Lessons from Wu Style: The Square Form

[Appledog]

Happy lantern festival!

A genius of the Wu school invented the square form. It clearly hearkens back to basic training sets such as Tantui, Lohan Shiba Shou, Shaolin Ershi Quanfa, San Zhan, Gong Li Quan, and so forth. The concept of a "Square Form" can best be described as a very "karate-like" performance. If you have ever seen a heian shodan form you will know what I mean. The movements are singular, straight-line, and change along corners, much like the concept of a square with a line, then a turn on a dime to complete another movement on another angular line:



For reference, here is how the Wu style has shown the Square form. I picked this video completely at random, I believe there is one of Grandmaster Eddie Wu online, and others, but I just picked this one randomly;



I speculate that the genius Hong Junsheng created Practical Method by applying the square form logic to Chen style. I didn't ask anyone in the PM school about this but the idea might have some merit as it was Hong Junsheng who created practical method and Grandmaster Hong first learned Wu style with Liu Musan (刘慕三). Liu Musan, who was from Wuxi, was a senior disciple of Wu Jianquan, who was known to teach the square form to beginners. I will here let Grandmaster Chen Zhonghua explain the purpose and merits of the square form applied to Chen style Taijiquan:



Master Chen describes this as a "beginner's way". This concept has found its way into numerous branches of Chen Fa-Ke Xinjia, most notably Hong Junsheng's branch. However, even in our neck of the woods we teach certain parts of the form as "square" first. For example, in the opening move, we count "one" (raise hands up to the right) "two" (move to the left) "three" (down), " four" (turn to the right), "five" (raise again), "six" (to the left again), "seven" (turn over), "eight" (turn to the right), "nine" (push), then "ten" (lift up knee), and so forth. Later on the student will smooth them out. However, our method is vastly different and not as intentionally square as the practical method form.

From my experiences studying this way, and also as I learned the Wu style square form many years ago, and also from listening to Master Chen Zhonghua, I highly reccomend this way of teaching beginners. I urge everyone to either go and learn Wu style square form or practical method to understand this awesome training technique. This is like a technology; today, we have advanced technology for teaching Tai Chi, it is the "square form".

Here is one way I have applied the logic of a square form to teach difficult moves; Here is a difficult move from a kungfu fan form I have squared up to make it easier to teach:



Another way to do this might be to separate out moves from the form and turn them into drills, such as this drill for "White Snake Sticks Out Tongue":



For myself, I cannot wait to move back to Canada and learn Wu style or Practical Method Chen style to better understand this amazing development in Tai Chi technology!

What about you guys? Do you think a square form has merit? Or, do you disagree -- Should the beginner not waste time practising something he will not use, and just go directly to the source? What are your thoughts? Would you consider "squaring" your form to make it easier to teach and learn?

Please share!

[wayne hansen]

The square form is nothing like basic karate
All my better tai chi teachers taught in a very square form regardless of style
Thus the saying
The square for development the circle for intensity
The square Wu form is very good for understanding combat
That is CTH son doing the form above
I learnt his fathers 3 forms
Square
Circular
Circular Continious
Each one is genius

[origami_itto]

It's got definite merit. You're blocking in a rough sketch of the neuromuscular associations. In time it becomes more refined.

Simple movements are easy to do, and large movements reveal errors. It seems like it would be highly effective to have a beginner's form that is large and simple for getting the fundamental body method burned in quickly and correctly.

[edededed]

Although I practice Wu style taijiquan, I did not learn a square form - so I am curious about the benefits.

Is it that the movements/techniques are more clear and separated? (Is that why it is good for understanding combat?)
Is it something to practice only to more easily learn the circular/circular-continuous form?

[Trick]

its all square for the beginner, even in karate.

[wayne hansen]

Embedded i had already learnt lee ying arns form when I started Wu
It was at NSWU and I came in half way through the form
So I was trying to learn the first half and second half at the same time
I thought it’s an interesting form but they don’t know how to flow
So I was trying to make the square form circular
At the end of the year the teacher said come back next year and you can learn the circular form
So I now had to re square my form
My second teacher had the same teacher and it was from him I learned the square form in depth
About the combat value
It is the square form that gives you fine lines
In Kali Tatang calls this measure
The square form is like Illustrisimo Kali fine lines of defence and attack

[Bao]

I agree with Wayne that it's not style specific, more a general way to practice. One of my teachers said that beginners should not start by "holding a ball". They should start by holding and moving a box. And when you have become comfortable with the box, you cut off the corners and gradually make it smoother and rounder.

[Bao]

Is it that the movements/techniques are more clear and separated? (Is that why it is good for understanding combat?)

Think Wayne summed it up: "It is the square form that gives you fine lines"

It is said:
"Find the straight in the round"
"When you fajin, you need to aim in a straight line as aiming with a bow and arrow".

Force travels in a straight line, so when you punch, throw, use qinna etc, you need to be very precise with the angles.

So when you start practice, it's straight, then you practice the round. And then in application, you go back to the straight again. And then you combine round and straight into one.

In general; building up, circulating, and storing energy, is round, while releasing is straight. This is something practical really, and not as philosophical as it might sounds. Before releasing the arrow, you bend and curve the bow to build up, and store, the energy that is needed for the arrow to travel.

This is the same in internal martial arts, you use your own body to curve, twist, store and release the energy or "jin".

Some say that "Qi is round, jin is straight." Traditionally, you use the word "qi" to measure how much energy you have stored. And the external expression when the energy is released is called jin. So you build up and store movement or "qi", the quality of the power, or the "jin", is the result of releasing the energy from the built up "internal movement". Or in simple terms: "wind up and release".

[origami_itto]

Is it that the movements/techniques are more clear and separated? (Is that why it is good for understanding combat?)

Think Wayne summed it up: "It is the square form that gives you fine lines"

It is said:
"Find the straight in the round"
"When you fajin, you need to aim in a straight line as aiming with a bow and arrow".

Force travels in a straight line, so when you punch, throw, use qinna etc, you need to be very precise with the angles.

So when you start practice, it's straight, then you practice the round. And then in application, you go back to the straight again. And then you combine round and straight into one.

In general; building up, circulating, and storing energy, is round, while releasing is straight. This is something practical really, and not as philosophical as it might sounds. Before releasing the arrow, you bend and curve the bow to build up, and store, the energy that is needed for the arrow to travel.

This is the same in internal martial arts, you use your own body to curve, twist, store and release the energy or "jin".

Some say that "Qi is round, jin is straight." Traditionally, you use the word "qi" to measure how much energy you have stored. And the external expression when the energy is released is called jin. So you build up and store movement or "qi", the quality of the power, or the "jin", is the result of releasing the energy from the built up "internal movement". Or in simple terms: "wind up and release".

I said the same thing a while back and a couple people here (the ones you would expect) were very adamant that if I thought fa jin force only traveled in a straight line then I have missed quite a bit.

But I agree, particularly if we are storing and releasing. We can move and in moving affect several vectors, sure, but when it comes to releasing the stored jin for practical application, the classics are very clear about finding the single straight line you want to issue in and issuing it. Arrows don't curve.

[GrahamB]

Arrows only go in a straight line in space.

https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-an- ... -100-yards

[origami_itto]

Arrows only go in a straight line in space.

https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-an- ... -100-yards

They curve because an outside force, gravity, is pulling them to earth. The impelling force goes in one and only one vector.

Now if you want to discuss the aerodynamic effects of rotation on a moving object, sure we can consider that. But again, even rifling is a force external to the impelling force of the gunpowder.

Absent external forces, (gravity, friction, etc) any interaction with a body is going to produce motion in one vector, with possible rotational translation.

[BruceP]

might wanna bone up on the archer's paradox

and then come back and argue about an arrow's flight

[Bob]

Not sure this adds to the discussion much but it does help illustrate the complexity of fajin and its synergistic employment of combined jins in which the strike is delivered

In the clip, at the 2:40 mark, Adam Hsu illustrates the hun da posture/movement from the da baji form.

The lead arm, with power generated from the leg/hip/waist area, drives the arm in an upward, concave path, while the arm simultaneously expresses chan si jin, and the resulting strike results in the vertical striking of the forearm - Adam Hsu illustrates the application as a fist to the chest area.

I learned it as literally a strike to the kidney which literally lifts the kidney area while simultaneously moving in a vertical direction driven from the rotation of the hip/waist area.

Vectors aside, which there are many who can explain this much better than I could, this combination of jins is relatively difficult to develop in this manner but is directly mapped from the da qiang exercise - with the da qiang, it literally forces the shen fa to conform to these 3 "jins" - not my area of expertise but Xing Yi da qiang expresses and executes this in a linear heng movement.

Many baji practitioners illustrate this a simple linear strike (sometimes to the head) but when used as a kidney strike it shows the complexity of the trained movements and jins.

adam hsu baji chuan usage part II


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vl8DH2_iOw

[windwalker]

Not sure this adds to the discussion much but it does help illustrate the complexity of fajin and its synergistic employment of combined jins in which the strike is delivered

Thanks Bob,

Adam always good to watch.

As far as related to the discussion, what is shown is not really much different then any other way of delivering what might be called an external force..

Just as most of comments posted all deal when looked at in context to how force is "defined" are all external expressions of it. Not that "force" in itself is a bad only that depending on ones practice, and out look. one is rather limited the other developed differently not so much depending on what has been posted, allowing it to be used in a different way...

This teacher talks about the difference's later on about "internal external combined" in use....



Yang Taiji (Tai Chi) Training - Nei Jin and Fa Jin


Other methods and teachers develop and use methods completely dependent on "internal" allowing for expressions of it that can not be done any other way...Using demos of it, almost always questioned by those either not developing this type of force or haven't developed it...

In Taiwan also a subject of debate sometimes heated, that is "until it's felt"

What is better dependent on ones own choices and interest...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP-H5pDHTaY

[windwalker]

for context, dependent on the method one follows illustrates what is thought to be the differences

汪永泉授楊式太極拳語錄及拳照
Wang Yongquan Writings on Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan

一般理解，所謂勁兒，是把本身的神、意、氣集中到一點上，再把這個點運用到某個姿勢上
去。經過長期的鍛煉以後，就會逐漸擴大增長起來，變成一種力。這種力是經過鍛煉取得的，
是後天之拙力。這種力形式大、動量滯、變換遲、動的去路直，在技擊方面用起來，因身形動
作大，運動量較強，因此影響內氣的波動，易於浮躁。這近於長拳的練法和要求。

In general understanding, the so-called "jin" is the concentration of one's own spirit, intention, and qi into a single point, and then applying this point to a certain posture. After long-term training, it gradually expands and grows into a kind of force. This force is obtained through training and is a acquired postnatal force. This force has a large form, a sluggish momentum, a slow change, and a direct path of movement. When used in martial arts, due to the large body movements and stronger momentum, it affects the fluctuation of internal energy and is prone to restlessness. This is similar to the training methods and requirements of long boxing.

初練太極拳的人覺得太極拳的練法與上面的練法相似，其實不然。如果按照太極拳的理論要求
，經過一段時間的鍛煉，逐漸把理論與姿勢結合起來，就會很明顯地感覺出來，上面的練法和
要求是與太極拳不同的。練習太極拳的要求，是把本身的神、意、氣化合歸一，融合在一起，
形成一種輕靈圓活之勁兒。這種勁兒是以氣、意混之為主。它的本質是氣，對它的要求是空、
虛、散，而不是集聚的。這就是太極勁兒，又叫做先天勁兒。

For beginners of Tai Chi, they may feel that the training method of Tai Chi is similar to the method described above, but it is actually not. If according to the theoretical requirements of Tai Chi, after a period of training, gradually combining theory with posture, it will become very clear that the training method and requirements mentioned above are different from Tai Chi. The requirement for practicing Tai Chi is to integrate one's own spirit, intention, and qi into one, blending them together to form a kind of light, agile, and lively force. This force is primarily a mixture of qi and intention. Its essence is qi, and the requirement for it is emptiness, voidness, and dispersal, rather than concentration. This is the Tai Chi force, also known as innate force.