Six Levels Tai Chi Chuan

Lecture Notes from the Teachings of 5th generation Wu Family Gatekeeper Grandmaster Eddie Wu Kwong-yu

Use the following levels as basic points for studying the framework of the Quán:

The First Level

First Form Mechanics

Basic Foundation in the Hand Set (108 Hand Form)

Important points:

• Basics for getting started; getting the correct positioning
• Lift the crown, center the body while standing, use parallel stance, straighten the forward lean alignment
• Five things to guard against: Raised shoulders, chest lifting, hunched back, abdomen forward, sticking out the butt
• Relax the shoulders and sink the elbows, contain the chest and pull out the back, drop the tail gate* straight down (tuck in the hip)
• Breathe in and out naturally, relax the body, “reverse” breathing in and out
• Movement should be slow, gentle

The Second Level

Stable Dynamic Coordination

Open and Extend in the Hand Set

Important points:

• Stable form and posture, proper coordination without error
• Waist and hip (torso) beginning to move as one, coordinating that rotation into more extended reach
• Maintain dynamic posture: Centered, correct, stable, no skewing or distortion
• Carefully pay attention to: Stable location, position, and direction**
• Master fluid coordination of moving forward and backward, looking left and right, and following up and down
• (First) crown of the head, leaning (kào) with the back, loosen the hips, control the tail gate*
• Movement is relaxed and sunken, empty and full are clearly distinguished, double weighting is avoided (include everything from level 1)

The Third Level

Careful Intent

Running Through the Hand Set

Important points:

• Use awareness and intent to guide movement, relaxation and gentleness running through (all training)
• Study the physicality and application of every movement, use intent to drive them
• Softly, softly (an endless silken string of beads) without interruption, endlessly, endlessly without stopping, week after week (endings become beginnings, cycle through, and start again)
• Relax and smoothly stretch, relax without rash presumption, relax, and do not collapse
• Centered, correct, peacefully unfolding with a light spirit, a picture of being alive
• Empty the neck, activate the crown with internal power, relax shoulders by dropping underarms, contain the chest and pull out the back
• Relax the waist and drop the butt, empty and full are clearly distinguished, all physicality is coordinated (include everything from levels 1 and 2)

The Fourth Level

Power Generation (literally Muscle Power)

Well Knit (Compact) in the Hand Set

Important points:

• Every motion is well knit; the entire body is continually activated with internal power
• Completely train the tendons, bones, and skin with liveliness and elasticity, firmness and gentleness complement each other
• Gentleness dwells in firmness, firmness but not rigidity, Gentleness dwells in heaviness, heaviness but not inflexibility
• Working out thoroughly (literally forging toughness) but not excessively, in gentleness but not weakness
• Study each and every movement - the relationship of points, lines, and surfaces (know the application at any point in the form)
• Actions reach an end point – without defects, without distortion, without interruption (applications have endings but the intent behind them does not)
• Empty and full are clearly distinguished, folding and changing, the slightest deviation from the standard will always interrupt intent (include everything from levels 1-3)

The Fifth Level

Promote Breathing (a term for practicing Taoist breathing exercises)

Resonant Drumming in the Hand Set

Important points:

• Move chì at will; use chì to move the body
• Relax the hip and drop the butt, clench the sphincter
• Intelligently move with the back, spirit focused through the crown of the head
• External and internal are integrated, above and below are united
• Chì sinks to dāntián, cultivate internal power using chì
• Chì is like a wheel, waist is like the axle
• Dāntián circular motion “drumming” cleans up chì technique

The Sixth Level

Divine Spirit

Empty Quiet in the Hand Set

Important points:

• Seek stillness in motion; no gaps, no interruption
• Stillness in motion, motion in stillness
• Essential spirit withdrawn, intent is stored in dāntián
• External and internal united, no gaps, no interruption
• Yīn yáng reverses, “water” and “fire” are refined (referring to Book of Changes hexagram 63)
• Sky circuits active, form and spirit united (level 1 through 6 as one)
• Do one's best, investigate spirit and strive for transformation (mastery of levels 1-5)

Only by understanding the artistic conception of each level of content can we master the technique of each level

(Original edition in 2007, revised in 2012)

* in traditional Chinese medicine is the "tail gate", or coccygeal and sacral areas of the lower torso
   In Chinese mythology, it means a hole located at the bottom of the ocean where the water endlessly leaks away without being exhausted; mentioned in the Taoist classic Zhuāngzi

** can each mean “location” as well

Appendix 1 - excerpts from interviews with Grandmaster Eddie Wu Kwong-yu on the 6 levels

The levels are very logical. The first level is simply the mechanical learning of the movements.

The second level involves putting the mechanical movement into the coordination of the form.

The third level is using your mind to drive the movement.

The fourth level is using power from internally activated stretching of ligaments and tendons instead of brute force.

The fifth level is using internal energy in coordination with the breathing.

The sixth level is the spiritual level.

The sixth level involves the religion of Taoism. This is a very high level and is very complicated. Most people do not reach it; I, myself, only touch the surface of it. If you reach the sixth level you are so good it is not even funny, you can almost walk on water. My grandfather reached this level, but he lived in a very different culture at a different time with different concepts altogether.

I do not like to talk of the sixth level because most people hardly reach the second level, and I am very happy if they even get to the third level.