that in china, and here. I can ask or they can ask for more "pung" or talk about there is no pung or ect. and its perfectly clear.
I can not ask them to expand more or what ever, I just say "pung" and they know what I mean or I what they mean. I use physics to explain what, why, and how to achieve or cause it. We test in accordance with the theory....why it works and when it does not...
In the process now of aligning as much as I can with physics, working with some who teach robotics here, or hold advanced degrees in physics or other engineering disciplines. They are often surprised about how taiji can be related and explained directly using physics. They on the other hand question and challenge my use and understanding of physics. We talk of "moments of inertia" ect...its very clear, repeatable and precise.
many of the older gen teachers are also adopting this approach.
thanks for a good discussion, I suspect we probably agree on more then what it may seem..