Consciousness of Movement*

Dr Andreas Schter Abstract

This paper discusses mindful movement in the context of the practice of the Chinese internal arts (neijia ), particularly some aspects of the theory of movement and martial expression given by the traditional literature on Taiji Quan . Those traditional theoretical descriptions are then compared with the notion of proprioception as it is understood in the contemporary Western discipline of cognitive science. The main intent of this discussion is to explore what is meant by the phrase consciousness of movement from the perspectives of these two different disciplines. !lthough the language of the two descriptions is very different, there are significant functional parallels in the resulting theories, and " believe that the two approaches to movement have a lot to offer each other. The first half of this article contains an extensive presentation of Chinese terminology, including detailed analyses of the meaning of some of the #ey terms. $nderstanding the linguistic context is a great help in reaching a conceptual understanding, which in turn contributes to the development of a sound practical understanding. %or the most part " use the modern Pinyin romani&ation of Chinese characters, except where " am 'uoting another author directly or where someone(s name is presented using a particular spelling. The )omani&ation of names is particularly problematical, with authors often using neither the Pinyin nor the older Wade*+iles conventions, instead using their own idiosyncratic forms. " have typically respected the preferences of the authors concerned and provided the Chinese characters for clarification. "n places " have also chosen to provide my own translations of important passages from various wor#s of Taiji literature. ,y approach to translation is guided by the general considerations and detailed wor#ed example given in Wright (-../) and " am further indebted to ,ar# Wright for personal help with the Chinese material0 errors, of course, remain my own responsibility. %or completeness, a glossary of the Chinese terms used is also provided at the end of the article. The material presented here is excerpted from my larger wor# Taiji: Mind and Movement. (1ch2ter, in preparation).

Introduction
1tanding practice, holding a particular posture for extended periods of time, forms a #ey component of most of the Chinese internal arts. This practice is descriptively named 1tanding 3ost (zhan zhuang ). "n this practice, when we stand, the mind must be engaged, filling the body(s structure with intent. 4ven within a fixed posture, the body is never really completely still0 we must become aware of all the small ad5ustments and accommodations that the body automatically employs, we must be sensitive to the release as some aspect of the structure relaxes a little more. Then, when we move, flowing through the transitions of the se'uence of the hand form, the mind must follow the movement, and we must find the inner stillness that provides the bac#ground to the outer movement. %urther, when we wor# with a partner, in what ever context, we must be aware of their movement, of their still centre, of their intent. !ll of this might be summari&ed as developing consciousness of movement and, on this topic, Wu 6ong Cho says (Wu, 789. p-:); ...be aware that even though people are naturally endowed with consciousness of movement, this s ill is very difficult to achieve fully.
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! shorter version of this article is currently under submission to the =ournal of !sian ,artial !rts.

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"n contemporary Western language, consciousness of movement is perhaps best captured by the concept of proprioception > this is the complex neuro*muscular feedbac# system that acts between the 5oints, tendons and muscles and the central nervous system. !n exploration of the mechanisms of proprioception, and a direct comparison with the traditional Chinese explanation of mindful movement, may help the practitioner of the Chinese internal arts to develop their consciousness of movement in constructive ways.

$hree %ey $erms

The three #ey terms from Chinese internal arts that have a direct bearing on the discussion in this paper are; yi , !i and jin . ?efore discussing how these different concepts relate to each other, " shall discuss each of them individually. $he Individua& $erms The term yi carries two distinct, but related meanings; the first is idea and the second is intent ; it is the second sense that is of relevance here. The character itself is composed of two parts. The lower part is "in which means mind@heart , the two concepts being closely related in Chinese thought0 this is the domain where all mental activity originates. The upper part of the character is yin , which means tone or sound . Thus, we could gloss the compound character as meaning the tone in the mind , which gives a nicely poetic interpretation of the meaning of intent .

Figure 1: The Character Yi

"ntent is a certain 'uality of mental awareness, a particular type of mental state. Aet(s ta#e basic awareness as an undirected, receptive mental state, ta#ing in whatever is presented to the sensory field. We might call this the neutral state of "in . "n contrast, having intent adds a sense of directedness to the base state. Typically, having an intent is the direct and immediate cause of an action, and this is a #ey aspect of the term in the context of the martial arts. 6aptchu# (-... pB8) translates yi as consciousness of potentials and, whilst he does not 5ustify this interpretation linguistically, it gives an interesting dimension to its use in this martial@movement context, particularly when we consider the development of standing practices. When we stand, particularly in asymmetric postures such as #anti #hi , even though there is no movement, the structure is filled with intent (see %igure -). "n this context, consciousness of potential , being aware of the possibilities for movement, whilst abiding in stillness, captures something of Figure 2: Santi Shi the essence of the practice. Ce says (ibid. p:.) that this faculty is responsible for discerning various directions and perspectives . 3art of the martial role of yi is to ma#e a techni'ue happen, but for a techni'ue to wor# effectively, it must be appropriate to the situation encountered. Thus, being aware of the potentials the opponent is bringing, and of the resulting directions available for your counter, is certainly a #ey aspect of actuali&ing one(s intent effectively. ,oving on to the next term, !i is a multi*layered concept, covering a wealth of meaning in many different domains. The original, and literal http://www.yijing.co.uk

Figure 3: The Character Qi

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meaning of the word is that of air , gas or vapour . The radical is , also pronounced !i, meaning steam or vapour , whilst within the radical is the character mi, meaning rice . Thus, the compound concept could be glossed as the steam rising from coo#ing rice or, less literally, nutritious vapour . 1ee, for example, the analysis of the character in Dhang E )ose (-..7 ppF*B). Qi is used in many different contexts in Chinese thought. "n metaphysics it refers to the base, original state from which all other energies and substances derive their nature and from which all forms condense. "n this most abstract of meanings it is conceptually close to the 'uantum flux of modern physics, from which all actual particles emerge and ultimately return. The variable, constantly shifting nature of !i is perhaps what ma#es it most hard for the Western mind, encultured, as it typically is, with +ree# atomism and Cartesian dualism. "t is only in the recent history of Western science, with the discovery of 'uantum mechanics and relativity, that we have conceptual tools of sufficient sophistication to begin to really appreciate what !i is and does. "n Dhang (-..- pGB) 4instein(s famous e'uation relating energy and mass e H mc- is suggested as the best translation of the Chinese word !i . "t is neither energy nor matter, but that which is common to both. "n slightly more concrete terms, in Chinese medicine, !i is the specific energy that flows through our meridians, where its subtle movements through, and influences on, the organs of the body can be interpreted and manipulated through acupuncture, mindful exercise and other techni'ues. This specific manifestation of !i is not considered completely separate from its universal manifestation; the former is a locali&ed expression of the latter, lin#ing the human being into the whole of creation through the single universal substance . Within the human body it has a number of distinct roles, including energi&ing and protecting in various ways. 6aptchu# (-... pG9), describing the various functions of !i , says Ii is the source of all movement and accompanies all movement. Ce is #een to point out that it is not the cause of movement0 as we will see, that role belongs to yi . "n physical training, the practice of !igong provides a rich method for developing and strengthening the body(s !i . $ong , combining wor# gong , and strength , li , in this case means literally wor#ing to strengthen . Qigong then, meaning wor#ing to strengthen the !i , uses postures and repetitive movements co*ordinated with the breath to relax the body, open the meridians, and allow the body(s natural, intrinsic energy to flow unimpeded. Jnly when a relaxed and natural state has been achieved can yi , !i and jin all come into the correct relationship as described in more detail below. "n Chinese internal martial arts, and in Taiji Quan the role of !i is central in supporting movement and techni'ue. "f " were trying to summari&e !i in functional terms " might say that it is what connects the mind to movement, both in terms of actively supporting and passively sensing. 1uch a definition will then lead me to suggest, once we have some more of the conceptual structure in place that, when discussing movement, !i shares certain #ey attributes with neuro*muscular proprioception. " do not mean this in a reductive way, but merely offer it as an interesting functional analogy. These first two terms, yi and !i are, to borrow Dhang(s (-..-) title, %ey &oncepts in &hinese Philosophy. Ce defines !i as one of the principle ontological concepts in Chinese metaphysics, http://www.yijing.co.uk (

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and yi as a #ey term in Chinese psychology. Ce does not mention jin , but its importance in the martial arts becomes clear when we reali&e that Kang (788: pp7.:*7./) gives BF distinct forms of jin for Taiji Quan , each corresponding to a particular physical expression of energy. The dictionary meaning of the character jin is vigour or energy . Cowever, in the context of martial arts it has a more specific meaning. Aet(s consider the structure of the character; firstly it contains li , which is a picture of a tendon and has the meaning of strength or power . The extra element in the character is jing , which is a picture of water flowing beneath the surface. Thus, the compound character adds the idea of flow , to basic strength ,and we can therefore interpret jin in the martial context as meaning something li#e internally flowing strength (Carbaugh, 7889 p7.).

Figure 4: The Character Jin

The varieties of jin are sometimes e'uated with actual martial techni'ues, but really they are more general than specific techni'ues0 they are the foundational forms of expressing energy that combine to ma#e the specific techni'ues. Thus, one jin may be a component of many techni'ues, and any individual techni'ue will be composed of a number of jin combined. %or example, pan jin is rooting energy. This is the ability to connect your centre down into the ground, and it is a basic s#ill re'uired for many techni'ues, both defensive and offensive; when dealing with an opponent(s incoming force it is vital to be well rooted to avoid being overwhelm by their assault, and e'ually, when issuing energy into an opponent, your structure must be connected to the ground for your force to have real impact. Conversely, even a simple offensive techni'ue such as Parry and Punch will have many energetic components. 1pecifically, as already mentioned, you must have pan jin for the techni'ue to carry real power0 further, zhuan jin twisting energy, is released through the waist to generate the force, which is finally delivered into the opponent as da jin stri#ing energy. !s well as active energies, the term jin is also used to describe more passive energies. 3erhaps first among these is the ability to stic# and adhere to an opponent so that your movements are not separate from their movements. This is called zhan nian jin , literally touching and stic#ing energy. Jnce you can stic# to your opponent, then other energies such as listening, ting jin , can be developed whereby you use physical touch to sense your opponent(s latent energy. This must be complemented by understanding, dong jin , so that you #now the meaning of what you are feeling, and can learn to gauge your opponent(s intent before it becomes manifest. This dual nature of jin , its active and passive forms, will be important when we come to consider how the western notion of proprioception is used to describe and explain mindful movement. $he Contribution of the $raditiona& )orms The syllabus that " teach is called 'u(&heng Taiji Quan !" after the family responsible for the development of the initial style 'u , and the Cong 6ong based teacher Cheng Tin Cung "#$ (78F.*-..B) who developed his own uni'ue interpretation of that tradition. Within this syllabus there are a range of forms which all contribute a particular developmental aspect to the training. This is made explicit in Cheng (788. pFF), the translation is my own;

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Consciousness of Movement

!r Andreas "ch#ter The Taiji Quan expert trains the fist in order to repair the mind, trains the sword in order to nourish the !i, trains the sabre in order to cultivate the will, trains the spear in order to augment wisdom,

%&'() %*&'+) %,&'-.) %/&'01) %&'23

Taiji Quan jia lian !uan zaiyu "iu "in, lian jian zaiyu yang !i, lian dao zaiyu pei zhi, lian !iang zaiyu yi zhi,

lian gong zaiyu chang jin. trains the gong in order to strengthen jin.

Aet(s consider this passage in the context of the three #ey concepts of yi , !i and jin 4 discussed above. %irstly, training the hand form (!uan ) helps to repair the mind. !lthough usually translated as cultivate , this is a literal translation of "iu ( and, " feel, an appropriate emphasis in this context; generally someone(s proprioceptive sense is good enough for day to day life, but is lac#ing in terms of the refined movement re'uired for the practice of Taiji . "n order to improve one(s proprioception, to better guide the !i , the mind itself must be trained and the 'uality and focus of the attention improved.7 This explains why the hand form is ta#en to be the foundation of Taiji ; it repairs and cultivates the mind, so that it is able to function correctly in partnership with the !i and jin 0 that is, the mind is the container and generator of intent, which is the prere'uisite for developing !i and thence jin . The passage also says that training the sabre (dao ,) cultivates the will. "n 4nglish, we might gloss will as involving intent maintained over an extended period of time. The Chinese character translated as will in this passage is zhi .. The meaning of this character is conceptually related to yi . %irstly, both have "in as the radical, and are concerned with a developed state of mind. "n zhi . what is held in the heart is shi 50 the modern meaning of this character is scholar , but Wieger (78-/ p-.F) traces the meaning bac# to the image of a small plant ascending from the ground, and by extension, this carries the idea of something developing. Thus, zhi . can be understood as something developing in the mind@heart , and " suggest that, practised correctly, the sabre develops intent over an extended period of time. "n traditional Chinese medicine yi and zhi . are both aspects of a larger capacity called shen 6, meaning spirit , which is the aspect of the self which recogni&es and pursues ultimate goals and thus ma#es possible self*cultivation and self*transformation0 it is the source of the self*awareness that fosters the human experience of authenticity and personal experience (see 6aptchu#, -... ppB9*::). 1o, based on this passage, we should expect the combined practice of the hand form and the sabre together to provide the vehicle not 5ust for training the mind "in , intent yi and will zhi ., but also to contribute to the broader development of an individual(s spirit shen 6. ,oving on to the next #ey term, !i , the passage says that training the sword (jian *) nourishes the !i . The sword is the most complex form in the 'u@&heng !" syllabus, the se'uence is 'uite long with very little repetition in the

Figure 5: The Secret Sword Hand

7

!s a brief linguistic aside, note that the Chinese for attention is zhu yi li 7, literally the strength of concentrated intent .

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patterns. Ai#e the hand form, performance of a complex se'uence re'uires mental discipline, and therefore trains the mind, a necessary prere'uisite to developing !i . Cowever, the additional re'uirement of co*ordinating the movements of the sword, with its straight, fine blade, ma#es it necessary to extend one(s !i into the weapon. This idea, perhaps initially strange to the Western mind, finds surprising support in the cognitive description of proprioception, as we will see below. "n connection with this extension of !i, the role of the hand not holding the sword is vital. The empty hand should be lightly held in the shape of the secret sword opening the !i jin as shown in %igure B. This hand shape balances the !i in the body with the !i in the weapon, and helps distinguish yin 8 and yang 9 through the form, with the movements of the empty hand mirroring the movements of the sword (see, for example, Kang, 788: pF:). 4very movement of the body should appear in the weapon and every movement of the weapon should be driven from the body. Jf course, this is true for all the weapons, but the delicacy of the sword techni'ues, in contrast to the strong forces expressed though the sabre, re'uire and help develop great sensitivity. That delicate sensitivity, in turn, helps to foster awareness of the movement of !i in the body. %inally, in this context, training the gong is said to strengthen the jin . Cere, gong is a reference to the nei gong exercises, literally meaning internal wor# . Aittle is written about this aspect of the practice in the 'u@&heng !" syllabus, but Cheng states directly that it is the most important part of the art of Tai Chi Chuan (Cheng, 789F p7/:). The nei gong are specific forms designed to condition the body in various ways. These exercises are similar, in some respects, to !igong but are focussed on developing jin rather than !i . There are two separate sets of exercises in this practice, a yin 8 set and a yang 9 set, each comprising of twelve exercises and, whilst the two sets have a lot in common, each has a particular emphasis. The yin 84 set focusses mainly on strengthening the constitution, building strength in the lower body and bac# and, in particular, developing foundational jins such as pan jin (rooting energy) and peng jin : (buoyant structural energy). "n contrast, the yang 9 set focusses more extensively on training the ability to release energy, fa jin ;, in various ways. Cheng identifies three distinct stages in the development of nei gong . These are, firstly, )nner and *uter in +nity, meaning simply that breath and movement are harmoni&ed. "t is a feature of this syllabus that generally no deliberate effort is made to co*ordinate the breath and movement, instead this is allowed to arise gradually and naturally as the body becomes more familiar with the movements. The second stage is called Mind and ,ody in +nity, where the mind directs every action. This is the stage at which consciousness of movement comes to fruition. The final stage is called -eaven and Thought in +nity, and the dedicated practitioner who reaches this stage has moved beyond formal techni'ue, and every movement and action is naturally in accord with the flow of the moment. !s well as being stages of the specific practice of nei gong , these stages can also be seen to apply to the art as a whole and, further, will find resonance when we turn to consider the cognitive mechanisms of proprioception, below. Jf course, all elements of the syllabus contribute to the training of all three of these #ey re'uirements. "n addition to training the mind, the hand for also trains !i and, through careful and mindful articulation of the body(s structures, lays the foundation for jin . The spear form is also a very important vehicle for training jin , with numerous techni'ues re'uiring the release of energy through the weapon. "n this way, the use of an external physical medium provides valuable feedbac# to the practitioner on the 'uality of their expression. %urther, the various forms of pushing http://www.yijing.co.uk ,

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hands (tui shou <=) are the primary method for training the sensing jins . Thus, we can see that over the complete syllabus, all of the #ey concepts re'uired for developing consciousness of movement are trained. -e&ating the $hree Concepts Caving explored the individual meanings of the terms, and what traditional vehicles exist for training the corresponding s#ills, " shall now consider how they interrelate to create a complete description of mindful movement. Consideration of the relationships between these concepts has long been a focus of Chinese thought. %or example, the following passage is from ,encius (F/-* -98?C4) cited in Dhang (-..- pG/); The will is the general of the 'i and the 'i is the fullness of the body... 'hen the will is concentrated then it moves the 'i. when the 'i is concentrated then it moves the will. The enduring consistency of this ancient view is brought home when we consider the Wu family literature, the root of my own lineage, which contains a description of this process, ma#ing the connection between these elements explicit. "n the chapter on listening energy ting jin the following phrase appears (Kang, -..- pF.);

>?) /i "in "ing yi, >?) yi yi "ing !i, >@A) yi !i yun shen, BC;3 ting er hou fa.

?y means of the mind move intent, by means of intent move the !i, by means of !i mobili&e the body, listen and then releaseL

Cere the mind is described as first moving intent, which then moves the !i . This ma#es it clear that the mind must have a focussed direction, to which the !i then responds. This, in turn, imparts movement to the body, and finally, by listening sensitively to your opponent(s energy, you are able to release your own jin in an effective techni'ue. This movement from mind (inner) to techni'ue (outer) clearly has a specific direction, resulting in a manifest expression, which does not account for the wor#ing of the sensing jins. )eferring to the ,encius 'uote above again, note that it is also suggested that !i can influence the mind, which is a flow of information in the reverse direction. %or example, with listening ting jin , one uses contact with the opponent in order to hear the small movement that presages the actual execution of a techni'ue. "n this context employing the jin does not result in manifesting a movement, but instead re'uires being sensitive to the movements in your own !i caused by the opponent(s intention. Typically, before you can listen effectively, you have to have contact with your opponent0 if the mind is clear, then the relationship between the touch and perception is immediate, as the Wu family literature ma#es clear (Kang, -..- p-9);

ADEF) shen you suo gan, MWhen theN body has some feeling, DEG "in you suo jue Mthen theN mind has some perception

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Wu Ku*Oiang HIJ- also wrote on this aspect of Taiji movement. "n his essay 1ecret of the %our Words (Kang, -..7 pp7F*7B) he discusses suffusing , covering , matching and swallowing . 1uffusing, fu K, is the process of extending my !i into my opponent(s body, which is a prere'uisite for being able to sense his movements. The literal meaning of fu K is to spread out, or apply (Carbaugh, 7889 p-.7) > as in the way one would apply a cream to the s#in, and this captures the character of how your !i should extend to interact with your opponent. Kang(s commentary says that if you can suffuse the Ii from your own body to your opponent(s body, you will be able to feel (listen) the opponent(s intention. Thus, in this context !i is acting as a conduit, transmitting information bac# to you. Dhang E )ose succinctly summarise the relationship between these three components of mindful movement (-..7 p7GF); The power of 'i is inseparable from the development of the power of mental concentration and the ability to focus the mind 0 and the 'i 0 in a particular movement, at a precise location, in a given moment. Aet us now turn to an investigation of the Western concept of proprioception.

/roprioception
3roprioception is, broadly spea#ing, the body(s ability to monitor its own state. "n the context of this article " am interested in the proprioception of the muscular*s#eletal system0 the body(s ability to monitor and ad5ust posture and movement. +allagher (-..B p/F) suggests that proprioception acts at two distinct levels. %irstly, it involves non*conscious, physiological information that updates the motor system with respect to the body(s posture and movement. MCis emphasisN. 1econdly, that information provides the basis for our proprioceptive awareness of posture and movement. There is far more information in the system than we are actually aware of > all of the minute aspects of a movement are present in the information, but typically awareness will only contain the information necessary to achieving the goal of the movement. This distinction between proprioceptive information and proprioceptive awareness is closely related to a further distinction that +allagher explores, that between body schema and body image. ?ody schemas are low*level motor programs that monitor and control our movements. These schema ta#e the proprioceptive information and the goal of the individual, and then generate and control the necessary movements to reali&e the goal. The intentions and goal of the individual may be consciously articulated, but the resulting actions of the schemas are unconscious. "n contrast, a body image is composed of conscious perceptions, attitudes and beliefs about one(s body. These two levels are not completely separate and developing a description of their interaction is part of +allagher(s pro5ect. %or example, he gives an extended case study of someone who lost proprioception as a result of a neurological condition. Their automatic body schemas therefore became inoperative and they had to completely reconstruct their movement capabilities using conscious information and their body image. This extreme case shows that consciousness can be used to drive movement directly, even when low level motor control capabilities are not functioning correctly. This ma#es the mind an extremely
-

Pote that this is a different family to the Wu family to which " trace the origin of my style. The Wu family originating my style is written in Chinese, whilst the WQ family mentioned here is written H.

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powerful faculty, able to overcome severe functional deficiencies in the body(s mechanisms. ?ut how might body schema and consciousness interact when both are fully functioningR " suggest that the movement practices embodied in Taiji Quan , and the Chinese internal arts in general, can operate at the interface between conscious image and unconscious schema, and thereby facilitate a two*way interaction between these levels. "tudying $aiji and /roprioception ?efore exploring how the specific training strategies of the Chinese internal arts influence proprioception, it is important to cite a scientific study which confirms that the practice actually does has a real positive effect on someone(s proprioceptive s#ill. The study " will discuss here was performed by Ou, Cong, Ai and Chan and published in the ?ritish =ournal of 1ports ,edicine in -..G (Ou, et al, -..G). "n particular, they were interested in the effects of the practice of Taiji on proprioception in the an#le and #nee 5oints of older people. Their study population was divided into three groups; long term Taiji practitioners, long term swimmers and runners, and a sedentary control group. The fact that both of the exercise groups were long term practitioners is important as, of course, the benefits of any exercise regime, and particularly Taiji , only really accrues over an extended period of time. The study measured each person(s ability to detect passive movement of the an#le 5oint, and of flexion and extension of the #nee 5oint. %or an#le movement, they discovered that the Taiji group had significantly better proprioception than either of the other two groups, and that the runners and swimmers were not significantly better than the control group. %or #nee flexion, again the Taiji practitioners were mar#edly better than both of the other groups, and the swimmers and runners were, again, not significantly better than the control group. Cowever, for #nee extension, there was no significant difference between any of the groups. The conclusions of the study clearly state that the practice of Taiji results in improved proprioception in the an#le and #nee 5oints when compared with swimmers, runners and sedentary controls. !lthough the study was conducted with elderly practitioners, " feel it is reasonable to assume that these benefits are available for experienced practitioners at all ages. 1o, having established that the practice of Taiji does have a positive influence on proprioceptive awareness, we shall now turn to a consideration of why and how this might be so. Movement $raining and /roprioceptive )eedback !t the outset of training internal movement, most of the activity is ta#ing place at the conscious level > intent is re'uired to drive every detail of the appropriate actions and, where intent is lac#ing, the movement will be vague and unfocussed. Thus, when learning a new movement, beginners typically find that some detailed aspect of the techni'ue is missing. " suggest this is because the developing schema driving the movement is not sufficiently articulated to reali&e all aspects of their intent. Through persistence and repetition within a reflective practice, the schema is gradually refined, bringing more aspects of the movement into its scope. "t is important that the practice be reflective > that is, proprioceptive awareness must feed bac# into the process, correcting the actions of the schema and thereby refining the connection between intention and movement. !t the same time a corresponding process operates in the other direction. ?y fully engaging consciousness in the movement, finer and finer aspects of the movement become available to our awareness. !spects of movement that are initially imperceptible become, through repetition, part of the conscious experience of the practice. This process allows more proprioceptive information into http://www.yijing.co.uk 1

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consciousness, which then becomes available to complete the feedbac# loop re'uired to effectively train movement. We could characterise this, broadly, by tal#ing about cognitive understanding and somatic understanding. Wu Cheng*Iing HLM (eldest brother of Wu Ku*Oiang HIJ) seems aware of this distinction, and its importance, when he says (Kang, -..7 pF-); The marvellous tric within must be comprehended from the deep heart. This cannot be passed down orally. 'hen the mind nows, then the body will now. 'hen the body nows, it is better than only the mind nowing. This two*way refinement of movement and consciousness gives rise to a paradoxical situation. %irstly, the repetition built into the practice automati&es certain aspects of the performance. !t the outset, " must consciously attend to all the detailed aspects of each movement, ensuring that they are correct. Then, through repetition, those movements gradually become more and more automatic, until " do not really have to attend to them during performance. They become programmed into schemas. Jf course, reflective practice is important to ensure that the movements which are automati&ed are correct in all the important aspects. The 'uestion then arises as to the role of consciousness in the performance of an automati&ed routine. This is where the paradox arises, for having expended the effort to ma#e the movements automatic, to program them into effective and efficient body schemas, consciousness should be directed to attend to ever finer and more subtle aspects of the movement0 consciousness remains engaged with the execution of the schema. "n psychoanalysis, deautomati&ation is a process which involves an unravelling of the psychological operations that organi&e, limit, select and interpret perceptual stimuli by reinvesting those operations with conscious awareness. (1uler, 788F pG9) This is a direct psychic parallel to the somatic process engaged in when learning Taiji movement. " am sure that most experienced movement practitioners have had the experience of an everyday movement unfolding into a previously unimagined rich se'uence of ex'uisite articulations0 opening a door, or wal#ing down the street, is suddenly invested with a new wealth of somatic detail. This is a spontaneous experience of the deautomati&ation of a normal movement and, whilst this could conceivably happen outwith a dedicated movement training, the conscious engagement with the explicit process of movement is really the #ey preparation for this shift of awareness. "ome /ersona& 23amp&es ! concrete, if somewhat mundane, example of this from my own experience involves opening doors0 specifically, heavy fire doors. %irstly, because the door is heavy, the act of opening it already re'uires more effort than if it were light and could be moved without effort. This increase in effort brings with it an increase in the attention to the movements and the mechanics of the action. "f the door opens away then a pushing energy is re'uired, whilst if it opens towards then a pulling energy is used. 4ither way, the structural connection from the hand, through the body, and down into the ground becomes a ma5or part of the action. Jnce the structural connection is in place, then a shift of the weight and a turn of the waist opens the door without any need for effort in the arm. Thus, opening a door becomes more than opening a door, it becomes an opportunity to explore jin . Wal#ing up stairs on the balls of the feet is another opportunity to explore one(s awareness of the internal dynamics of the body(s structure. "n this case, the correct alignment of the pelvis allows the push from the feet to transmit directly up through the spine and it is almost as if one is being drawn http://www.yijing.co.uk 4

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up the stairs by the crown of the s#ull. This is an example of the suspended head top of Taiji Quan . This is sometimes referred to as ding jin N (literally meaning top energy ) where the chin is tuc#ed in slightly allowing the head to extend upward (Wu, -..: p7-). 23tending /roprioception The scope for developing and extending consciousness of movement becomes even greater when we consider partner wor# in Taiji . +allagher, tal#ing about dancing, says that his body has to ta#e into postural*schematic account the moving extension of my partner (-..B pF/). That is, +allagher is explicitly suggesting that one(s body schema can actually include aspects of someone else. The sensing drills and pushing hands practices of Taiji Quan excel at developing this aspect of consciousness. The more relaxed and calm you can be, the more receptive your consciousness becomes; it is common to tal# of becoming one with your partner(s movement, of ma#ing their movement your movement. "n free pushing, an experienced practitioner will be aware of their partner(s balance, structure and even their intent. This happens when your own proprioceptive awareness becomes sufficiently subtle so as to extend into the body of another human being0 that extended awareness brings information that can then be integrated into and used by your own body schemas. This is essentially the same idea that Wu Ku*Oiang HIJ discussed in terms of suffusing fu !i K, extending your own !i out to cover the opponent and directly sense their intention and movement. !gain, a personal example may help clarify the #ind of experience a practitioner may eventual expect. Jn one occasion " was practising free*style pushing hands with a more senior practitioner, someone who is usually more than capable of tying me in #nots or bouncing me across the room. Suring this practice " was simply trying to #eep my mind empty. !t a particular point in the exchange " felt what, in retrospect, " described as a gap in my partner. !t that point " released my energy into the gap and, much to my surprise, my partner lost his balance. !fter the bout, without any prompting from myself, he said that he should not have changed his mind about what he was about to do. 1omehow, " had felt that change of mind and, in an instant and almost without conscious direction, had ta#en advantage of the gap in his intent. This is a direct example of a #ey Taiji principle described by Wu Ku*Oiang HIJ;

OPO

jin duan yi bu duan

energy MmayN brea#, MbutN intent MmustN not brea#

This says that one(s energy, jin , may brea# during an exchange with an opponent, but the intent, yi , should not brea# (see Kang, -..7 p8). That is, one(s energy may, indeed must, change and transform, one moment expressed through yielding, and the next attac#ing. Jnce the attac# completes, whether it was successful or not, the energy must change again. Cowever, within the constant transformation of the expression of energy, one(s intention must continuously fill the movement. "n this particular case, my partner allowed their intent to falter for a moment, and " was sufficiently attuned to ta#e advantage of the lapse. "n another brief comment, +allagher opens up an even wider possibility than that of extending proprioceptive awareness into another human being; namely, that it incorporates various significant parts of its own environment into its own schema. The carpenter(s hammer becomes an operative extension of the carpenter(s hand. (-..B pF-) %or the martial artist involved in weapons training, this is a familiar idea, the sword does indeed become an extension of the self. !bove, "

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Consciousness of Movement

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noted that practising the Taiji sword (Taiji 1ian *) trains you to extend !i into the weapon and, as !i is the medium of sensation, this will in turn lead to a physical extension of awareness. The Wu@Cheng !" syllabus contains a partner exercise called stic#y swords that see#s to train the extension of awareness into the weapon. The two participants touch the blades of their swords together and then, in a manner similar to pushing hands, try to sense each other(s energy and intention in order to penetrate the other(s defence and touch their blade on the opponent(s body. The important potential of this extension of awareness is highlighted in a story told by Aowry (789: p7G9). Sescribing a famous =apanese swordsman who was particularly successful in duelling, he says; &oming close enough to touch the point of his opponent2s weapon 3with the point of his own sword4, he could feel whether it was being held stiffly, or with calm suppleness. )f the grip was of the former ind, he was sure of his victory. )f it was of the latter, though, it indicated a s illed warrior, and in that case he would !uic ly flee the scene. "n terms of the Chinese theory, this ability arises as a result of extending !i into the weapon, thereby enabling a refined sensitivity to the 'uality of the opponent(s state. "n the Western theory, proprioception is extended outward by means of one(s body schema incorporating external elements into their representation. The language is different, but the underlying experience is the same.

Conc&usions
!ll of these ideas, Chinese and Western, serve to highlight the #ey role of consciousness in the development of movement practice. "ndeed, ,ing (788G pFB) says that refinement of consciousness is the essence and true nature of martial arts. Ce goes on to describe (pF9) a process very similar that that outlined above in terms of the development of body schema, only using language perhaps more familiar to practitioners of the martial arts; 5ttunement of the physical form undoubtedly can induce conscious and unconscious changes in the state of the breathing, as well as changes in the state of energy and inner force. The results of this attunement all should bring about a psychological attunement, and then lead to attunement of the consciousness cultivating the e"ercises. The feedbac goes on, as refinement of consciousness fosters the progress of refinement of mind, refinement of energy 6including breathing7, and refinement of the body 6or physical form7. and then the tuning of the physical form is again arranged by a new consciousness adapted to new conditions. Thus, we see that the contemporary explanatory paradigms of cognitive science are in potential agreement with the techni'ues of the traditional Chinese arts when it comes to the refinement and development of the individual through movement; engaging consciously with posture and movement creates an effective feedbac# system which results in positive modifications to the practitioner(s consciousness.

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Consciousness of Movement

!r Andreas "ch#ter

5&ossary
Cheng Tin Cung "#$ (78F.*-..B) my teacher(s teacher. !lthough they share the same family name, there is no relationship to the teacher named Cheng ,an Ching " QR. da 5in dao ding 5in dong 5in fa 5in fu 'i 5ian 5in nei gong nei 5ia , N ; K * stri#ing energy. sabre > the generic term for the Chinese curved single*edged sword. literally top energy , sometimes described as suspended headtop, the extension of the intent upwards to #eep the spine correctly aligned. literally understanding energy , the ability to interpret the opponent(s intention by sensing their energy. emitting energy > the various ways in which force can be issued into the opponent in an explosive release. suffusing !i > the techni'ue of extending one(s !i to cover the opponent and thereby sense the movement of their !i. the Chinese double*edged straight sword. internally flowing strength > the generic term for the various ways of using the body(s physical energy in the internal arts. literally wor#ing to strengthen the internal > a set of exercises in the Wu@Cheng syllabus aimed specifically at developing various 5ins. literally internal family > a group of Chinese martial arts including Taiji Quan , ,agua 8hang STU, 9ingyi Quan V, and /i Quan . rooting energy > the ability to connect one(s centre down into the ground. buoyant, structural energy > bringing the muscular*s#eletal system into correct alignment so as to minimi&e the use of local muscular strength when manifesting techni'ue. literally nutritious vapour > the universal substance@energy from which all other substances, energies and forms condense. wor#ing to strengthen one(s !i > exercises to develop and strengthen the body(s intrinsic energy. spear. fist > also used as a classifier to name styles of martial art, and to refer to the hand form with the Taiji Quan syllabus.

pan 5in peng 5in

'i 'i gong 'iang 'uan 1anti 1hi

literally three body posture > an on*guard stance for sparing, used extensively as a standing posture. Called 1even 1tars in the Wu@Cheng syllabus.

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Consciousness of Movement shen Tai5i Iuan ting 5in tui shou 6

!r Andreas "ch#ter

spirit > the faculty which includes the mind, intent and will.

literally great polarity boxing > a martial style based directly on the theory of yin and yang. <= listening energy > the ability to detect how one(s opponent(s energy is moving before it becomes physically manifest. pushing hands > a range of partner wor# exercises in Tai5i Iuan designed to allow the practitioner to develop and train the subtle sensing 5ins.

Wu Chien Chuan WX (79/.*78G-) the second generation of the Wu family, usually credited with the foundation of the family style as a distinct lineage. Wu 6ong Cho Wu@Cheng (78.F*789F) the second son in the third generation of the Wu family, and the the first to write a boo# on the theory of the style. !" the name now given to the lineage that is the source of my syllabus, being the name of the family () which initially created the style, and the name of the master (") who later modified it.

Wu Cheng*Iing HLM (79..*799G) oldest brother of Wu Ku*Oiang HIJ. !lso a significant exponent of the theoretical aspects of Taiji Quan. Wu Ku*Oiang xin yi &han nian 5in HIJ (797-*799.) founder of the Wu H style of Taiji Quan and a significant contributor to the theoretical literature of the art. mind@heart. intent > the tone held in the mind.

literally touching and stic#ing energy > the ability to physically connect to an opponent and remain in contact with them so as to ma#e it possible to listen and interpret their energy and intention. . literally standing post > a range of standing meditations where the practitioner holds a fixed posture for an extended period of time. will > development in the mind. twisting energy > the use of rotation, either in the waist or in a limb, to generate force.

&han &huang &hi &hu yi li &huan 5in

7 attention > the literal meaning is the strength of concentrated intent .

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Consciousness of Movement

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-eferences
Cheng, Tin*Cung and S. =. Socherty. 789F. 'utan Tai &hi &huan. 3ublished by S. =. Socherty in Cong 6ong. TTT. 788.. Tai &hi #abre #word #pear. 3ublished by Tai Chi Ceights. +allagher, 1haun. -..B. -ow the ,ody #hapes the Mind. 3ublished by Jxford $niversity 3ress. Jxford. Carbaugh, )ic#. 7889. &hinese &haracters: 5 $enealogy and :ictionary. 3ublished by Dhongwen.com and distributed by Kale $niversity 3ress. 6aptchu#, Ted =. -.... The 'eb That -as ;o 'eaver: +nderstanding &hinese Medicine. 3ublished by Contemporary, a division of PTC@Contemporary 3ublishing +roup "nc. Chicago. Aowry, Save. 789:. ,o en: 5rt of the 1apanese #word. 3ublished by ?lac# ?elt ?oo#s, Jhara 3ublications "nc. ,ing, 1hi with 1iao Wei5ia. Translated by Thomas Cleary. 788G Mind over Matter: -igher Martial 5rts. 3ublished by %rog Atd., Porth !tlantic ?oo#s. 1ch2ter, !ndreas. -..G. +reat 3olar %ist and the ?oo# of Change in Tai &hi &huan and )nternal 5rts, the 1ournal of the Tai &hi +nion for $reat ,ritain, Pumber 79, 1pring -..G, pp7G>7/. TTT. "n 3reparation. Taiji: Mind and Movement 0 <"ploring #ymbolic 5spects of the Physical Practise. 1uler, =ohn ). 788F. Contemporary 3sychoanalysis and 4astern Thought. 3ublished by 1tate $niversity of Pew Kor# 3ress, !lbany. Wieger, Sr. A. 78-/. &hinese &haracters: Their *rigin, <tymology, -istory, &lassification and #ignification. 5 Thorough #tudy from &hinese :ocuments. 1econd edition published by the Catholic ,ission 3ress in 78-/. The edition referenced here is unaltered and published by 3aragon ?oo# )eprint Corp. and Sover 3ublications, "nc., Pew Kor# . 78:B. Wright, ,ar#. -../. 1even ?owls of Tea; ! Window on Translation. "n The =antern, Uolume G Pumber F, pp78*-B. Wu, 6ung Cho. 789.. 'u #tyle Tai &hi &huan. Translated by Soug Woolidge. 3ublished by the "nternational Wu 1tyle Tai Chi Chuan %ederation. Ou, S., K Cong, = Ai and 6 Chan. -..G. 4ffect of Tai Chi 4xercise on 3roprioception of !n#le and 6nee =oints in Jld 3eople in ?ritish =ournal of 1ports ,edicine, -..G0 F9(7); B.*BG. Kang, =wing*,ing. 788:. Tai &hi Theory and Martial Power. 3ublished by K,!! 3ublication Center, ,assachusetts. TTT. -..7. Tai &hi #ecrets of the '> ? =i #tyles. 3ublished by K,!! 3ublication Center, ,assachusetts. TTT. -..-. Tai &hi #ecrets of the 'u #tyle. 3ublished by K,!! 3ublication Center, ,assachusetts. http://www.yijing.co.uk +

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Dhang, Sainian. Translated and edited by 4dmund )yden. -..-. %ey &oncepts in &hinese Philosophy. 3ublished by Kale $niversity 3ress. Pew Caven and Aondon. Dhang, Ku Cuan E 6en )ose. -..7. 5 ,rief -istory of Qi. 3ublished by 3aradigm 3ublications, ?roo#line, ,assachusetts.

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