Tai Chi 太极-By Robin Niethammer 罗宾·尼特哈默尔

2018/5/30 20:33:40 次浏览分类：Robin

The ultimate question: What is Tai Chi? Is it the highest form of Kong Fu? Is it just old men and woman exercise?

太极是什么？这是一个终极问题。它是功夫的最高形式？还是只是一种适合老年人锻炼的运动。

Before coming to China I always thought Tai Chi is only for old people doing very slow movements early in the morning in the park. I was mistaken! I experienced firsthand the power of Tai Chi – being catapulted 6 meters without even knowing where the power was coming from. I was fascinated – being a foreigner (laowei) I never experienced such power before. From this moment I wanted to learn – especially as even kids could push me away. I wanted to understand the power of Tai Chi. Almost 3 years later I am still fascinated of Tai Chi. I learnt that one can defend oneself through Tai Chi but it is more than just a “sport” or defending technique – it is a lifestyle – it is changing your perspective - it is meditation – it is a way to understand oneself and to understand / feel your opponent – it brings awareness.

来中国之前，我一直认为太极就是早上公园里，老年人们做的那些非常缓慢的动作而已。事实证明，我错了。当被一股不知来源何处的力量弹飞6米时，我亲身感受到了太极的力量。作为一个外国人（老外），我从未感受过这样的力量，太极令我着迷了。从那一刻开始，尤其是连小孩子都可以用太极把我推开时，我开始有了学习太极的想法。我想要了解太极所蕴含的力量。3年后，我仍然痴迷于太极。我学到的是，太极可以保护自己，但它又不仅仅是一种运动，一种自我防卫术，它更是一种生活方式，它将改变你的观点。它是一种禅定，一种可以见自己，见众生的法门，带来觉知。

The experience I have now is in order to master Tai Chi one has to practice a lot and needs very high discipline. Additionally one needs to have an excellent master who is willing to show one the secrets of Tai Chi. Tai Chi is not something which is easily learnt – it takes many years. Still I am confident that it pays back. Tai Chi improved my health. Tai Chi improved my self-awareness. Chinese people should be proud to have Tai Chi – it is part of their / your culture like e.g. Traditional Chinese medicine – a lot of wisdom is inside Tai Chi – I only have experienced a fraction and embracing more to come!

目前就我自身经历而言，要学好太极，需要很多的练习，也需要很高的自律性。此外，我们需要一个卓而不群愿意传授太极奥义的老师。学太极并不容易，这得需要多年的学习。但我依然坚信，练太极终归是有好处的。太极不仅让我的身体变好了，也增强了我的自我觉知。中国人应该为拥有太极而自豪，太极是中国文化的一部分，就像传统中医一样。太极蕴含很多智慧，而我只感受到了一鳞半爪，期待感受到更多。

May 13, 2018

2018年5月13日

Unbelievable 2 weeks are going almost to an end. Learning Tai Chi every day with master Luo, losing some unnecessary kilos of weight – getting fitter every day. Noticing especially during the night the energy (chi) following through my body. The spine opening up. Tai Chi makes a lot of fun and is healthy. After Tai Chi I was able again to get my hands back to the ground (before I stayed 15-20cm above the ground). Thanks to Master Luo’s help I finally could do the Tai chi movements alone – only by listening to his audio instruction.

真不敢相信，两周过后这个月就要接近尾声了。每天和太极罗老师一起练太极，我减掉了一些不多余的体重，每天都在变得越来越有型。尤其是晚上，我能感受到气在我体内流动，我的脊椎也在舒展。太极给我带来很多乐趣，也带来了健康。练太极以后，我又可以双手触地了，在此之前我离地还有15-20厘米。非常感谢罗老师的帮助，我终于只需要听他的语音提示，就可以独自练太极了。

To keep loose / easy (song) is one of the major “magic words” in Tai Chi and still soooo difficult to implement. Sometimes I succeed. I am delighted that somehow one can see now that I use my hip (kua). Tai Chi movements, li gong as well as pushing hands help to use the hip (kua) and also to be and get more relaxed (song). I normally say that pushing hands was a kind of active meditation introduction to me. Besides keeping loose and using the hip (kua) it is important to keep your head (tou) up and in the middle – like a ball sitting on your body. Additionally the knees have to be opened to the “outside”. The nucleus / balance (Schwerpunkt) should be only on one leg and should be easy adoptable. The pelvis should be pushed upward in order to be able to use the hip (kua) easier while the buttocks should be more pushed inward / downward. The spin should be more curved – if it is straight during pushing hands then it means that you lost your balance. The elbows should be more in the proximately of the core / body to defend the middle (e.g. as washing hair or as in “Parting of Wild horse’s mane” (ma fen zong). Feed have also to be lose – like dancing.

在太极里，松是一个重要且神奇的词，知易行难。有些时候，我能做到。不管怎样，现在我知道用胯了。太极拳法、内功和推手一样，都会帮助你圆裆开胯，越练越松。推手对我来说是一种动中求定的接引。此外，保持放松、圆裆开胯，虚领顶劲最重要的是头顶向上且位于中线位置，就像坐在一个球上。另外，膝盖必须向外旋。单重（重心）应放在一只腿上，要能轻松转换。当臀部内收或下沉时，应将骨盆向上推，才更容易用到胯。推手时，脊椎应成正反弓（含胸拔背），如脊椎是直的，就表示你失去了平衡（丢了）。手肘大致靠近身体的中心（松肩坠肘），这样才能守中用中（就像是洗头或野马分鬃）。要出招之前必须得松下来，像跳舞一样。

Overall I am so grateful that Master showed me so many things. Before I only used strength now I can be loose and use the hip, feel some other people and be able to push them away – still it takes quite a while to get there. Also master helps to improve but also shows the limitations.

总之，非常感谢罗老师教了我很多东西。以前我只会用力，现在我也可以松下来，还可以用胯，我可以感受（听）到其他人，也可以推开（发）他们，当然这是我花了很多时间才做到的。感谢罗老师帮助我提高，同时也指出了我的不足。

I still remember vividly when one of his students came to practice and challenged master in the pedestrian’s street. I was surprised that this guy would challenge him as I as a beginner could beat that particular student in pushing hands (using a little bit of kua but at that time majority still of strength). Master was very fast striking the guy on his head / nose many times still being nice and not hurting him.

我仍然深刻地记得有一次在上海花园步行街上，罗老师的一个学生来练太极，挑战罗老师。当时我特别惊讶他竟然敢来挑战罗老师。因为作为一个初学者的我当时主要是用力，加上一点胯的情况下都可以在推手中打败他。当时，罗老师出手非常快，攻击到了对手的头和鼻子很多次，但他一直很友好，并未伤到他。

Learning Tai Chi Movements

学太极之路

When living in China I always wanted to learn the Tai Chi Movements. Master Luo’s best student told me once: “You won’t really improve if you don’t practice tai chi movements every day!” So I was in a dilemma – I wanted to further improve but I didn’t know the Tai Chi Movements.

在中国生活期间，我总是想要去学太极拳。罗老师最好的学生曾经跟我说：如果你不每天练拳架，你就不会真正有进步。我想要进一步地提高，但我又不会太极功力架，于是我陷入了一个进退两难的窘境。

During Master Luo’s two weeks stay now in Germany, he asked me if I wanted to learn the movements – of course I wanted but I also knew that I failed badly before. We started with other two German students and I was totally lost. I wanted too much and got totally confused. Next day we went to the beautiful park of Sanssouci Castle in Potsdam. Near the Chinese Pavilion we started “Section 1” of the Tai Chi Movements. Step by step – Master Luo was very patiently, explaining to me also for what each movement was being used in Tai Chi defense or attack. Looking at the video and practicing every day suddenly Section 1 was relatively easy.

罗老师在德国待了两周时间，那时他问我：你想练功力架吗？我内心是想的，但之前的失败经历让我有点胆怯。我们和另外两位德国学生一起开始练太极，而我完全不知所措。我贪多嚼不烂搞得七晕八素的。第二天，我们来到波茨坦无忧宫，一个很漂亮公园。在中国馆附近，我们开始学习太极功力架第一段。罗老师非常有耐心，一步步地跟我解释，每一个招式是用来防卫还是攻击的。通过每天观看视频和行拳，突然地功力架第一段变得相对容易了。

Master Luo asked if I wanted to learn more – and sure I wanted. Section 2 and Section 3 were again too fast for me. Luckily I knew Section 1 which gave me confidence that also Section 2 and Section 3 could be learnt and with the great help of Master Luo we managed. Major difficulty was the language barrier. A key word like “Zhuan” which means turn I didn’t know. So I tried to hold to words which are repeated in the 115 movements – there are certain repeating frequencies / sequences, still it was confusing. Thankfully Master Luo didn’t give up on me. On my birthday we did the Tai Chi movements for 22 times – probably it will stay my personal record for ever. My goal is to at least do the movements 6 times a day – 3 times in the morning before going to work and 3 times in the evening. I feel more and more routine – now it gets to the point where I focus on exactly how I do the movements – e.g. using the hip (kua), bend knees outside. Improving bit by bit ...

罗老师问我是否想要学更多，我当然想要学更多，但是功力架第二段和第三段对我来说太快了。幸运的是，练会第一段让我有了自信，我知到在罗老师极大的帮助下，我也一定能学会第二段和第三段。于我，练太极主要的困难就是语言障碍。我不明白太极里的术语比如“转”，我不断地重复115式，尝试着去理解这些词。拳架里有很多动作都会重复，而且是有顺序的，但我依然会混淆。很感谢罗老师没有放弃我。在我生日那天，我们一起练了22遍太极拳，这可能是我个人目前最高记录。我每天的目标是至少练6遍太极，早上工作之前练3遍，晚上练3遍。我越来越觉得行拳成为了我的日课--现在的重点是我需要关注每一招的要领了，比如用胯，圆裆开胯。一点一点进步中….

Additional Tai Chi reflections (May 26, 2018)

其他关于太极的思考（2018年5月26日）

Since the Master Luo’s visit doing Tai Chi every day now I notice that my feet and hands are much warmer now - especially the palms. In general the flow of blood and energy through the body seems to have increased. I noticed with amazement when having a massage that a lot of blockings and stiffness of/in the body disappeared which I would normally feel having a massage.

自那次和罗老师见面后，每天坚持练太极的我发双手双脚比以前更暖和，尤其是手掌心。总之，血液和能量在体内流动的速度也加快了。练太极后，体内堵塞和僵硬之处竟然神奇般消失了，如同做了按摩一样。

Another observation I had: When not practicing many Tai Chi movements the day before the first Tai Chi movements the following day are “bumpy” – not so smooth. The second and third movements then significantly improve and it feels like getting into a natural flow.

我的另一个发现是：如果前一天没有练太极拳，第二天练就不会那么顺畅。但练习到第二遍和第三遍后，就会变得很顺，如行云流水般。

While I see the Tai Chi movements as a programming of the body to react automatically correctly when being attacked, LI GONG I observe to help me doing some Tai Chi movements / forms in the right way. Once in a while I additionally look at Master’s videos to study and review so that his words come back into my mind and I can remember more clearly his wise words and tips.