Page 31 - Simplifying T'ai Chi Rev3 2017

Chapter 7 Introducing a Few Words You'll Meet 45

CHAPTER 7

INTRODUCING A FEW WORDS

YOU'LL MEET

As you start your T'ai Chi journey you will find that your teacher will often use
words and terms that are unfamiliar to you to describe actions and to describe
posture and movement.
Therefore, before we start to look at posture and movement, I'll explain some of the
more common words, phrases and terminology that are used regularly and which
will appear in the descriptions that follow. As you progress, a deeper understanding
of their meaning should start to become apparent.
Other terms and expressions that you meet that are not listed here will be
explained to you as you progress, either by your teacher, or in other more detailed
books on T'ai Chi that you find and read.

The Terminology of T'ai Chi

Beginners to T'ai Chi are often confused by the spellings and descriptive
terminology used.
Don't worry about it - the Chinese written and spoken language is full of anomalies,
pictorial characters and dialect interpretation. The most common effects of this are
spelling and literal interpretation. You will also find that different teachers and T'ai
Chi styles may use different terms for similar actions.
Before we look at a few basic terms in detail let's consider a few generalities.

'Allegorical' and 'Real' terms

Literal translations of allegorical terms are often used to describe T'ai Chi
movements, particularly in documented lists of the sequence of movements. Here
the terms are usually compared to an animal stance or everyday action. Again
translator licence may produce different terms for the same action, for example:
Big Bird Spreading its Wings or White Crane Parts its Wings…?
Leisurely tying the Coat or Lazily Tucking Clothes…?
Carry Tiger to the Mountain or Embrace Tiger and Push the Mountain…?
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