THE CLASSICS ARE OUR WAY BACK:
Many arguments have arisen as to exactly what the initial use was
for t’ai chi ch’uan, whether for martial or for healing etc. Or many
arguments still exist today as to what the use is for certain postures
or how to turn the foot etc. All one has to do is to read the classics to
find the answers. If you do not find the answers then you just aren’t
ready to be given the answers.
T’AI CHI CLASSICS
The t’ai chi classics were written by many masters of years gone by,
some were well known, some were unknown, and some were anonymous.
As to the use of T’ai chi we hear from one of the most famous Yang
Style masters, Yang Pan-Hou who’s Father invented the Yang Style.
“Hit the opponent’s chest with single whip.” or for the posture of
‘Stork Spreads Wings,’ “Parry and hit the opponent’s soft areas and
use no mercy.” or, “Step up parry and punch to the ribs and protect
your center with ‘close up.’”
Quite obviously when this classic was written, the master had the
martial application in mind. By the time that Yang Ching-Fu wrote
his classics, we start to see a softening of the classics. Yang
Ching-Fu was the nephew of Yang Pan-Hou. By the time that later
masters after Yang Ching-Fu wrote their classics we see a leaning
towards the great healing benefits of t’ai chi.