by twocircles13 on Thu Apr 20, 2023 10:14 pm
In a previous post, I shared a bit of the history I have learned about Chansi Gong (Silk reeling training).
But, what is Chansi jin?
In its simplest form, Chansi jin is the forces caused by rotation. In physics, we might call this description torque. Torque is included in the concept, but Chansi jin is a somewhat broader concept. It includes the many different ways one can use rotation. For example, it is also the deflecting force if you tried to stand upon a wheel or ball, and it rolled out from under you.
The spirals, curves, helices, and circles and other patterns do not create Chansi jin. The rotation that produces Chansi jin creates the patterns. It is not strictly accurate to say that Chansi jin is spiraling or circling energy, but its not completely wrong either. This is one way treasures are hidden in plain sight.
Chansi jin has strict requirements, or it simply doesn't work. The primary requirement is that the axis or point of rotation must stay fixed relative to the thing the force is acting upon. By analogy, using something soft or weak as a fulcrum (axis of rotation), like a big marshmallow, would not work. Another example, a wheel with bearings around its axle turns smoothly, but remove the bearings and the wheel, when turning, is unstable and can even lock up. A moving axis like this is called wobbling.
Look at a wheel from the side, I place a weight perfectly balanced on one point directly above the axle. If I add "four ounces", or even less, to one side or the other, the Yin energy of the weight sinks on one side of the wheel and the Yang energy rises on the other side of the wheel creating a perfect real life taiji diagram. One challenge of chansi jin is learning to do this anywhere, or everywhere, in your body.
Chen Xin wrote in his classic, published posthumously in 1933,
夺势在争脉;出奇在转关。(*Duó shì zài zhēng mài chūqí zài zhuǎn guān.*)
Seizing power is in striving for the meridian (vein, vessel, channel); To make this happen, surprisingly, is in rotating the (mountain) passes (i.e. joints).
"Seizing power is in striving for the meridian..." in biomechanical terms is vying for whose kinetic chain delivers its full force to the other's body. Whether this is a strike, a joint lock, or some other attack or counter. "...rotating the (mountain) passes (i.e. joints)", is nicely demonstrated in the traditional method of harvesting silk from cocoons.
In taijiquan writings outside the Chen family, Chansi jin is described as "balanced like a scale; spinning like a wheel."
There was a question in this thread about taijiquan sometimes being linear. An answer was given that movements that appear to be linear are actually helical. This is correct. But, taijiquan, if nothing else, is pragmatic. If I have an opening for a liver shot, and the only way to get there is a straight line, I'm going to take it. However, it is always to my advantage to use rotation, if possible. It would have been better to add as much rotation as I can muster to that liver shot. Further, in practice and training, I always want to focus on using Chansi jin correctly in every move.
Another answer to this question is that in addition to rotation around longitudinal axes, chansi jin can also be generated using transverse axes in a seesaw-like rotation. If ones moves the axis of the seesaw to the end of the bone, it will be in the joint. So, there are very few human movements that are truly linear. However, not all human movements, even if they are technically some sort of rotation, that generate chansi jin, but they could if modified. We can discuss this further and using chansi jin in other martial arts, if someone is interested.
I have sought to disambiguate Chansi jin from Chansi gong. Can one use chansi jin in performing chansi gong? Absolutely. In fact, I support the notion that chansi gong is best performed with chansi jin. However, it would just be very difficult to learn chansi jin from chansi gong without a teacher to breakout and show how to use the chansi jin within each exercise.
That is a somewhat lengthy, introduction to Chansi jin, but still, just an introduction. Using Chansi jin is a major hurdle to mastering taijiquan, and it is just one of several essential forces or energies. It has taken me decades of the practice-correction cycle, and more practice to incorporate the least bit of chansi jin effectively in my taijiquan. A major chunk of that time was ridding myself of false notions and habits. I hope this helps you.
Good luck and happy practicing.
Richard Johnson
Another topic brought up in this thread boils down to a history of taijiquan and the evolution of northern Chinese martial arts. I find merit in much of the evidence that Sal C. presents, but I see a very different overall picture than he does, based on his evidence. If Sal will PM me, we can find a question for a new thread that is worthy of a discussion that will benefit all.