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DANTIAN
CENTRALITY
Inner
balance
calls
for
fangsong
resolution
at
the
joints
.
But
the
joints
of
the
body
are
myriad
,
and
resolving
the
errors
at
one
can
affect
others
because
of
the
tensile
integrity
of
the
skeletal
frame
.
This
makes
fangsong
of
the
matrix
of
joints
seem
nigh
impossible
.
see
,
Now
here
is
where
the
charm
of
Taiji
pragmatics
comes
in
.
The
unwieldy
task
of
applying
fangsong
over
the
myriad
joints
reduces
to
one
guided
by
a centrality
principle
.
Taijiquan
simplifies
the
framework
of
joints
into
three
pairs
for
fangsong
to
work
through
systematically
.
The
major
three
pairs
are
:
the
shoulders
and
hips
,
the
elbows
and
knees
,
and
the
hands
and
feet
,
which
can
be
further
subdivided
in
refinement
.
As
we
shall
this
leads
to
an
elegant
centrality
principle
that
regulates
the
Taiji
training
for
cultivating
inner
balance
.
The
waist
-
groin
junction
enjoys
an
eminent
status
because
the
generation
of
waist
power
relies
on
the
torque
action
and
reaction
at
the
junction
.
The
functional
significance
is
the
transference
of
forces
between
the
body
and
the
ground
,
and
the
junction
demarcates
a
proportionate
distribution
of
masses
between
the
upper
and
lower
body
.
Taijiquan
refers
to
this
waist
-
groin
junction
as
the
kua
(
H4
)
,
which
represents
the
complex
consisting
of
the
pelvic
girdle
and
the
triangle
of
joints
—
the
hip
-joints
and
the sacral-
iliac
joint
(
SIJ)
.
The
midpoint
of
the
kua
junction
serves
as a
center
of
reference
for
fangsong
resolution
to
guide
the
resolution
at
all
the
joints
.
This
coincides
with
the
energy
-
point
known
as
the
dantian
(
“
field
of
elixir
”
)
,
described
traditionally
as
three
fingers
below
the
navel
and
a third
of
the
way
inside
.
Note
also
that
the
dantian
location
is
approximately
the
center
of
mass
of
the
body
in
a
horse
stance
posture
.
By
referencing
to
the
dantian
,
fangsong
resolution
tempers
and
works
on
the
yin
yang
balance
of
the
muscle
actions
at
the
kua
triangle
,
thereby
operationally
developing
6
C.P.
Ong
(
2016
)
The
Central
Status
of
the
Daution
.
The
International
Magazine
of
Tai
Chi
Chuan
,
Spring
2016
Vol
.
40
No.
1.
www.Tai-Chi.com
.
the centrality
of
the
dantian
.
Also
,
the
qi
,
cultivated
at
each
joint
relative
to
the
dantian
,
nurtures
a
kinetic
connectivity
between
the
joint
and
the
dantian
.
Consequently
,
a
web
of
qi
-
connectivity
of
the
joints
centered
at
the
dantian
builds
throughout
the
body
.
This
forms
the
concrete
basis
for
the
principle
of
dantian
centrality
in
the
body
.
In
this
way
,
the
intractable
problem
of
fangsong
of
the
myriad
joints to
cultivate
inner
balance
is
resolved
and
reduced
to
the centrality
principle
of
“
establishing
the
central
status
of
the
dantian
."
The
bio
-
mechanical
significance
of
establishing
dantian
centrality
(
dantian
wei
hexin
de
xing
cheng
ADES
LÉIFEAC
)
is
the
fruition
of
the
SIj
hub
principle—
“
the
hub
of
forces
transferred
from
the
trunk
to
the
ground
and
vice
versa
”
(
Lovejoy
,
1988
,
Aiello
&
Dean
,
1990
)
.
This
enables
the
pelvic
platform
to
serve
as a
conduit
of
motion
and
loads
between
the
spine
and
the
legs
,
which
are
described
as
the
three
levers
by
Vleeming
.
In
the
qi
paradigm
,
the
constant
attentiveness
to
the
dantian
and
particularly
,
the
fangsong
at
the
SIJ
and
hip
-
joints
,
induces
the
qi
energy
to collect
in
the
lower
abdominal
region
,
concentrating
at
the
dantian
.
In
time
,
the
nurtured
concentration
of
qi
culminates
as the “
fullness
of
dantian
qi”
(
dantian
qi
baoman
1
&
it
)
.
The
fullness
of
dantian
qi
gives
the
body
a
deep
experiential
appreciation
of
the
centrality
principle
.
With
this
achievement
,
the
body
is
said
to
be
invested
with
the
principle
of
centrality
.
Its
attainment
represents
the
maturity
of
inner
balance
and
mastery
of
the
art
.
The
upshot
is
that
the
body's
neijin
is
imbued
with
inner
balance
.
The
force
that
ensues
from
the
body's
action
is
a
vector
of
the
right
"
softness
”
and
“
hardness
,"
and
enjoys
the
unified
momentum
of
well
ordered
sequential
kinetics
.
Inspired
by
yin
-yang
balance
,
the
force
of
neijin
is
lively
7
A
Vleeming
,
et
al
.
The
sacroiliac
joint
:
an
overview of
its
(
anatomy
,
function
and
potential
clinical
implications
|
Anat
.
2012
Dec
;
221
(
6
)
:
537–567
.
Most
of
the
discussion
here
on
SIJ
are
based
on
this
paper
.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pmc
/
articles
/
PMC3512279
/
and
agile
—
able
to
change
spontaneously
to
combat
situations
.
THE
ROU
(
SOFT
)
AND
GANG
(
HARD
)
OF
NEIJIN
The
key
to
the
effectiveness
of
a
kungfu
technique
is
the
response
of
the right
force
vector
applied
with
the
right
postural
setup
for
delivery
or
for
leverage
.
This
is
apparent
in
the
close
-
quarter
fighting
skills
of
wrestling
,
judo
,
grappling
,
and
joint
locking
techniques
.
"
To
execute
an
armlock
in
practice
is
one
thing
,
but
quite
another
under
the
pressure
of
combat
.
One
must
be
able
to
mancuver
to
apply
leverage
on
the
fly
,
according
to the
changing
conditions
,
and
keep
control
in
balance
.
Uncannily
,
that
is
what
neijin
born
of
inner
balance
offers
as
a
matter
of
course
.
Infused
with
inner
balance
,
the
body
is
very
conversant
with
movements
at the
joints
,
so
can
undergo
change
spontaneously
in
response
,
with
ease
and
at
will
according
to
the
loads
—
a
quality
which
describes
the
soft
(
rou
ă
)
character
of
neijin
.
With
sequential
kinetics
,
the
body's
momentum
is
unified
in
action
,
which
depicts
the
hard
(
gang
(
U
)
character
of
neijin
.
The
liveliness
(
ling
huo
:)
of
neijin
is
the
interplay
of
its
dual
characters
of
soft
and
hard
.
This
means
that
,
in
the
interchange
of
softness
and
hardness
,
the
body
can
change
and
maneuver
with
spontaneity
according
to
the
changing
demands
of
the
combat
situation
in
application
(
sui
ji
ying
bian
ling
huo
yun
yong
随机應变
灵活
运用
)
.
The
rou
(
softness
)
gives
changeability
to
respond
with
a
force
acting
in
the
right
direction
and
the
gang
(
hardness
)
gives
the
force
magnitude
by
the
unison
of
momentum
.
The
duality
accords
precision
to
the
kungfu
maneuver
,
which
makes
the effort
in
the
response
appear
"
soft
,
"
in
contrast
to
the
strenuous
exertion
associated
with
brute
force
.
In
short
,
the
advantage
of
neijin
is
that
the
Taiji
body
knows
to
deliver
the
right
combination
of
rou
and
gang
,
as a
reflex
response
that
manifests
in
action
of
the right
force
vector
.
This
is
what
enchants
us as
the
magic
of
Taiji
kungfu
touted
in
the
classics
.
For
instance
,
in
the
skill
of
“
leading
an
opponent
to
emptiness
,”
the
body
responds
with
rou
-
softness
to
absorb
the
incoming
force
but
with
sufficient
gang
-
hardness
to
stay
in
balance
,
and
when
the
attacking
force
is
committed
,
the
body
would
turn
with
ease
at the
kua
pivot
,
leading
the
force
to
slide
off
to
“
emptiness
.
”
Note
that
if
one's
core
strength
is
not
sufficiently
developed
,
one
would
be
shoved
off
before
any
technique
could
come
into
play
.
Also
,
if
the
neijin
were
not
mature
,
one
would
have
to
fight
back
in
an
effort
to
keep
balance
.
This
would
lock
up
the
body
,
rendering
it
unable
to
turn
at
the
waist
.
The
maturity
of
neijin
accords
a
springy
liveliness
(
song
huo
tan
dou
taE31
#t
)
and
a
natural
case
of
turning
(
yuan
zhuan
ziru
圆转
自如
).
The
skill
of
“
borrowing
the
opponent's
force
”
is
simply
taking
timely
advantage
of
the
opponent's
faltering
momentum
.
And
the
skill
of
"
four
ounces
overcoming
a
thousand
pounds
”
is
a
statement
of
using
leverage
.
But
in
order
to
move
a
thousand
-
pound
load
with
the
fulcrum
placed
half
a
foot
away
,
the lever
would
have
to
be
at
least
2,000
ft
long
,
which
clearly
would
be
impossible
to
emulate
in the
human
body
.
The
leverage
,
of
course
,
is
not
linear
,
but
that
of
“
coiling
”
(
chanrao
4
%
)
.
If
the
opponent
is
holding
the
tip
of
a
screw
-
driver
but
you
are
controlling
the
handle
,
you
will
prevail
with
a
small
effort
,
no
matter
how
strong
he
mig
be
.
The
control
at
the
kua
is
like
the
control
of
the
screw
-
driver
handle
,
which
enjoys
the
tremendous
advantage
of
coiling
leverage
.
Fajin
3
is
an
explosive
release
of
jin
energy
at
an
extremity
,
like
the
crack
of
a
whip
.
Fajin
is
activated
by
accelerating
the
Taiji
motion
,
like
stepping
on
the
gas
pedal
in
driving
.
But
the
body
must
be
well
regulated
by
the
principle
of
inner
balance
.
Otherwise
,
it
would
be
like
a
sputtering
car
,
out
of
tune
and
out
of
alignment
.
With
the
segments
linked
in
kinetic
sequence
,
the
release
of
jin
power
is
as
frightfully
explosive
as
it
is
graceful
,
as
witnessed
in
Chen
Xiaowang's
16