Stage 7: Passage of Chi/Jin Through the Structure while Preparing Application

Stage 7: Passage of Chi/Jin Through the Structure while Preparing Application

In the fundamental form of Tai Chi Chi Kung, students learn to release the power from the earth or the opponent in an effortless and structured manner. This power is stored in the earth and the lower tan tien, then released through the body in a specific pattern. The first pattern we learn is a release through the spine in the classic Push,

or in a Two-Hand Push . The jin or power ascends from the feet via the legs, which are kept in their rooted form. Chang San-Feng says, “The motion should be rooted to the feet, released through the

legs, controlled by the waist.” This means that the legs are lengthened because the kua has been opened in a way that allows the coccyx to be tucked under and the front kua to open.* Power is released via the spine’s sacral, lumbar, thoracic, and cervical vertebrae. The arms are connected to the power via C7 and the rounded scapulae. As Wu says, “In moving the chi, it sticks to the back and permeates the spine.” If the adept has a broken structure, then the final jin force cannot be discharged freely. Chang San-Feng reminds us that “. . . All parts of the body must be light, nimble, and strung together.”

The whole structure is now prepared for the final climax. It is fully bathed in Primordial Chi and awaiting the final spark. The opponent is also now at the zenith of imbalance, and those proverbial “four ounces” are now all that is needed to throw him.