TAI CHI Principles

“Tai Chi Principles”:
The “Tai Chi Principles” are the fundamental concepts that one must follow on the path of Tai Chi. If you can follow these principles in all aspects of the construct of Tai Chi instruction, you will see continuous development. The principles were discovered and refined by our teacher Patrick A. Kelly, and all his students have followed them to develop the internal awareness that develops not only internal power but internal awareness and development.

The first set of Principles that should be followed to develop through the construct of Tai Chi are in order:

  • Accurate – Relaxed – Upright – Stable

  • Smooth – Continuous – Body Moves as One (hands follow body)

These are the basic principles to help a person develop the correct body movements.
There are of course more advanced principles that one learns but it takes a few years of dedicated effort to first develop these correctly.

5 Internal Sensors 
The universal first step deeper is to first reduce the activity of the superficial-mind by closing it down as if going to sleep. Then actively turn the Mind towards your inner world by concentrating on a deepening sequence of the 5 internal sensors which connect directly into the Deep-body level. 

  • Pain sensors, indicate potential damage (out of alignment, forces too strong, over energised). 

  • Joint-position sensors, (large joints for external movements, small joints alignment & internal waves). 

  • Muscle-state sensors, (5 phases of the muscle cycle producing 5 types of force).

  • Force (pressure & stretch) sensors – give some connection into body’s energy field. 

  • Heat (& cold or negative temperature) sensors – give best connection into body’s energy field.

Pain, joint and muscle states of neutral, contract and relax, can be easily accessed by the quiet superficial mind. They are only useful for the early stages of training. The muscle states of stretch and un-stretch along with force and heat sensors are also sensitive to the body’s energy field. They lead naturally to a deepening concentration within the body’s energy field which enfolds the body out to the distance of about 1 fist (4inches, 10cm). 

These main principles are are described in detail in Patrick Kelly’s Book: Relax Deep Mind

Some Advanced Tai Chi Principles:
Relax (“Song”)
The 5 Elements
Touch, Connect, Merge, Follow, Don’t Resist, Don’t Let go
Jing, Qi, Shen
Shen (Spirit) leads the Yi (Deep Mind) which leads the Qi (Energy) which leads the Body