Frame

Strength is in the appropriate position and is responsive,
acting in harmony with the time.

(I Ching)

Frame

'Frame' refers to structure - the placement of your body.
Your frame can be large, medium or small.

The shape of each tai chi posture (moving structure) must be carefully aligned in order to convey the groundpath with ease.
Slight adjustments make a major difference.

Copying the shape of another person does not guarantee that your structure will be strong.

You must find out for yourself.
Everyone's body is different, so you must explore the strengths and weaknesses of your frame.

Try adopting a posture and asking somebody to push along the line of force: can you maintain the structure with ease?
Are you tensing any muscles?


Inherent

Sustaining your framework without extraneous effort is essential.
The habit of maintaining a good structure needs to become so natural that you forget it is happening at all.

Keeping all of the cavities open and the body rounded will help to create a strong route for the groundpath.
The springy 'bow tension' will ensure that your body is resilient and ready.
Only you can discover the optimal posture required at each stage of the tai chi.
You must consider the martial application, groundpath, flexibility, openness, neigong, economy and comfort.

Look at how Yang Cheng Fu did the postures in these photographs:



He is performing medium to large frame tai chi.

Our school focuses upon small frame.

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Page created 25 June 1999