52

52

ALL-under-Heaven have a common Beginning.
This Beginning is the Mother of the world.
Having known the Mother,
We may proceed to know her children.
Having known the children,
We should go back and hold on to the Mother.
In so doing, you will incur no risk
Even though your body be annihilated.

Block all the passages!
Shut all the doors!
And to the end of your days you will not be worn out.
Open the passages!
Multiply your activities!
And to the end of your days you will remain helpless.

Translated by John C. H. Wu

Interpretation by Bill Bernsen

SLOW SET

Return 

To the source

Slow set

Mothers support 

Their children

Mothers look to children 

For strength/stability

Same relationship in all

Of heaven and earth

Expressed by man 

Known as equilibrium

Mother 

Is a fulcrum

Gives birth 

To the scale

Once realized 

The scale

Weight everything

Too much yin 

Add yang

Too much yang

Take away 

Some yang = balance

These are the children 

Once know how 

To weigh something 

Then concentrate 

On the fulcrum

It is important 

To understand how 

A scale works 

Before weighing things 

Eventually have control 

Of the scale 

The lever 

Of life

Is the fulcrum

Fulcrum supports 

Center of gravity

Kow tow to

Center of gravity

See center of gravity

In self-first

Then students 

Opponent lastly 

It was there

In the good and bad

But I did not know myself

Well enough

To recognize it

To know/understand 

Other forms/weapons 

Is to turn back 

To slow set 

Fill the hollow

Hub/space  

With heart] 

Hub = body

Vase = food water in body

Room = practice space

All must be filled

With spirit

Mother 

At one time

Was a child too 

To know the mother’s 

Childhood

 Is to know 

The legacy

At what time 

Does the child 

Become old enough 

To be the mother

Being the mother

Is being creative

In childhood

Be careful as to

What information 

Is let in 

Beginning 

Mother 

Protect children

Guides them

However

Cannot live

Their lives

Let them go physically

Protect them spiritually

Narrowing 

Teaching

Both in time/space

Waist controls 

Gestures

Control body

Mother Ideas

Give birth 

To children 

Of ideas

First find

 The Master

Must be an artist 

To do this

Next master self

Finally know others

To become

 A warrior 

Don’t read/view/ listen 

To others until 

I know self

Slow Set 

Is the secret 

To Tai Chi Chuan

Once

I know 

The slow set 

Then can know

 Weapons/push hands

Mother = Physics 

Mother 

Is earth/China

Child is man

Masters are heaven/spirit

All gestures

Have a common beginning

Mind/eyes/hands/ body

Slow Set 

Is the mother

Giver of birth

New ideas

Slow Set

Always!

Coil spring joints

Keep the mother (slow set)

Alive

First let

 Masters in 

To test 

Then relate 

To others

Once 

Thorax/waist/pelvis 

Are open

Energy 

From earth/China

Will ascend

Know slow set

Then applications

Then push hands

Block other influences

Negate stress

Of learning to soon

It all begins 

In mind

This is the universe 

All from 

The lineage

The universe

Live life

Common beginning

Uncommon idea

The future

First

Find the bow

Then string the bow

Then add the arrow/applications

The Mother

Is a fulcrum!

Slow set 

Is the Mother

The father

 Is the Master

The children 

Are the new ideas

Ideas are the future 

Of the art

Ward off all

Do not expose 

Self to trouble

Mother

Is a fulcrum

Know slow set 

To know

 Weapons/push hands

Don’t talk

Don’t think

Don’t use senses

Use 6th sense instead

Wu Wei

Tao

Slow set

Is the origin

Of all ideas

Block 

All passages  

Family/friends/foes 

While going thru 

The changes 

Always return 

To slow set

The Mother

To find the answer

In nature

Is to have insight

Feel it 

In the heart first 

Then commence 

Slow set 

To applications 

In life 

Ward off 

Rollback 

Press away 

Push 

Only if needed

Ward off

Thru Tai Chi Chuan

Love/heart

Grow around 

All obstacles

Learn 

Something new 

In Slow Set 

Apply it 

To weapons/push hands 

Then return 

To Slow Set

Changes/undoing

Block

Shut the outside

To open inside

To the earth

Outside

Slow Set 

Is the Mother 

Children 

Are new ideas 

Once understood 

Thru practice 

In all forms/applications 

Return to Slow Set 

Shut off/block 

The past

Be in the present 

To be free 

For the future 

Common beginning

The Bow

To the Tao

Receive all

Return to the Tao

All have 

In common 

Gravity 

Aware of gravity 

Thru Slow set

Then spirit 

Spirited gravity

Via man 

Ward off stage 

Progressing in Tai Chi Chuan 

Block all passages 

Close all doors 

Returning to the source

Slow Set

I want ideas

From nothing

Where do

They come from?

Answer

Is the Tao

This is nameless 

Comes from practice

Perhaps my DNA

Gestures 

Of Tai Chi Chuan 

Have a Ying and Yang 

To them

Must have

 A body/mind

To give birth

To a new idea

Have the correct form

Understanding the principles

Behind it

To give birth

To a new feeling

The mother 

Is the Slow Set

Child is the other 

Forms/push hands/weapons

Continuously

Return to the mother

Slow set unifies

The techniques

Envision 

Indistinct

In the Slow set

Attain at the

Actuality

Repose 

In the resolution 

Of a gesture

All the offspring 

Will get to be

Know quicker applications 

If they know 

Slow Set

Flexibility is power

In body/mind

The sign

Of a good teacher

Find the martial art 

Self-defense

Slowly  

In the slow set

Slow Set 

Is like breathing

Ideas in and out 

The Slow Set

Is the foundation

Of everything

Ideas I am 

Concentrating on 

Is the

Axle/fulcrum/center 

 Having known 

The gesture

Return to their source 

The fulcrum

Concentration on it 

Learn slow set

Find the pivot

Of gestures

Concentrate on connection

By thinking

About the pivot

When watching hands

The eyes connect 

The hands 

To the fulcrum

Know slow set 

Then know applications 

Put students 

Into ward off

Then let them 

Do slow set

First move of slow set

1. Stretch

2. Connect

3. Ward off

Don’t live 

For others’ ideas 

Close mouth

Close all the body’s senses

Reside in the

Original unity 

Reach this unity

Thru Slow Set

Become centered

Look upon the world 

Relate to it 

Find peace/contentment

Understand 

The elusive

Be enlightened

Look for it in others

The ones that see it

Good push hands partner

What takes energy 

Is others

Have enough energy 

On my own

Don’t take from others 

Nor give to others

Until understanding 

Energy

 Students should find

Their own energy 

Teacher’s job is

To alignment thru

Slow set 

Not too fast 

Not to slow

Teach students

To use their energy

To repair themselves first

Then additional forms

Don’t restrict 

What comes in 

From the Masters

But do restrict 

What goes out

To the students

Knife set

Is considered 

A child of slow set 

Once we have learned knife 

Go back to the slow set

Apply knife to that 

This came before

Occurs within 

To know yourself 

Thru feeling 

The new coming

Via the Masters 

Anything new

Should be related back

To the old

All professions 

Are like this

Everything is built on

The foundation

Of the old

Once the new

Is established

It can become part

Of the old

If it is worthy

This can occur

In just a thought

Or it can take 100 years

Ward off others

Family/friends/foes 

While getting

To know self 

Open to others to 

Soon become helpless 

All new 

Ideas/feelings

Come to me

From the Masters

Keeping flexible

 Is called strength 

Must light 

My own way 

Keep close (survival)

To Tai Chi Chuan

As long as you live

Survive

Grandmaster Yang Lu-chan 

Said Tai Chi Chuan 

Will take care 

Will always have 

Food/clothing/shelter

Accomplished by closing

Senses and living 

By the 6th sense

Aware within self

So not to deplete self 

In the world 

Of others

The mother

Is who

First thought

Of the idea

He who hears 

The new idea

Becomes the son 

Of the mother

I feel 

I am a son 

Of the Tung style

Enthusiastic 

Loyalty

Keep working

On the small details

Revealed in bright eyes

If I understand Slow set

I can understand all 

All means

That which came before

History /lineage 

And all that will come after

Future/lineage 

(Who will continue) 

The present 

Should be used 

For practice

Past and future

Will reveal as 

I get stronger

Ideas 

From the 

Masters (mother)

To students

Ward off all

Negate news/entertainment

Cultivate spiritual

Must connect to 

Mother earth first

Then create

Take the small corrections 

Which add up 

To great gestures

To dwell 

On shortcomings leads 

To great gestures

Don’t do push hands

To learn

But rather

To confirm

Know/understand 

Slow Set

Proceed to weapons

Knowing/understanding 

Weapon

Proceed to others

By teaching Slow Set

Block all

Family, friends and foe

Who causes calamities

Body/mind

Is the mother

Producing

Spirited ideas 

Slow Set

Repair and align

Weapons/Push Hands

Encounter with nature

Slow set

Nature

1st move of Slow Set

Slow Set

Urge not 

To do weapons

Means more practice 

Of Slow Set

Know Slow Set

To know self

Know self

To know gestures

Know gestures

To know applications

Know applications

To know others

Just do

Slow Set

With faithful

Constancy

Clarity

Incremental

Insight

First learn

Slow Set

Then apply

Applications

Weapons

To say no

Is to know

First know Own

Conflicts

Then others

I am a child

Of the lineage

Slow Set

Quietly

Propagates

Future

Forms

Vitality

Originates 

In a virtuous

Slow Set

Daily solo 

Practice

Is paramount

To progress

Isolation

Is where ideas

Turn to intuition 

Tai Chi Chuan

Unites

Spirit/gravity

Generating a gesture

Knowing

The gesture

Is to know

Application

Resulting in harmony

With no harm

All Tai Chi 

Endeavors

Have a common  

Beginning in

Slow Set

Then proceed to 

Other forms

Used as self defense

Defending 

Rejuvenation

Unceasing 

Slow Set  

To have

Constancy in

Weapons/push hands

To Master

Tai Chi Chuan

Anchor to 

China using

Centripetal

Reach out to

Lineage using

Centrifugal 

概要

Gaoyao 

Synopsis of 

My Tai Chi Chuan

Journey

Slow Set

To have

Elasticity

In gestures

Is to have

Tai Chi

Applications

In Push Hands