My explanation of listening power in taiji (tai chi) push hand practice
我对太极推手听劲的解释
我的网友和学员们，常常问我：我练了多年太极但是怎么也练不出听劲的功夫， 这是为什么？ 所以我愿意花一点时间谈谈我是怎样理解的和我师傅教我的。希望能帮助拳友们进步。
First I would like to emphasize, listening power in push hand practice, is not what we think from the human word which means listening power, is not listening power of the opponent push then try to think how to deal with the opponent power. If you are keep thinking this way, and practice this way, you will never get it and never get improved and I am sure you will end up like either keep using your arm strength to push back or you keep thinking taiji can not go against opponent then end up like keep running away and still keep getting pushed out by stronger opponent.
首先，我要强调的是：听劲不是文字表达的，和我们想象的感受对方的力量然后想出怎样处理对方的力量。如果你一直这样想这样练，你永远不会练出来，你不是一直用手力推顶就是不想顶变成丢。
The reason I put this first, is because this is the basic concept, it is the door to understanding, if you don’t understand this you won’t even near the door. Listening power actually is listen your own body yin yang exchange by being adding up extra weight from out side of your body, so your own body can be sub-consciously feel the new balance gravity center, and regain balance automatically.
我这样讲的原因是，这是太极练习的本质。这是进太极门。听劲是听你自己身体的阴阳转换，在收到外加重量后，你自己的身体在潜意识下自动拿回平衡的重心。
I would like quote out one of the sentence from wang zongyue taiji bible: “ even a piece of fur or a small bug can not lien on you. ” this sentence have a lot of wrong explanation, such as master can move small portion of skin without let small bug stand straight…that’s a really funny explanation. And some people can not understand just say: oh it some excessive rendering of the high skill in old age, it never exists. I say no, people say this because they don’t understand and even their master doesn’t even understood at all.
我要引用王宗岳太极拳经的一句话：“一羽不能加，蝇虫不能落”。这句话有很多的错误解释：譬如有人说师傅皮肤放松到蝇虫站不住。有的说这是古时的夸张表述，从来没有人做到。但是我说不是。他们不懂，他们的老师也不懂才说这些。
For my explanation is you constant listening your own body in balanced, rounded, full filled with aired, spongy type of ball typed. When a piece of fur or a small bug lien on you, you will be able to free turn and regain the balance point subconsciously. And the piece of fur and a bug is a relative weight value compare the difference gap in between your skill and your opponent skill. The lighter your opponent push, the higher your skill will be. And that’s why many practitioner group or master trains lighter and lighter. Because higher sensitivity need lighter weight to be trained. Hard and heavier push is much easier to be feeling.
我的解释是，你一直不停的在听自己的平衡，在听自己的身体和能量球始终浑圆的气球体。有弹性的球。即使是一个羽毛或是一个小虫落到身上，你可以自由的转动到平衡状态。 那羽毛和虫的重量是一个比较级。在你和你对手中的比较重量。你的技艺高，对方轻也是重，技艺不够对手很重也不知道。对手越轻推，你的功力越提的高。这就是为什么很多师傅用轻推来练。因为高层功夫是敏感度高到很轻的力也听得很清楚。重的力太容易听。
Why we need listen our self not listen to the opponent? Which because that is the internal kongfu principle is As soon as you try to listening your opponent, your mind subconsciously put the out side pressure separate with you and also your mind running into the intension. Your mind start focus on the point the push you and try to think how you deal with the push. The people more eagle will try hard to push back, the people have nice heart, will keep tell themselves don’t push back don’t push back and end up running away. And get separate with opponent.
为什么我们练听自己不是练听对手？因为内家拳的拳理是这样。因为你一想听对手，你就会同对手分开，你的潜意识就会专注到受力的点上。你会去想怎样处理外力。心急的会硬推，性格善良的会丢掉，跑开。
Remember, the taiji tuteng, the yin fish and yang fish is holding together all the time. And no mater how much turn the out side of this whole unit is a full circle. Which means, the whole unit which include both yin and yang always a one single ball turning, but which ever fish turning little more then the other fish, the eye of this fish will be the one close to the center of the whole ball. So the other fish will feel being squeezed out of the ring or away from the balance center. This it the basic principle
请记住太极图腾，阴鱼和阳鱼始终紧紧的报在一起，不管怎么转都是一个圆。当一个鱼转多一点点，那条鱼的眼就靠近了整圆的圆心。另外的一条鱼的眼就被挤到外围。远离平衡。这时理论的基本状态。
Second thing we need under stand how you’re trained out, or skilled to under stand listening your own body. From my video demo of my class which is move fist under the elbow on you tube under Byron zhang, you will see. The balance pressure feeling. During your form practice or your root stands meditation. You will try to feel yourself and keep checking you body every where I mean every where, the top of your head, the bottom of your feet, the finger tip, to the back skin, every where if it is even pressure, no mater big pressure or small pressure, and no mater it is gravity weight pressure or the ground floating pressure. No mater it on your elbow or under your arm pits. The pressure stays the same.
第二个我们要明白的是：怎样练听自己？从我做肘底垂的录像可以看出均匀感受。无论站桩还是盘拳套路，要去感受全身各各部分，从头顶到脚底，从指尖到背后皮肤，从肘尖到腋下，压力一样。
Once you get used to feel it. Once the outside pressure coming in, your body will automatic transfer this out side one direction and one point pressure into your whole body evenly, which called awareness. So your mind can feel every part of your body same time everywhere and will automatic adjust it to the even filling. By the time you get this. Your one body will run into the combination gravity balance center, and your opponent will be squeezed out of the balance.
当你习惯了这种感受，当外力来后，你的身体会自动同时在全身感受到同样的平均的压力。这是敏感不是注意力。这时你会自动平衡到组合平衡重心。你的对手就被挤到不平衡的状态。
This is what my master keep teach me don’t even think your opponent, your will get the mind with no mind skill. May all taiji lover and practitioner have great progress soon!
这就是我师傅一直在教导我的：无意之中见真意了。祝每个太极爱好者很快得到提高！
