The Eight Gates & Five Steps in Water Style T'aiChi (by Peter Tong)

Translated by: 龔振勝

Water sinks and floats. Eight Gates Represent the Eight Trigrams, and Five Steps correspond to the Five Elements.

Then, what is the connection between the water and the Eight Trigrams and the Five Elements? And how do they relate to T'aiChi?

The Eight Trigrams (八卦 "Bagua") have multiple meanings, one of which is directional. When the Eight Trigrams are used to represent directions, they can describe either the four cardinal directions and four intermediate points on a flat plane or the three-dimensional spatial orientation of a cube, with six faces and eight directional points. The term "Gate" (門) signifies entry and exit. Thus, the Eight Gates represent the eight directions in three-dimensional space, functioning as "energy entry and exit pathways." The Eight Trigrams provide an orderly arrangement, and the Eight Gates can represent the energy flow routes in all six spatial planes (up, down, left, right, front, back) and eight directions.

The Five Elements (五行 "Wu Xing") also have multiple meanings. One interpretation is the dynamic movement of "the center surrounded by the four cardinal directions." This movement involves both expansion (opening) and contraction (closing). When the movement spirals outward step by step, it is referred to as the Generating Cycle of the Five Elements (相生). When it spirals inward step by step, it is called the Overcoming Cycle of the Five Elements (相克). This spiral motion, whether expanding outward or contracting inward around the center in steps—following a forward, left, backward, right, or reverse direction—is referred to as the Five Steps (五步).

Water Style refers to the natural sinking and floating of weight. Sinking and floating are inherently vertical movements (downward and upward), but they can be transformed into multi-directional movements across all eight directions of the Eight Gates. Furthermore, this sinking and floating can occur simultaneously with the spiral expansion or contraction of the Five Steps.

Key Principles of T'aiChi Based on Water Style：

1. T'aiChi relies on weight, not brute force. The sinking of weight to the ground generates an upward floating force. This sinking and floating of weight is the primary energy source in T'aiChi.

2. Because sinking and floating are influenced by gravity, the primary movement is vertical (up and down). However, through the coordinated rotation of the body's joints, this vertical movement can be transformed into the multi-directional opening and closing of the Eight Gates.

3. If energy is used in a linear opening and closing motion, it will only decrease over time. However, if the opening and closing follow the spiral principles of the Five Steps, a circular lever effect is activated, significantly enhancing efficiency. Each spiral step (a rotation of 72 degrees around the circle) can increase energy by a factor of 1.618 (the Golden Ratio), as the rotational path is 1.618 times longer than a straight path. A complete 360-degree spiral (Five Steps) can theoretically amplify energy by 1.618 raised to the fifth power, or approximately 11 times. In practice, achieving just a two- or three-fold energy increase already yields exceptional results. Conversely, a spiral contraction reduces energy by a factor of 0.618 per step, compressing energy over five steps by a factor of 11. The expansive spiral of the Five Elements resembles the upward surge of a tornado, while the contracting spiral mirrors the downward pull of a whirlpool.

The sinking and floating of body weight generate energy. The Eight Gates convert weight into energy flow across all directions. The spiral opening and closing of the Five Steps maximize energy efficiency. The three-dimensional spiral transformation of sinking and floating, guided by the Eight Gates and Five Steps, embodies the Water Style characteristic of T'aiChi.

The T'aichi form is a practice of transforming and controlling energy by applying the principles of Water Style, Eight Gates, and Five Steps to the sinking and floating of body weight. The key to the form's design lies in the transformation of energy flow. Because students vary in skill and understanding, the specific requirements of the form will differ. Therefore, learning T'aichi requires guidance from a knowledgeable instructor (明師, a 名 "famous" instructor does not necessarily equate to a 明 "bright" one). In modern times, thanks to technological advancements, students can now conveniently learn from our senior instructor, Charlie Chang, through videos available online. This is a rare opportunity to study with a truly knowledgeable instructor and a great blessing for all students!