Longfei Taijiquan Association of Great Britain

A Profile of Professor Li Deyin - Part 2
Longfei News Letters - Volume 3, Issue 1

The questions were supplied by Simon Watson and Simon Ward.  The translation was carried out by Tarry Yip. I have transcribed the text to the best of my ability. - Richard Watson, Chairman, Longfei Taijiquan Association of Great Britain.

Longfei Question Four
Is it possible to become a Taiji expert without practising Push Hands?

Professor Li
I would like to say first of all that Taiji has become both a martial art and a sport.

It has the principles of body maintenance and the applications of a martial art.

Traditionally they emphaise the routine forms (Talu) and Pushing Hands (Tui Shou) especially if you wish to qualify as a Taijiquan expert. In recent years the popularisation of Taijiquan has brought it into a different arena. The distinguishment has arisen from group needs, aims and requirements. Some groups and schools stress the importance of health and well being and others are attracted to the martial aspect. Those that practise routines only, do so for health and exercise, others with a leaning towards martial expertise practice Pushing Hands.

As they say in Taijiquan circles: "to learn routines is the discovery of self. To train Tui Shou is to discover others."

In Tui Shou the final target is to learn to understand your adversary without revealing yourself. Dual practise is essential to show the overall skills of Taijiquan and pairs training serves the purpose of mutual discovery. A Taiji expert should have knowledge and control of both skills. If your ambition is to gain well being and good health you can make good progress in your Taiji with the practise of routines. There are many routines champions who lack proficiency in Tui Shou practise. We do not recognise them as Taijiquan specialists, we simply recognise them as routines champions.

Conversely, some of the old traditional Taiji exponents were very good at Tui Shou with great experience but lacked in their ability to perform routines expertly. Finally on this question, while there is an important link between the two skills it does not follow that you cannot do one without the other.

Longfei Question Five
In the West there are groups that are attracted to the mystical side of Taiji. Indeed, some are not aware that it is an ancient martial art. What advice could you offer them?

Professor Li
I feel that the major significance of the art is the study of overcoming hardness with softness. So is it necessary to mystify the techniques and theories of Taijiquan. So while we say softness can overcome hardness, in the final analysis it comes down to an examination of the skills of the antagonists. The determination of who will win a contest will be decided in favour of the player displaying the largest array of skills.

It was said by Wang Sung Yue: "Using 4ozs to overcome 1,000lbs is the skill of Taiji philosophy". If you have not harnessed Taiji skills it does not matter how many pounds you can summon, you cannot win the contest.

This theory and method have been incorporated in the strategy of war and military manoeuvres. When a small army defeats a larger opposition it is not a face to face confrontation. There would be more guerrilla warfare with strategic withdrawal and out-maneuvering. (Transcribers note: think Vietnam).

Taiji principles can be seen in other areas of sport as well as martial conflict. For example, in table tennis some players overcome opposition using subtle skills of spin in contrast to power, speed and strength. Tennis is similar Ü some competitors use strength and speed, others use subtle skills. In volley ball the Cubans are big strong athletes and they have great physical strength and presence. In contrast the Japanese team are small framed and employ techniques of a defensive nature to overcome and out-manoeuvre a stronger physical team.

Longfei Question Six
We understand "Taiji" to translate as the "Grand Ultimate"?
You have said it would take a long time to give a complete answer. Is there not some simple explanation that would help us understand the concept?

Professor Li
The words (hieroglyphics) first appeared in the I Ching some 3,000 years ago. They represent an inference that all the changes in the universe begin with Taiji. Some observers say that the I Ching is a book of prediction and fortune telling. Others comment that it is a book of philosophy. To this very day scholars are examining and researching the deep meaning and profundity behind this book.
The concept of Taiji being the underlying, initiating force of all changes in the universe gave rise to Daoism and the philosophy of the Dao. Taiji brings into being the two forces/energies of Yin and Yang. The rotation and motion of these two energies are the fundamentals of all creation.

The book has carried far reaching influence on Chinese thinking, philosophy, medicine, military strategy and also history.
So the basis of this philosophy is the way of the Dao which determines the universe as Taiji. Nowadays we describe Taiji as the beginning of life or the most primitive function of nature. Some commentators say your heart is Taiji. So this concept of Taiji has been around for a long time although its connection with Wushu only occured three hundred years ago. There are several reasons they used Taiji in conjunction with martial arts.

The first is to bring to the Taijiquan practitioner a balanced training whereby the external and internal workings of the body are unified and coordinated.

The second that the Taiji art adopts the principles of the universe the way of the Dao. This martial art has so many changes it remains by nature unpredictable. Thus enabling one to hold sway over and control your opponents without them understanding how it was achieved.

Longfei Question Seven
Professor Li, our final question to you is whether you can tell my members what you feel has been your contribution to the development of Taijiquan?

Professor Li
I have been involved with Taijiquan for over 40 years. I began before I was twenty and I am now sixty. Beginning with my grandfather "Li Yulin" and his son "Li Tianji", we have contributed a hundred years to the Taiji tradition. I feel that I have done two meaningful things to promoting and popularising Taijiquan.

First I have been instrumental in laying certain foundations for the popularisation for Taijiquan. For example, I was the main compiler for the 42 International Competition Routine.

This routine is now established for international competition and has been the recognised format in four world Wushu championships. It has laid the foundation for universal Taiji meetings throughout the world.

My uncle, Li Tianji, was the first one to initiate this international enterprise with the creation of simplified Taijiquan. This process began after the forming of The People's Republic of China. Along with my uncle I have contributed to the standardisation of teaching materials, promoting it to university and school curriculum and spreading it throughout China and further afield to Japan, Macao, Taiwan and Great Britain. When China hosted the 11th Asian Games I was responsible for organising a mass demonstration of 1,500 Taiji exponents. I have also made improvements for the coordination of movements by introducing training with music.

I have done a great deal of research into the methods of standardising coaching and the regularisation for competitions. I have coached many of China's prominent teachers and Taiji athletes and among these many function at world class.

All the Taiji athletes who gained gold and silver medals at the 11th Asian Games trained under my supervision. I feel that I have contributed to the sowing of seed for the growth and expansion of Taijiquan. When I began my adult life there were not many people familiar with Taijiquan. After much effort in my university, Taijiquan is now one of the standard formats for physical education courses.

Longfei 
Thank you Professor Li for giving so much of your time.

Back to contents