Grandmaster Tse’s Tàijí Fist 277

The Tàijí Bājìn 太極八勁 are Péng 掤, Lǚo 捋, Jǐ 擠, Àn 按, Cǎi 採, Liè 裂, Zhǒu肘, Kào靠.  We need to understand them and then we can connect them to the Bāguà 八卦. Tàijí is based on two opposite energies one is Yáng 陽 and the other is Yīn 陰. The Bājìn as also based on these two energies. Bā 八 means eight and Jìn 勁 means releasing power, and they are different kinds of energy. They can be either strong or soft. They are just like Yīn and Yáng, they are opposite to each other but also connected, you can even say they support each other, like man and woman, fire and water. The Bāguà 八卦 is Qián 乾 – Heaven, Duì 兌 – Lake, Lí 離 – Fire, Zhèn震 – Thunder, Xùn 巽 – Wind, Kǎn 坎 – Water, Gěn 艮 – Mountain and Kūn 坤 – Earth. This order comes from the Yìjīng 易經 – Book of Changing, which is different to the Tàijí Bājìn order. In the Yìjīng one Yáng and one Yīn are opposite and make a pair. The reason for this is the Yìjīng is based on one guà 卦 changing to another guà. One separates into two etc. The Tàijí Bājìn each pair are individual relationship, however, they all mix together when we practise in the Tàijí form.