Excerpts from "
Push Hands: Fundamental Skills and Theory:"
A conversation with Yang Laoshi, Dave Barrett and Lance Lu wrote:DB: So now let's talk about Nian or adhering. Is there a Chinese saying about this skill?
YJ: Yes, it's: 溜liu 恋lian 纔qian 绳quan 之zhi 渭we i 也ye. This is hard to explain but the saying describes the opponent as totally immersed or enclosed in something like a gel or glue. So they can move anywhere but when they move they cannot be free of this contact.
DB: I think I understand, the opponent has freedom of motion?
YJ: That's right, but any motion they make is covered by a pressure. For example if you move in air and then move underwater it's different. Can you do the same thing in air that you can underwater? Yes, but underwater in slow motion maybe it's the same but if you move quickly it feels different underwater than in the air, because of the pressure.
DB: So the adhering skill seems to be more of a free energy in that I'm not trying to lift or stick I'm just trying to create constant contact in any direction.
YJ: That's right: any direction he moves, the opponent is not very free to go. You have adhering to protect you because by adhering eventually you can deflect the opponent's energy away from your center.
DB: What happens if I don't have Nian? I may have sticking contact but if the opponent can shake this contact, I'm in trouble. Is Nian more of a protective energy?
YJ: It's like if you push something in the water as opposed to pushing in the air, what's the difference? Without Nian, this fluid sensation of contact, the opponent can easily move into your center. If you have Nian, there is this pressure that can be used to guide the opponent to the side.
DB: Is this a more responsive type of energy? With Zhan or sticking I initiate the energy but with Nian is this a passive, constant type of feeling?
YJ: Actually with Zhan, it's both because you use a part of your opponent's energy. If they give you nothing you cannot use it. Nian is the same type of thing: if they give you nothing you still cannot redirect them. If something is dropped into a gel it doesn't move, but when it does move, there is a pressure from contact with the gel….
DB: I've seen some explanations of these four principles that say, for example, Zhan is a vertical energy and the others are lateral or diagonal. It seems so complicated.
YJ: No, no, no. These energies include all directions
DB: The final word we have yet to discuss is Lian or connect. Is there an explanatory phrase for this skill?
YJ: Yes: 舍she 己ji 元WU 禽Ii 之zh i i胃wei 也ye. This basically describes Lian as forgetting yourself and staying connected with the opponent. Follow your opponent and keep connected with them. Even if they move back you still try to go with them to stay connected. From this connecting skill comes many techniques, for example, being able to borrow the opponent's energy by connecting from forward to back, back to forward, actually this can be used in any direction.
Excerpts from "Zhan, Lian, Nian and Sui, AN ANNOTATED LEXICON CHARACTER ANALYSIS BY ANDY LEE AND SARAH OLSEN:"
Commentary Compiled by Dave Barrett wrote:NIAN
"Nian adheres to and joins with a partners energy" ~ Gaffney, pg. 163
"Nian is the ability to follow so closely when the opponent retreats that one is attached like a shadow to him" ~ Chen Yan/in, The Tao of Tai Chi Chuan, pg. 220
"If the opponent retreats, to adhere to him tenaciously is to render him in a disadvantageous position and to place him under one's control." ~ Lee Ying-arng, pg. 36
"It is said in The Tai Chi classics that to remain in the most advantageous position and leave one's opponent at a disadvantage is called Nian." Jou Tsung Hwa, pg, 244
"Nian, or cohering, means continually guiding the movements of your opponent so he cannot escape your control. Paradoxically you do this by following the movements he makes." ~ Zhang Yun, The Art of Chinese Swordsmanship, pg. 32
"One should let some part of his arm, by his keen sense of touch, get adhered to his opponents. And in this state of adherence, one should follow the opponen為movement, at the same time issue a very slight amount of energy to try and drive the opponent into a disadvantageous or unstable position." ~ Wang Peisheng, pg. 191
"While engaging the opponent in a struggle, attach to his movements in order not to let him get away." ~ Yearning K.Chen, pg.163
"Nian means to have no separation from the opponent so that you may interpret his movement and intent." ~ Olson, pg. 49
"The original meaning of Nian is to stick, adhere, or paste to. In Taijiquan practice it means to keep in contact with your opponent and through this contact to make him feel uncomfortable. Keep this contact and never let him go away. It is like something adheres to his body." ~ Zhang Yun, Four key skills for Push Hands and fighting, pg. 36
LIAN
"Lian is an energy that links and joins with a partner's energy" ~ Gaffney, pg. 163
"Join the opponent in every moment of the struggle, Jet him take the lead but never leave him, simply dragging on to tire him out and expose his weak points." ~ Yearning K. Chen. pg. 163
"Lian means continually using your Jin, your internal force, never letting it break while you are in contact with your opponent. When you touch the opponent, never Jet him break away from your Lian." ~ Zhang Yun. The Art of Chinese Swordsmanship, pg. 32
"In addition to direction, proximity, body method and stance, one must in particular join together with the opponent. Otherwise the Ti Jin (lifting energy) technique will have no effect; the use of this method must be adapted to circumstances. To get the upper hand in the use of Ti, it comes after leading the opponent, then it matters not which energy-any of them could be used to strike and the opponent will most certainly be dispatched. This is what is meant by the phrase in The Song of Pushing Hands, 'Lead (him) into emptiness, join, then issue.'" ~ Chen Yanlin, quoted in Swaim, pg.204-205
"The original meaning of Lian is to continue or link. There are two meanings of Lian in Taijiquan practice. They are to continually follow and change. The first one means that you maintain continual contact by following your opponent and never letting him leave The other idea of Lian means to continually change as you are following. That means each of your techniques are joined together like the links of a chain, never breaking your mind and movements and never giving you opponent any chance to change." ~ Zhang Yun, Four key skills for Push Hands and fighting, pg. 3