Playing Taijiquan vs. Playing Taijiquan

[Ralteria]

I've always taken the phrase "playing Taijiquan" to have a carefree and childlike aspect to it. But the amount of actual work to put into the art can be immense depending on the practitioners goals and "playing" didn't seem to fit. I think I have misenterpreted the phrase.

Having played music for 15 years , I have begun to think that playing Taijiquan is more akin to playing music than it is to playing a game. The focus, attentiveness, multitasking nature of the art is *very* similar to my own experiences with playing live music, as is the similar meditative state that I have achieved (at times) doing both. Not to mention the intention and emotional content of playing live music is essential for musical expression.

I'm curious what others thoughts on this are.

[Dvivid]

Agreed. Drumming is my kung fu. I learned, practiced, and refined the techniques and feeling for decades, just as one does with taiji.

The training process of any classical discipline is very much like taijiquan or any martial art.

[yeniseri]

My teachers' English translation to practicing taijiquan was 'playing taijiquan' since that is how it is perceived in the social milieu so it still means the same thing! The 'playing' portion is to make taijiquan (as I perceive it) is to be continuous in practice, not be too 'serious' but still do the pre-requisite steps in maintaining that practice.

The statistics of people who stay with taijiquan are very low but if they would take a more leisurely but continued role in doing it, I am sure that rate will increase. I stil consider playing taijiquan and practicing taijiquan to be equal despite the 'translation difference'. regaridng words and their semantics.

[Josh Young]

It is both like a musical instrument and a serious game to me, playing relating well to both analogies.

To play, in a sense, is to engage in dedicated practice that can even be the subject of devotion.

The childlike and carefree moves of a kitten become the death of its food.

Is any play without meaning or purpose?

[yat_chum]

When children play they are totally absorbed in what they are doing. They work so hard without even knowing they are doing it.

Play is an essential part of learning. Play promotes skills such as adaption and improvisation.

It's funny how it is natural to say I'm playing some martial arts and would not dream of saying it about others.

[Ralteria]

When children play they are totally absorbed in what they are doing. They work so hard without even knowing they are doing it.

That is an excellent observation, and one I haven't thought of. In retrospect I see alot of my own dedication to training in my son as he uses his imagination. There is a delight and excitement (sp?) as he makes fake explosion sounds in his room and fends of imaginary attackers, lol. I try to go easy on the fake exposion sounds

I have seen many fellow students who after the first few months find martial arts to be more of a chore or *another exercise program*. That they don't practice at home, especially. This always saddens me, especialy with Taijiquan, as the health benefits gained are from repeated practice. It seems they don't receive any joy from it.

[taiwandeutscher]

As a non-native speaker of English, playing has too many connotations, which I cannot acept for my practice and training.

I do around 10 hrs a week, since more than 25 years, inbetween work and family, so there is no time to be wasted, no playlike attitude, but conscious and concentrated work.

It is a discipline for me, which influenced most of my adult life, maybe even helped me grow up.

Still, in group training and alone I feel very good, what often lasts for many hrs into my workday, it is fun to train, but for me totally different to play-time.

Just my 2 cents, from Taiwan, where it is very hot already, so not too much fun these days!

[yat_chum]

Hi taiwandeutscher, how is your tuī shǒu?

[Josh Young]

For me play makes all the difference.

The recreational aspect is the foundation for me, without this why would I train? I play taiji because it is fun.

Training is fun, because it is fun I can get in many hours a week.
I frequently know fatigue and bear bruises, but I enjoy.

The other day my close friend remarked that I was the only person he knew possibly more dedicated to taiji than he. That is talking about people in our social circles, most of whom view training as a chore. Because he and I have been viewing it as fun and working many hours per week the skills we are developing don't even compare with those of the people who viewing the training as a chore only put in a couple serious hours a week.

I am sure that practice makes perfect, but for me the play approach has made all the difference. However there is a degree of responsibility entailed in this type of play that strikes me as anything but childlike. The play can be very dangerous, push hands is not always safe and at least for us can result in getting punched in the throat or head, though not too hard it can be hard enough to warrant precaution.

Animal play has been a major part of martial arts for thousands of years. Arguably this is mimicking the training behavior of animals and could be as serious as it is fun. Does the tiger enjoy catching the gazelle? Can play truly be avoided?

[pizwatc]

There is an interesting article on this subject in Tai Chi magazine, Summer 2009, page 40-42. It translates the Chinese word for "play" as used in a nineteenth century treatise on Taiji as "an activity involving the hands." This may be useful in your analogy to playing music. Hope this is helpful.

[Ralteria]

There is an interesting article on this subject in Tai Chi magazine, Summer 2009, page 40-42. It translates the Chinese word for "play" as used in a nineteenth century treatise on Taiji as "an activity involving the hands." This may be useful in your analogy to playing music. Hope this is helpful.

Thanks for the info. From this I would extrapolate that as "an activity of the Heart(Xiang) and Mind(Yi) involving the hands". From my own exprience in Taiji the hands serve as an intermidiary. The instrument if you will. I play guitar and work so that it becomes an extension of myself. The gong of taiji, one could say, is to make the hands an extension of ones self as well, as Taiji jin is developed through the whole body and led by the mind. Of course one could say this about any martial art where mind and whole body movement are the core skills and technique. Feel leading the movement as opposed to movement leading the feeling. I think thats the key.

[misterwhite]

I've always interpreted the use of the expression "playing at Tai Qi" as follows:


A child plays because through play, the child discovers how his body works, the body's limitations, and how to link the senses to the muscle movements.

It is a development process. All children play. While play is often associated with entertainment, that it not its principle purpose. It is, in one sense, a testing of the laws of physics.

Playing is not strictly a human activity. One sees the young of other species "playing". For example, it is fascinating to watch kittens "play". They learn to stalk, pounce, bite, run ... all essential actions that promoted their ancestors survival.

The practice of Tai Qi is similar. We are like children attempting to develop skill sets that will guarantee our survival (or, in the 21st century, at least our longevity and quality of life). I would claim that, regardless of our level of expertise, we are still children in the sense that, if we are doing it correctly, we push the envelope seeking to expand our skill set.

While this explanation is outside the language roots of the terms, it puts things into persective for me. I don't have a significant skill set with this discipline. I am awkward, weak, tentative, unfocused, unbalanced. It is through the "play" that I can develop the skill set.

[Josh Young]

The practice of Tai Qi

What is tai qi?

Is it related to taiji?

[joeblast]

where's the enter the dragon quote!