I was asked why I am not learning Chen Style New Frame, since I have already learnt the Old Frame. Well, my thoughts on the new frame is that it is not really that new after all. The old frame is the origin, and the new frame was introduced to show off one of the more distinctive feature of Chen Style Taiji, which is fajing. The old frame first routine teaches basics, the second routine emphasises fajing. The new frame first routine just adds a few more fajing into the old frame first routine. So, if I can do my old frame first routine correctly, and practise the few fajing inside, I will be able to develop my fajing too. I don't need to learn the new frame to be able to fajing.
On the topic of fajing, a fellow student commented that Yang Style, unlike Chen Style, does not have fajing. I think this cannot be further from the truth. All styles of taijiquan have fajing, it is just whether it is done in an obvious way, or a less obvious way. For example, Chen Style has very distinctive, strong and fierce fajing, but not seeing the same thing in Yang Style or Sun Style does not mean that they don't have fajing. When pushing in Yang and Sun styles, there is a small, final turning of the hand and sitting of the wrist. That is the fajing in these two styles. It is not as obvious as in Chen style, but it is fajing all the same. It is a softer form of fajing.
Thus, there is no real need to practice a routine that has a lot of strong fajing. There are many forms of fajing, and it is better to practise a routine that is well balanced in both strong and soft fajing. After all, taijiquan is not about how strong your fajing is, but how well you can use it.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Old versus New and Fajing
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2 comments:
Wow.. great post! In my current training, I don't really see a need to train xinjia as I'm quite content with laojia for the same reasons you mentioned. In fact, I don't even do any erlu as I have a ton to work with and can extrapolate to my heart's content within yilu!
Great thoughts about how the fajing is exectuted withing yang/sun styles. Never thought of it in that manner.
there is no softer or harder fajing. its only in the degrees of intention.
an apparently soft fajing can cause as much injury as a hard fajing because of the nature of intention behind the soft fajing.
its a mistake to think that the sitting of the wrist indicates fajing. fajing yes but externally.
real internal fajing is something that cannot be seen in the form-its all in the mind.
our type of yang style has no sitting of the wrist yet the fajing is ever present but unless we chose to show it no one can see anything no matter how hard they stare.
in fact most people seeing our form for the 1st time see nothing and don't perceive any difference until its explained or felt.
that's why taiji is "internal". if it can be seen then its really "external" :-)
mushin
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