Vol 23, Issue 1/2006
If only I were soft
On the process of yielding in Taijiquan
By Franz Pölzl
Yielding without resistance is one of the special qualities of Taijiquan and is often discussed, but seldom achieved. Based on the tradition of Zheng Manqing and Huang Xiangxian as transmitted by Patrick Kelly, Franz Pölzl gives a detailed description of the physical aspects of this process. Working on the basis of a simple pushing movement in a fixed stance, the force is absorbed in a wave movement originating in the front foot and transmitted onwards with little effort. In this way the force is directed consciously to one’s own centre, so that from this point it can be used for a counter-push.
