Principles of Water Style Tai Chi

Based on Master Wang’s later writings, the core principles of Water Style Tai Chi Chuan are as follows:

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1. Water Style is the Movement of Sinking and Rising
   The body's weight sinks due to gravity, and rises due to the ground’s reactive force. The power in Water Style Tai Chi comes from the continuous fluctuation of sinking and rising of the body’s weight. Ancient martial arts texts mention the "lightly suspending the crown" which refers to upward rising (floating), and "qi sinking to the dantian," which refers to downward sinking.

2. Water Style is a Circular Movement of Dispersion and Convergence
   Just as water molecules have surface tension that pushes outward and cohesive forces that pull inward, there are outward-expanding trajectories (point, line, surface, and body) and inward-contracting trajectories (body, surface, line, and point). This principle aligns with the theory of the Eight Gates and Five Steps in traditional martial arts. The Eight Gates (Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, Kao) represent circular movements in four cardinal and four diagonal directions, while the Five Steps (advance, retreat, look left, observe right, and settle  ) expand and contract around the central axis.

3. Water Style is Fluid Movement
   Instead of relying on muscles and bones to support and store energy, the body functions as an energy converter. The body’s weight, through gravity’s action-reaction force, generates energy, which is then added to the opponent's incoming force. As the opponent’s force is heavy, it is followed and used against them. Maintaining a centered and relaxed posture is key, creating space and relaxation around the waist, akin to the center of a vortex or the eye of a hurricane, where energy is activated and exchanged. The larger empty space represents yang, and the smaller empty space represents yin; yin and yang complement each other, ensuring the continuous flow of energy.

4. Water Style is Continuous and Unbroken
   The power in Tai Chi flows in a continuous, wave-like manner, similar to the endless Yangtze River. The hands, arms, torso, legs, and feet move through multiple joints, alternately advancing and retreating. Upon contact with the opponent’s force, a series of linked reactions occur, like waves that gather and dissipate. This is enhanced by the spiral rotations of the Eight Gates (such as the Chen style’s silk-reeling energy), resembling whirlwinds or rolling waves, rising high or descending deep. “When the foe advances, the way to reach me stretches far; when he retreats, the route to escape tightens”. This is referred to as the skill of “Picking Flowers amidst the Crashing Waves”.

5. Water Style is Rootless
   Rootless means there is no fixed root, yet everywhere can be a root. This is like an object floating on water or a ball rolling on the ground, or a roly-poly toy: it rises and sinks, remaining stable. As the martial arts texts say: "Floating and drifting, diving into the waves; light above, sinking below, never falling or tipping."

6. Water Style is Inherent in the Human Body
   The goal of Taijiquan practice is to release tension and rigid thoughts, allowing the body to become soft and flexible once again. As Laozi said, "Focus the breath to achieve softness; can one become like a newborn?" The essence of Water Style Tai Chi is to restore natural flexibility and fluidity in the body, shedding stiffness and returning to the natural state of movement.