美國訪問團墾丁太極交流講義
Tai Chi Study Guide for the U.S.
Delegation to Kenting
指定推手對練
「指定推手對練」融匯了楊氏太極十要：含胸拔背、鬆腰落胯、沉肩垂肘、虛實分清、頂頭懸、用意不用力，動中求靜、內外相合、上下相隨、相連不斷。貫徹鄭子太極「美人手」、「不動手」與「吃虧即是佔便宜」柔化心法，更落實宋老師之「原空位」、「原體位」，及易經陰陽之變等核心架構規範。
此訓練法依老莊「無為」的思考邏輯，甲、乙雙方身手的轉換是順勢而為，借由地面的反作用力、腰腿之力、地心引力、慣性力等，及身體九大環節之鬆與定，於原空位、原體位的訓練法中，自然產生太極八法的招式，故太極八法的產生是借助上述能量，配合原空位、原體位而產生的現象，就老莊的思考邏輯而言，身手的轉變是順勢而為，是旁觀者，沒有拙力、沒有企圖心的介入。
因為身手能虛靜而能氣沉丹田，而能關照萬物，聽勁敏銳。彼此以謙讓敬畏的心，當己方放鬆身體各部位，騰出空間，禮讓對手時，彼方以虛靜的身手填滿空間，達到「黏貼連隨不丟不頂」的境界，「聽勁」也在不知不覺中增長。
（一）鄭曼青宗師訓練要訣：
（1）美人手：鬆持相兼
拳論言及手勢，常以「美人手」為宗，其要義在於兩手臂始終維持放鬆舒展的狀態，不可伸展過度而顯僵直，亦不可鬆軟無力而致塌陷。宋志堅大師將此精闢概括為「鬆持法」：鬆而不懈，持而不剛。
美人手並非裝飾性的外形，而是一種氣血暢通、筋骨舒鬆的生理與內勁狀態。「鬆」使氣血周流、感應靈敏；「持」令骨架支撐完整、意念貫注不絕。它既非死力相迎，亦非軟弱放棄，而是隨時蓄備著隨機應變的生機。這種中和的態勢，使雙手化為一對敏銳至極的觸角，成為聽勁的第一道感應門戶。
（2）不動手：身領手隨的「無為」思考邏輯
太極拳強調「不動手」，並非四肢僵滯不行，而是「手臂不主動」。宋志堅老師的訓練法，「手臂不主動」要借助地心引力、反作用力、慣性力、腰腿之力及對手之力而動。這是一門整體大用的核心法門，亦是培養身手虛靜的至上功夫。
所謂「旁觀者清，當局者迷」。人若一動手，手臂便成了「當局者」，必然落入局部的較勁與對抗；唯有讓雙手退居為「旁觀者」，始終守住這份虛靜與無為，才能跳脫後天動手的習慣性動作。老莊哲學的「無為而無不為」，在此得到了最鮮活的體現：手臂看似不主動迎擊，實則將主導權交還給腰胯與脊柱。以身運手、周身一家，由內在核心帶動外在梢節。手不妄動，全身方能靈動；手臂虛靜，方能冷靜洞察對手的動向與虛實，展現「以柔克剛」的技藝。
（3）吃虧即是佔便宜：謙退容納的和諧之境
在推手交接的瞬間，「吃虧即是佔便宜」並非遁詞，而是一種高階的心境修養與力學轉換。面對對手凌厲的來勢，初學者常以本能對抗或逃竄，但真正的太極心法，是以吃虧、謙讓、敬畏的心態包容來勢。不逃不抗，全身各大關節隨之靈活運轉，順應並引導對方的勁道，使彼此的接觸始終處於不丟不頂的和諧狀態。表面上看，主動讓步、不與之爭，似乎顯得「無用」與「無能」；實質上，唯有甘願吃虧，才能完整接收對方的重心、速度與勁路。這正是「捨己從人」的極致實踐——以自己的空間容納對方的力量，化其鋒芒於無形，使其有力無處使、落入拔根失衡之境。在太極的語境裡，吃虧是為了深切地「聽勁」與「懂勁」；看似處處謙讓，實則處處掌握了全局的樞紐。
從「美人手」的鬆持平衡，到「不動手」的身隨虛靜，再到「吃虧即是佔便宜」的融會貫通，三者循序漸進，由梢節之法達至心性之境。學拳者若能細細體味這層層推展的哲理，自能在不爭不抗的動靜轉換中，體現太極拳自然天成的至高境界。
（二）宋志堅老師訓練法：
（1）原空位：
「原空位」，是指在身體移動或姿態變換之際，肢體局部（如指尖、手掌或手肘）在三維空間中的絕對坐標保持不動，以此作為全身動態運轉的定位支點。這是一種高階定錨功夫。在盤架與實戰推手中，行拳者的手勢一旦置於某個空間點，該點即化為虛擬的軸心。
（2）原體位：
「原體位」是指手臂局部與軀幹的相對空間關係嚴格鎖定，隨著身體的整體運動而位移。換言之，當身軀的位置與朝向轉換時，手臂自身不產生獨立運動，始終保持初始設定的相對角度與架構。這是一種「以自身骨架為參照」的整體連貫法，亦是解鎖「太極不動手」的根本路徑。
（3）借助地心引力、反作用力、慣性力、腰腿之力、對手之力。
指定推手對練四法
（ㄧ）黏貼法：分解4動
甲乙雙方以右掤手，左按手相互搭手。
（1）甲方右手沉肩垂肘由掤手轉換為按式，借地面的反作用力前進，乙方以掤式退讓，雙方保持原體位。
（2）甲方以按式借慣性力放鬆肩、肘關節繼續跟隨黏貼乙方，乙方借地心引力以掤式鬆肩墜肘退讓成捋式。
（3）甲方以按式身體向左轉45度成右靠式，乙方以捋式向右退轉45度成採式。
（4）乙方以採式身體向左轉45度成按式，甲方身體向右轉45度，由右靠式轉換成右掤式。
再依（1）由乙方以按式前進，甲掤式退讓，循環往復。
（二）外承接法：分解5動
甲乙雙方以右掤手，左按手相互搭手。
（1）甲方以按式借地面反作用力前進，乙方以掤式退讓，雙手沉肩墜肘成捋式，隨即放鬆肩肘關節成採式，以左手為主，右手為輔。
（2）甲方以按式借慣性力放鬆肩肘關節，同時身體順勢向左轉45度，跟隨黏貼乙方成右靠式，乙方借腰腿之力向右轉45度成採式，以右手為主，左手為輔。
（3）乙方以左手為主右手為輔，借地面反作用力，以按式向甲方45度方向前進至兩手平胸，甲方順勢向後退。
（4）乙方依前勢，以按式至雙手平胸時，右手沉肩墜肘黏貼甲方右手肘關節（兩手掌相對應），承接左手之勢，甲方順勢向後退。
（5）乙方以左手輕撥甲方右肩關節，使甲方順勢右轉45度回正位，同時左手借腰腿之力黏貼乙方右手肘關節。為彼此進退轉換動作之始（1）。甲方身體再向右轉45度成採式為動作（2），甲乙雙方，進退循環往復。
（三）內承接法：分解8動
甲乙雙方以右掤手，左按手相互搭手。
（1）甲方以按式借地面反作用力前進，乙方以掤式退讓，雙手沉肩墜肘成捋式，以右手為主，左手為輔。。
（2）甲方以按式借慣性力放鬆肩肘，同時身體順勢向左轉45度，跟隨黏貼乙方成右靠式，乙方借腰腿之力，右手為主左手為輔，左手黏貼甲方肘、右手黏貼甲方腕關節，以左手為主，右手為輔。向右轉45度成採式。
（3）乙方以右手借反作用力順勢黏貼甲方肘關節上方，承接左手之式與位置，甲方順勢向前進成靠式。
（4）乙方以右手為主黏貼甲方肘關節，左手為輔輕撥甲方脊椎，向下牽引甲方身體重心，甲方順勢成右靠式。
（5）依前勢乙方以右手為主黏貼甲方肘關節，向下牽引甲方身體重心，左手順勢黏貼甲方左肩關節。
（6）當甲方向前靠式至極限時，乙方鬆持黏貼甲方肘關節之手掌，使甲方順勢退轉。乙方左手順勢黏貼甲方肩膀。
（7）依前勢乙方再鬆持右腕關節使甲再向後退轉，乙方左手順勢黏貼甲方右手肘關節。
（8）雙方身體回正右手沉肩墜肘成掤式，雙方進退轉換循環往復。
（四）太極八法：分解5動
甲乙雙方以右掤手，左按手相互搭手。
（1）甲方右手沉肩垂肘由掤手轉換為按手，借地面的反作用力向前進，身體保持原體位。乙方左手保持原空位，右手以掤式退讓，同時放鬆肩、肘、腕關節，使右臂黏貼於胸前，身體保持原體位向後平移。
（2）甲以按式身體向左轉45度成右靠式，右腕關節輕貼於乙方右手背腕關節，乙方身體向右退轉45度，帶動左手臂成立掌，同時黏貼甲方肘關節。
（3）甲方身體向右轉45度回正，帶動左手成左擠式，左掌輕按於右腕關節，乙方身體向左轉45度，左手同時放鬆左手肘關節輕貼於甲方左腕背關節上方，成四掌交疊之式。
（4）乙方順甲方左擠之式，以含胸拔背、鬆腰落誇、沉肩垂肘、虛實分清、頂頭懸等要領，動員身體各部位，以敬畏之心退讓走化，並順勢牽引甲方左手成採挒之式，甲方左手順勢成左靠式。
（5）乙方身體向右轉45度帶動兩臂成按式，甲方身體向左轉45度帶動左臂成掤式。
再依（1）由乙按式向進，甲掤式退讓，循環往復。
Designated Push-Hands Paired Routine
指定推手對練
The Designated Push-Hands Paired
Routine integrates ten essential principles of Yang-style Tai Chi: gently
contain the chest and expand the back（含胸拔背）; relax the waist and settle the hips（鬆腰落胯）; sink the shoulders and drop the elbows（沉肩垂肘）; clearly distinguish the insubstantial from the substantial（虛實分清）; suspend the crown of the head（頂頭懸）; use intention rather than force（用意不用力）; seek stillness within movement（動中求靜）; harmonize the internal and external（內外相合）; Coordinate the upper and lower body（上下相隨）; and maintain unbroken continuity（相連不斷）.
It embodies the principles of yielding
and neutralization found in Cheng Man-ch’ing’s Tai Chi: “Beautiful Lady’s Hands”（美人手）, “No Arms in Tai Chi/ Do Not Move the Hands Independently/ Do
not initiate movements with the hands”（不動手）, and “Invest in Loss/ Accepting Loss Is Gaining an Advantage”（吃虧即是佔便宜）. Its underlying framework also
incorporates Master Song’s training concepts of original space position（原空位） and original body position（原體位）, together with the transformations of yin and yang described
in the I Ching（易經）.
Following the Daoist understanding of
non-action（無為）in the philosophy of Laozi and
Zhuangzi, both training partners allow their bodies and hands to follow the
momentum, respond to direction, pressure, and changing circumstances. They draw
upon ground reaction force, the coordinated action of the waist and legs,
gravity, and inertia, together with relaxation, stability and structure
throughout the body’s nine major joints（九大關節）. Through training in original space position and original
body position, the movements of the Eight Methods of Tai Chi emerge naturally.
The Eight Methods therefore arise
through the interaction of these forces and the two positional principles. From
this Daoist perspective, the body and hands follow the developing situation as
“spectators,” without the intervention of crude muscular force or a deliberate
urge to prevail.
The state of quiet receptiveness of
the body and hands（虛靜）allows qi to sink to the dantian（氣沉丹田）, broadens awareness, and sharpens sensitivity in listening to
Jin（聽勁）. Both partners practice with humility
and respect. As one partner relaxes the different parts of the body, creates
space, and yields, the other follows into that space with an equally quiet and receptive
body and hands. Together, they develop “sticking, adhering, continuing, and
following, without losing contact or resisting head-on”（黏貼連隨、不丟不頂）. Their ability to listen to energy is
thereby cultivated naturally, often without their noticing.
I. Grandmaster
Cheng Man-ch’ing’s Essential Training Principles
鄭曼青宗師訓練要訣
1. Beautiful Lady’s Hands: Balancing the Relax-and-Hold Method
美人手：鬆持相兼
In discussions of Tai Chi hand
positioning, “Beautiful Lady’s Hands” is often regarded as a guiding model. Its
essential requirement is that both arms remain relaxed and comfortably
extended: neither overstretched into rigidity nor so limp that their structure
collapses. Master Song Zhijian succinctly describes this as the “Use the
Relax-and-Hold Method”（鬆持法）: relax without becoming slack; hold
without becoming rigid.
Beautiful Lady’s Hands is more than an
outer shape. It represents a physical condition and a quality of internal
strength in which qi and blood circulate freely, while the muscles, tendons,
and skeletal framework remain relaxed and at ease. “Relaxation”（鬆）allows circulation and sensitive responsiveness; “hold”（持）preserves structural integrity and facilitates the continuity
of intention (意).
The arms neither meet force with rigid
strength nor surrender through weakness. Instead, they remain ready to respond
to changing circumstances. This balanced condition transforms the hands into
exceptionally sensitive feelers, making them the first gateway for listening to
energy（聽勁）.
2. No Arms in Tai Chi: The Body Leads and the Hands
Follow
不動手：身領手隨的「無為」思考邏輯
The Tai Chi instruction “No Arms in
Tai Chi” does not mean keeping the limbs rigid or motionless. It means that the
arms do not initiate movement on their own.
In Master Song Zhijian’s training
method, the arms move by drawing upon gravity, ground reaction forces, inertia,
the coordinated rotation of the waist and legs, and the partner’s force. This
is a central method for developing integrated whole-body function and a
profound practice for cultivating quiet receptiveness in the body and hands.
As the saying goes, “The spectator
sees clearly; the person caught in the situation becomes confused”（旁觀者清，當局者迷）. When the hands take the initiative,
the arms become caught up in the encounter, falling into localized struggles of
strength and resistance. Only by allowing the hands to remain as “spectators,”
preserving their quiet receptiveness and non-forcing quality, can practitioners
then move beyond the acquired habit of taking action with the hands.
Here, the Daoist principle “Through
non-action, nothing is left undone/ If you do nothing, you can do everything”（無為而無不為）finds a vivid expression. Although the
arms appear not to engage actively, they are relinquishing the leading role to
the waist, hips, and spine. The body moves the hands, and the whole body
functions as one integrated unit（以身運手、周身一家）: movement begins within the central structure and extends
outward to the extremities.
When the hands refrain from
unnecessary independent action, the body becomes a responsive whole. When the
arms remain quiet and receptive, the practitioner can calmly perceive the
partner’s movements and the changing distribution of substantial and
insubstantial, expressing the skill of overcoming hardness with softness（以柔克剛）.
3. Invest in Loss/ To Lose is to Gain/ Accepting Loss Is
Gaining an Advantage: Harmony Through Humility and Accommodation
吃虧即是佔便宜：謙退容納的和諧之境
At the moment of contact in
push-hands, “Invest in Loss” is no mere excuse for giving way. It represents an
advanced cultivation of mental attitude and the transformation of forces.
When faced with a strong incoming
action, beginners often instinctively resist or pull away. The deeper Tai Chi
approach is to receive that action with a willingness to accept disadvantage,
yield courteously, and maintain a respectful attitude. Without fleeing or
resisting, the major joints move freely to accommodate and guide the partner’s
force, keeping the contact harmonious—neither breaking away nor opposing force
head-on.
Outwardly, willingly giving way and
declining to contend may appear ineffective or powerless. In practice, however,
the willingness to accept disadvantage allows the practitioner to fully sense
the partner’s weight distribution, speed, and path of force.
This is a profound expression of “Let
go of your own agenda and follow the other”（捨己從人）. By making space to accommodate the partner’s force, one
neutralizes its impact without obvious struggle. The partner’s force finds no
effective purchase, which can more than likely leave the partner uprooted and
off balance.
In Tai Chi, accepting loss serves the
deeper development of listening to and understanding Jin（聽勁、懂勁）. Although the practitioner appears to yield at every turn,
they remain attuned to the factors governing the entire interaction.
These three principles unfold
progressively: from the balance of “the Relax-and-Hold Method” in Beautiful Lady’s Hands, through
the body-led movement and the state of quiet receptiveness of “No Arms in Tai
Chi”, to the integrated understanding of Investing in Loss. They lead from the
training of the extremities to the cultivation of the mind and character.
By carefully exploring these
successive layers, practitioners can embody Tai Chi’s highest ideal of natural,
unforced movement through the transitions between stillness and motion, without
contention or resistance.
II. Master Song
Zhijian’s Training Methods
宋志堅大師訓練法
1. Original Space Position
原空位
Original space position means keeping
a particular part of the body—such as the fingertips, palm, or elbow—at a fixed
location in three-dimensional space while the rest of the body moves or changes
posture. This location serves as a spatial anchor for the body’s dynamic
movement.
This is an advanced anchoring skill.
In both form practice and practical push-hands, once the practitioner places
the hand at a particular point in space, that point serves as a fixed spatial
reference and, where appropriate, a virtual pivot.
2. Original Body Position
原體位
Original body position means
maintaining a fixed spatial relationship between a particular part of the arm
and the torso, so that they move together as one unit.
As the body changes position or
orientation, the arm does not move independently. It retains its initially
established relative angle and structure.
This is a method of whole-body
coordination that uses one’s own skeletal framework as the reference. It is
also a fundamental pathway to understanding the Tai Chi principle of Do Not
Move the Hands Independently.
3. Drawing upon External Forces and Coordinated Body
Movement
借助地心引力、反作用力、慣性力、腰腿之力
Movement draws upon gravity, ground
reaction forces, inertia, and the coordinated rotation of the waist and legs.
The Four Methods of the Designated Push-Hands Paired
Routine
指定推手對練四法
Method 1. Stick
and Adhere Method: Four Movements
黏貼法：分解四動
Starting position: Partners A and B
establish contact, each with the right arm in Peng（掤, ward-off）and the left hand in An（按, push）.
1. A relaxes the right shoulder and
lets the elbow lower slowly, changing the right arm from Peng to An. A then
advances using ground reaction force. B yields backward in Peng. Both partners
maintain their original body positions.
2. Continuing in An, A allows the
movement to continue through inertia while relaxing the shoulders and elbows to
follow and adhere to B. B allows gravity to assist in relaxing the shoulder and
sinking the elbow, yielding backward from Peng into Lü（捋）.
3. From An, A turns the body 45
degrees to the left, transitioning into right Kao（靠, body or shoulder contact）. From Lü, B retreats and turns 45 degrees to the right,
transitioning into Cai（採）.
4. From Cai, B turns the body 45
degrees to the left, transitioning into An. A turns the body 45 degrees to the
right, changing from right Kao to right Peng.
Repeat from Movement 1 with the roles
reversed: B advances in An while A yields backward in Peng. Continue
alternating in an unbroken cycle.
Method 2. Outer
Connecting Method: Five Movements
外承接法：分解五動
Starting position: Partners A and B
establish contact, each with the right arm in Peng and the left hand in An.
1. A advances in An using ground
reaction force. B yields backward in Peng, relaxing the shoulders and letting
the elbows lower to transition into Lü. B then immediately relaxes the shoulder
and elbow joints to transition into Cai, with the left hand leading at the
elbow and the right hand assisting.
2. Continuing in An, A allows the
movement to continue through inertia while relaxing the shoulder and elbow
joints. At the same time, A turns the body naturally 45 degrees to the left,
following and adhering to B to transition into right Kao. B uses the
coordinated action of the waist and legs to turn 45 degrees to the right into
Cai, with the right hand leading at the wrist and the left hand assisting.
3. With the left hand leading the
elbow, and the right hand assisting the wrist, B uses ground reaction force to
advance in An toward A along a 45-degree direction, until both hands reach
chest level. A follows the movement by sitting back.
4. Continuing the preceding An
movement, as both hands reach chest level, B sinks the right shoulder and
elbow, allowing the right hand to adhere to Ａ’s right elbow joint, with B’s two palms facing each other. B’s right hand takes over the action of the
left hand. A continues to sit back in response.
5.B’s left hand is now free to gently
guide A’s right shoulder joint, allowing A to turn naturally 45 degrees from
the left to the right and return to the central position. At the same time, A
uses the coordinated rotational action of the waist and legs to bring the left
hand into adhering contact with B’s right elbow joint.
This begins the transition in which
the partners exchange their advancing and retreating roles, corresponding to
Movement 1. A then turns the body a further 45 degrees to the right into Cai,
corresponding to Movement 2. The partners continue alternating their advance
and retreat in an unbroken cycle.
Method 3. Inner
Connecting Method: Eight Movements
內承接法：分解八動
Starting position: Partners A and B
establish contact, each with the right arm in Peng and the left hand in An.
1 A advances in An using ground
reaction force. B yields backward in Peng, relaxing the shoulders and letting
the elbows lower to transition into Lü, with the right hand leading and the
left hand assisting.
2 Continuing in An, A allows the
movement to continue through inertia while relaxing the shoulders and elbows.
At the same time, A turns the body naturally 45 degrees to the left, following
and adhering to B to transition into right Kao. B maintains adhering contact
with A’s elbow using the left hand and with A’s wrist using the right hand.
With the left hand leading and the right hand assisting, B uses the coordinated
action of the waist and legs to turn 45 degrees to the right into Cai.
3. Using ground reaction force, B
allows the right hand to follow the movement into adhering contact just above
A’s elbow joint, taking over the action of the left hand. A follows the
movement by advancing into Kao.
4. B maintains the primary contact at
A’s elbow with the right hand, while the assisting left hand gently guides A at
the spine, drawing A’s center of mass downward. A follows the movement into right
Kao.
5. Continuing the preceding movement,
B maintains the primary contact at A’s elbow with the right hand and continues
drawing A’s center of mass downward. The left hand follows naturally into
adhering contact with A’s left shoulder joint.
6. When A reaches the limit of the
forward Kao movement, B softens the supporting palm at A’s elbow while
maintaining adhering contact with A’s shoulder, allowing A to retreat and turn
naturally.
7. Continuing the movement, B further
relaxes the right wrist while maintaining support, allowing A to retreat and
turn farther. B’s left hand follows naturally into adhering contact with A’s
right elbow joint.
8. Both partners return to the central
position, each with the right arm in Peng and the left hand in An.
They exchange their advancing and
retreating roles and continue in an unbroken cycle.
Method 4. The
Eight Methods of Tai Chi: Five Movements
太極八法：分解五動
Starting position: Partners A and B
establish contact, each with the right arm in Peng and the left hand in An.
1. A sinks the right shoulder and lets
the elbow lower slowly, changing the right arm from Peng to An, then advances
using ground reaction force while keeping the left hand in original body
position.
B keeps the left hand in original
space position and yields backward with the right arm in Peng. At the same
time, B relaxes the right shoulder, elbow, and wrist, allowing the right arm to
settle gently against the chest.
2. From An, A turns the body 45
degrees to the left, transitioning into right Kao, with the right wrist resting
lightly against the back of B’s right wrist.
B retreats and turns the body 45
degrees to the right. This movement brings the left palm upright while
maintaining adhering contact with A’s elbow.
3. A turns the body 45 degrees to the
right to return to the central position, bringing the left hand into left Ji（擠, press）, with the left palm pressing lightly against A’s own right
wrist.
B turns the body 45 degrees to the
left while relaxing the left elbow, allowing the left hand to rest lightly just
above the back of A’s left wrist. The four hands now form an overlapping
configuration.
4. Following A’s left Ji, B yields and
neutralizes with a respectful, receptive attitude, coordinating the whole body
through the principles of containing the chest and expanding the back, relaxing
the waist and settling the hips, sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows,
clearly distinguishing the insubstantial from the substantial, and suspending
the crown of the head.
Following the developing movement, B
applies Cai to A’s left hand and uses the body to perform Lie（採挒）. A’s left hand follows the movement as the body transitions
into left Kao.
5. B turns the body 45 degrees to the
right, carrying both arms into An. A turns the body 45 degrees to the left,
carrying the left arm into Peng.
Repeat from Movement 1 with the roles
reversed: B advances in An while A yields backward in Peng. Continue
alternating in an unbroken cycle.
Commands for the Designated Push-Hands
Paired Routine
指定推手對練動作口令
1. Stick and Adhere Method— 黏貼法
|
No. |
A 甲 |
B 乙 |
|
1 |
An |
Peng |
|
2 |
Continue An
(Inertia) |
Lü |
|
3 |
Turn waist,
Kao |
Turn waist,
Cai |
|
4 |
Return to
center, Peng |
Return to
center, An |
2. Outer Connecting Method — 外承接法
|
No. |
B 乙 |
A 甲 |
|
1 |
Right hand,
Cai at wrist |
Kao |
|
2 |
Left hand,
Cai at elbow |
Continue Kao |
|
3 |
Left hand,
An at elbow |
Sit back and
Turn waist |
|
4 |
Right hand, continue
An at elbow |
Continue
turning waist |
|
5 |
Left hand,
An at shoulder |
Rotate body |
3. Inner Connecting Method — 內承接法
|
No. |
B 乙 |
A 甲 |
|
1 |
Right hand,
Cai at wrist |
Turn waist,
Kao |
|
2 |
Left hand,
Cai at elbow |
Continue Kao |
|
3 |
Right hand,
Cai at inner upper arm |
Continue Kao |
|
4 |
Left hand,
Bo at spine |
Kao further |
|
5 |
Left hand,
Bo at left shoulder |
A little
further |
|
6 |
Left hand,
return to right shoulder |
Turn back
slightly |
|
7 |
Left hand,
return to elbow |
Continue
turning back |
|
8 |
Return to
center |
Return to
center |
4. Eight Methods — 八法
|
No. |
A 甲 |
B 乙 |
|
1 |
An |
Right hand
to chest; left hand in original position |
|
2 |
Right Kao |
Turn waist,
left forearm upright, Elbow Lü” |
|
3 |
Return to
center, Ji |
Left hand,
stick to wrist |
|
4 |
Left Kao |
Cai at wrist.
Body Lie at elbow |
|
5 |
Return to
center, Peng |
Return to
center, An |
老莊與太極
推手四字訣：
輕、慢、勻、正。
此四字乃是周身整體運動的心法要訣，亦是喚醒肌肉、筋骨與神經系統的基礎訓練法。它是身體保持平衡穩定的核心法門，正合太極拳論所云：「一舉動，周身俱要輕靈，尤須貫串。」修行者須先求得周身輕靈，方能進一步貫串整體，達到動靜皆宜、節節貫穿的境界。
推手九字訣：
敬、靜、定、鬆、勻、柔、慢、圓、整。
其中「敬」字居於首位，是喚醒全身肌肉、筋骨與神經系統的心法要訣。其狀態猶如雙臂懷抱初生嬰兒，又如母雞悉心孵蛋，勁道多一分則太過，少一分則不及。正合拳論所云：「似鬆非鬆，將展未展」與「無過不及」之中道，是推手內功的起點。
老子第一章：
「道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。」
太極鬆柔之境，至虛至靈，正如「道」之玄妙，言語難詮。蘇轍言：「微而不絕，存而不見。」
兩手搭接、指定推手之際，其身手輕柔綿綿、若有似無，其意境空靈深邃，實非世俗「秤金論兩」之拙力所能忖度。此種身體極致之鬆柔，無法用言語來形容，唯有以心領神會為體、身體力行為用，方能層層剝落僵勁，默識揣摩，終至漸入佳境。
老子第二章：
「有無相生，難易相成，長短相校，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。」
世間萬物的有無、長短、高下、前後、難易與主副，皆是相對立而又相依存的。此一哲理，正契合太極拳之「陰陽」妙理。在「指定推手」的訓練法，處處蘊含著陰陽的動態轉化，兩腳虛實分明、雙手動靜相兼、周身剛柔相濟。
孤陰不生，獨陽不長。唯有陰陽相濟、相輔相成，方能圓融貫通、引進落空，從而臻於「懂勁」之神明境界。
老子第四章：
挫其銳，解其紛
和其光，同其塵
挫銳解紛
在推手互動中，以謙讓為核心，落實「彼進我退，我進彼退」。彼此放下堅持與銳利，完全接納對手，使雙方合而為一。依循太極十要：沉肩墜肘、含胸拔背、鬆腰落胯⋯，不以硬碰硬。以完全的放鬆化解對手的剛猛銳氣（挫其銳），並透過身形結構理順混亂的來力（解其紛）。
和光同塵
放下主觀抗拒，將自身融入對方的節奏與勁道中，達到「黏貼連隨、合而為一」的境界。
在互相謙讓、不頂不丟的互動中，不僅能大幅提升全身的敏銳度（聽勁），更能淬煉出扎實的腿力與身手。
老子第六章
谷神不死，是謂玄牝。綿綿若存，用之不勤。
指定推手對練時，身體如山谷，虛懷若谷容納萬物，使萬物生生不息，如同母牛孕育後代般。
推手時身體反覆化解強力，彼此創造空間喚醒肌肉、筋骨與神經系統，使身體如山谷般的虛靜，如母牛般的創造生命。
老子第十章：
專氣致柔，能嬰兒乎？
嬰兒具備有三種特質，無知、無能、無心。此三種特質是人生哲學修養功夫，也是修練太極拳功夫的三大要素：
1.無知：
無知而致專，而能傾聽。
推手對練：關閉耳目官能，以虛靜的身心去感知對手的虛實、動靜與剛柔的變化。
2.無能：
無能而致柔，而能放下身段。
推手對練：
放鬆身體的肌肉、筋骨、韌帶及心靈，放下爭勝的企圖心，接納來力，順勢而為。
3.無心：
無心而不執著。
推手對練：不執著於預定的招法，隨對手的招式變化而動。
老子第十六章
「致虛極，守靜篤」
這是太極拳從外在形體走向內在神意、由「著熟」昇華至「懂勁」的核心樞紐。
「致虛極」表現於太極拳是「捨己從人」的心境，心無成見方能成就聽勁的增長。
「守靜篤」表現於太極拳是「動中求靜的定力與入微察照，靜中生動，動中有靜。
老子第二十二章
「少則得，多則惑」
以太極五行步法、拳架由單鞭、提手、右靠、白鶴亮翅、左摟膝拗步。緩慢的練習，單腿支撐身體重量的時間，保持在30秒以上，即能訓練腿力，也可以反覆揣摩鬆肩、肘垂，落胯、虛實分清⋯等要領，在不知不覺中培養腿力，氣沉丹田。
老子第四十二章：
「道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。萬物負陰抱陽，沖氣以為和。」
沖者，虛靜也。在推手的動態互動中，彼此雙手有動靜之分，雙腳有虛實之別，周身有剛柔之變，此之謂「三度陰陽」。而陰陽轉換的樞紐，皆繫於一個「沖」字，唯有相互謙讓、涵容調和，方能相輔相成。
推手之際，若能放下主觀的執著，卸下身段、敞開胸襟，去接納並感應對方的來勁，便是體現了這股「沖虛」之氣。這不僅是身體結構上的走化與導引，更是心靈深處的包容與契合。在互為陰陽的化育中，彼此砥礪，共同提升拳藝與人生境界。
《莊子·人間世》
心齋：「若一志，
無聽之以耳而聽之以心；無聽之以心而聽之以氣。耳止於聽，心止於符。氣也者，虛而待物者也。唯道集虛。虛者，心齋也。」
推手對練，首在心志專一。
不以耳聽而以心聽
不以心聽而以氣聽
耳之所及止於聲音；心之所神，止於現象。唯「氣」虛靈不昧，能包容並回應萬物。
推手之際，身心唯有置於「虛」的狀態，方能敏銳感應彼此的虛實、動靜與剛柔變化。唯有「集虛」，方能不落主觀、不存執念，在虛空待物中捕捉契機，圓滿展現「以柔克剛」、「以靜制動」的內家技藝。
《莊子·養生主》
「庖丁解牛」與太極拳修練的三個階段
第一階段：
莊子：「始臣之解牛之時，所見無非牛者。」
太極：模仿與拆解，專注於外形招式（五行步、太極八法、方位）。此時身體九大關節（肩、肘、腕等等）尚未連貫，動作分解，屬於「由外而內」的摸索期。
第二階段：
莊子： 「三年之後，未嘗見全牛也。」
太極：整合與連貫，拳架已熟，不再執著於外形。九大關節的肌肉、骨骼與神經系統串聯「周身一家」；腳之虛實、手之動靜、身體之剛柔在拳架中自然轉換，開始由外在的整體，轉為內在的意念。
第三階段：
莊子：「方今之時，臣以神遇而不以目視，官知止而神欲行。」
太極：推手與神明，雙人推手時，感官退位，全憑「神意」與「聽勁」感應。對應對方的虛實、剛柔，做到「黏貼連隨、不丟不頂」。不需大腦思考，身體隨勢而動、游刃有餘。
Laozi and Zhuangzi in Tai Chi Practice
老莊與太極
Four-Character
Formula for Push Hands (推手四字訣)
輕、慢、勻、正。
Lightness, Slowness, Evenness, Uprightness (輕、慢、勻、正)
These four
characters serve as the mental formula for whole-body movement and form the
foundational training to awaken the muscles, bones, and nervous system. They
represent the core principle for maintaining balance and stability, fully
echoing the Tai Chi Chuan Classic: "In every movement, the entire body
must be light and agile, and above all, interconnected." Practitioners
must first achieve whole-body lightness before advancing to integration,
attaining a realm where movement and stillness are both appropriate, and every
joint is connected.
2
Nine-Character Formula for Push Hands (推手九字訣)
Respect[MT1] , Stillness, Stability, Relaxation, Evenness, Suppleness,
Slowness, Roundness, Integration (敬、靜、定、鬆、勻、柔、慢、圓、整)
Among
these, "Respect" holds the foremost position. It is the core mental
formula for awakening the body's muscles, bones, and nervous system. This state
is like cradling a newborn baby in one's arms, or a hen carefully hatching
eggs—a fraction more force is too much, and a fraction less is insufficient. It
perfectly aligns with the classic sayings: "Seemingly relaxed yet not slack, about to expand but not fully expanded" and the
balanced Middle Way of "Neither excess nor deficiency," serving as
the starting point of internal power in push hands.
“The state is
like holding a newborn baby in both arms, or a mother hen carefully incubating
her eggs. A little more force is too much; a little less is not enough.”
This accords
with the classical principles “Seemingly relaxed, yet not slack; about to
extend, yet not fully extended” and “Neither excess nor deficiency.” This
balanced middle way is the starting point for internal cultivation in push
hands.
3 Laozi
Chapter One 老子第一章
道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。
“The Dao that
can be expressed is not the enduring Dao; the name that can be named is not the
enduring name.”
The state of
relaxed suppleness in Tai Chi is profoundly empty and responsive. Like the
mystery of the Dao, it is difficult to convey in words.
Su Zhe (蘇轍), commenting
on Chapter 6, describes continuity as “subtle yet unbroken,” and seeming
presence as “present yet unseen.” These words also illuminate the quality
discussed here.
When the hands
join in designated push hands, the body and hands remain gently supple and continuous,
as though present yet scarcely perceptible. This spacious, subtle quality
cannot be assessed by the ordinary “weighing and measuring” of crude force.
Such profound
bodily relaxation and suppleness cannot be fully described in words. We must
take inward understanding as the foundation
and embodied practice as its application. Through quiet recognition and
repeated exploration, we gradually release layer after layer of stiffness and
deepen our practice.
4 Laozi
Chapter Two 老子第二章
有無相生，難易相成，長短相校，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。
Existence and
non-existence give birth to each other,
Difficulty and ease complement each other,
Long and short define each other,
High and low incline towards each other,
Voice and sound harmonize with each other,
Preceding and succeeding follow each other.
Existence and
non-existence, length and shortness, height and lowness, before and after,
difficulty and ease, and leading and supporting roles are contrasting yet
interdependent. This principle accords with the interplay of yin and yang in Tai
Chi.
Designated
push hands embodies these dynamic transformations throughout: the feet clearly
distinguish substantial and insubstantial support; the hands coordinate
movement and stillness; and the whole body harmonizes firmness and suppleness.
Yin alone
cannot give birth, and yang alone cannot grow. Only through their mutual
support and complementarity can movement become rounded and connected
throughout. This makes it possible to draw the partner in and lead their force
into emptiness, developing understanding of jin and progressing toward
intuitive mastery (神明).
5 Laozi
Chapter Four 老子第四章
挫其銳，解其紛；和其光，同其塵
“Blunt the
sharpness, untangle the knots; soften the light, become one with the dust.”
Blunting
sharpness and untangling knots (挫銳解紛)
With humility and
yielding at the heart of push hands, we practice: “When my partner advances, I
retreat; when I advance, my partner retreats.” Both partners release their
insistence and sharpness, fully accepting one another so that they can join as
one coordinated entity.
Follow the body
principles expressed in the Ten Essentials of Tai Chi, including sinking the
shoulders and dropping the elbows, containing the chest and opening the back,
and relaxing the waist and settling the hips. Avoid meeting hardness with
hardness. Through thorough relaxation, soften the partner’s forceful sharpness;
through coordinated body structure, bring order to tangled incoming forces.
Softening
the light and becoming one with the dust (和光同塵)
Let go of
subjective resistance and enter into the partner’s rhythm and quality of jin.
Through sticking, adhering, continuing, and following, the two partners coordinate
as one.
In this
practice of mutual yielding, neither resisting nor losing contact, both
partners refine sensitivity throughout the body—listening to jin—while
developing solid leg strength and skill in the body and hands.
6 Laozi
Chapter Six 老子第六章
谷神不死，是謂玄牝。綿綿若存，用之不勤。
“The valley
spirit never dies; this is called the mysterious feminine. Subtle and
continuous, it seems to endure; draw upon it, and it is never exhausted.”
In designated
push hands paired practice, let the body be like a valley: open, receptive, and
able to accommodate what arrives. The handout likens this nurturing capacity to
a mother cow bringing forth her young, an image of life continually renewing
itself.
By repeatedly
yielding to and neutralizing strong incoming force, partners create space for
one another and awaken the responsiveness of their muscles, tendons, bones, and
nervous systems. The body becomes empty and still like a valley, yet generative
and nurturing like a mother cow bringing forth new life.
7 Laozi
Chapter Ten 老子第十章
專氣致柔，能嬰兒乎？
“Can you
gather your qi and become supple, like an infant?”
The infant is
described here through three qualities: not knowing, not relying on capability
or force, and freedom from a fixed, calculating mind. These are qualities of
philosophical self-cultivation as well as three essential elements in Tai Chi
training.
1.
Not knowing: letting go of presumed knowledge allows wholehearted attention,
making genuine listening possible.
In paired push
hands practice, quiet the outward activity of the eyes and ears. With an empty,
still body and mind, sense the partner’s changes between substantial and
insubstantial, movement and stillness, and firmness and suppleness.
2.
Not relying on capability or force: relinquishing the urge to impose oneself
allows suppleness and humility.
In paired
practice, relax the muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, and mind. Release the
ambition to win, accept the incoming force, and move with its tendency.
3.
Freedom from a fixed mind: let go of attachment.
In paired
practice, do not cling to predetermined techniques. Let your movement adapt to
changes in the partner’s actions.
8 Laozi
Chapter Sixteen 老子第十六章
致虛極，守靜篤。
“Reach the
utmost emptiness; hold firmly to stillness.”
This is a
central turning point in Tai Chi cultivation: moving from outward bodily
movement toward inward spirit and intention, and from familiarity with
techniques toward understanding jin.
In Tai Chi,
reaching the utmost emptiness is expressed through setting aside one’s own
insistence and following the other person. A mind free of preconceptions allows
listening to jin to develop.
Holding firmly
to stillness is expressed through settled attention and subtle awareness:
seeking stillness within movement, allowing movement to arise from stillness,
and maintaining stillness within movement.
9 Laozi
Chapter Twenty Two 老子第二十二章
少則得，多則惑。
“With less,
one gains; with too much, one becomes confused.”
Practice the
Five Element Steps and the form sequence from Single Whip, through Raise Hands,
Right Kao or Right Shoulder Strike, White Crane Spreads Its Wings, and Brush
Left Knee and Twist Step.
Practice
slowly, maintaining single-leg support of the body’s weight for at least 30
seconds. This develops leg strength while providing time to explore the
essentials repeatedly: relax the shoulders and drop the elbows, settle the hips,
and clearly distinguish substantial from insubstantial. Through such practice,
leg strength develops gradually, and qi sinks to the dantian.
10 Laozi
Chapter Forty Two 老子第四十二章
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。萬物負陰抱陽，沖氣以為和。
“The Dao gives
birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives
birth to the myriad things. All things carry yin and embrace yang, and through
the blending of qi attain harmony.”
In this
teaching interpretation, chong means empty stillness. In the dynamic
interaction of push hands, the hands distinguish movement and stillness, the
feet distinguish substantial and insubstantial support, and the whole body
changes between firmness and suppleness. These are the three dimensions of yin
and yang.
The turning
point in these yin–yang transformations lies in chong (沖): only
through mutual yielding, receptivity, and harmonization can the partners
support and complement one another.
When we
release subjective attachments, relinquish self-importance, and open ourselves
to accept and sense the partner’s incoming jin, we embody this quality of open,
receptive qi. It involves both yielding and guiding through the body’s
structure and a deeper willingness to accommodate and connect with the other
person.
As each
partner takes the complementary role of yin or yang, both help one another
develop, refining their Tai Chi skill and deepening their understanding of
life.
11
Zhuangzi In the Human World 莊子人間世
Fasting
of the heart-mind (心齋)
若一志，無聽之以耳而聽之以心；無聽之以心而聽之以氣。聽止於耳，心止於符。氣也者，虛而待物者也。唯道集虛。虛者，心齋也。
“Unify your
intention. Do not listen with the ears, but with the heart-mind; do not listen
with the heart-mind, but with qi. Hearing stops at the ears; the heart-mind
stops at recognition. Qi is empty and waits receptively for things. Only in
emptiness does the Dao gather. Emptiness is the fasting of the heart-mind.”
Paired push
hands practice begins with unified intention. Listen with the heart-mind rather
than merely with the ears; listen with qi rather than through the heart-mind’s
judgments.
The ears reach
only sounds; the discriminating mind reaches only what it recognizes. Qi,
understood here as empty yet alert responsiveness, can receive and respond to
whatever arises.
Only when body
and mind rest in emptiness can we sensitively perceive the partner’s changes of
substantial and insubstantial, movement and stillness, and firmness and
suppleness. By cultivating this openness, we avoid subjective assumptions and
fixed attachments. Waiting receptively, we recognize the appropriate moment and
express the internal skills of overcoming hardness with suppleness and
responding to movement through stillness.
12
Zhuangzi Nourishing Life 莊子養生主
Cook
Ding Cutting Up an Ox and the Three Stages of Tai Chi Cultivation
Stage
One — Imitation and analysis
“When I first
began cutting up oxen, all I saw was the whole ox.”
In Tai Chi,
attention is directed toward the outer shapes of the techniques, including the
Five Element Steps, the Eight Methods of Tai Chi, and directions. The nine
major joint regions, such as the shoulders, elbows, and wrists, are not yet
connected as a whole. Movements are broken into parts for practice. This is the
exploratory stage of working from the outside inward.
Stage
Two — Integration and continuity
“After three
years, I no longer saw the whole ox (三年之後，未嘗見全牛也).”
The form has
become familiar, and the practitioner no longer clings to its outer shape. The
muscles, bones, tendons, and nervous system associated with the nine major
bodily regions become coordinated, so that “the whole body works as one
family.” The feet’s substantial and insubstantial support, the hands’ movement
and stillness, and the body’s firmness and suppleness change naturally
throughout the form. Attention begins to shift from outward bodily integration
toward inward intention.
Stage
Three — Push hands and intuitive mastery
“Now I meet it
through spirit rather than looking with my eyes. Sensory knowing stops, and the
spirit moves as it will (方今之時，臣以神遇而不以目視，官知止而神欲行).”
In paired push
hands, reliance on ordinary sensory judgment recedes, while spirit and
intention and listening to jin guide the response. Adapting to the partner’s
substantial and insubstantial states and firmness and suppleness, the
practitioner achieves sticking, adhering, continuing, and following, without
losing contact or resisting. Movement no longer requires deliberate,
step-by-step calculation. The body responds to the situation naturally and with
ease.
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