Water Style of Heavenly Horse Wudang Taijiquan
Wudang Taijiquan
Flowing water never becomes stale, the door hinge never gets worm-eaten. Where there is pain, there is no flow, where there is flow there is no pain. Through Wudang Taijiquan and Dao Yin – “Taoist yoga“- practice in guiding intent and qi, the result of increasing internal qi, circulating qi and blood, strengthening the body and fighting off disease can be achieved. We teach both fire and water styles of Wudang Taijiquan through a short and dynamic Tian Ma Wudang Taijiquan form from the White Horse Mountain, made up of some essential postures of Taijiquan, combining the circular power of Wudang and the deep stances and fa jin of the Chen Family.
Yin Yang – Open Close,
Inhale Exhale – Store Release
Water Fire – After Completion
Void Divine – Profound Mysterious
The ‘Dao De Jing’ says:
“The highest virtue is like water.
The water’s virtue benefits the ten thousand things;
Yet without contention.
This is the reason why it is an extension of the Dao.”
The characteristics of water are gentle and yielding. Water adapts to forms and shapes. It goes along forces without will and flows accordingly. When water is in motion, it needs a path like the irrigation ditches to moisten fields. When water is motionless like in a deep well, it is like a mirror, without ripples there is no turbidity. Thus, for instance during the practice of Water Wudang Taijiquan:
“The spirit, the form, the intent and qi move like drifting clouds,
Continuously and uninterrupted;
Resembling water flowing unceasingly and without respite.
Stillness is the spirit light’s internal illumination,
Qi is not galloping or running outwards,
Embrace the source and safeguard the One.
One inhale, one exhale; one opening, one closing.
The inhale is a complete inhale.
It needs to be gentle, without the detriment of feeling suffocated.
The exhale is complete exhale.
It needs to be without the mistake of overstretching one’s lung bow.
One should always maintain the principal aim of keeping the breath
thin, even, relaxed, long, calm and comfortable.”
Wudang Taijiquan
The unification and merging of Heaven and Earth, the spirit and the soul, the intent, qi, and the form is its purpose. Through the long-term practice of qi and blood of the eight extraordinary vessels, the twelve regular meridians’ qi flow will function properly. Gradually all stagnation in the meridians will be removed. One will grow day by day and foster the vastness of true qi naturally. Since Water Wudang Taijiquan does not utilize power emission, jumps nor leaps, unrestrained nor intense forces, anyone with an interest in Tai Chi can benefit from its practice according to the individual’s physique. This is why there are no restrictions in terms of age or physical constitution, thus many use it to get rid of diseases, otherwise health reasons, to supplement longevity and to prolong life.
If Water and Fire Tai Ji Fist practitioners wish to reach up to the higher realms, they must regard Daoist cultivation as the foundation for their sublimation. Getting to this point, one commences to realize that the Fist is identical with the Dao. Wudang Taijiquan ultimately blends in with the Daoist cultivation. Even society’s Tai Ji Fist’s great masters Chen Wang Ting and Sun Lu Tang who are outside the Daoist sect have firmly understood that all Tai Ji forms and internal alchemy share the same principle, that ultimately all return to the Great Dao.
Therefore healing and the Dao have a common source; the Fist and the Dao combine into One, at that point the Tai Ji Fist can truly serve the purpose of longevity. Fighting is a Tai Ji Fist method of rather inessential skill. While training fire taiji fist be sure not sink and get absorbed into sparring and losing your direction.
