Page 13 - Illustrated Chen Taijiquan Routine Ⅱ (Cannon Fist)

II. Terms of Chen Taijiquan Routine II
(Cannon Fist)

1. Silk-reeling energy
The defining feature of Chen Taijiquan is its spiral movements. This kind of
motion is often compared to the silk being drawn smoothly and gently, without
break, from the silkworm’s cocoon. Taiji classics recommend “directing strength
like reeling of silk from a cocoon”. Chen Xin (1849-1929), a sixteenth-generation
descendant of the Chen clan and eighth-generation inheritor of Chen Taijiquan,
comments in his Illustrated Explanations of Chen Family Taijiquan, “It is impossi-
ble to learn Taijiquan without understanding of the silk-reeling principles of energy
generation... Without understanding this, you don’t understand Taijiquan.” From
this we may realize the important status of silk-reeling energy in Chen Taijiquan.
The essential silk-reeling methods are “direct twining” and “reverse twining”.

2. Direct twining
Direct twining of a hand: with the little finger leading the energy, the ring fin-
ger, the middle finger and the index finger are in turn driven to rotate toward the
center of palm, a cupped palm being formed, the thumb corresponding with the lit-
tle finger.
Direct twining of a leg: no matter whether you extend or withdraw your leg,
with the outer edge of the foot leading the energy, the foot rotates toward the arch
of the foot, and the knee rotates out.

3. Reverse twining
Reverse twining of a hand: Hand twining reversely: with the thumb leading
the energy, the index finger, the middle finger and the ring finger are in turn driven
to rotate toward the center of palm, a cupped palm being formed, the little finger
corresponding with the thumb.
Reverse twining of a leg: no matter whether you extend or withdraw your leg,
with the inside heel leading the energy, the foot rotates toward the arch of the foot,
and the knee rotates in.

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