A chi interpretation of tai chi

Different tai chi lineages and masters interpret chi differently. Some put more emphasis on it, some put less, a few frown upon it, as if a mentioning of chi diminishes tai chi's rightful place as a martial art.  In my opinion, there will be no tai chi without a proper activation of chi. And the best chi interpretation in the literature is by late master Wu Tunan (吴图南). In his life time he published an important article on tai chi's interpretation chi and the internal personal sensation (feeling) of chi generation. This article has been reprinted in two publications by his different students. It is not that famous masters were withholding important information, it is that it demands an informed reading of such texts, plus actual training experience under an informed training method.

The following extract is the core of master Wu Tunan's teaching on chi kung (as used in tai chi). The original Chinese is posted here for those who can read the language. After that I shall explain the gist of Wu's teaching using the English language, for the majority of my readers.

在太极拳气功中，以宗气为主，气能随我所运，渐而达到听我使用之效，故能运能使，方为太极功气功之目的，否则气功何需锻炼哉？当太极拳初练气功时，并无若何感觉，只觉练习后，身体略感轻快耳。练至相当之时日，则腹内肠胃略有肠鸣，渐至有如龙吟虎啸之势，此时坚持锻炼，持之以恒，则能阴阳分，顺逆匀，盈虚消长，渐能掌握，所谓气分阴阳者此也。

然后培其元气、守其中气、保其正气、护其肾气、养其肝气、调其肺气、理其脾气，闭其邪恶不正之气，勿伤于气，勿逆于气，勿忧思悲怒以颓其气，升其清气，降其浊气，使气清而平，平而和，和而畅达，能行于筋，串于膜，以至通身灵动，无处不行，无处不到，气至则膜起，气行则膜张，能起能张，则膜与筋齐坚固矣。然后自然气由内脏到分肉，由分肉到腠理，由腠理到皮肤，由皮肤到毛细孔，营皮肤呼吸，则能减少肺脏之劳动，所谓太极拳之气能全体发之于毛者即指此也。然后再能延长出来，通过体表之等电离子层和生物电离子层，能使这种气，达到（推手时）对方之身体，而且使这种气跟对方之气结合到一起，来指挥对方之呼吸，这就是我们所说的太极拳的气功。

The gist of the matter (underlined part) is through the activation of chi, our body's chi activated tissues will be "raised up" or "expanded". The primarily focus is tissues around our joints, in particular our shoulder and pelvic joints. Only with chi activated tissues around our joints can our muscles be connected and our body structure strengthened. And only with chi activated tissues around our joints can joint rotation (silk reeling) develop meaningful training results. Such chi connectedness will eventually reach the extremities our body. In pushing hands the internal sensation and reach the inside of the your opponent's (training partner's) body.

In short, the focus is on muscles and body structure, instead of on chakras. The latter is the primarily focus for meditators, which will necessarily be the subject matter of another post in future.