TJ_ExternalIntegration

Integration and Taiji Quan

One of the central principles of Taiji Quan is the idea that the whole body should move as an integrated whole. There are many
sentences in the classics that express this idea. For example, “the upper (arms) and lower (legs) parts of the body need to follow
each other”, “the inside and outside of the body should be integrated”, “when any part of your body moves, all parts move”, “full
body force should be integrated”, “each part of the body should be connected together.”

Sometimes the phrase Liu He is used to indicate the subject area that includes the detailed meaning and training of integration in
Taiji. Here Liu means six, and He means integration, harmony, coordination, or coming together. The two words Liu He taken
together mean six integrations. Usually the six integrations are separated into two kinds—external integration and internal
integration. External integration is the integration of external or physical movements. Internal integration is the integration of the
internal components (i.e., Shen – spirit or heart, Yi - mind, Qi – vital energy, and Jin – internal trained force).

External integration is the foundation of internal integration training. In traditional training, only after becoming very familiar with all
of the movements of the form and after developing the ability to do the form very slowly, smoothly, and in a relaxed manner,
should one start training the external integrations. Then, after developing the ability to do the external integrations automatically,
one can go on to focus on the internal integrations.

External Integration
External Integration is the integration of physical movements and is base of all Taiji Quan skills. It can make every skill more
efficient and without it, one can never do any Taiji Quan skill well. In Taiji Quan, integrating the movements of the whole body is
very important because only when you can do this well can your internal trained force (Jin) be generated and become stronger.
External integration can make each part of your body support each other and work in a coordinated manner, can keep your body
more relaxed, and can connect your whole body so that force can be moved from one point to another quickly and smoothly.

Borrowing force, and all other real Taiji skills, requires this kind of whole body integration. For example, if someone pushes my left
shoulder while my right hand is in contact with his or her left shoulder and I keep his or her push point and my right hand
integrated, I can borrow the force of his or her push and transfer it from his pushing point to my right hand and then to his or her
left shoulder. This is just one example of the importance of moving your body as an integrated whole.

External Integration Training Method

While many people talk about the importance of integrating external
movements, few talk about how to train this important skill. In this article we
talk about the traditional external integration training method taught by
Master Zhang Yun as passed down from Grand Master Wang Peisheng of
Beijing.

Because your arms and legs can be moved very flexibly, the most difficult
part of external integration is training your arms and legs to move in a
coordinated way. Thus, the key point of external integration training is to
learn how to integrate the movements of your arms and legs. If you can do
this well, the rest of your body will be integrated naturally. For this reason,
the training focuses on three integrations between the arms and legs—
hand and foot integration, elbow and knee integration, and shoulder and
hip integration. Because there are three pairs of points involved in external
integration training, the external integrations are often called the three
external integrations.



		Figure 1, Grand Master Wang Peisheng

External Integration training must be guided by an internal component. Yi or mind is used throughout this training. Because
integrated movement is not natural or automatic for us, we need to use our minds to lead our practice to reach our goal. So
external integration training is not only about physical movement but is also about internal training. Also, external integration
training can bring special feelings (e.g., an experience of “Qi” flow) which have to do with internal power. These feelings serve as
a base to build upon with internal integration training.

As all other Taiji Quan skills, external integration training is based on the idea of Taiji as the unification of yin and yang. In order
to train whole-body integration, you must be able to differentiate yin and yang sides of the body. The first step in differentiating
yin and yang legs and arms is remembering that the leg that bears your weight in the yin leg because yin is substantial and
passive. The leg that is free to move is the yang leg because yang is insubstantial and active. If your left leg is your yin leg, then
your left arm is yang. Reciprocally, if your right leg is your yang leg, your right arm is yin.

But when do your yang leg and arm become yin? The first part of the answer is that according to Taiji principles, the transition
from yang to yin is not like a digital switch from one to the other. In Chinese this kind discrete change is called “Cha Yi”. Taiji yang
to yin transition should be “Zhuan Huan” which means a gradual change. So for the yin and yang distinction based on
substantiality or weightedness, when you start to shift your weight, Zhuan Huan is starting. When the shift is complete, Zhuan
Huan is finished and the yang to yin transition is complete. Because this point marks a clear boundary, it is easier to change yang
to yin your are done shifting your weight. Thus, your yang leg and arm become completely yin after a weight shift is complete.
You can practice differentiating your yin and yang leg and arm by shifting your weight back and forth from sitting to bow stance
and then stepping Taiji style without any hand movements. Start in a left side back stance. Your mind should be in your right leg
because it is empty and has the potential to step and is therefore your yang leg. Now shift your weight forward onto your right leg
so that you are in a right front stance. As your weight shift completes change your mind to your left leg as it is now yang because
it is empty and free to move.

The next step is remembering that that if your left leg is yang then your right arm is yang and if your right leg is yang then your
left arm is yang. You might want to practice this idea using your style’s brush knee movement. Start in a left side back stance.
Your mind should be in your right leg and left arm because your right leg is empty and has the potential to step and is therefore
your yang leg. Now shift your weight forward onto your right leg so that you are in a right front stance and move your arms
according to your style keeping your mind on your right leg and left arm. As your weight shift completes change your mind to your
left leg and right arm as left leg is now yang because it is empty and free to move.

The next step is training the three external integrations. Because one’s arms and legs can be moved very flexibly, the most
physically difficult part of whole body integration is integrating your arms and legs. For this reason, the external integration
training method presented here focuses on integrating the movements of your arms and legs. Experience tells us that if you can
integrate your arms and legs, you will be able to do external integration well. In the traditional external integration training method
presented here, you use your mind to integrate three points on your yang arm with three points on your yang leg. More precisely,
you use your mind to integrate your yang:

·       * Jian Jin point or shoulder star (located on the top of the shoulder) and Huan Tiao point or hip star (located on the outside
of the hip bone),

·        * Qu Qi point or elbow star (located on the outside of the elbow) and Yang Ling Quan point or knee star (located on the
outside of the knee), and

·        * Lao Gong point or hand star (located in the center of the palm) and Yong Quan point or foot star (located on the bottom
center of the foot).

As you move, you use your mind to integrate these three pairs of points. For example, while doing the final push in brush knee,
assuming you start this movement from a left sitting stance, you might start with your mind integrating your left shoulder and right
hip, then your left elbow and right knee, and finish the movement integrating your left hand with your right foot. Since a weight
shift is completed at the end of this movement you would then shift your mind to your left hand and right foot and begin the next
movement.

But what does it mean to integrate two points? We use the term integrate, in the context of external integrations, to mean using
your mind to gently direct the corresponding movements of two points. For example, while doing the final push in brush knee,
assuming you start this movement from a right sitting stance, you might start by using your mind to direct your right shoulder and
left hip to come together, then your right elbow and left knee to come together, and finish the movement by bringing your right
hand and your left foot together. This example illustrates some of the “rules” of external integration.

Rules of External Integration Training

·        * Use your mind to integrate points on your yang arm with points on your yang leg, which are on opposite sides of your
body. For example, if your weight is on your left leg, your left arm and right leg are yang. So you should focus your mind on
integrating the movement of left arm with the movement of your right leg.

·        * Use your mind to integrate 3 pairs of acupuncture points (where it is easier to feel what is happening in your body): Lao
Gong point or hand star and Yong Quan point or foot star, Qu Qi point or elbow star and Yang Ling Quan point or knee star, and
Jian Jin point or shoulder star and yang Huan Tiao point or hip star.

·        * Change your mind as you move. Your mind always goes to points in order: hand and foot, elbow and knee, shoulder and
hip, or shoulder and hip, elbow and knee, hand and foot; never hand and foot, shoulder and hip, elbow and knee.

·        * Change your mind to the new yang leg and arm after a completed weight shift.

·        * When your yang side is shifted, change your mind from your former yang hand and foot to new yang hand and foot or
from former yang shoulder and hip to your new yang shoulder and hip. Never change from elbow and knee to elbow and knee nor
from hand and foot to shoulder and hip nor from shoulder and hip to hand and foot.

With these rules there are an infinite set of possible integrations depending on your speed of movement and mind and depending
on how you feel. In the beginning to make a simple routine, you can change your mind through one cycle for each weight shift.
But sometimes you can change your mind more often during one weight shift. For advanced study, more than one cycle per
weight shift is preferred. For example, in the above described brush knee you might do the external integrations in a more
detailed way by using your mind to integrate your right hand and left foot, then your right elbow and left knee, then your right
shoulder and left hip and part way through the movement move your mind back towards your extremities by integrating your right
shoulder and left hip, then your right elbow and left knee, and finish the movement while integrating your right hand with your left
foot. Increasing the number of cycles per. Weight shift can bring your practice to a higher level of detail and bring stronger
experiences of Qi and trained internal force.


	A Example of External Integration Training using Left Side Brush Knee and Twist Step As a more complete example, we describe a possible sequence for training external integration throughout the most common Taiji movement—“Brush Knee and Twist Step”. As illustrated below (Figure 3), we start this example in a left foot forward bow stance with the right hand extended in front of the center of your chest and the left hand pushing down with its thumb touching your left thigh. In this posture, you should look past your right index finger. Because the right leg is empty in this stance this is the yang leg. Therefore, the left arm is the yang arm. In this example we start with our mind on the left hand and right foot.

				Figure 3, Starting position for “Brush Knee and Twist Step”

Left Hand to Ear, Right Palm Down (see Figure 4) *Movement:* Relax your left shoulder. This will lead you to gradually: · * raise your left hand in a forward and upward arc to the left side of the left ear, and · * push your right palm down and forward in front of your left knee between waist and knee level. Look past your right index finger throughout this movement. External Integration · * As you begin to lift your left hand and push down with your right, focus your mind on separating your left hand from your right foot.


			Figure 4, Left hand to ear, right palm down

· * As you continue to lift your left hand and push down with your right, focus your mind on separating your left elbow from
your right knee.

· * As your left hand comes to rest near your left ear and your right hand comes to rest in front of your left knee, focus your
mind on bringing your left shoulder together with right hip.

Brush Right Palm to Right (see Figure 5) *Movement* Gradually move your look about 30° to the right. This will lead you to use your waist to brush your right palm to the right until it is in front of your right knee. *External Integration* Since no weight shift has been completed, the left arm and left leg remain yang so your mind stays on the same side. As you complete this movement change your mind from your left shoulder and right hip to your left elbow and right knee to your left hand and right foot. · * As you begin to brush your right palm to the right, focus your mind on bringing your left shoulder and right hip together. · * As you continue to brush your right palm to the right, change your mind to focus on bringing your left elbow and right knee together.

		Figure 5, Brush right palm to right

* As you finish brushing your right palm to the right, focus your mind on bringing your left hand and right foot together.

This is an interesting example of an external integration because the yang leg and arm are only indirectly involved in moving.

	Step Forward with Right Foot (see Figure 6) *Movement* Relax your right hip. This will lead you to step forward with your right foot. *External Integration* · * As you begin to step forward with your right foot, focus your mind on bringing your right foot and left hand together. · * As you continue to step forward with your right foot, focus your mind on bringing your right knee and left elbow together. · * As you finish stepping forward with your right foot, focus your mind on bringing your right hip and left shoulder together.





			Figure 6, Step forward with right foot

Straighten Body, Turn, Shift Weight and Push (see Figure 7) *Movement* Look up and then forward. This will lead you to: · * bring your body vertical, and · * turn your body to the left until your chest and hips are straight forward. Relax your left shoulder. This will lead you to: · * push your left hand forward at chest level in front of the center of your chest, and · * shift your weight onto the right foot. Pull back a little bit with your right hand until your right thumb touches your right thigh. This will lead you to gradually: · * push your left hand forward, drop the heel of your hand a little bit and twist your left palm slightly to the left, and * sink your weight onto your right leg. *External Integration* · As you straighten and turn your body and begin to shift your weight, focus your mind on bringing your left shoulder towards your right hip. · * As you continue to shift your weight and push, focus your mind on bringing your left elbow towards your right knee. · * As you push your left hand forward, twist your left palm to the left and sink your weight onto your right leg, focus your mind on bringing your left hand and right foot together.

		Figure 7, Straighten body, turn, shift weight and push

Conclusion

In form practice, external integration requires sustained practice. For beginners, the most common problem is keeping focused
enough to keep changing your mind from one pair of points to the next according to a routine. Sometimes you may forget which
points to go to. If this happens during your practice, don’t worry. Just keep moving and start the external integration again when
you complete the next weight shift. Be careful! Although it is important to use your mind for this practice, don’t over think! If your
form becomes tense or discontinuous because you are so focused on the external integrations, you have defeated the whole
purpose of Taiji Quan practice. Just use your mind to gently direct the movement of your yang arm and leg relative to each other.
In the beginning, you should follow a fixed routine to practice each point. Your mind should change very smoothly according to
this routine. Do not digitally switch between the three integrations. Instead gradually and continuously change your mind from one
pair of points to the next. When you can do a fixed routine in this way, you can make your own routines according to your own
feelings and the above basic rules. One common way to modify a fixed routine is to increase the number of cycles through the 3
pairs of acupuncture points per. weight shift. Because this will result in different sequences of integrations, hand to elbow to
shoulder or shoulder to elbow to hand, you will experience different feelings. Sometimes combining the application meaning of a
movement with the sequence in which you change your mind can bring much stronger feelings and help you understand how to
integrate your internal power with your mind and movement. When you get to this level, your practice will become even more
enjoyable.

Yin Cheng Gong Fa Association North American Headquarters

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Peter kindfield