This is Chen Qing-zhou doing his version of the taiji ball. Some people like this. No problem with that. But notice that any time this training gets discussed, the weight of the ball seems to be the main thing. First there’s talk of training a 30 lbs. ball, then it’s 50, then it’s 80. Can I get 100 lbs.? How about 200?
Doesn’t this sound familiar? It’s another external penis measuring contest.
This is one of the main problems with us Westerners: everything is about being bigger, heavier, longer, etc. More, more, more.
We understand stuff like weightlifting because it works in that paradigm that we understand so well. Bigger is better. But doesn’t it seem unusual to bring that Arnold/bodybuilding mindset into IMA training? Might our bigger/harder/faster paradigm blind us to other ways of doing things?
For example, I look at some of Chen Qing-zhou’s movements and I notice that he isn’t too smooth. How could he be with such a heavy ball? He switches hand positions a lot because the ball is too heavy. He looks awkward.
Now I’m not saying that his ball training is worthless. What I am saying is that only training that way misses some important things in the IMA paradigm while strengthening things that need to be let go.
This is a completely different idea of training the taiji ball. This ball is very light, probably even hollow. What a wimp, eh? 
But notice the completely different quality of his gungfu. Notice how fluid and flexible he is. Notice the smoothness that remains unbroken as he moves. This gentleman is NOT measuring his progress in terms of the weight of the ball being used. He’s using another measure(s). What might he be training instead?
10 responses so far ↓
1 tom // Feb 20, 2008 at 11:42 am
Thank goodness it’s tomorrow. ;- )
I agree with your general point, Dave. My own perspective is that taiji ball practice should train awareness of internal connections in movement. That is what the second video clip shows. Chen Qingzhou, on the other hand, seems to be using a substantially heavier ball for weight training, to build up the musculature around the dan tien in some particular way.
Chen Qingzhou passed through my town some years ago and taught taiji ball training with the stuents using bowling balls or medicine balls. I have to say for that kind of training it really doesn’t effectively strengthen the dan tien in any practical way. I wasn’t particularly impressed with Chen Qingzhou’s demonstration of dan tien power then–although I have to say he is one of the most down-to-earth, approachable and dedicated MA teachers of any style I’ve ever met. I just happen to disagree with his approach to taiji ball training for dan tien strengthening.
And my own limited understanding of Chen taijiquan is that you don’t want to strengthen the dan tien that way . . . the dan tien needs to be connected and be able to change and transfer power much more than it needs to be a discrete source of power. The key really lies more in the lower back and connections to the legs, and I found long pole/spear training to be much more effective and practical.
2 Andi Chapple // Feb 20, 2008 at 9:18 pm
hi - thanks for showing those. the man with the lighter ball looks beautiful, and to second what Tom was saying, look how connected the palms of his hands are! lao gongs always facing one another, even when he’s walking forward and rolling the ball over and over.
I’ve only been taught a short taiji ball set, so I can’t say much. but we were taught without a ball at all and asked to concentrate on feeling the connection between the palms and on postures (again, the second guy’s postures are lovely).
best wishes, Andi
3 wer // Feb 21, 2008 at 1:06 am
For me the most valuable is to train with different weights. When I was beginning to learn sword, I was using a normal wooden sword. After some time I was told to use a much heavier one. The consequence was that I felt the motions much more exactly. Some time later I was told to practice again with the first sword. The feeling was completly different than bevore, much more inside and much more connected.
So in my opinion it makes sense to change weights of the weapons (Sword, Ball, spear, whatever). Because different weitghts are for different kind of trainings. But - as you said - it does not make any sense to increase only. Sometimes less can be more too.
4 Thomas // Feb 21, 2008 at 1:20 am
While I agree with the general tone of your post I don’t think you should compare these two practices. Different training, different goals. It’s obvious Chen Qingzhou’s method is intended to train dantien as the originator of movement whereas the other practice is more towards general flexibility and fluidity.
5 wayne hansen // Feb 21, 2008 at 4:07 am
wer try using differing lengths as well.
also if you use heavy weapons for practice demos with wu shu type weapons will be much more effective.
before you try adding more weight you should have mastery of the form or you will find the added weight will distort your movements.
one final caution ,if the weapon is a one hander you might do what i did years ago.i had been adding weight to a broadsword over time and becoming more and more relaxed with the extra weight,so much so that i pulled a vertabre out of place in my upper back.
6 Jay Gischer // Feb 21, 2008 at 9:31 am
Unfortunately, the second video, the one you guys liked, is no longer available.
7 Power vs. sensitivity // Feb 22, 2008 at 10:25 am
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8 YMAA.com // Feb 23, 2008 at 1:53 am
Listening Jing…
Without sensitivity, or “skin listening”, your skill will be limited…
Its not how big your taiji balls are, but how you use them…isn’t that the theme here lately?
9 wayne hansen // Feb 23, 2008 at 5:50 am
the size of the ball does matter,just like tai chi ruler.
if the ball is too big (say double shoulder width)it will open the chest and close the back.
when i was taught the ruler my teacher was insistant on the size measured to my own anatomy using tsun the inch measurements of accupuncture.
it is interesting to see that the family from hk who passed down the ruler had many members who lived over the 100 year mark.
this is a contrast to many tai chi families.
the ruler ows its origin to liu hop ba fa even though these days many schools of tai chi now claim it as their own.
10 Renji // Feb 27, 2008 at 3:13 am
Taiji ball was a means of resistance training. What’s next? Stone locks made out of styrofoam? Develop listening skill with a partner, not with an inanimate object.
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