FAST OR SLOW?

 By Yang Shuangxing

Everyone knows that taijiquan, especially that of the Yang style is performed in slow motion. However, few of them want to know why this is. I recall a young fellow who approached me many, many moons ago and offered to “cross hands” with me (that's a polite way of saying that he wanted to fight). Taiji was still pretty new to the U.S. and he informed me that he had a “black belt” in the art. That was a dead giveaway that he knew nothing about it and had likely tried to learn it from one of the few available books on the market.

We squared off and I noticed a fancy kung-fu patch on the left breast of his karate uniform. I decided that would be my primary target. He began moving for position IN SLOW MOTION! I was hesitant at first, wondering if he was trying to goad me into attacking him so that he could ambush me...but I decided to do it and let go a strong reverse punch that thudded into his pectoral muscle.

He flinched but kept moving very slowly, waving his arms as one might do when practicing the form (badly). I couldn't believe my luck! You don't get a free Happy Meal like this every day...so I continued to thump that patch until he could no longer raise his arm. It didn't take long. A front kick to his abdomen finally took the wind out of him and as he was trying to regain his ability to breathe, I asked, “You've never really studied taiji, have you?” Embarassed, he shook his head. I told him that although the form may be done much of the time in slow motion, you sure as heaven don't fight like that!!

Yet, nowadays I hear people laughing at taijiquan stylists because they move slowly and deliberately. “You guys actually fight like that?”, they jeer. Well, of course not. That's a really stupid question. But...most taiji enthusiasts very rarely, if ever, practice the form (or individual postures) at full-tilt boogie. If you're a taijiquan devotee, try it! Run the entire set at combat speed with the proper focus and yi (intention). Rather a different animal than the slow-mo version, huh?

There are several reasons why the form is practiced slowly and deliberately. It develops a very fine sense of balance and coordination between upper and lower body as well as weight shifting and proper breathing. Moreover, if you pay close attention, you'll notice how certain movements affect your body on the inside as well as the outside. These things are usually overlooked if you only practice at a faster pace.

If you're a devout karate or taekwondo practitioner, try doing one of your forms in slow motion. That includes stepping as well as kicking...all in slow motion. Believe me, you'll quickly notice a LOT of things you've never before considered. And your kicks will likely be considerably lower, too. You realize just how much you're relying on momentum instead of surgically-precise movements. To perform a form (any form) entirely in slow motion requires exceptional balance and a great deal of strength! You must have complete control over every part of your body at all times. It's tougher than you'd think but it will go a long way towards improving your form and technique.