Connected Movement in Taijiquan

After all these years I still remember vividly how I started to learn from Chen Yu. Whenever I practiced his frame it felt so incredibly alive, full and - well - connected, which is the main topic of this article. How the body is being connected and strung together is of course best explained in a practical way, but maybe this blog argicle still helps to provide something like a conceptual framework for those who practice Chen Taijiquan. The connections are one aspect of the body method I teach which in total encompasses four parts:   

- Basic requirements

- Connections

- Movement Methods

- Internal Work

If we see our practice as a kind of progression then it makes sense for beginning students to build in the basic requirements of our Chen Taijiquan as outlined here: Where to start Taijiquan (practice)?

After we have developed a grasp of those to a certain degree it makes sense to think more about connecting all moves and to string them together. So we cannot only think about staying upright (whatever that exactly entails...), sinking our body weight etc. but also to stay inside our frame. And this is mainly about connecting certain body elements so our body becomes a coherent whole in one position and when we proceed to the next we can connect again. Thus the whole form will become connected. Beginners will probably not be able to apply these concepts in a very fluid kind of sense, but more in a step-by-step, statical kind of sense. 

Three connections / three harmonies / three unions

What is called the "Three Connections" 三合 (aka three harmonies) is usually divided into the internal and the external connections:

• internal: the connection of the heart (mind) and intention, the connection of qi and strength, and the connection of sinews and bones

  心与意合 (xīn yǔ yì hé): Unifying the heart (mind) with intention. This emphasizes the alignment and coordination of consciousness, kinesthetics, mental focus and purposeful intention.

  气与力合 (qì yǔ lì hé): Integrating qi with strength. This internal connection involves harmonizing the flow of qi and breath with physical strength.

  筋与骨合 (jīn yǔ gǔ hé): Unifying the tendons with the bones. This connection focuses on the coordination and integration of the body's structural elements—tendons and bones—resulting in powerful and efficient movements.

• external: the connection of hands and feet, the connection of elbows and knees, and the connection of shoulders (Chinese 手与足合，肘与膝合，肩与胯合)

(Translated from the Chinese version in Brennan Translation)

The connections are actually quite flexible but not arbitrary at all. This would be a very simplified illustration of the three external connections (using a sketch depicting Chen Zhaokui): 

There are some varying versions of the three connections around in the Chinese Martial Arts (or Kungfu, Wushu or however you like to call them), sometimes also called six connections (internal and external combined) - liu he 六合. This ancient concept serves as a guiding framework for practitioners, emphasizing the seamless integration of mind, body and spirit. The above version has been attributed in the Chen Clan to Chen Changxing (arguably though). Personally I teach the connections/harmonies in a way my shifu Chen Yu once summarized them. The folllowing is how he condensed the internal and external aspects (内外相合):  

12 connections