Table Of ContentT’ai Chi
Qi & Jin
T’ai Chi
Qi & Jin
Ultimate Guide for Developing
Internal & Intrinsic Energies
Stuart Alve Olson
Valley Spirit Arts
Phoenix, Arizona
Translations from T’ai Chi Ch’uan Tao Chien Kan San Shou Ho
Lun (T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Sword, Saber, Staff, and Dispersing-Hands
Combined), by Chen Kung
Disclaimer
Please note that the author and publisher of this book are NOT
RESPONSIBLE in any manner whatsoever for any injury that
may result from practicing the techniques and/or following the
instructions given within. Since the physical activities described
herein may be too strenuous in nature for some readers to
engage in safely, it is essential that a physician be consulted
prior to training.
Copyright © 2005 by Stuart Alve Olson.
New and expanded edition. Portions of this text were originally
published by Dragon Door Publications in two separate works:
Cultivating the Ch’i (1993) and The Intrinsic Energies of T’ai Chi
Ch’uan (1994).
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without prior written
permission from Valley Spirit Arts.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2005925043
ISBN-13: 978-1-889633-19-0
ISBN-10: 1-889633-19-4
Valley Spirit Arts
Phoenix, Arizona
www.phoenixtaoistcenter.com
Dedication
In reverent memory
of Master Kung Wei (1910–1997).
By the Sea of Java
dwelt a living dragon.
Oh Kung Wei,
Your kung fu, healing the poor,
Within “rusty iron” is pure steel.
The poor and destitute stood at your door,
Hands seeking your hands.
I brought you only apples,
You gave me three bright star gods.
Oh Kung Wei,
All my efforts seem to fade,
As your ease and merits shine on.
Even the gods have to lower
their heads to a true man.
The Immortal Ancestor, Chang San Feng
Founder of T’ai Chi Ch’uan
(A statue in his honor at Wu T’ang Temple,
Wu-T’ang Mountain, Hupei Province, China)
Testimonials
(From The Intrinsic Energies of T’ai Chi Ch’uan)
“An excellent and extremely informative translation of an impor-
tant body of work, that includes many principles and techniques
not found in popular T’ai Chi manuals. Olson has written an accu-
rate and lucid translation of a broad treatise, which, flavored by
insights from his own experience of the oral teachings, renders an
invaluable service in bridging the gap between theory and prac-
tice, enriching the understanding and practice of T’ai Chi players
at all levels.”
—Terry Dunn, author of
T’ai Chi For Health: The Yang Long Form.
“Every student of the art will find inspiration and guidance in this
translation. Olson is to be commended for his dedication and
tenacity in producing it. This helps to fill a real gap in the available
literature.”
—Paul Crompton, author of
T’ai Chi Workbook and Elements of T’ai Chi
“This book is a very good document for both T’ai Chi players and
instructors. Nowadays, no one has completely reached the high
levels described here. Therefore this book really provides important
goals to work toward attaining. If a dedicated T’ai Chi player can
master these different ‘energies,’ they will help promote the art to
a very high level.”
—Master Jou Tsung Hwa, author of
The Tao of T’ai Chi Ch’uan
“I predict that this will be one of the most important works on T’ai
Chi yet to be published in English. While the text itself is enlighten-
ing, the real pearls of knowledge contained in this book are to be
found in Olson’s commentary. Concepts and ideas typically mysti-
fied by practitioners are masterfully presented in a clear, direct
manner.”
—Dan Miller, editor Pa Kua Chang Journal
Acknowledgments
First and foremost I must thank Master Chen Kung, the author of
the Chinese language work from which I have drawn so much.
Without his diligent efforts in publishing the original Yang family
documents in Shanghai, China, the T’ai Chi community would
sorely be missing crucial literature. Everyone involved in T’ai Chi,
and mostly myself, owe Mr. Chen and the Yang family a great
deal of gratitude for preserving all these wonderful documents.
In 2004, I started corresponding with Chen Kung’s grandson,
Donald Chen. He confirmed the story of how his grandfather
obtained the Yang family records, and that he had become a
doctor of Chinese medicine. Chen had written two unpublished
works on T’ai Chi Ch’uan, and I will be collaborating with the
Chen family to ensure that these works are translated and pub-
lished in English, along with a full history of this incredible and
knowledgeable man. I deeply wish to thank Donald Chen for
entrusting me with presenting his grandfather’s work to the
English reading audience.
More than 10 years have passed since I published Cultivating
the Ch’i and The Intrinsic Energies of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, and even
though both works were very well received in the T’ai Chi com-
munity, they were in dire need of revision. This new book has
been completely revised and reorganized, and it expands upon
the materials found in those earlier works.
I could never have attempted writing this book in the first
place without the many years of instruction and help from my
teacher, the late T’ai Chi Master T.T. Liang. My translation work
actually began over twenty years ago when he first introduced
me to this material by giving me a Chinese original of the text in
1982, and encouraged me to translate it into English. Since then
I have, as Liang admonished me, “incessantly mugged and
bugged him” frequently about various aspects of this work. I am
very fortunate to have had him, of all the T’ai Chi experts in the
world, to help me along with this very difficult project. I man-
aged only to get a droplet of his art, but I will forever be in his
debt for his frustrated attempts to help me understand things
beyond mere understanding. I doubt very much, unfortunately,
that I have done real justice to what we had discussed over the
years. Therefore, all mistakes are mine and mine alone.
VIII
