The four pillars of Tai Chi are:
- Qigong
- Form
- Pushing hands
- Martial applications
The architectural metaphor of “pillars” helps comprehend the importance of each of these in the very matter of what Tai Chi is. The implication is that these are the activities that provide the key support for our training – they are, figuratively speaking, precisely what makes our practice “stand up”. The implication is also that just one of these pillars is not enough to support our practice. Without a pillar at each of the four corners of a building its roof is liable to collapse!
1. Qigong
Qigong is the first of the pillars of Tai Chi. It is fundamental to Tai Chi’s nature as a martial art as well as a health practice. Tai Chi is counted as an “internal” martial art, in contrast to the “external” martial arts, for example, deriving from Shaolin kungfu. Where the external martial arts rely centrally on muscular force, internal martial arts rely on feeling and the use of qi, the life energy of the body. Qigong is what teaches us to feel these things. In general, Qigong (literally, “work on energy”) is also the aspect of Tai Chi most directly related to its health benefits. It is Qigong that relaxes and softens the body, making it more supple and invigorating it. It is Qigong that also trains us in the quality of movement in Tai Chi, which is soft, lively, flowing, graceful and powerful. Tai Chi can itself be practiced as an effective form of “energy work”.
2. Form
The word “form” in Chinese martial arts refers to a sequence of movements that the student learns and which trains the body in the postures and steps necessary to that martial art, and developing the flexibility and strength on which it relies. Contained within the movements of the form are the fighting techniques of that martial art. Tai Chi’s forms are no exception to this, hiding within each movement a series of possible defences, strikes, joint-locks and throws. The forms of Yang style Tai Chi tend to be performed slowly so that maximum feeling can be developed by the student, who learns to be grounded, to shift their weight in a controlled manner, soften and relax the body, and learn the precise dynamics of each movement. At Mei Quan, beginners start by learning the 24-step Beijing short form, probably the most common Tai Chi form practised today across the world. As students advance, they will learn other forms taught in the school, including the 108-step long form, weapons forms, energetic “martial” forms and two-person forms.
3. Pushing hands
“Pushing hands” exercises are partner exercises in which one learns to feel one’s own and another person’s balance, and to develop such skills as sensitivity, timing, co-ordination and mental calm and focus. Pushing hands thus teaches some of the key skills and abilities on which Tai Chi as a martial art relies. Through these the student can also learn the mental skills of relaxation under pressure, and winning by yielding, skills that can also be applied throughout life.
4. Martial application
In martial applications, the particular movements of a Tai Chi form are practised with a partner as self-defence or combat techniques. Martial application is the highest-level and most complex of the pillars of Tai Chi. There is a strong relation between the form and these applications: not only do the movements of the form teach the correct shapes and movements of the applications, but doing the applications should “fill” the form with meaning and intent, so that it is not a mere empty set of movements. Understanding the meanings of the movements helps students make them more precisely.
Students come to Tai Chi for different reasons, and may well find themselves attracted to one particular of the Four Pillars more than the others. However, it is worth bearing in mind the mutually supportive nature of the Four Pillars and the way that they form a complete structure. For instance, it is when studied as a martial art that Tai Chi’s health benefits are most powerful, so a student who wants such benefits from Tai Chi ignores the martial aspects to their own detriment. Similarly, a student will not gain the full martial power of Tai Chi if they ignore Qigong; and the elegant movements of Tai Chi forms cannot be understood and practised to their highest extent without an understanding of their underlying martial aspects, or the quality of movement which comes from practising Qigong.