Grandmaster Sun Lu Tang
1861 - 1933
Quotations
Grandmaster Sun Lu-Tang's (1861-1933) Style of Internal
Martial Arts (Nei Jia Quan)
Includes Information on the Sun Style of Ba Gua Quan,
Xing Yi Quan, Tai Ji Quan and Swordsmanship
"There is a central idea. Merely practicing is not understanding. Seek
to understand
the human ability. Study diligently for deep ideas. The result after a long time
is that
one is able to know."
- Sun Lu Tang
"The essential characteristics of Sun Style Taijiquan consists of the
following: advancing mutually follows retreating; advancing must have a follow step, retreating must
have a moving back motion; the movements are relaxed, comfortable, rounded, and
full; movements follow nature. During practice the feet should be able to
differentiate fullness and emptiness. From beginning to end, the movements of the routine
must be like flowing water and clouds floating in the sky, continuous without
interruption.
Within each turn of the body, there is a "opening" and
"closing" action. This is why the style is often called Open/Closing Active Step Taijiquan (Kai He Huo
Bu Taijiquan)."
- A Brief Introduction to Sun
Style Tai Chi Chuan, Sun Jian Yun (1913-2003). Translated by Ted Knecht.
"The beginning point is Wu Ji. The posture of which is
facing to the proper direction,
hanging down both hands, and keeping a 90 degree angle between the two
feet. This
means going along with the natural principle. Before training, there is no
thought or intention,
no figure or image, no self or others, only Qi exists in the chaos of the
body. The state
is called Wu Ji in Xing Yi. "
- Sun Lu Tang,
Xing Yi
Quan Xue: The Study of Form-Mind Boxing, 1915, p. 68.
"Sun Lu Tang would
crystallize his teaching, experience and methods into
his own style of Taijiquan. It was primarily based on Hao's Wu Yu Xiang style Taijiquan. That he chose Taijiquan as his final art expressing the essence of his art is
indicative. He is supposed to have incorporated the rapid foot work of Pa Kua with the leg
and waist methods of Hsing-I with the soft body of Wu Yu Xiang's Taijiquan. In
actual
terms of the form, it retains many characteristics of the form Hao taught him
as well as the sequence of postures. The postures themselves have not changed
all that much, retaining the original applications and still resemble very much the
Wu Yu Xiang style as taught by the Hao family. What is evident is that the
stepping is more active and smaller, the hand techniques differ only marginally and some
Hsing-I characteristics are evident."
- The Development
of Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan, by Peter Lim Tian Tek.
"Damo wrote the two classics on changing the tendons and washing the
marrow. He taught
men to practice this in order to strengthen their bodies. Then we come to
Yue Wumu Wang
of the Song Dynasty. He added to the discovery of two classics of body
nurturing. He created Xingyi Quan and directed its usage. The principles of Bagua Quan
are also contained
within. This is the origin of the inner family fist arts. During the
reign of Yuan Shunti, Zhang Sanfeng practiced Daoism on Wudang Mountain. He met a teacher of internal
alchemy.
Both of them practiced martial arts that used Post-natal strength. The
function was more than
proper. However, their arts did not harmonize with Qi inside. They
had the potential to cause
injury to the Dan and injure the original Qi. Therefore, they incorporated
the nurturing methods
of the first two classics and use the whole character of the form of the Taiji
circle. They included
the principles of the Ho Diagram and the Luo Book. Pre and Post many
changes. Flowing with natural principles. Created the Taiji Martial Arts. It explains
the mysteries of nurturing
the body. This martial art borrows the form of the Post-natal. It
does not use Post-natal
strength. In moving and stillness, it pure uses natural. It does not
esteem animal vitality.
The idea is for the Qi to transform into spirit."
- Sun Lu Tang, 1921, Study of Taiji Boxing. Translated by Joseph Crandall, Taijiquan
Xue, 2000, p. 6.
"The creator of Sun Style, Sun Lu-tang was
about 50 years old and was a well-known expert of two other internal styles (Baguaquan and Xingyiquan) before he learnt
Tai Chi.
So naturally, the style has the advantage of the influence of the two other
internal styles.
Sun described his Tai Chi as using Baguaquan's stepping method, Xingyiquan's
leg and waist methods and Tai Chi's body softness. Sun
Style has a higher stance, less kicking and punching, all movements have the same tempi, and a very strong
Qigong emphasis making it more popular with older practitioners."
- Comparing
Chen and Sun Styles, Dr. Paul Lam
"Qi spreads without breathing as a result of
the open and closing, movement and
stillness, in this martial art. This is the root of this Qi and how it is
created. The subtleties of letting go and expanding, receiving and contracting, are from this
Qi
going out. Opening makes expanding and moving. Closing makes
receiving,
contracting, and stillness. Opening makes yang. Closing makes
yin. Letting go,
expanding, and movement makes yang. Receiving, contracting and stillness
makes
yin. Opening and closing are the shapes of the one Qi cycling through yin
and yang.
That is Taiji - the one Qi."
- Sun Lu Tang, 1921, Study of Taiji Boxing. Translated by Joseph Crandall, Taijiquan Xue, 2000, p. 8.
"Like the Hao style, the Sun style is considered small frame. It
employs many "step-ups" into its techniques, and this fact makes it somewhat similar to Hsing-i. The
Sun style also used short stances and straight leg kicks, but jumps have been taken out of its
repertoire. It is said that the art melded Pa Kua's steps, Hsing-i's leg and waist methods,
and T'ai Chi's softness.
This is often called the "lively paced" form (Huobu Jia). The
Sun style was carried on by Sun's daughter, Sun Jian-yun who teaches in China.
Sun Lu-tang is also well-known because he was highly
literate and a prolific writer. This made him a rarity among martial artists of that time.
He authored several books and popularized the term nei chia chuan,
which translates as "internal family arts" or "internal martial arts.
The concept of "Internal Arts"
referred to martial arts developed within China such as T'ai chi ch'uan , Hsing-I
Ch'uan, and pa-kua chang. External arts are those based on Shaolin ch'uan which
came from India. This idea often confuses people as they think it means having
to do with "Internal power".
- Harvey Kurland, Web
of Tai Chi Chuan
"Perform Tai Chi Quan in accordance with the technical
specifications for the routine, and perform naturally. Never go counter to what
is required of the forms and postures outwardly, nor to what is required of the
mind and spirit inwardly. When there is unity in one's movements, there is
harmony in his mind; or when there is appropriateness of forms and postures
outwardly, there is mental integrity inwardly. The form is a reflection of the
latter, and one's internal and external activities have become integrated."
- Sun Lu Tang
"Sun Lu-Tang mastered
Xing Yi first, then learned Ba Gua Zhang from Cheng Ting Hua.
He tried to keep his Ba Gua very pure and didn't incorporate so much Xing
Yi. So it's
a little bit more elegant in that way. There is only Single Palm Change,
Double Palm
Change, and eight palm changes, so there are ten forms total in Sun's
system. That's
it! There's no straight line forms, there's no supplementary forms,
everything comes from those circular forms. ... Sun Lun Tang was a a hundred and forty
pounds, a little guy, so his Ba Gua is a little bit tighter, a little bit quicker, a little more
evasive, a little more spinning."
- Interview with Tim Cartmell, Nei
Jia Quan, p. 28.
"The natural
course of things is always followed. This prevents one from harming their
post-heaven strength. Focus is on beneficial cultivation of one's natural
life force as the core of training. All people - men, women, the old, and the young - may practice in order
to replace temerity with bravery; and stiffness with pliability. Those of you who are
weak, who suffer
from fatigue and injury or illness, or who have weakened your qi from the
practice of other martial arts to the point that you no longer have the strength to train,
all of you
may practice Tai Ji Quan. With practice, the qi will quickly return to a
balanced state and will become strong, while the spirit naturally returns to a state of
wholeness. Disease will
be eliminated and the length of life increased."
- Sun Lu-Tang, A Study of Taijiquan, 1924. Translated
by Tim Cartmell, p. 60.
"He is credited with writing the first book available for the general
public that grouped Xing Yi, Bagua, and Tai Chi together as internal arts. The same book, Xing Yi
Quan Xue, or The Study of Form-Mind Boxing, is also considered the first written
work to point out the connection between martial arts the I Ching, and Daoist philosophy.
Sun, and other top martial artists, were invited to teach martial arts in the
schools. Sun himself taught in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou. In the belief
that the martial arts should be practiced first for health and personal development, not
to learn to fight he was the first to offer a martial arts course to women.
Sun Lu Tang's research into the martial arts did more than result in the
creation of the Tai Chi style that bears his name. At the same time, he was revolutionizing the
academic world's conception of the martial arts, and he was revolutionizing the academic world's
conception of the martial artist. Sun Lu Tang, through word and deed, elevated the martial
artist from unlettered ruffian, best suited to performing on the streets for money or
running a bodyguard service, to the position of gentleman and scholar. It is a position marital
artists still enjoy today; but, we must remember the honesty, hard work, compassion and intelligence
of the man who first earned such high regard. It is through emulating Sun and masters
like him that we will continue to prove the value - both intellectual and physical - of the
discipline we called Kung Fu."
- Lori Ann White, Sun
Style Tai Chi Founder and Grand Master Sun Lu Tang
"The initiator of the Sun-style Tai Chi Chuan was Sun Lutang (1861-1932)
from Dingxian County in Hebei Province. Sun was a master of Xingyi Quan
(free-mind animal-imitating Chuan) and Bagua Zhang (Eight-diagram Palm). In 1911, he followed Hao Weizhen to learn the Wu Yuxiang style of Tai Chi. He later
created the Sun style of Tai Chi Chuan by blending the cream of the Wu Yuxiang style
of Tai Chi, Xingyi Quan and Bagua Zhang. The feature of the Sun-style Tai Chi
is that practitioners advance or retreat freely with quick and dexterous
movements, which are connected with each other either in closing or opening stances
when the direction is changed."
- Tai Chi
Chuan Styles, ChinaVoc.com
"One day in 1911 Sun Lu Tang heard of
a martial artist [Hao Wei Zhen] who had come to Beijing but became very ill and
lived at an inn nearby. Sun went there and invited the man to come and live in
his home while recovering and saved no expenses buying medicine for him.
After his recovery, the man wanted to give Sun something back in order to repay
his kindness but Sun politely refused saying that all martial artists are like
brothers and would expect no repayment for whatever favours he had done. The man
was impressed by Sun's attitude and good heart and offered to teach him his art
of Tai Ji Quan. Sun who had long been interested in this art, as it was supposed
to be related to the ones he was practicing, gladly accepted his offer and thus
came to study the Wu (Hao) style of Tai Ji Quan.
Wu Yu Xiang researched the art of Tai Ji Quan deeply and
traveled to Wen Xian area in order to receive more knowledge of the art.
Eventually, he became a disciple of Chen Qing Ping and completed his training
under him. He also got hold of some ancient manuscripts on the theory of
Tai Ji Quan and researching these was able to reorganize what he had learned
from his teachers into a new form later called Wu style Tai Ji Quan.
Later, Hao Wei Zhen learned the art from Wu Yu Xiang's nephew Li Yi Yu and
taught it to Sun Lu Tang. [In later years] when people asked Sun Lu Tang
about the form he taught he said it was "Kai He Tai Ji Quan," i.e. "Open, Close
Tai Ji Quan." Later people started to refer to it as Sun style Tai Ji Quan,
and this is the name used today."
- Per Nyfelt and Jiang Ling,
An Introduction to Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan
"Sun, who throughout his life accumulated such nicknames as "Tiger
Head Hero," "First Hand Under the Sky," and "Smarter Than An Active Monkey," is
respected as a giant in the martial arts and master of his generation.
Sun died at the age of 73 in the same room he had been born in. According
to his daughter, he used the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) to predict the exact date and time of his
death. There is a famous story that says just before Sun died his students asked him what was
the secret to internal martial arts training. The story states that Sun wrote a character
in his hand, showed
it to his students and then died. The character he had written was the character
for "practice."
Sun's daughter, who was with her father when he died, said that this story is
not true. However, she said that he did say that if there was any secret to internal arts it was
simply to practice hard."
- "Master
Sun Lu Tang"
"Sun Lu Tang fused all of these teaching into his new style of Tai Chi.
He incorporated the stance work from Xingyiquan, where the stances are seldom wider than shoulder
with. Here, both legs are crouched and ready to spring forward, propelling the waist to
advance or retreat.
The foot work was extracted from Baguazhang. Baguzhang uses circular patterns to
pivot around to the opponent's flanks, relying on careful placement of body weight on
their heel or the toe, and quick and distinct sifts in balance. The overall softness and
flow of the movements come from Tai Chi. This cultivates Qi flow by emphasizing the natural movements
of the body.
Qi flow was Sun Lu Tang's primary concern. He created is Tai Chi in order to
teach his method of channeling internal energy."
- Gene Ching, Step
Back and Ride the Tiger
"Of the three internal arts, Xing Yi is probably
the most straightforward to understand in terms of practical fighting
applications. Grandmaster Sun Lu Tang, however, believed that the most important reason
to practice martial arts was the improvement of one's health; developing
fighting ability was merely of secondary importance. Sun Lu Tang himself certainly
benefited in both respects. In 1933, at the age of 73 and shortly before his
death, Sun was examined by a physician and found to have the body of a 40-year
old. Furthermore, throughout his life he was an awesome fighter: He worked as a
professional bodyguard, taught martial arts at the Presidential Palace, and
never lost a challenge match.
Certain health benefits of Xing Yi Quan training are
obvious. It is a low-impact exercise requiring little jumping, few low stances,
and smooth rather than ballistic movements. As Sun Lu Tang notes in his book, it can be
practiced by anyone, both the young and old, and the sick and infirm. Healthy
people will grow stronger, while those with a disease will recover their health.
However, in addition to the external physical benefits, Xing Yi practice offers
a sophisticated system of internal energy training that stimulates the major
energetic pathways within the body.
At the core of Sun Lu Tang's Xing Yi Quan system
is the 12 animals set. This set consists of 12 lines of movements, each
emulating the fighting techniques of the 12 animals that come from heaven and
earth. These are the Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Water Lizard, Chicken,
Sparrow Hawk, Swallow, Snake, Tai Bird, Eagle, and Bear. Regular practice of the
12 animals set benefits the practitioner both externally and internally.
Externally, one learns the physical characteristics of each animal-the explosive
power of the tiger, or the strength of the bear, for example. Internally, each
animal form stimulates the internal energy, or Qi, in a particular and
beneficial manner. The remainder of this article describes both the energetic
work and the fighting applications of four of the animal forms: the Dragon,
Tiger, Eagle, and Bear."
- Justin Liu, Cultivation
and Combat: The Fighting Animals of Xing Yi Quan.
"The posture are high and the footwork is
agile; the body is centered and upright; the rhythm is natural and lively, agile and light; the movements are filled with the
internal strength with the hardness embedded in softness; the speed is smooth and
tender, like the floating clouds and the flowing water. When practicing, pay attention
to the coordination of the advancing and retreating of the footwork and use the
movement of opening and closing the hands to connect each turning."
- Sun
Tai Chi Video and Book
"When a modern day "New Age" practitioner of
Tai Chi
speaks of the art as being "good
for his health and a way to align his energy with the energy of the Tao,"
that viewpoint came largely from Sun Lu Tang. Or when pa kua practitioners walk the
pa kua circle on a
California beach and talk of how "pa kua forms are physical
embodiments of the I-Ching,"
their ideas derive largely from Sun Lu Tang. Or, when modern day
practitioners of xing yi opine that "the five forms of xing yi interact like the five basic
elements in Taoist
cosmology," they to owe their thinking largely to Sun Lu Tang."
- Elisabeth
Guo and Brian L. Kennedy, Sun Lu Tang: Fighter, Scholar and Image Maker.
"Sun Jianyun, whose other names are Guinan, Shuting, is the daughter of
Sun Lu Tang, who was a famous Wushu master and the founder of Sun's Taijiquan. She is a current
famous master of Sun's Style Taijiquan, one of the most famous Wushu masters in China,
Wushu 9 rank. She was born in Wangdu, Hebei Province, in 1914. Graduated from Peking
Arts School, she had learnt Chinese painting and writing, especially, being good at
the paintings of landscapes and beautiful women. Therefore, she is a great master with both
civil and military. She undertakes her family tradition, and has got the essences and soul
of Xingyiquan, Eight Trigram Palm and Taijiquan. Following her father, Sun Lutang,
she had taught Taijiquan in Wushu gymnasium of Juangsu Province. After the establishment
of the
new China, invited by deputy premier He Long, she had been the chief referee of
Wushu in the first National Games. She had got a Wushu award of Contribution of the
International Wushu Day held in China. She had held the posts: deputy president of Beijing
Wushu Association, director of Beijing Sun's Style Taijiquan Institute, honored
director of Xingyiquan Institute, the committeewoman of Xicheng District, Beijing, Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference. Her works include The Records of Sun Lutang's
Learning Military, Sun's Style Taijiquan, The Simplified Routine of Sun's Style
Taijiquan, Xingyi Sword, Eight Forms of Xingyi, etc."
- China
Taijiquan
"If anyone wishes to practice Sun's Style of Taijiquan better, he or she
should understand its features and the differences between it and others first. The major
differences between Sun's Style Taijiquan and others are: First, the steps should follow the
postures of the body quickly, therefore, it is also called “quick steps Taijiquan”. Second, the
practitioner should be quick, flexible and smooth, and well-knit in movement, resembling floating clouds and
flowing water and being smooth and continuous. Third, each time, when the practitioner
turns his or her body, to the left or right, “opening or closing the hands should be connected, so
it is also called “open and close Taijiquan”.
- Sun Jian Yu ((1913-2003), daughter of Sun Lu Tang, Interview,
2002
"You must pay attention to step techniques and
raising the strength of legs, because the legs support the weight of the body. They should be quiet as mountains and
stable as a huge rock. When they move, they do as a ship or wheels carrying the body
forward, and they keep the body from overturning. The practitioner should draw a distinction
between solid and empty in the legs. Only recognition can make the steps quick and not
dull. You should keep one leg solid and the other empty at the same time - if the right one
is solid, then the left one is empty; on the contrary, while the right one is empty, the left
is solid.
Solidity keeps the body upright and steady. However, if the two legs are solid simultaneously,
movement can be hardly carried out, being easy to fall down. While emptiness keeps
the body quick, if the two legs are empty at the same time, the body will not be steady. Therefore, the solid and empty should be changed on the two legs so as for the body to act
quickly and naturally."
- Sun Jian Yun (1913-2003), daughter
of Sun Lu Tang, Interview, 2002
"Sun Lu Tang is survived by his daughter, Sun Jian Yun. Now in her
eighties, Sun Jian Yun is the current Grandmaster of Sun style and one of the few women who stands
among the great Tai Chi Chuan master of China. When the Chinese Wushu Association under
the auspices of the People's Republic of China standardized four of the Tai Chi
Chuan styles (Yang, Chen, Wu, and Sun) for competition, she openly protested the new
modifications.
As part of this standardization, a flying kick was added to the form, presumably
to add to the degree of difficulty and increase its audience appeal. Sun Jian Yun
vehemently opposed this movement stating that Sun style always keeps one food on the ground. Although this standardization represents both "official" recognition and publicity,
Sun Jian Yun's name is noticeably absent from verifying committee for competition Sun style."
- Gene Ching, Step
Back and Ride the Tiger
"According to Master Sun Jian-yun, the learner must observe the following
specific guidelines in the training of Sun's Style of Tai-chi Chuan:
1. Consecutive Forward or Backward Steps
This is a movement occurring repeatedly in a major portion of the postures. Whenever the learner makes a move forward or backward with one leg, the other leg will do likewise. It is a striking feature of Sun's Style that the game always goes together with consecutive forward or backward steps. That is, whenever the foreleg moves forward, the hind leg will follow suit, and vice versa. As the two legs are moving to and fro most of the time, Sun's Style is well known for nimble feet and agility. However, if there had not been any check measures, nimble feet and agility would have led to imbalance where the body might not be maintained upright and the player tends to stoop down or lean backward.
2. Symmetric Exertion of Strength.
There must be counter strength exerted in every movement. Whenever the learner make a move forward, he must exert backward strength, and vice versa. This is the check measure to redress the above tendency of imbalance. As pointed out by Master Sun Jian-yun in her book "Sun's Style: Tai-chi Chuan and Sword-play (1997), "When making a consecutive forward move with both legs, the player's center of gravity being in motion is likely to creative imbalance where the player may bend forward. In order to maintain good balance, the player should push the sole of the front foot backward upon touching the ground so that the center of gravity will shift to the hind leg upon its touching the ground subsequently. The same principle also applies to consecutive backward moves."
3. San-ti Stance:
This is the fundamental posture from which a variety of postures are derived.
The learner must master its application throughout the game and understand how
it is adapted to the derivative postures. Grand Master Sun Lu-Tang
has time and again stressed the importance of this posture, saying "San-ti is
the prototype of all postures of Xing-yi Chuan." Such a saying is in
fact true of Sun's Style Tai-chi Chuan. No wonder Master Sun Jian-yun
pointed out emphatically, "San-ti posture is the foundation of the whole
framework of postures in Sun's Style Tai-chi Chuan."
- Sun Jian-yun and Paul F. N. Tam.
Sun's Style
Tai Chi Chuan. Translated by Peter Chen and Leung Ming Yuen.
Pubished by Peter Chan and Company, Hong Kong, 2003. 141 pages. Plum
Publications. p.3-4.
"Hay Way Jen had a student, Sun Lu Tang, who had previously learned the
internal martial arts
schools of Pau Kua and Hsing-I. Sun Lu Tang added these non-Tai Chi
elements to the Wu form to create a new form. In my opinion, the only possible evolution of the Wu
School is towards formlessness, and Sun Lu Tang's achievement must be regarded as a variation, not
as a new
school."
- Jou, Tsung Hwa, The Tao of Tai-Chi Chuan, 1980, p. 70
"As a style of Taijiquan, Sun Style stresses the importance of the
internal aspect: using mind to lead qi and qi to lead the body movements. They are used together with
correct breathing technique and relaxed concentration. Sun Style greatly emphasises
self-rejuvenation and meditation when practising movements. For example, Sun Lu-Tang wrote in his
book: "...men were born with original qi, but (they grow up) without the external
physical training or the internal mental discipline. The result is that yang and yin are disunited
and external and internal is uncoordinated." From this comment, you can draw a clear
message that the rejuvenation of qi is undoubtedly important."
- Master
Faye Yip Li
"Sun Style Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is one of
the five major schools of Taijiquan that are most widely practiced around the
world today. It was founded by legendary master Sun Lu Tang in the early
twentieth century. Grandmaster Sun's love for the martial arts never
ended. He was a renowned master of Xingyiquan (Hsing Yi Chuan) and Baguazhang
(Pa Kua Chang) when he began his studies of Taijiquan at the age of 53. He
immersed himself in the study and, after devoting considerable time to it,
developed an internal art that combined characteristics from Xing Yi Quan,
Baguazhang and Taijiquan and reflected the essence of the martial arts. He
considered Sun Style Taijiquan to be his greatest achievement.
Grandmaster Sun was considered by his peers to be one of the pre-eminent martial
arts masters of his time. His Taijiquan was originally called Opening Closing
Active Step Taijiquan (Kai He Huo Bu Taijiquan). Sun's daughter, Sun Jian
Yun (who actively taught in Hong Kong up until her passing in 2003), observed
that her father's Taijiquan employs the stepping method of Baguazhang, the leg
and waist methods of Xingyiquan and the body softness of Taijiquan."
- Artemis
Sun Style Taijiquan
"This
exploration begins with focusing our awareness on how we are moving our
bodies in space and expanding our awareness of every aspect of our movements (foot
placement, alignment, coordination of upper and lower body, breathing, moving against
resistance, flowing, etc.) To achieve this, we must develop the quality of
"feeling," which is different from thinking about how we move, breathe or flow. To develop deeper levels of
feeling in your body during tai chi, it is helpful to quiet the mind and cultivate the
attitude of silently, without judgment, observing ourselves.
According
to creator Sun Lu Tang, Sun style should have the feeling of "moving in
water."
This quality has also been described as moving against gentle resistance. Hours
devoted to practicing that quality, results in people recognizing that we are developing
depth and beauty in our "expression" of the tai chi movements."
- Caroline Demoise, What
Makes Tai Chi Good
"There are three important aspects of Tai Ji Quan that
should be emphasized in practice. These three are: 1) The health aspect, 2) The
martial/self defense aspect and 3) the philosophical aspect. You can
consider these three aspects as the legs of a three-pin chair. If you take
one leg away the chair would fall over. Only when you have all three can
the chair serve it true function, without one or two it can only serve as an
interesting object to look at (at most).
Remember the important points in practice and always check
yourself to see if your movements follows these principles. Practice
regularly: It is better to practice for 15 min every day than to practice for
two hours once a week.
Though Tai Ji Quan is a really wonderful thing it is also
one of the most difficult things to study. In order to make progress in
the art it requires more than just doing the form a couple of times every day.
It requires research.
The way to research the health aspect of Tai Ji Quan is
basically to develop your feeling of your body-mind (i.e. become aware of
thoughts and feelings coming to you while practicing and also of the changes in
your body when executing the postures). After some years of practice with a
knowledgeable teacher, you should be able to feel when a movement is harmful and
be able to correct it.
The way to research the martial/self defense aspect is to
think about and figure out different ways to use the movements in the form in a
self defense situation. Remember the Chinese saying "although when practicing
there is no one in front of your eyes but in your mind there is, although when
defending yourself there is someone in front of your eyes but in your mind there
is not."
The way to research the philosophical aspect of Tai Ji
Quan to study the literature on Tai Ji (e.g. the writings of Wu Yu Xiang, Li Yi
Yu and Sun Lu Tang) and compare the ideas you've found with how the form works.
Let your practice (and life) be guided by the balance
principle (not to little and not too much), always seek to find a balance with
yourself and your surroundings and you've taken an important step on the Tai Ji
way."
- Per Nyfelt and Jiang Ling,
An Introduction to Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan
"Sun style Taiji Quan is
deeply entrenched in Daoist philosophy. Master Sun Lu Tang trained with Daoists
for many years, and also studied the Yi Jing (I Ching, Book of Changes).
Being a master in two other disciplines of Neijia (internal school of
martial arts), Xing Yi Quan (form-mind/intent boxing) and Ba Gua Zhang
(8 trigram palm) he combined these arts together along with Taiji Quan,
to create his own style.
Many of the moves in Sun style Taiji have obvious links to
Xing Yi and Ba Gua - yet some of the more philosophical aspects, such
as how it relates to Yi Jing, are not so obvious. Each of the moves is
usually a combination of components, the first 8 of those components relate to
Trigrams (groups of 3 lines, some broken, some solid) from the Yi Jing,
and represent directions and angles of movement, whilst the last 5 components
relate to the elements.
Each move has usually one of the 5 elements and one (or two)
of the 8 trigrams - forming a complex weave. Understanding this is not
absolutely necessary, as anyone practicing Taiji will get benefit from it - but
for those wanting a deeper understanding of the origin of the postures and their
uses, it gives a much greater appreciation of the form."
- Deane Saunders
"Cheng Ting-hua (1848-1900) styles of
Baguazhang feature movements that are executed in a smooth flowing and continuous manner, with a subtle display of power.
Popular variations of this style include the Gao Yi Sheng system, Dragon Style Baguazhang,
"Swimming Body" Baguazhang, the Nine Palace System, Zong Changrong's style (probably the most
common form practiced today), and the Sun Lutang style."
- Baguazhang - Eight
Diagram Palms
"In regards to the practice of Taijiquan, Sun Lu Tang often said that
his teacher, Master Hao Wei Zhen, would say there were three levels of development in the training of
Taijiquan. The following are the three levels often mentioned by Master Sun: "In the
initial stages of practice one will feel as if walking on the floor of the ocean. The movements will feel
heavy as if all the water was pressing down on the body. The second stage feels as if the feet are
not touching the floor bottom, but the body is floating within the water. The movements
of Taijiquan will feel more natural at this stage. The third stage is when the body is light and
agile where one will feel as if walking on the oceans surface. At this stage achievement
in Taijiquan has been obtained".
- A Brief Introduction to Sun
Style Tai Chi Chuan, Sun Jian Yun (1913-2003),
Translated by Ted Knecht
"Sun's Taijiquan is noted for its nimble
footwork with advancing and retreating steps following the concept common in all practical fighting arts such as Wing Chun, Western
boxing, Aikido, fencing, etc. This simple "opening and closing" basic footwork
makes it easier for a pupil to obtain whole body rhythm common in all styles of Taijiquan, but often hidden in
impractical wide steps and posturing. The Style also includes some toe in and toe out steps
echoing Bagua Zhang's ability to turn quickly and evade attack. Sun Lutang had a
wider technical base to draw upon than other modern Taijiquan originators and hidden in the
style are many martial elements such as hip throws, joint locks, special counters to wrestling
throws, kicks and punches, etc. The relatively upright or high stance improves balance
mobility and the ability to turn quickly. The stepping methods and movements are comparatively very
effective and martial in nature, and the forms can be practiced at a fast or slow pace as
desired which appeals to younger people. However, the footwork in particular, places less
stress on the knees than other styles and so it can be also particularly suited to the very
old."
- John Jones, Swimming
Dragon School, Wales, UK
"Sun style has in common with other styles' stability,
central equilibrium, light and agile movements. The main difference is the adoption of moving, following steps. Sun
style is known as the moving step Taijiquan. This involves back and forward moves of a
light and agile nature. When you step forward the back foot follows, when you step back
the front foot follows. This stepping technique had already appeared in the Woo/Hao
style. Sun Lu Tang incorporated characteristics of 'Hsing-I' and 'Pa- Kua' and created
a Taijiquan using features from the three internal/soft arts. They all follow common
principles. In 'Hsing-I' you always step and follow, in 'Pa-Kua' we encompass the characteristics of open
and close, step and turn. So I believe Sun Lu Tang developed his style because of previous
training in martial arts."
- Professor
Li Deyin
"For those with knee problems, or the elderly, Tai-Chi is
commonly recommended as a form of exercise, but let the buyer beware. Not all
styles of tai-Chi training are suited to every body type and condition. According to Wang, these individuals should begin with Sun style. He explains,
"Sun style is also called huo bu (live step) Tai-Chi. Its special feature is
called "jin bu bi gen, che bu bi sui," which means that when one foot
steps forward or backward, it is followed by the other foot which lands close
by. [This type of footwork is a trademark of Hsing-Yi Chuan, which founder Sun
Lu-Tang was quite learned in.] The knees are thus bent very slightly, placing
few demands on that often injured joint. The time that each stance is held is
for a relatively short amount of time, and the body posture is held higher up.
Compared to Yang style where the front stance front leg should be bent to 90
degrees, this is very casual. This makes it easy for one with weak legs or poor
balance to perform. The hand movements are relatively smaller in frame and just
as smooth as any other style, also making it more accessible."
- Mark Cheng,
Tai Chi's Five Main Systems - Which One is Right for You
"Sun style, Wu style and Wu (Hao)
style are considered to be "small frame" taijiquan – that is, the arm movements
are small, the steps are short and the stances are upright. This is in contrast
to Chen style and Yang style, which contain big arm movements, long steps and
deep stances. Sun style is unique in that it has no "traditional" bow
stance (front foot weighted 60-70%, rear foot weighted 30-40%). Instead, it has
a follow-through step which brings the rear foot close to the front foot, toes
touching the floor with no weight. One benefit of this is that transitions
between postures place very little strain on the knees compared to other styles
of taijiquan. Because of this, and because of Sun style's aforementioned small
frame characteristics, we consider Sun style to be the ideal taijiquan style for
the elderly and the physically impaired. Sun style taijiquan is also
instantly recognizable by its signature Open/Close Hands (Kai/He Shou) posture,
which appears 13 times in the form. In fact, Sun style is sometimes nicknamed
"Kai He Taijiquan.""
- Sun Tai Chi
Institute of Boston
"Sun Lu Tang's research
into the martial arts did more than result in the creation of the Tai Chi
style that bears his name. At the same time, he was revolutionizing the
academic world's conception of the martial arts, and he was revolutionizing the academic world's conception of the martial artist. Sun Lu
Tang, through word and deed, elevated the martial artist from unlettered
ruffian, best suited to performing on the streets for money or running a
bodyguard service, to the position of gentleman and scholar. It is a position marital artists still enjoy today. Therefore, we must remember the honesty, hard work,
compassion and intelligence of the man who first earned such high regard. It
is through emulating Sun Lu Tang, and masters like him, that we will continue to prove
the value, both the intellectual and the physical value, of the discipline we called Kung Fu."
- Nei
Wai Chia Kung Fu
"The competition routine of Sun style Tai Chi Chuan was created based on
the traditional Sun style.
The whole routine has 6 segments. Although there are altogether 73 movements,
which seem to be a lot, they are all arranged in an orderly sequence with the coordination of
advancing and retreating of the footwork. Actually it is not difficult to remember the movements because
every turning or change
in each posture is usually connected with the movements of the opening and
closing hands. In order to meet the competition requirements, the arrangement of the movements and the
structure of the routine have been improved with the additional movements like "Tui Bu Shan
Zhang" (back step and wave palms). The whole routine can be divided into 6 segments: Segment 1
stresses the movements such as "Lan Zha Yi" (tuck in robes), "Lou Xi Ao Bu" (brush
knee and twist step), "Jin Bu Ban Lan Chui"
(advance, parry and punch)
and "Kai He Shou" (opening and closing hands) to practice the
basic techniques of hands and the advancing. Segment 2 focuses on "Yun
Shou"' (wave hands like clouds) and "Dao Juan Gong" (step back and
whirl arms) which require high demands in "Fen Jiao" (toes kick).
Segment 3 includes "Fan Shen Er Qi Jiao" (turn over body and double
jump kick) and "Pi Shen Fu Hu"
(turn body and straddle the tiger) with the correspondence of the "advance,
parry and punch".
Segment 4 focuses on "Ye Ma Fen Zong" (parting the wild horse mane)
and "Huo Bu Lan Zha Yi" (active tuck in robes) which reflect the various changer in the movements. Segment
5 focuses on "Jin Ji Du Li"
(golden rooster stands on one leg) and
"deflect through the back" to show one's ability of balance and the steadiness on a single leg. Segment 6 emphasizes "Yu Nu Chuan
Suo" (jade girl working with shuttles), "Xia Shi" (push down) and "Zhuan Shen Bai Lian"
(turn body and lotus kick) which reflect the variety of changes in the movements and reach the climax of the
routine."
- Simplified
Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan
"The beginning point is Wu Ji. The posture of which is
facing to the proper direction,
hanging down both hands, and keeping a 90 degree angle between the two
feet. This
means going along with the natural principle. Before training, there is no
thought or intention,
no figure or image, no self or others, only Qi exists in the chaos of the
body. The state
is called Wu Ji in Xing Yi. "
- Sun Lu Tang,
Xing Yi
Quan Xue: The Study of Form-Mind Boxing, 1915, p. 68.
Grandmaster Madame Sun Jian Yun (1913-2003) gave us the following advice about the practice of Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan:
1. The head should be upright but do not use force. Let the spirit be full.
2. The mouth should be gently closed with the tongue at the upper palate. Breathe gently through the nose.
3. Both shoulders should be loose and dropped. Be careful that they are not raised: raised shoulders cause the chi to float.
4. Both elbows should be pressed down. When the elbows and shoulders are dropped, chi can be sunk at the dan tian. When the elbows are pressed down, the arms can be bent, with stored energy ready to be released.
5. The fingers should be open and loose. The wrist should be flexible.
6. The chest should be held in, not extended. An extended chest causes chi to float, resulting in top heaviness.
7. The waist must be flexible, as it is the commander of all the whole body's movements.
8. The legs should be bent: 'apparent' and 'solid' must be differentiated, otherwise agility is lost.
9. 'Chi sunk at dan tian' means deep breathing. Deep breathing is very important in Tai Chi Chuan, but it must not be forced.
10. Meditation is seeking movement in stillness; Tai Chi Chuan is seeking stillness in movement. During practice, the heart must be calm and the mind must be focused; only then can the physical movements be smooth and agile.
11. A special feature of
Tai Chi Chuan is 'use will-power, don't use strength.' The aim is to achieve force that is alive, with extreme softness yet extreme hardness, extreme
heaviness yet extreme agility. When will-power arrives, power arrives. If
mechanical strength is used, it becomes sluggish and clumsy, floating externally, out of place in external
arts."
- Translated by Wong Kiew
Kit. Found in "The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan" by Wong Kiew Kit, 1996, p. 262.
"It should be noted that the Sun Style itself is sometimes
seen as a mere variation or development, and not really as a new style. Sun
Lutang based his style on on his studies of Taijiquan with Hao Weizhen (the
famed master of Wu Yuxiang) style, as well as Xingyi and Bagua. Around the time
when Sun Lutang developed his Nei Jia Taijiquan style, many other styles of
Taijiquan were developed by of Sun Lutang's predecessors and contemporaries.
This was a movement and not a single development by a single teacher. Many of
the internal martial art practitioners at this time, like Sun Lutang, based
their developments on integrating Taijiquan with some combination of Baguazhang
and Xingyiquan. A key part of this effort was to develop or revive the ancient
concept of soft martial arts that became associated with the term Nei Jia Kung
Fu (or Internal Kung Fu). Nei Jia Kung Fu is thought to have been originated by
early Taoists who may have practiced all three arts at one time under the
umbrella of a style known as, Nei Jia Kung Fu."
-
Origins of Tai Chi Chuan, Gerald A. Sharp
"Born in a poor family in Wanxian County, Hebei Province,
Sun was orphaned and received only one year of schooling. As an apprentice in
Baoding, he learned the form-and-will school from Li Kuiyan, who thought that
the pupil had surpassed him and recommended him to the famous Master Guo Yunshen
for further studies. After the grueling exercises late at night, Sun would burn
a stick of incense and tie the other end to his hand before going to bed. When
the glow touched his skin, he would jump out of bed for a morning session.
During his stay in Beijing, he had the opportunity to learn baguazhang
(eight-diagram palm) from Cheng Tinghua and Li Yuanzhong, disciples of Dong
Haichuan. In all these years Sun also applied himself to academic pursuits,
thinking that one with great physical but little intellectual power is an
incomplete man. He read widely, jotting down every wise saying and pondering
over it again and again. He was deeply interested in calligraphy which was a
source of joy and inspiration to him. "I wield a brush like a sword and wield a
sword like a brush," he philosophized.
But it was not until he was in his fifties that his
philosophical ideas reached maturity, resulting in the creation of a new style
of taijiquan -- to some extent by accident.
One day he came across a sick man wandering in a street in Beijing. Upon inquiry
he came to know that the vagrant, Hao Weizhen, had failed to find out his friend
he had turned to for help. Sun took him to his own home and nursed him back to
health. In return for his kindness, Hao offered to teach him the Wu-style
taijiquan he had inherited from its founder Wu Yuxiang. Unlike the
conservative-minded masters prejudiced against other schools, Sun was ready to
take up something new and spent two years studying the Wu style, into which he
put the best points of the form-and-will and eight-diagram exercises to form the
Sun style taijiquan. Needless to say, this would not have been possible without
a thorough knowledge of the three, high accomplishments in philosophy and
literature, great creativeness and broad vision on the part of the founder.
In the Sun-style exercises one can see dodges, stretches, jumps and holds --
movements hinged on the waist and reminiscent of the eight-diagram palm. At the
same time, there are rises, falls, charges and body turns -- movements with an
explosive force but no definite forms that are characteristic of the
form-and-will exercises. Still it is taijiquan in essence with its circular,
graceful, continuous movements, in which mobility is combined with immobility
and solidness with voidness in a harmonious way."
-
Sun
Lutang and Sun Style Taijiquan - Olympics Committee in China
"In 1894, masters Cheng Tinghua, Liu Dekuan, Li Cunyi and
Liu Weixiang formed a teaching organization for the benefit of their students
and the martial arts community. These particular masters were fluent in the
arts of Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan, and their association was
variously described as Neijiaquan (internal family boxing), Neigongquan
(internal skill boxing), and Wudangquan (Wu Tang boxing). This concept of
internal martial arts was later endorsed by the expert Sun Lutang, and mentioned
in his famous book "The Study of Xingyi Boxing" (1915)."
-
Defining the Internal Martial Arts
"Wu Yu Xiang modified his form to incorporate the information from both his
teachers and the Taijiquan classic writings. His modified later form differed
from that of both his teachers and is characterized by compact, rounded,
precise, and high standing postures. The basic structure of the form was based
on the Yang sequence with a change of name for the posture Grasp Sparrow's Tail
to Lazily Arranging Clothes was done later after Wu's death. The postures
themselves were modified.
The Thirteen Torso Methods are the keys to power development
in Wu Yu Xiang's Taijiquan and there is emphasis on rising, falling, opening and
closing. The form's movements are simple and circular with each movement
expressing aspects of the 8 basic postures of Taijiquan (peng, lu, chi, an, tsai,
lieh, chou, kao), .
Wu Yu Xiang taught few students and we know of only one
significant one, his nephew Li I Yu. Li I Yu did not teach widely and only
taught a few students, notably Hao Wei Chen who was also a native of Yung Nien
County.
Hao Wei Chen and his descendents did the most to promote Wu
Yu Xiang's Taijiquan, making it one of the major styles today. Hao taught his
son Hao Yue Ru who in turn taught his son Hao
Shao Ru who was the recent master of the form. The form itself was not
pictorially recorded until Hao Shao Ru's book which remains today the standard
text for this style of Taijiquan.
Wu Yu Xiang's form originally retained the energetic slapping
of toes and jump kick, as well as quick movements interspersed with slower ones,
which were characteristics that the old Yang form has as well.
Hao Yue Ru inherited his art from his father Hao Wei Zhen who
in turn learned it from Li I Yu. Hao Yue Ru was a professional martial arts
teacher and in order to cater for mass instruction covering a wide age range, he
taught the form devoid of these jumps and strength explosions to enable the
basics to be better grasped when the form was taught to a large class. The slow
even movements was a basic method of practice and the Hao Style then used a fast
form which retained the elements of the original.
This is the form that is practiced extensively today. Some
have termed this form "Hao style Taijiquan" to differentiate it from the other
Wu Yu Xiang lineages which retain the old characteristics both in the normal
sequence and the fast form.
- The
Development of the Wu Yu Xiang Style of Taijiquan. By Peter Lim Tian
Tek.
"The primary and most beautiful of
nature's qualities is motion"
- Marquis De Sade
Movement - Quotations
"Tai Chi is a special branch of the Chinese martial arts. It is a both an
internal and external exercise (internally to keep one's mind in perfect
calmness, externally to increase one's agility and physical strength).
Flexibility is required in training, yet vigor comes naturally when needed. The
principle is: overcome rivals' staunchness by one's softness, using the so the
technique of "detouring one thousand pounds with only the strength of four
ounces." While exercising, one should keep one's Qi (energy) down at the Dan
Tian, an acupuncture point below the naval, with body straight, never using
unskillful, "dull" strength, and guiding one's power by the mind.
According to Master Hao, every disciple goes through three training stages: In
the beginning, the practitioner feels like he is wading in water with his feet
covered in silt; later, the practitioner feels like he is swimming, with his
feet completely free of the heavy silt; finally, the practitioner develops an
intense level of awareness and concentration like one who can walk on water or
on a thin layer of ice.
Every gesture or movement must conform to strict rules, as indicated below:
Head - The head must be kept upward, but without effort and with chin naturally
drawn inwards.
Mouth - Slightly closed, with tongue lightly touching the upper palate. Natural
respiration through the nose.
Chest - Slightly drawn inwards in order to keep the vital energy along the
backbone.
Shoulders - Completely relaxed.
Elbows - Elbows must loosely droop and forearms must remain naturally bent.
Hands - Fingers separated, in complete relaxation.
Waist - The waist controls body movements; it is the base of Tai Chi's vital
energy.
Legs - Legs must always remain slightly bent, and bear the body's weight one leg
at a time.
The body should always move as an integrated unit, if one part of the body moves
then the entire body should move. If one part of the body is still then the
entire body should be still.
There are eight essential techniques to be used in combat practice. They are:
Peng (ward off), Lu (pull), Ji (push), An (press), Cai (grasp), Lie (deviate),
Zhou (use of elbow), Kao (use of shoulder)."
- International Sun
Tai Chuan Association
"There is a central idea. Merely practicing is not understanding. Seek
to understand
the human ability. Study diligently for deep ideas. The result after a long time
is that
one is able to know."
- Sun Lu Tang
"Sun Lu-t'ang (Sun Lutang 孫祿堂, 1861-1932) was a
renowned master of Chinese
Neijia
(internal) martial arts and was the progenitor of the syncretic art of
Sun style Tai Chi Chuan(孫家). He was also considered an accomplished
Neo-Confucian and
Taoist scholar
(especially in the
I Ching), and
was a distinguished contributor to the theory of internal martial arts through
his many published works.
When born in 1861 in Hebei province he was named Sun
Fuquan (孫福全) by his parents, and was later given the name Sun Lutang by Cheng
Tinghua (程延華), his baguazhang teacher, years later. (It was common in old China
for people to have multiple names.
He continued to use his original name in some areas, including the publishing of
his books.
He was first noted as an expert in two other
internal
martial arts styles:
Hsing-i Ch'uan
(Xingyiquan) and
Pa Kua
Chang (Baguazhang) before he came to study T'ai Chi. Sun learned
Wu/Hao style T'ai Chi Ch'üan from
Hao
Wei-chen. Sun started studying with Hao relatively late in his life, but his
accomplishments in the other two internal arts led him to develop his T'ai Chi
abilities to a high standard more quickly than
is usual. He subsequently was invited by
Yang
Shao-hou,
Yang Ch'eng-fu and
Wu Chien-ch'üan to join them on the faculty of the
Beijing
Physical Education Research Institute where they taught T'ai Chi to the public
after 1914. Sun
taught there alongside the Yang brothers and Wu Chien-ch'uan until 1928, a seminal
period in the development of modern
Yang,
Wu and
Sun style T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Sun Lu'tang is also notable among tai chi masters
in that many of his disciples were women (such as daughter Sun Jianyun and
granddaughter Sun Shurong) and that in an age of widespread, accepted misogyny he
offered martial arts courses for women at Zhe Jiang Martial Arts School."
- Wikipedia - Sun Lu
Tang
"Of the three internal arts, Xing Yi is probably the most
straightforward to understand in terms of practical fighting applications.
Grandmaster Sun, however, believed that the most important reason to practice
martial arts was the improvement of one's health; developing fighting ability
was merely of secondary importance. Sun himself certainly benefited in both
respects. In 1933, at the age of 73 and shortly before his death, Sun was
examined by a physician and found to have the body of a 40-year old.
Furthermore, throughout his life he was an awesome fighter: He worked as a
professional bodyguard, taught martial arts at the Presidential Palace, and
never lost a challenge match.
Certain health benefits of Xing Yi training are obvious.
It is a low-impact exercise requiring little jumping, few low stances, and
smooth rather than ballistic movements. As Sun notes in his book, it can be
practiced by anyone, both the young and old, and the sick and infirm. Healthy
people will grow stronger, while those with a disease will recover their health.
However, in addition to the external physical benefits, Xing Yi practice offers
a sophisticated system of internal energy training that stimulates the major
energetic pathways within the body."
- Justin Liu,
Cultivation and Combat: The Fighting Animals of Xing Yi Quan.
"Sun Lu Tang was born in 1861
in Hebei Province. His Father was a poor farmer who died when Sun was still
young. When Sun was a young boy he began learning Northern Hung Chuan from a
Shaolin Master named Wu. In the early 1890’s, Master Sun traveled to the
mountains near Sichuan in order to study Chi Gung. Later Sun went to the Wu Dang
Monastery in order to further his knowledge of the internal style of Kung Fu.
Sun was highly skilled in Chinese martial arts and wrote five books on the
subject. Sun believed that the martial arts were to be practiced for three
reasons. First was to achieve a high level of physical & spiritual health in
order to achieve a long life, second was to build fighting skill in order to
defend oneself from any manner of attack and third was to gain the ability and
courage to defend those who were unable to defend themselves. It has been noted
that while Master Sun taught openly he was still a very traditional teacher in
that he taught his students by how much dedication they displayed. If a
student practiced hard physically and also studied the philosophy and moral
lessons of the art, he would teach them all aspects of the martial arts without
reserve, but if a student was not devoted to his practice he would be taught
accordingly. Master Sun Founded the “Pu Yang Martial Arts Association,” in 1896.
Sun also served in the Chinese Army after the fall of the last Ching Emperor.
Sun was a lieutenant in the army in charge of teaching martial arts to soldiers
from 1919-1924. Sun Lu Tang was a humble man who always followed the path of
goodness, he was never proud or arrogant even though he was respected as a great
master of his generation and was called “ First Hand Under the Sky.” Sun died at
the age of 73 in the same room he had been born in. There is a famous story that
says just before Sun died his students asked him what the secret to internal
martial arts training was. The story states that Sun wrote a character in his
hand, showed it to his students and then died. The character he had written was
the character for "practice."
- Master Dr. Silvio
Azzolini, Shaolin Wu-Yi Institute
"Sun Lu Tang was born in Wan County in 1861. His name
rings familiar to almost anyone who has studied one or more of the major
internal styles of Chinese martial arts. Because Sun was highly skilled in Xingyiquan, Taijiquan, and Baguaquan, wrote five different books on these
subjects, and synthesized the three arts to invent Sun style Taijiquan, his name
has become well known wherever Chinese martial arts are practiced.
Sun Lu Tang's ability to apply Baguaquan's quick footwork methods and fast
stepping changes were legendary. He was small and looked weak, but very
powerful, often defeating opponents with very little movement and what appeared
to be a small force.
Sun, who throughout his life accumulated such nicknames as
"Tiger Head Hero," "First Hand Under the Sky," and "Smarter Than An Active
Monkey," is respected as a giant in the martial arts and master of his
generation."
- Konghua
Xingyiquan
"Characteristics of Sun Sytle Tai Ji Quan: 1) Entering and retreating
coordinates. This means that the body should be coordinated in all kinds of
movements. Coordination of movement is accomplished if the back leg follows the
front leg in advancing and the front leg follows the back leg in retreating.
2) Movements are comfortable, extended, round, flexible, nimble and
natural. 3) Distinguish clearly between empty and solid. 4)
The movements of Tai Ji Quan are like "moving clouds and flowing water" (i.e.
continuously without stops). 5) Every turn of the body is
accompanied by opening and closing. Sun style Tai Ji Quan is also
called "Open-close alive step grand ultimate boxing" (Kai He Huo Bu Tai Ji Quan)
and is suited for people of any age, constitution or present state of health."
- Per Nyfelt,
Introduction to Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan
"For practitioners primarily concerned with the exercise
value and health aspects of Tai Ji Quan, the Sun style offers many benefits
without the risks of other Tai Ji Quan styles. As explained above, the
demands of martial practicality necessitated the inclusion of the basic advance
and retreat footwork that dominates the Sun form. This stepping method not
only quickly builds whole-body power, it is also much safer and less stressful
on the joints of the hip and leg than the low stances and extended steps found
in other styles. Most movements in the Sun form include a complete weight
shift from one leg to the other in a cyclical rhythm. This complete
exchange of weight exercises the legs with causing undue fatigue (much like the
natural weight shifts that occur while walking). The movements in the form
are done "three-dimensionally," meaning that the joints are opened and closed
alternately in a natural rhythm, improving their condition and flexibility
without the need to force the movements. The upright and natural stance
improves balance and the ability to turn and shift the weight without undue
effort. The addition of toe-in and toe-out steps from the Ba Gua Zhang
arts has the potential to greatly improve the flexibility of the hips, an area
that normally receives little exercise. The from can be done considerably
faster than most Tai Ji Quan forms, without loosing the proper rhythm, creating
the potential for efficient cardiovascular training. Each section of the
form ends with an opening/closing movement that serves to center the
practitioner and correct the posture during the form. The twisting and
bending movements in the Sun form are excellent for restoring and maintaining
the normal range of motion in the torso and the legs, without the use of force.
The natural rhythm of the Sun form makes it easy to coordinate the breath with
the movements. The Sun form requires no special equipment or costume, and
it can be practiced in a relatively small space. Finally, the practice of
Sun-style Tai Ji Quan can be adjusted for those of differing physical abilities;
it can be practiced with great benefit by the out-of-shape beginner and well as
the advanced adept."
- Tim Cartmell, from "A Study of Taijiquan by Sun Lutang," translated by
Tim Cartmell, 2003, p.3.
"The hardest part of regulating the body during stepping
is that while you are moving, (you) must still be able to exchange (your)
steppings with agility and liveliness, so the Jins should be generated
from the legs, mastered (i.e., controlled) by the waist and manifested through
the fingers (efficiently). (In addition), during stepping , (you) should
maintain central equilibrium, be able to change the steps (easily) by following
the body's (maneuvers), and emit or neutralize the Jins naturally without
any stagnation. Without all of these (criteria), the Jin manifested
will not have a firm root and body, Yi and Qi will be floating."
- Yang Jwing-Ming, Taijiquan Theory, 2003, p. 59
"The principles of posture and body alignment for Taiji
form practice are fundamentally the same as for all qigong exercises. Thus
the principles of posture for standing meditation [#1] apply to form movement as
well. The following principles are additional considerations in practicing
Taiji form movement: 1) Keep a relaxed, natural posture. 2)
Keep the "five bows." 3) Keep central equilibrium, and straight and
centered. 4) Avoid an excessively low stance. 5) Understand
the importance and function of turning the waist."
- Yang Yang, Taijiquan, 2005, p. 82.
"After years of research, study, and teaching, Sun
developed a new style of Taiji Quan. Of the four common schools of Taiji, his
style is the youngest. Sun Taiji fuses together Xing Yi, Bagua, and Taiji into
one. This is not the same fusion as the wushu combined form where a small
section of each style is practiced in sequence. In Sun’s style, the qualities of
each method become synthesized into a unique style. Sun understood that the
fundamental principles of Xing Yi, Bagua, and Taiji are the same; he referred to
these as belonging to one family of martial arts, which is the internal family.
Xing Yi influences on Sun Taiji is its penetrating
footwork, advancing with quick, powerful stances and devastating strikes. Unlike
most other schools of taiji, with long and low horse and bow stances, the stance
in Sun taiji is seldom wider that shoulders-width. The knees stay crouched,
ready to spring forward or backward.
Bagua's influence lays with its emphasis on agile footwork
and dexterous hand techniques that can be combined into sixty-four arrangements
of attack. The footwork requires precise weight transitions that alternate
emphasis between the heel and the toe; Sun Taiji employs this method of weight
transition and thus the essence of the footwork is the same.
Sun style bases qi flow as in Taiji, where it emphasizes
the harmonious blend of thought, qi and movement. Movements are fluid and flow
like water, with an emphasis on softness. For instance, the sequence of moves
known as open and close hands is for cultivating the qi, allowing the
practitioner to center and harmonize their movements with their breathing. This
is a variation of a taiji practice that visualizes the " energy ball," sensing
qi in the hands. During open hands the energy ball is expanded with the
inhalation, and during "close hands, " the energy ball is compressed. Single
whip expands the energy ball once more, allowing it to engulf the entire body.
Although, Sun style contains movements with the same name as in other Taiji
systems, they may appear quite different to those who look at form only. The
movements do remain true to the spirit or to their intention.
The style is typically practiced at a normal pace,
utilizing the toe-in and toe-out step and a natural shuffling of the feet that
is similar to other combat arts such as western style boxing. It is also
practiced in a typically upright stance, employing a natural exchange of weight
between legs. This allows the practitioner to develop balance and flexibility
without forcing the movements. The upright body posture when combined with
proper alignment allows for movement in all directions and possesses the
potential for a variety of techniques."
- SSI Gate
"Even
though the Sun taiji form contains movements that are the same as other
schools', these movements appear very different than its predecessors. The
influence of xingyi and bagua has shortened the techniques, making the movements
more compact. While the movement's spirit remains true to its name, it may seem
totally different to the untrained eye. This is most apparent in the
universal taiji movement known as "single whip." In the other taiji schools,
"single whip" is performed with one hand extended in an open palm, and the other
hand bent into a hook. The eyes look to the front hand with the open palm. In
Sun taiji, both hands are extended with the palms facing out. The eyes look to
the rear hand.
Furthermore, "single whip" [#21] always follows a sequence of two
movements [#19 & #20] called
"open hands" and "closed hands." In this position, the body
is posed similar to wu ji
(empty stance)-a basic posture in xingyi. The palms face each other, as they
open then
close. These movements are used to cultivate the qi, center the practitioner and
harmonize
the movements with the breathing. This movement is a variation on taiji
practices that
visualize the "energy ball," the sensation of qi in the hands. During
"open hands" the
energy ball is expanded with an inhalation; during "closed hands," the
energy ball is
compressed and made denser, like a collapsing star. "Single whip"
expands the
energy ball once more, so that it engulfs the entire body."
- Gene Ching, Radical
Taiji: The Rising Sun of Taiji
"Sun Style Pa Kua was the creation of Sun Lu Tang. Sun Lu
Tang also created Sun Style Xing Yi, and Sun Style Tai Chi. He is accredited as
the first martial artist to write about and be accepted for the intellectual
properties that the martial arts have always had. When Sun wrote his first work
it was widely accepted by the people as an alternative way to view the martial
arts, instead of them being viewed as a "fighting" art, they could now be viewed
for the philosophical and spiritual aspects they have always been founded upon.
Sun Lu Tang was taught bagua by Cheng Ting Hua, and became
quite sufficient at the art. Sun's system differs from most other pakua by its
footwork, softness, quickness, and basic moves that can be combined to create an
endless system. His skills are legendary, and the stories that surround his life
are incredible.
The Sun style of bagua consists of two palm changes, and
eight animals, lion, snake, unicorn, dragon, sparrow hawk, bear, monkey, and
phoenix. After two more years of exploring these concepts one can learn, the
"endless" bagua, which is the highest level, but a level that can never be
"mastered"."
-
Styles of Pakua Chang
Sun Style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Standard Competition 73 Movements Form. Research by Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.. This webpage includes an introduction, information on the history of the Sun Taijiquan forms, a detailed bibliography, extensive links, references to video resources, a large collections of quotations about Sun Taijiquan, recommendations on the best media resources on the topic, and suggestions for learning the 73 competition Sun Taijiquan form. A detailed comparative list of the names of each of the 73 movements is provided, with source references, and the movement names are given in English, Chinese, Chinese characters, French, German, and Spanish. This webpage includes detailed descriptions of each of the 73 movements with black and white illustrations for each movement sequence along with commentary and comparisons. Many additional nomenclature lists and section study charts in the PDF format, photographs and graphics are also provided - over 1 MB of information. This webpage is the most detailed and complete document on the subject of the Sun Taijiquan Competition 73 Form available on the Internet. This document was published by Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California, 2005-2012. URL: http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/sun73.htm.
"The Sun taiji system is comprised of the empty hand form and four
weapons forms: staff, straight sword, spear and broadsword. The straight sword from has the unique
composition of a shang (up) and xia (down) pattern. Once two students master the solo sword
from, they can split the form into two sections. Then the first section and the second
section can be woven together into a two-person sword sparring form. However, the movements are
not one-to-one, so it is extremely important that both partners completely
understand the meaning behind the movements before attempting this. Furthermore, many students also
study xingyi and bagua. These styles both have their own weapons forms, including straight
sword, broadsword and spear."
- Gene Ching, Radical
Taiji: The Rising Sun of Taiji
谷神太极拳
Red Bluff, Tehama County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities in the area: Yuba City, Marysville, Oroville, Paradise, Willows, Durham,
Chico, Hamilton City,
Orland, Corning,
Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Tehama, Proberta, Gerber, Manton, Red Bluff,
Cottonwood,
Anderson, Shasta Lake, Shasta County, Palo Cedro, and Redding, CA, California
Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Valley Spirit Taijiquan Center, Red Bluff, California
Sun Lu Tang, Sun Fu Quan (1861-1933) Biographical Information
Sun Taijiquan Competition 73 Forms
Cloud Hands: T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Chi Kung Website
Detailed Index to the Cloud Hands Website
Sun Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Quotes, Notes.
Sun Taijiquan: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Instructions, Quotations, Index
Sun Style Taiji Quan: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Instructions, Quotations, Index
Sun Tai Chi: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Instructions, Quotations, Index
Sun Lu Tang's T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Taijiquan, Taiji Quan, Tai Chi
Sun Lu Tang's Bagua Quan, Baqua Zhang, Bagua, Baguazhang
Sun Lu Tang's Xing Yi Quan, Hsing I Chuan, Hsing I, Mind-Form Boxing, Form-Will Boxing
Sun Lu Tang's Sword, Jian, Saber, Dan Dao
This document was first published on the Internet by Green Way Research in January, 2003.
This document was last modified or updated on April 13, 2012.