Texture

When you want to do something in Tai Chi, try doing the opposite first. So a left turn of the waist can be preceded by a small right turn, a sinking by a tiny rise, and a movement into the left foot by an initial kick into the right. The change from one to the other acts as a trigger - firing the spirit. When the main action finishes there will also be a small natural opposite reaction – to stop the waist turning to the right you effectively apply a left turn – clearly visible if the movements are light and spirited. So if we denote the main waist turn by a capital L or R and the small waist turns by small capitals then R becomes LRL. So, a string of three main waist turns, RLR becomes LRLRLRLRL. Each LR & RL pair effectively constitutes a tiny figure of eight in the waist.

Add to this the fact that the waist has two halves (as does everything – “the value of unity is two”) – the right side of the waist controlling the right side of the body, powered by the left leg, and vice versa – and that ideally each side of the waist moves independently of the other in order to control the relevant limbs, then even the simple postures of the Short Form become extremely elaborate.

This is what I mean by the Form needing to develop beyond what you were initially taught. The simple version remains the template, but within that there is a plethora of detail that will reveal itself if you practice with vital energy and a creative spirit.