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Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 218

Shisanshi

Usually, the beginner first learns the slow form ofTaijiquan. Anyone who at this stage is interestedin the classic texts of Taijiquan will find time andtime again the notion of the 13 basic movements.So what are these 13 basic movements? In Chinesethey are called shisanshi.

Shisan is the number 13 and the second shimeansbasic movement. In a direct translation shiis gi-ven as posture, position, gesture or, as inSunzi, strategic advantage. When talking aboutTaijiquan it is best to use the word movementto express the dynamic character ofshi. The 13basic movements are subdivided intoeight hand techniques (bamen,literally: eight gates) and fivesteps (wubu). The eight handtechniques are allocatedto the compass pointsrespectively to theeight trigrams.

The five steps areallocated to the five

phases (wuxing). Theeight directions arein China tradition-ally the four sidesNorth, South, East andWest and the four cor-ners, NE, SE, SW, NW.Together, these make up the13 basic movements of Taijiquan.They are explained in the Explana-tion of the method of Taijiquan (Taiji fashuo)in text 1:

The eight hand techniques andthe five steps (Bamen wubu)

Direction Eight Gates

peng South kanl West liji East duian North zhencai Northwest xunlie Southeast qianzhou Northeast kunkao Southwest gen

The compass points and the eight hand techni-ques demonstrate the law of the cyclic changebetween yin and yang, which changes eternally.In brief, one has to learn the four sides and thefour corners. Peng, l, jiand an are the hand tech-niques of the four sides. Cai, lie, zhouand kaoare

the four hand techniques of the fourcorners. Combining the hand tech-

niques of the four sides andthe four corners we achieve

the allocation of thegates to the trigrams.

The differentiationbetween five steps(wubu) is based onthe idea of the five

phases (wuxing)andsupports the eightdirections. The five

phases are:jinbu(toadvance)/fire, tuibu(to

retreat)/water; zuogu(tolook left)/wood, youpan

(to look right)/metal; zhong-ding (central equilibrium), the

centre of the directions/earth. Advan-cing and retreating are the steps of water and

fire and to look left and right are the steps of metal

The 13 Basic Movements

of Taijiquan

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Shisanshi

and wood. The central equilibrium of the earth isthe central point of the axis. The eight trigramsare hidden in the body, and the feet step the fivephases. The eight hand techniques and five steps

make 13. This is how the 13 basic movements arecreated naturally and are called the eight gatesand the five steps. (Wu, p. 16).

The 13 movements are the basis of Taijiquan. Bycombining the hand techniques with the diffe-rent steps, one can achieve a large variety of move-ments. The execution of the 13 movements isdiscussed in the Explanation of the method ofTaijiquan (Taiji fashuo) in text 2:

The method of application ofthe eight hand techniques and five steps(Bamen wubu yonggongfa)

The eight trigrams and the five phases are part ofmans natural endowment. First one has to un-derstand the meaning of the notion of consciousmovement (zhijue yundong). Once one has under-stood it, one has mastered the understanding ofjin-power (dongjin). Following the understandingofjin-power (dongjin)one can achieve enlighten-ment (shenming). So at the beginning of onesstudies one has to achieve knowledge about theconscious movement (zhijue yundong), which alt-hough it is part of our natural endowment, is dif-ficult to grasp. (Wu, pp. 16)

The meaning and function of the 13 basic move-ments is again explained in the Song of the 13basic movements (Shisanshi gejue) (see thisissue, p. 7). Because of the importance of the 13basic movements for Taijiquan, the next issuesof Taijiquan-Lilun, beginning with this one, willpresent in detail first the eight hand movements

and then the five steps. We will begin in thisissue with the hand technique called l:

In Issue 1 l was used as an example to de-monstrate the difficulty of translating technical

Taijiquan vocabulary. It was shown that no directtranslation exists, but that there are only expla-nations of the quality ofl. This is why it is so im-portant to engage with these explanations.

Ma Jiangbao says that l is the hand techniquewhich needs to be learned first. It is the first, be-cause it is meant to introduce the student to oneof the essential abilities of Taijiquan: In using lthe power of the other is diverted and neutralised.Chinese texts often use for an explanation oflthe words yin or yindao, which means to leador to guide. This is how it is for example used inthe Secret song of the eight methods (Bafa mijue),where one finds about l:

How to explain the meaning of l?To lead the other (yindao)and let him come forward.Following the others incoming force.Light and subtle, without losingcontact or resisting.The power ebbs out naturally (ziran)into the emptiness.Throw or attack follows naturally (ziran).Maintain your own centre.This can not be exploited by the other.(Wu, p. 102)

Ma Yueliang explains:

L is an overt power (mingjin). If the other at-tacks, this is the moment to familiarise oneselfthrough pengwith his direction. Then, one leadshim on without even noticing to continue theadvance. Thus one can divert the attack to theright or to the left. The power and speed of thediverting depends on the power and speed of theattack. One waits until the others power is wan-

ing (shishi), which is when one lets go and startsthe counter-attack. Mechanically, l works likean axis, going either to the right or the left.(Ma, Xu, S. 10)

Ma Jiangbao points to the explanation oflalsoin the Song of striking hands (Dashouge) (seeIssue 1), where it says: Divert (yin) the attack(jin) into emptiness (luokong). In doing so heconcentrates on the quality of a good l, whichshould give the attacker the feeling of falling intoan abyss.

Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 2

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Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 220

Shisanshi

Ma Hailong comments on l: Lis the diverting(yin) power. It has a circular effect, follows thepower of motion and retains control. If doing l,one has to keep ones centre.(Wu, Ma, p. 169)

Lis therefore a technique that leads the attack-ing power into a circle, so that it misses onesbody and head into emptiness. It is important tonote that the diverting is based on a minimumof power and ones centre is not in danger. If onecan achieve this, one can also realise the principle

of lightness (qing)and one can easily deflect thepower of a thousand pounds with the use of fourounces.

Ma, Yueliang, Xu, Wen, Wushi Taijiquan Tuishou, Xianggang

Shanghai Shuju Chuban, Hongkong, 1986.

Wu, Gongzhao, Wujia Taijiquan, Xianggang Jianquan Taijiquanshi

Chubanxiaozu, Hongkong, 1981.

Wu, Yinghua, Ma, Yueliang, Wushi Taijijian, Renmin Tiyu

Chubanshe, Peking, 2001.

Robert Rudniak und Martin Bdicker