Quote:
Thomas Campbell wrote:
This post is offered for those on the forum unfamiliar with Chinese martial arts terminology, particularly taijiquan terms.
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Interesting, Thomas, and almost certain to draw some harsh criticism. Good luck with that.
In any case, having reviewed some videos of Chen stylists doing silk reeling exercises (including photos of Chen Xiao Want) and having read a good bit on this topic now, I am more convinced than ever that it does arise both directly and figuratively from literal silk reeling work. The silk reel is a wheel-like device and the movement of the Chen stylist was clearly compatible with a worker's turning that reel. And the whole-body movement allowed one to do so with the delicacy required in the taiji classics, warning "too fast and the thread breaks, too slow, it tangles," (paraphrased, lest Mike note a word out of place--the spirit is in place).
The repetitive references to physical silk threads and cocoons makes it clear that the movement is inspired by (ergo, "came from") the literal physical work of reeling silk.
Further, I find nothing at all similar in any Japanese art. Even though the Japanese, too, make silk, I've never heard of any reference to it in any relation to martial art and, likely, the physical way it is done is rather different than the almost peculiar way the Chinese do it, which yields tai ji.
Thanks again.
David