”The thirteen postures should not be taken lightly; the source of the postures lies in the waist.” – Classics

13 martial ideas

Tai Chi (Taijiquan) includes martial ideas, without which this art would be incomplete. Yang style of Tai Chi historically combines the Tai Chi principle with the thirteen Shaolin martial ideas (postures). Eight of them refer to arm techniques, the other five are directions involving legs. The martial ideas of arms and legs are interconnected. Each hand technique can be performed in all five directions. These martial ideas are present in the solo form as well as in pairs work in Tai Chi.

5 directions = leg movement

Step forward, Step backward, Turn to the right, Turn to the left, Central equilibrium

8 postures = arm movement

Ward off, Roll back, Press, Push, Pull, Split, Elbow, Shoulder

Taijipodlupou.cz - bojová myšlenka Rozdělení v podání Mistra Taiji - Roberta AmackeraAn example of ”Split”
R. Amacker (US), A. Popova (RU)

More about 8 martial ideas (postures, trigrams)

Sign of inner martial arts

Taijiquan is an internal martial art and works with inner force. Monad with eight trigrams is an emblem for internal martial arts.

Trigrams show martial ideas – arm techniques. They also symbolize philosophical ideas, numbers, geographical directions, feelings and various physical manifestations. The monad represents a constant change of the Tai Chi Principle.

The classical text at the top of the page says that the power of martial ideas comes from the hips waist. The effectiveness does not depend on the strength of the arms. It is based on the ability to use waist movement in conjunction with leg movements and rotation around the center of the body.