“The Limitless is True Emptiness; the Absolute is Wonderful Existence. The Limitless gives rise to the Absolute. When there is movement in the Absolute, yang is produced. When the movement reaches its limit, it becomes still. At the limit of stillness, there is movement.” This is a natural law.

O In extreme antiquity, before the world had been formed and long before the appearance of written language, the universe was just a great, big zero—that is, the Limitless 無極 wuji. Later, the Limitless gave rise to the Absolute 太極 taiji, and the Absolute in turn produced the Two Primal Forces 兩儀 liangyi, yin and yang. Yin is soft and yang is hard. Within the circle of the Absolute, yin and yang mutually revolve so that movement contains stillness and stillness contains movement. This tiny sphere of light can be expanded to encompass millions of worlds; this is the basic principle of Taijiquan.

More than 700 years ago, Mr. Zhang Sanfeng pioneered a set of shadowboxing movements in which the hard and soft are mutually inclusive. Since his system was based on the principles of taiji, he called it Taijiquan. The circular heart of the taiji diagram represents the dantian, in the lower abdomen of the human body. The practice of Taijiquan consists primarily of smelting the energy (qi) in the dantian through an uninterrupted sequence of movements.

One should practice inhaling and exhaling using the dantian, which is located a little over an inch below the navel. When one exhales, the dantian should send the air to the abdomen and then slowly upwards. The abdominal muscles should contract until they are as tight as possible, so that one’s abdomen sinks inwards. The rectum will naturally contract as well. Yet while the abdomen is pulled tight, the upper body should be completely relaxed. On the inhalation, the abdomen should gradually bulge outward. Make sure the shoulders don’t tense up, for if they do, one cannot progress.

太極拳的每一招式，最終目的就是「止 戈」，深深契合人類追求世界和平的精神。
Each Taijiquan move is aimed at “halting the spears.” This is in close
accord with the spirit of humanity quest for world peace.

In practicing breathing with the dantian, the slower one goes, the better. After long practice, one will be able to maintain the rectum contracted at all times, while the rest of the body is relaxed. When the body, hands, and breath can work in coordination, the mind will naturally become calm; this is stillness within movement. In the state of stillness, one’s muscles and tendons will be relaxed and one will be able to apply true gongfu (skill)—this is movement within stillness. This level of accomplishment is true gongfu, the perfection symbolized by the circular taiji diagram. Based on over thirty years of experience, I would say that if one practices diligently, it takes about three years and four months to reach this level of skill.

The practice of Taijiquan should go hand-in-hand with meditation. If one breathes with the dantian during meditation, it is easy to quiet the mind, relax the body, and let go of all external conditions. One may sometimes feel one’s sitting space expanding without bounds. Likewise, each person’s inherent spiritual light can reach millions of worlds.

Every Buddha and Bodhisattva is crowned with a circular halo of light. The circle is the principle of the Absolute; it is the zero, which represents the nebulous mass before the formation of the universe. Although the movements of Taijiquan are many, none are apart from the circle. As one exerts strength from the waist, with the dantian as one’s center of gravity, the movements of one’s hands, feet, and body are all naturally circular in form. If one maintains these essential guidelines in one’s practice, one will naturally fathom and attain the essence of Taijiquan. In addition to preventing sickness and insuring a long life, one will be able to transform essence into energy, and energy into spirit.

Because I graduated from college in Japan, I have been in close contact with that country. After Taijiquan became known in Japan, it evolved into various forms of martial arts, such as the well-known sport of Sumo wrestling, in which two men duel in a wrestling ring, mirroring the movements of the yin and yang fishes in the taiji diagram.

The wrestlers wear only a loincloth, so they cannot gain a grip on each other by grabbing each other’s clothing. They must rely entirely on true skill. During the match, contestants are not separated by weight or age; dantian energy and muscular strength are the only factors of competition. Judo and Aikido, which also emphasize the power of the waist, are martial art forms that evolved from Sumo and thus have their origin in Taijiquan. Their hand and foot movements originate directly from Taijiquan.

No matter what form of martial arts one practices, one should understand the meaning of the word “martial” 武 wu. If we look at the elements of the character, the meaning is to stop war, not to keep on fighting. The highest state in martial arts is actually the pursuit of peace. In light of this, we can say that each Taijiquan move is aimed at “halting the spears"止戈. [These are the two elements that make up the word “martial” 武.] This is in close accord with the spirit of humanity’s quest for world peace.

My formal training in Taijiquan began when I was forty. In the thirty-some years since then, I have walked the path of orthodox practice, sincerely seeking the truth. Taijiquan has given me many insights into the truths of life and the universe, and I have found confirmation for these insights in various spiritual and religious texts.

Confucius once said, “If I hear of the Way in the morning, I can die without regret in the evening.” This is the attitude of a sincere seeker of truth who is not concerned about birth and death. I share his feelings.