Taiji Ball

[fiercest tiger]

I dont play the ball like Taiji but we have the ball in my art, i was wondering what is the main focus of the ball within Taiji Chuan?

Dr John, Taiji bob anyone?

What does it do for you regarding strength, health, fighting etc?

How old is the ball exercise i read that it was developed in the early 1900's is this true?

Garry

[hellhound]

I would like to hear this too. I study a style that originated at Wudang and is still practiced there however it is close enough where things like this feel like they may have value to me. So any info would be highly appreciated. Regards!

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Use of the ball as a training aid is quite old, many external styles have a long history of using wooden and stone balls.. personally i have no reliable info on Taiji's history of using the ball for training..

Benefits are many, it is a great way to enhance our understanding of the mechanics of the "spinal wave", transferring whip-like power upward along the spine and out into the arms and hands.. You can also more easily coordinate reverse abdominal breathing using the ball as a guide (vertical circles moving away from and returning to the body's centerline ). The positions of the hands while holding the ball correctly align the palms for form and application.. I f you are familiar with "flat plate" exercises, then as you advance in the ball training you can replace the plates with the Taiji Ball.. a whole new dynamic of alignment and coordination.. this will lengthen and strengthen the tendon/ligament/muscle relationships.. A very important part of the training is the coordination of the DanTien's movements with the Taiji Ball movement, the counter-balancing and smooth transitions will migrate to your empty-empty hand forms and weapon forms.. Shoulder, arm and low back strength will increase without loss of flexibility or speed, the mechanics of ball control keep the adverse effects of strength training at a minimum..

Ultimately, the Taiji Ball training is only a step on the journey.. after internalizing the benefits the ball is no longer needed..

Be well..

[hellhound]

Thanks for the info!

[GeneChing]

I've seen a few taiji ball demos over the years. I've never practiced with one personally, so I can't really speak to the purpose of it, but I imagine that it helps you understand the power of circles. Plus the heavy stone, wood or metal ones are clearly good weight training. I've seen light balls too, two worthy of mention here perhaps.

One was a wicker taiji ball. It was just a little smaller than a basketball and hollow, more like a wicker frame than anything. The frame allowed the practitioner to do some movements where they could grab the ball with their fingers. The demo looked like a tai chi form with a ball prop. It might have been a non-martial exercise qigong too. I saw the demo but didn't find out that much about it.

The second one was a large chromed taiji ball. It was the size of a large beach ball. What made this one very interesting to me was that it was used in push hands techniques. Instead of touching each other, the two push hands practitioners would both touch the ball. The ball acted as a medium between them so they had to applied constant stickiness or they would drop the ball. Some used two balls at the same time. Note that this was not free push hands, but pre-choreographed forms. But still, I can imagine how that might help train your sensitivity.

[fiercest tiger]

Hi Gene,

My system uses a ball 2 man exrecise for sensitivity and intent and becomes a stick and follow, footwork game. Its freestyle no pre arranged movements.

Taiji Bob,

Do you recondmend yang mins taiji ball video, i am looking for some answers regarding what the ball does regarding chi, yin yang theories, you know any other info i can get?

Garry

[GeneChing]

You can see both of those taiji ball demonstrations I mentioned above on my new DVD - Shaolin Trips: The First World Traditional Wushu Festival (http://www.martialartsmart.net/dvd-gc001.html). :cool:

[Ma Long]

Taiji Ball in it's most recent incarnation was started by Chen Qingzhou. He uses a 22-35LB steel ball, slightly bigger than a basketball. Other Taiji styles have followed suit with their own interpretation of how to practice with a heavy ball. The Chens uncovered a 70lb stone ball burried in one of the ancestrial gravesites, which is on display in Chen Village. However nobody at the time knew what it was about

Chen Qingzhou's story is that he recalls as a child seeing his grandfather practice a form acting as if he were holding and rotating a heavy ball. This gave him the idea for the form. His teaching is that once you have practiced many years, you will be able to visualize the ball is your dantian, since all movement should start with dantian, by practicing with a heavy object like this teaches your body effective structure