Spiral Force (chan ssu jin)
Dr Paul Lam
NB: I have conducted a virtual workshop on Spiral Force 2021 with instructions, demonstration and references to my instructional dvd or online lessons. You can access this workshop at www.taichionlineworkshops.com
In this article (1998) I will start with an introduction spiral force, follow by the classification of the types of spiral forces, then outline a few methods to improve it and end with a practical exercise “leisurely tying coat” to improve your spiral force.
What Is Spiral Force?
There is much mysticism surrounding spiral force, many experts hold different opinions. Some well-known experts are reported to deny such a thing as spiral force. It really does not matter what name it is, as long as we understand what is being discussed in this article. I will define spiral force as: “The movements of Taijiquan are in spiral and curve shapes, these movements are expressed outwardly by twining of muscle and skin of the whole body, at the same time there is an internal force or jin twining throughout the internal parts of the body. This force is elastic, loosen and yet powerful, this is spiral force.” It is also known as internal force or chan ssu jin in Chinese. Chen style expressed the spiral force more frequently and clearly, this is why I refer to Chen style often, but the force is present and similar in most styles of Taijiquan.
According to Chen Xin (a famous Chen style writer, 1849-1929) “ Taijiquan is spiral force …if you don’t know spiral force you don’t know Taijiquan.” I believe we can acquire an internal force soon after we start practising Taijiquan, initially it may be minimal and difficult to be felt by the practitioner. To be aware of and to understand the force will help us improve it, thus improve our skill of Taijiquan.
When practising Taijiquan we should be striving towards using our conscious mind to control the Qi (a life energy inside the body, initially it may be felt like a warm and tingling sensation in the palm or the dan-tian – an area three finger breadth below the belly button), and using Qi to control the internal force.
Types of Spiral Forces
Chen Xin said there are six types of spiral force: “forward, backward, left, right, upper, lower, internal and external, flow-twining and reverse-twining and large and small spiral forces.”
Essentially there are only two types of spiral forces according to grand master Hong Junsheng. The flow-twining and reverse-twining forces, they are also known as clockwise and anticlockwise flow, but the clock direction becomes confusing with right and left hand. When one turns one’s hand with thumb-side turning outward to make the palm facing upward this is flow-twining; and when one turns one’s little finger outward to make the palm facing downward this is reverse-twining. According to clock direction the action of flow-twining of the right hand is clockwise, but the same flow-twining would be anti-clock wise for the left hand. Therefore it would be easier to use these terms, which are the closest I can find to match the meaning of their original Chinese names. When thinking of spiral forces, imagine a string twining around the reel either in a clock wise direction or anti-clock wise directions.
From these two types, we further classify the spiral forces based on: eye movements, body movements, stepping methods and hand movements.
- Eye Movements:
When one’s eyes follow the body and the steps, one is flow-twining. For example when you are doing the end movement of “leisuely tying coat” at photo 6, your eyes are looking at the right hand, here your eyes are flow-twining.
Reverse-twining is the reverse, for example when executing the Chen style “waving hands in the cloud”, your eyes look to the left when your hands are pushing to the right, this is the reverse-twining force.
Eyes are most important, they are the spirit of movement, they direct the body movement and are well stored with internal force. When you are mentally focused during your practise your eyes are energised and your spirit is high, there is abundance of internal force within you. Generally the eyes should be looking at eye-level, when stepping toward a direction you should look towards that direction, if the stance remain unchanged you should end up looking at the direction of the last movement.
- Body Movements:
The body only turns right or left, turning left is flow-twining, and turning right is reverse-twining. Since the centre of gravity is the dan-tian, the waist should be turning right and left only, not moving up or down, nor shaking in different directions.
If you are practising Chen style, the coccyx (the end point of the bone at the bottom of the spine where you sit on) should turn upward very slightly, this will enable lateral sides of lower abdomen to contract diagonally inward and Qi will sink to dan-tian and inner thigh muscles will loosen or opening up, crotch will arch naturally. This posture will help to maintain upright and stable stances.
- Stepping Methods
The lower limbs movements is base on the turning of the body movement. When the body is turning left, the left leg is flow-twining and right leg reverse-twining. When turning right, the right leg is flow-twining and left leg is reverse-twining. This comes naturally, you cannot have both legs doing flow-twining or reverse-twining together or you will not be able to maintain your balance.
When turning body to the left, the left knee should be lifted upward slightly whilst the right knee moved downward slightly. This can be liken to the mechanism of levering. The waist is the fulcrum, the knee is the effort and the incoming force is the load. See figure 1. A larger force (the load) is moved by the bending (the effort) of the knee, thus enabling lesser force to control the stronger.
When your knee is flow-twining, Qi comes from the dan-tian, passes through inner thigh, then above knee and to the toes. And at reverse-twining the knee is twisting inward, the internal force travel from toes along the same spiral path back to the dan-tian.
- Hands Movements:
When you turn your hand with thumb-side turning outward to make the palm facing upward in flow-twining; one should focus mentally (consciously directing your internal force as you move your hand) on the tips of the fingers, firstly thumb, then index, middle, ring to little fingers. When you turns one’s little finger outward to make the palm facing downward in reverse-twining, you should focus mentally the reverse direction starting with the tip of the little finger then gradually to the thumb.
How to Improve Spiral Force
Taijiquan is an internal art, it involves practising both internal and external components together. The ultimate aim of practising Taijiquan is to reach the integration of these two components. The following three methods will help to achieve this:
- When practising, mentally focus on the movements, consciously direct the movement according to the flow of Qi, avoid simply think of moving Qi without moving the body correspondingly (as required for that movement). Utilise mental imagery, imagine there is an opponent in front of you and you are applying the movements in combat. For example, when you need to deliver force, consciously directing your Qi to where you are delivering the force (or fa-jin) will give it real power.
- When practising, work on smoothness and evenness of the movements; move as though moving against thick air; and at the end of the movement you should express delivering force or jin.
- Work on expressing the abundance of internal force externally, avoid moving sluggishly and broken movements.
These three methods should combine with other essential principles of Taijiquan. All essential principles enhance integration of the inner force and external movements, and are necessary steps to reach the ultimate aim. I outline a few pertinent ones below.
Elasticity
The internal force is elastic, this is produced by conscious stretching of all joints. Joints, muscles and ligaments should be loosening, or gently stretched. For example, at the end movement of photo 4 and 6 your joints should be stretched, but not fully extended. Full extension of a joint is defined as moving the joint to its full range and you cannot move the joint any further, the joint is “locked”, this will cause stiffness and hinder the flow of Qi. A stiff joint is a weakness because it can be controlled or broken easily. On the other hand, conscious stretching is elongation of the joint by stretching the muscles and ligaments around the joint.
Spiral movements
In upper limbs, twining wrists, elbows and shoulders, and in lower limbs, twining ankles, knees and hips in curves will enhance wave-like up-and-down motions and mental fluctuation. When all these movements are executed in a co-ordinated manner, the spiral force is generated inside the body.
The Spine as Axis
Imagine it is a straight line or a rod inside the body from the top of scalp at the acupunture point baihui (at mid point of the scalp) to pelvis at the acupuncture point changqiang (at the end of sacrum – the sitting bone), different parts of the body at both sides move in curves but this rod remain straight. It will keep the body upright, allow other part of the body, muscle and organs to relax and be loosen. You will find maintaining the spine as axis will allow you to feel the Qi and cultivate it better.
Attacking and Defending Movements
When doing an attacking movement, regardless of which spiral force, it is a Yang and an opening up type of movement (Yin and yang are the complete polar opposite of each other, and are found in all things in life.), the force moves from dan-tian to the limbs, with shoulders driving the elbows, elbow driving the hands; hips driving the knees and knees driving the feet. One should exhale and deliver force (fa-jin). When deliver force take care to sink your centre of gravity (or dan-tian) and push jin forward. As in photo 6.
When doing a defending movement, it is a Yin and a closing in type of movement. One focuses mentally on returning the internal force from peripheral ie the toes to dan-tian following the reverse path as the attacking movement. One should inhale and store up energy, as the right hand in photo 8.
Exercise To Develop the Spiral Force
Before you start, please do a general warm-up exercise. Practise this exercise regularly, give yourself time to appreciate the finer points and internal feeling as you practise. Please check with your doctor or teacher if in doubt whether this exercise is suitable for you.
Your hands should form a Chen style palm as Hand Photo 1 to 3. Hand Phto 1 is a front-on view, your thumb touching the palm and exerting a inward wrapping force toward the little finger, other fingers spread out but touching one another. Hand Photo 2 is the back view and 3 is a front-on view of a flexed wrist with finger tips towards you.
Photo 1. Commencing stance
Starting up with your feet together. Please take care not to over push yourself, you don’t have to copy exactly what I do in the photo, practise within your own comfort zone. Keep body upright, stretch your head upwards and plant your feet downward as though there is a gentle invisible force pulling your head up and feet down. Put your hands gently on the side of your thighs, cleanse your mind and relax all your joints (not flopping down but loosen them).
Photo 2. Bring your hands up
Separate your feet to approximately twice the shoulder width, this width can be adjusted according to your ability. Older, novice and less flexible practitioner should have much shorter width, which can be lengthen as you become more proficient. Your toes end up pointing slightly outwards as the photo. Bring your hands up slowly and evenly, while breathing in slowly and evenly. Both hands are separated by shoulder width, raise them to shoulder height.
Photo 3. Both palms next to the hips
Rotate your hands and gradually bring them down in an arc, ending up with palms facing up and next to your hips, bend your knees to a comfortable height for you. This turning of palms are flow-twining, movement of the palms are in gentle curves, breathe out.
Photo 4. Flow-twining of the right palm
Rotate your right hand in flow-twining toward left side of the body, this move can be used to intercept a on-coming punch, so that your wrist stick to your opponent’s wrist. When doing this movement you should start your internal force from the feet, feel your force (if you can’t feel it, simply think of the part of the body as mentioned) travel from feet to above the knees, across the thighs then to the waist, moving upward in a spiral path to the hands. Also your body should be doing flow-twining, left leg flow-twining, right leg reverse-twining and eyes flow-twining. Try to remember to loosen up all your joints as you move and sink the Qi to the dan-tian (If you are unable to do it, simply think of this area, after more practise you will be able to feel your Qi). At the same time, slowly shift your weight toward the left, ending up with 60% of your weight on the left leg.
This movement can be the beginning of a interception leading to the next movement of following your opponent’s punching force and to re-direct his force, or it can be used to deliver force toward your opponent. For the second choice, if you sense the opportunity is right, your hand while still touching his wrist, slip passes his wrist and continue to travel upward to attack his eyes or throat. If you are unable to reach the target, don’t bend your body forward because this could create a weakness in your balance (remember to keep your body upright) simply take a small step forward with your right foot then followed quickly with the left foot stepping forward in order to reach your target. A common technique is to stamp the right foot on the ground to generate more force for the attack and follow swiftly with the left foot forward.
Photo 5. Carying palm across
Using the power from your waist, turn your right hand so that the palm is facing down, moves it toward to right side of the body. The force of the movement should originate from the feet, direct by the hips and in a gentle and large curve. Gradually shift your weight to the right so the your palm passes your neck, your weight is at mid-line.
This movement can be used to re-direct your opponent’s force to lead it sideways, or it can be used to strike his neck with the side of your hand.
Photo 6. Right hand upstanding
When the right hand reach the right side of the body, sink your Qi, using the power from dan-tian, stretching the right hand slightly further, at the same time strike out and turn hand so that fingers are pointing upward. Right hand reverse-twining as it strikes out, your waist moves very slightly backward creating a stretching of the body in opposite directions. Your weight should end up 60% on the right leg.
Photo 7. Back to the start (same as photo 3)
Right hand flow-twining and moves to the left slightly in a curve and back toward the body, then slightly reverse-twining and toward the right to reach the original position at photo 3. If this sound confusing, it is all right simply move your right hand back to the position of photo 3, do move your hand in a gentle curve.
Do the same in the opposite direction for the left hand. Do this until you are familiar with both hands then you can practise changing hands as Photo 8.
Photo 8. Changing palms
As you bring the right hand back, move the left hand toward the right hand side as in single hand movement, left hand crossing at just above the right wrist. Continue to practise right and left hands and exchanging palms at this point.
To finish off, simply bring both hands to the front as they cross each other as in Photo 8, stretch them out to reach shoulder height and at shoulder width, then press hands down and standing up slowly at the same time breathing out slowly.
After the exercise walking around and shake your hands and feet gently as a wind-down movement. Try to continue practising with patience for a while, you will be able to appreciate and feel the flow of internal force and experience its power.
