Principles of taichi chuan zhaobao

- Looking straight ahead
- Tongue to palate
- Emptying the neck and maintaining energy at the top of the skull
- Shoulders relaxed, elbows down, hands in line with forearms
- Slightly draw in the chest and stretch the back
- Energy from the hara
- Retroversion of pelvis
- Hips relaxed
- Feet flat on the ground
- all pivots are done on the heels

All practices are based on these principles

Martial applications of taichichuan
Listen...Follow...Transform
Yield to your partner
Stick to your partner
Stick to partner
Follow your partner
These four aspects are studied by working on the "push of the hands" (tuishou).

Defects to avoid :

Exceeding limits
Losing balance
Interrupting contact
Struggle brutally.

The 6 unions to perceive:

Heart unites with intention
Intention unites with breath
Breath unites with energy
Hands unite with feet
Elbows unite with knees
Shoulders unite with hips

The 13 movements :
These are the very principles of taichuan, and are omnipresent in taichuan sequences

Peng: parry, dodge
Lu: to pull
Ji: press
An: press, push
Cai: pick, seize
Lie: separate, split, break, tear
Zhou: elbow, use elbow
Kao: to press with the shoulder
Jin : to move forward
Tui : to move backwards
Gu: to look left
Pan : look to the right
Ding: keep the middle

3 other ancient techniques exist.
Cai jin: seize or grip tendons.
Dian xue: strike vital centers.
Qin na: grasp and dislocate joints.

Tuishou: hand thrusts or sticky hands

Dan bu tuishou: each partner makes contact with an opposite hand. The 2 feet on the ground are immobile: while the first performs a forward thrust with the waist slightly turned, the second pivots the waist slightly backwards.

Ding bu tuishou: this time, both partners are in contact with both hands and perform the push as in the previous exercise.
Shang xia bu tuishou: this exercise is performed in pairs, with the addition of slight displacements: one step forward for the one pushing and one step back for the one being pushed. Then, over several movements, always keeping these aspects in mind: forward-backward and waist rotation.

Yuan bu tuishou or bagua tuishou: this is done with one arm while turning. Each time you change direction (yin or yang), you change arms. It's best to draw the yin-yang symbol (taiji) on the floor and rotate around it.

Huo bu tuishou: this exercise is more or less free, since you can use the applications of the sequence, vary the speed but also use the keys (qin na) by gripping tendons or muscles (cai) and exert pressure on sensitive areas (dian xue).

San shou or da shou: free exercise, self-defence, similar to Chinese boxing.