This has got to be one of the easiest principles of tai chi, and yet as with everything else in tai chi, there is more to the fifth principle than what you’d think. You could always say that about life in general. In my e-book The 10 Principles of Tai Chi Chuan for Beginners, that I give away with my video Beginning Tai Chi Exercises, I give a brief description of the Fifth Principle that’s geared toward beginners.
Shoulders and elbows are down: To allow the energy to flow freely between your arms and the rest of your body, your shoulders must be down and loose. This does not mean limp. You must also maintain the correct structure. When the elbows rise the shoulders also rise. You will find it helpful to put your focus on your hands as you lift your arms; this will keep the energy where you want it while keeping your elbows and shoulders down.
As with other aspects of tai chi it’s really all about awareness of your body. While this appears to be one of the easiest of the 10 Principles to understand, it is also one of the most difficult for most students to implement. This is usually the first, or one of the first things every student is taught and teachers understand they will be telling students “Relax your shoulders” for a long time to come.
One of my favorite stories about this principle comes from a training sister of mine who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. She felt she had a bit of a hand up, being able to understand our Master in detail. She asked him, “What is the one thing I can do to really improve my tai chi; what’s the secret?” Master Cui simply answered, “Relax your shoulders.” I’d been working at that for a few of years then, and now with 8 years of training under my belt, I’m still working at it. I’m a whole lot better than when I started, but sometimes my shoulders still want to creep up.
Focus your attention on keeping your elbows down and put your attention on the part of your hand or arm where you should be making contact with an opponent. You’ll find this principle easier to implement. Over time you’ll begin to feel tension as it creeps into your shoulders, or you may find the energy cut off from your hands the moment you begin to raise your shoulders.
Good luck. Your thoughts, experiences?
John
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Bev (11 comments)
1019 days ago
Thanks for another arrow in my quiver to ward off the rising shoulders. Focus on my hands! A single image or technique is never enough for me. A change of technique seems to overcome the difficulty of not making progress because ‘familiarity breeds contempt’.
John Crewdson (479 comments)
1018 days ago
Bev,
Glad I could help. I like attending classes led by different people because of the different perspectives and approaches. I find all of it helpful, and if you look long enough the familiar will reveal itself again.
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John