Grandmaster Tse’s Tàijí Fist 256

Cǎi 採 means to pick up something, We say Cǎi Zhāi 採摘, which means to pickup something, like flower or a fruit. In Tàijíquán 太極拳, Cǎi means to grab, like in Qínná 擒拿 – Locking and Controlling. Whenever we grab the opponent’s finger, wrist, neck, shoulder, etc. that is Cǎi. When used together with Chán Sī Jìn 纏絲勁 – Silk Reeling Energy, we can lock, twist, break limbs or dislocate joints. When we break or dislocate any joints, in fact any part of the opponent’s body like the wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder or nick, this is Liè. Liè means break. We can use a strike to break, and we can use Cǎi to twist and break. Usually, we will use tow hands during Cǎi and Lie, for example we will hold the opponent’s forearm with one hand and use our other hand, forearm to break their elbow. This means that sometime Cǎi and Liè go together, like in Yě Mǎ Fēn Zōng 野馬分鬃 – Wild Horse Parts it’s Mane and Dān Biān 單鞭 – Single Whip, these movements have Cǎi and Liè. Any hook shape we make with the finger is Cǎi and Liè is in any movement where we force, twist or press down. So Cǎi and Liè make a pair of Jìn.