PRINCIPLES

There are principles in Tai Chi Chuan, which are numerous and somewhat difficult.

Here is a good link, that summarizes the principles in question.

Now comes the hard part:
How can you use ALL the principles in question (the ten listed) in the link provided?
The short answer: if you're a beginner, you can't. But don't despair.

If your instructor has taught you some movements, and you can remember them (and even if you can't), take just one principle, and try to work that in with your practice. For instance, when I was in China in 2003, and the tour and I were in training, Chen Xiaoxing pointed out that we were all leaning forward too much. Upon reviewing my DV tape, sure enough, we were all tilting forward FAR too much. Agh! So do this: practice whatever you've learned with a book on your head. Remember the 'charm school' that ladies went to, back in the day? Women were taught to walk around with a book on their heads. Why? Proper posture, is why. Try doing your movements as if you're being suspended from a thread from the ceiling.

Once you stand straight up, instead of leaning back or forward, your balance improves measurably.

And remember this: Fang kua, fang huo (relax the hips, relax the waist).

In this day and age of compartmentalization, we tend to use one part of our bodies to do something, rather than the whole. Some movements require it: you can't very well use your whole body to type at a computer, or drive a car (well you COULD, on the latter, but you may get pulled over). But in the simple act of opening a door, use your entire body to swing it open, not just your arm. Try using your whole body to perform mundane tasks. Just be careful at first.

Try not to stand flat-footed: agility is paramount, and 50-50 weight on both feet is anything but agile. Breathe through the nose, and direct your inhalation to the diaphragm (not so surprisingly, men have more problems with this than women, unless they're singers, actors, pro athletes). NOTE: when breathing, touch the tip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth (right behind that little knob before your upper teeth). This connects two meridian belts, the Ren Ming and the Du Meridian (strangely enough, one ends at the tip of the tongue, the other at the rooftop of the mouth). Plus, breathing through the nose soaks the membranes with oxygen.

Tuck the coccyx under, just a little, straightening the back.

Keep your elbows DOWN. Fingers are kept together, unless otherwise instructed.

Again, don't despair. You won't be able to do ALL of them. Pick a principle, any principle: stick to it for a week, a month. Choose one that your instructor criticizes you on regularly, or one you happen to think is your weakest. Once you've worn it into the ground, pick another.

Any questions?