四、太极拳技法特点Characteristics of Taiji Quan Techniques

（一）虚灵顶劲 Empty Butting Force

虚灵顶劲即“顶头悬”。练拳时讲究头部的头正、顶平、项直、颌收，要求头顶的百会穴处要向上轻轻顶起，同时又须保持头顶的平正。要使头正、顶平，就必须使颈项竖直、下颌里收。顶劲不可过分用力，要有自然虚灵之意。做到虚灵顶劲，精神才提得起来，动作才能沉稳、扎实。

The empty butting force is “pull head up straight with one's intention，as if the hair were hanging up to the ceiling”.The head shall be upright，then the top of the head shall be flat，next the nape shall be straight，and the mandible shall be withdrawn.The butting force cannot be too strong，but shall be natural and empty.Only keeping mind empty that the spirit can be raised and movements can be stable and strong.

（二）气沉丹田 Gathering Qi into Dantian

气沉丹田，是指身法端正，宽胸实腹，“意注丹田”，意识引导呼吸，将气徐徐送到腹部脐下。太极拳在运动时，一般都是采用腹式呼吸，同时“意注丹田”，这样才能达到太极拳“身动、心静、气敛、神舒”的境地。用腹式呼吸来加深气息的深长，应自然、匀细、徐徐吞吐，要与动作自然配合，不能用强制的方法。要求整套动作都要与一呼一吸结合得非常密切，应根据动作的开合、屈伸、起落、进退、虚实等变化，自然地去配合。一般地说，呼吸总是与胸廓的张缩、肩胛的活动自然结合着。在一个动作里，往往就伴随着一呼一吸，而不是一个动作固定为一呼或是一吸。这种与动作自然配合的方法运用得当，可以使动作更加协调、圆活、轻灵、沉稳。

Requires the upright body techniques with wide chest and the solid abdomen.“Filling mind into Dantian”means the consciousness shall guide the breath，gently send Qi to be under the navel of abdomen.During the movement，Taiji generally adopts the abdomen breath.And“filling mind into Dantian”，so as to achieve the circumstances of“moving body，quiet heart，constricting breath，and extending spirit”.Abdomen-style breathing is adopted to deepen and prolong the breath which shall be natural，equable，slow and coordinated with the movements.Forcibleness shall be prevented and the whole set of movements，including opening，closing，bending，stretching，rising，falling，forwarding，re-treating，feinted moving，intended moving etc.，shall be in good and natural coordination with breathing.Generally speaking，the breathing is always naturally in coordination with the pumping of the chest and the movement of the blade bones.The completion of a movement is usually accompanied with a round of breathing instead of inhaling or exhaling only.Such a good command and application of this breathing method as in natural coordination with movements is necessary to make the movement coordinative，flexible，agile，light and steady.

（三）含胸拔背 Relaxing the Chest and Drawing the Back

含胸是胸廓略向内涵虚，使胸部有舒宽的感觉。这样有利于做好腹式呼吸，能在肩锁关节放松、两肩微含、两肋微敛的姿势下，通过动作使胸腔上下径放长，横隔有下降舒展的机会。它既能使重心下降，又能使肺脏、横膈活动加强。拔背与含胸是相互联系的，要含胸就势必拔背。拔背是在胸略向内涵虚时背部肌肉向下松沉，两肩中间颈下第三脊骨鼓起上提并略向后上方拉起，不能单纯地往后拉。这样背部肌肉就会有一定的张、弹力，皮肤有绷紧的感觉。含胸拔背，胸背肌肉须松沉，不能故意做作。

The chest relaxing means that the chest is slightly and internally relaxed to make the chest have the comfortable feeling.Thus being favor of making the abdomen breath.When the shoulder is relaxed and the rib is drawn that the thoracic cavity will be relaxed and extending.It can not only drop the center of gravity ,but also can strengthen activities of lungs and the diaphragm.The back drawing and chest relaxing are mutually connected.The back drawing means that when relaxing the chest，the muscles on the back shall be relaxed and dropped down.The third vertebra shall rise and draw upwards and backwards which can't simply pull backwards.Thus stretching the back muscles for the tension and elasticity，so that the skin will have the tighten feeling.The muscles of the chest and the back shall be relax and natural without the deliberate pretense.

（四）松腰敛臀 Relaxing the Waist and Drawing the Butt

太极拳要求合胸、沉气，因此在含胸时就必须松腰。松腰不仅可以帮助沉气和下肢的稳固，更主要的是它对动作的进退旋转，用躯干带动四肢的活动及动作的完整性，起着主导作用。敛臀则是在含胸拔背和松腰的基础上使臀部稍作内收。敛臀时，可尽量放松臀、腰部肌肉，使臀肌向外下方舒展，然后轻轻向前、向里收敛，像用臀把小腹托起来似的。

Taiji Quan requires the chest closing and breath dropping.The waist relaxing not only helps dropping the breath and fixing the lower limbs，but also plays a leading role in the forwards and backwards stepping and rotation，movements of limbs，as well as the completion of movements.The butt drawing means to draw in the butt after relaxing chest，drawing back and relaxing waist.When drawing the butt，you shall try to relax muscles of the butt and waist，extend the muscles，and then draw in like the butt is supporting the abdomen.

（五）圆裆松胯 Drawing in the Crotch in a Circle and Relaxing the Hipbone

裆即**部位。头顶百会穴的“虚灵顶劲”要与**穴上下相应，这是保持身法端正、气贯上下的锻炼方法。裆要圆，又要实。胯撑开，两膝微向里扣，裆自圆。**处须上提，裆自会实；加上腰的松沉、臀的收敛，自然产生裆劲。太极拳讲究“迈步如猫行”，要求步法轻灵稳健，两腿弯屈轮换支持身体进行活动。因此髋部关节须放松，膝关节须灵活，才能保证上体旋转自如，踢腿、换步灵便。

The crotch is the perineum part which is corresponding to the“empty butting force”on the head up and down.It is the exercising method on maintaining the straight body forms straight and smooth breath.The hipbones shall be opened， then the two knees shall slightly point inwards，and the crotch shall be in a circle.Rise the crotch and it shall be solid.Relax the waist，draw in the butt and it shall bring force to the crotch.Taiji Quan pays attention to“making steps like a cat” which requires the light，flexible and stable step techniques.Two legs shall be bent and shall support the body in turns.The hip shall be relaxed and knees shall be flexible so as to guarantee the free rotation of upper body and flexible kicking and changing steps.

（六）沉肩坠肘 Dropping the Shoulders and Dropping the Elbows

太极拳在松肩的前提下要求沉肩坠肘，两臂由于肩、肘的下坠会有一种沉重的内劲感觉，这就是上肢内在的遒劲。两肩除沉之外，还要有些微向前合抱的意思，这能使胸部完全涵虚，使脊背团成圆形。两肘除下坠之外，也要有一些微向里的裹劲。这样的沉肩坠肘，才能使劲力贯串到上肢手臂。

After relaxing the shoulders that shoulders and elbows shall be dropped.The dropping of shoulders and elbows will bring a heavy inner force which is the inner force of upper limbs.Besides dropping，the shoulders shall also be closing forwards which makes the chest empty and the back roll in a circle.Besides dropping，the elbows shall also be inward so that the force can go up to the arms when dropping the shoulders.

（七）舒指坐腕 Extending Fingers and Sitting Wrists

舒指是掌指自然伸展，坐腕是腕关节向手背、虎口的一侧自然屈起。掌的动作是整体动作的一部分，许多掌法都是与全身动作连成一气的，因此舒指坐腕，实际是将周身劲力通过“其根在脚，发于腿，主宰于腰，形于手指”，形成完整一气。

The finger extending means that fingers are extended naturally.The wrist sitting means that the wrists bend towards the back of hands and Hukou naturally.The movements of palms are the part of movements of the body，and many palm techniques are connected with movements of the body.The finger extending and wrist sitting drive the force from feet and legs to the fingers and to complete it.

（八）尾闾中正 Keeping the Coccygeal Vertebrae Straight

尾闾中正是关系身躯、动作姿势“中正安舒”、“支撑八面”的准星。太极拳运动时极重视尾闾中正，不论是直的或是斜的动作姿势，都必须保持尾闾与脊椎成直线，处于中正状态。更重要的是，尾闾中正还影响着下盘的稳固。所以尾闾中正同样是和以上七点联贯统一的。能够统一地做到这八点，就可以使躯干、上肢、下肢的内在劲力达到完整如一的地步。

It keeps the posture of body straight，relax and supporting.Taiji Quan emphasizes on it.The coccygeal vertebrae shall always be straight in any movement posture.Moreover，keeping coccygeal vertebrae straight affects stableness of the lower limbs.If one can fulfill the above-mentioned seven instructions integrally with this one，the force of body，upper limbs，lower limbs will be perfectly integrated.

（九）内宜鼓**，外示安逸 Exciting Inside and Calm Outside

鼓**是对内在精神所提的要求，鼓**是精神振奋的意思。内宜鼓**是说内在的精神要振奋，然而这种振奋是沉着的，“神宜内敛”的，并不流于形色，表现是安逸的。

The spirit shall be exciting and energetic.But the excitement shall be inside and the outside shall be calm and relax.

（十）运动如抽丝，迈步如猫行 Movements like Drawing Silk，Stepping like Cat Walk

太极拳运动要像抽丝那样既缓又匀、又稳又静，迈步又要像猫那样轻起轻落，提步、落步都要有轻灵的感觉。静是太极拳特点之一，练太极拳首要的条件就是要做到心里安静，排除杂念，使精神完全集中到运动上来。心静，才能“用意不用力”，使运动像抽丝那样安静。太极拳讲究“用意识引导动作”，是一种“会意”的运动。“缓以会意”，只有徐缓的活动才能会意，因此它要求运动像抽丝那样徐缓不躁。太极拳又讲究速度均匀，要求保持适当的等速运动，又需像抽丝那样均匀地抽拉。其步法必须相应地像猫迈步那样轻灵。

The movements of Taiji Quan shall be slow，smooth，stable，and quiet like drawing silk.Stepping shall be light as a cat.Taiji Quan shall be quiet，and quietness is the characteristics of Taiji.The prime requirement of Taiji is that the mind shall be quiet and pure without any distraction and shall focus on movements.Only the heart is quiet,the movements can be quiet like drawing silk and“using mind not force”.Taiji Quan pays attention to using the“consciousness to guide movements.”It is a“will”sport.“Being slow to express the will”，the will can be expressed only being slow.Taiji Quan also requires the speed to be even and smooth like drawing silk and stepping like cat walk.