13式 Starting Form (起勢, Qǐ Shì)
A whole-body interpretation of the Tai Chi Starting Form (起勢, Qǐ Shì), where every movement originates from the Dantian (丹田) and the opening and closing of the body, rather than from the arms alone. Here is a version with the underlying Tai Chi theories.
Starting Form (起勢, Qǐ Shì)
1. Sink and Close (沉、合)
Begin by relaxing the entire body.
Sink (沉) by gently bending the knees while allowing the Kua (胯, hip joints) to relax and fold. At the same time, slightly contain the chest (含胸) and round the back (拔背).
As the body closes (合), the Dantian (丹田) gently contracts inward.
Because the body is closing, both hands naturally move inward toward the center. They are not pulled by the arms; they are carried by the body's contraction.
2. Turn to the Left (左轉)
Rotate the body to the left from the Dantian (丹田).
The right heel (右腳跟) naturally lifts slightly, allowing the pelvis to rotate freely without twisting the knee.
The arms continue to follow the body's rotation while maintaining their original relationship to the torso (原位).
3. Open the Body (開)
The body now begins to open.
The Dantian expands (丹田開).
The Kua (胯) open.
The torso rotates back to face forward.
As this occurs, the left foot (左腳) moves outward until the feet are approximately shoulder-width apart.
The hands naturally separate diagonally toward both sides of the waist.
The Tiger's Mouth (虎口) lightly touches the sides of the waist without pressing.
Again, the arms do not move independently; they are transported by the body's expansion.
4. Sink Together (同沉)
Relax once more.
The entire body sinks.
The knees bend slightly.
The center of gravity lowers.
The hands descend together with the body.
The feeling is that the body carries the hands downward rather than the hands lowering themselves.
5. Rise Together (同起)
The body now gently rises.
The legs extend naturally.
The spine lengthens upward.
The hands float upward until approximately shoulder height.
This is not a lifting action by the shoulders.
The rising force originates from the ground through the legs and is transmitted through the body into the hands.
6. Sink Again (再沉)
Finally, the body relaxes and sinks once more.
The hands descend naturally until they reach waist level.
The movement ends with the whole body settled, rooted, and ready for the next posture.
Theoretical Principles (理論)
This entire Starting Form demonstrates several fundamental Tai Chi principles.
1. Opening and Closing (開合)
Every movement is produced by the alternation of:
- Opening (開)
- Closing (合)
The hands merely express what the body is already doing.
2. Dantian Governs (丹田主宰)
The Dantian (丹田) is the center of movement.
When it contracts:
- The body closes.
- The hands naturally come inward.
When it expands:
- The body opens.
- The hands naturally separate.
3. Whole-Body Power (整體勁)
No part moves independently.
The Tai Chi Classics state:
"When one part moves, every part moves; when one part stops, every part stops."
「一動無有不動，一靜無有不靜。」
The hands neither initiate nor finish the movement.
They simply express the movement generated by the whole body.
4. Rooting (扎根)
The repeated sinking develops:
- Root (根)
- Stability (穩定)
- Elastic force (彈性勁)
The knees bend because the body is storing energy, not because the practitioner is squatting.
5. Peng Jin Throughout (棚勁)
Even when the hands lower, they never become limp.
Throughout the movement, the arms remain gently rounded with Peng Jin (棚勁).
There is neither collapse (塌) nor stiffness (僵).
A Biomechanical Interpretation
From a modern biomechanics perspective, this Starting Form is a coordinated stretch–shortening cycle of the whole body.
- Closing (合) gently stores elastic energy in the fascia, tendons, and muscles.
- Opening (開) releases that stored energy through coordinated extension.
- Sinking (沉) lowers the center of mass, improving stability and allowing force to be transmitted from the ground.
- Rising (起) is driven by ground reaction force, with the arms being carried by the kinetic chain rather than lifted by the shoulder muscles.
This interpretation agrees remarkably well with the Tai Chi Classics:
"Its root is in the feet (其根在腳),
It is directed by the waist (主宰於腰),
Expressed through the fingers (形於手指)."
The description also reflects our long-standing emphasis on maintaining the original relationship between the arms and the torso (原位). In this approach, the hands do not "perform" the movement; they simply reveal the opening, closing, sinking, and rising that have already occurred in the body's center. This is one of the defining characteristics of authentic whole-body Jin (整體勁).
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