Chen Taichi Fajin basics explained

Taichi instructor 'Shawn' (Baek Sang-heon/백상헌) (so not John, but Shawn) explains the basic principles of Chen-style Taichi Fajin. Fajin is the way power is developed in taichi by use of the Dantien, or power zone.
Shawn is a physical therapist and a independent martial arts practitioner. He lives, works and teaches in South-Korea. He practices Chen style Taichi more than 15 years. I took admission to teach from the 21th transmission master from the Chen villiage in 6 years ago. Shawn's teacher is Chen Xiaoxing's first foreign transmission master. He studied under and continues to learn from both Chen Xiaoxing and Chen Bing.

[@Quotheraving]

Some internal arts also use the term Fa Li interchangeably with Fa Jin. Yi Chuan for example. The reason for this is that some teachers noticed that mysticism was getting mixed up with the internal arts and wanted to remove the source of the impression that internal arts don't use muscular force... They do, it's just generated from out of a relaxed 'whole' structure not a tense 'divided' structure.

[@cheekuanchong9808]

One of the best explanation on the use of kua especially with opening and closing part as one moves around without letting the knee lead.

[@pisicapisica7024]

This marvelous! Even with broken English, this teacher explained it perfectly! Thank you so much for sharing this !

[@krautbeer100]

I trained with Jou Tsung Hwa and practiced 25 yrs. Spiraling energy is like a whip. The foot is the handle and the hand is the tip. Fajin is like a sneeze. TCC is most effective, if you are as close as possible to your opponent. In the push in the beginning, You rotate your body out of the way to allow the attacker to follow his path. Once he is uprooted you add a "snap" at the end to down him (fajin). A few inches of rotation will be enough. A wrench cracks a nut in less than 1 mm rrotation.

[@wrender]

One of the best explanations I've found so far. Thanks for uploading this!

[@Ifuloyg]

One of the most useful Taiji posts I've ever seen on the Tube, thanks so much for posting this up! :o)

[@TieXiongJi]

Takes many years of training to go from the guy in blue to the instructor. I remember trying to vibrate like the Chen family, but I quickly learned the shaking is pointless. The vibration is like a sound wave; the peak is the contact point and the harmonics bounce back through your body to the ground. It is an amazing feeling when done correctly.,

[@leemckerrow4990]

Hi what do you mean?

[@Mr3dTube]

That means he is an advanced player! He practices what he teaches...at split point of contact/main power the heel is in contact with the ground. There is additional thrust from this "dolphin kick" (my terminology). Anyhow, very good explanation with sound details Master Sangmumunju. [May I suggest using the term "open kua" rather than "divided kua"; also, can you provide some details on "spiralling energy"?]

[@chen-gongfu]

Great video! Very good explanation, in the end it all comes down to practicing this art

[@dyonesios]

Fantastic. I wish more people had this outlook on martial arts.

[@sarahhorton5888]

You explained this so well. Now I can apply this to my practice. I am learning old school frame 74 Form. Cheers to Chen Style!

[@DanStefan_au]

excellent detailed explanation and a genuine nice person. Some of the explanation could make more sense if he changed "divide" with "open" as in opening /closing the hip joints. Thanks.

[@Shaolinkempotc]

Sinful Shawn you are an excellent teacher. You must make your teacher(s) very proud and are of great benefit to your students. Thank you for this sharing

[@nubz8671]

24:16 the best fa jing i've ever seen

[@ewcec]

Thank you very much for sharing this valuable true tai chi video. This is a very good master. I would be very happy/lucky to learn tai chi from him if there is a chance.

[@deadcoyote93]

that instructor is great he is so thorough!

[@chiman1000]

This Master is great!!! Who was his teacher? He gave me a new appreciation for tai chi. If he does a seminar in the US I am going!!!

[@sungtube7055]

여기서 뵐줄은 몰랐네요. 많이 배워갑니다

[@dimonlimon9920]

Впечатляет!

[@claudes.whitacre1241]

i love this instructor. He takes Fa Jin out of the "mystical" and explains it as simply sharp short power. I used to think that boxers and carpenters (with a hammer) were using Fa Jin, simply because they had adapted an economy of motion, where the momentum does most of the work. I'm glad this video is here.

[@MrClygar]

It's good to see Korea has Tai Chi Nerds too.

[@mnpli]

While our 'idea' (the how to) differs, i like the teacher. You can see that he has thought about the movement.

[@galain]

Fantastic video. Thank you for posting this - I really enjoyed it.

[@zrvs]

very nice. it would be great if you guys had a video with Sang Heon doing the form & push hands. he looks very skilled :)

[@NinjatoSama]

Great explanation despite language. I hate the mystical Chi explanation also. This is spot on!!!! Bravo!!!

[@EpistemeFitness]

Does Shawn have any more instructional videos anywhere?

[@sangmumunju]

next time we meet we will make more videos

[@sangmumunju]

We do. We started out with Yang style a long time ago. These days we only practice Chen style.

[@loch5060]

very detailed explanation of fajin, thanks for uploading

[@IkKim707]

This is the best video to understand what fajin is even for beginners. Practice is another thing, but at least I could understand fajin in knowledge much better than before. Also a lot of mysteries about fajin have been solved. I really appreciate it.

[@sangmumunju]

working to improve our English ;-)

[@jdub7771]

Many thanks for this! Great insight!

[@gosefshafik564]

Great Explanation I Thank you very much

[@aardvarkhendricks6555]

He is slapping his body with his left hand while punching out with his right hand. What is the purpose of this?

[@vietle87]

why does it say "yang shi tai ji quan" on the scroll in the back? does your school also teach yang style also?

[@Iaazathoth]

It's to bad this information was lost on those two guys, who were not really paying attention.

[@JimmySlacksack]

Awesome teacher!

[@ernestoarredondo3588]

VERY INTERESTING but i have a dout, dou you not need to retract the hip when punch get its aim?

[@BlueXephos67]

Bang on.. It's body mechanics and structure.. It seems mystical so weak minded people are easily drawn in to chi nonsense.. If chi does exist is a sensation that we use to find alignment and relaxation.. no more or less.

[@weiqingguo9539]

Shut urself on things that u dont yet comprehend

[@8KILLSTEP]

Weiqing Guo Little kid

[@JohnMartin-jx1wz]

Chi is the breath of life

[@elfanthasma433]

Claro y simple.

[@maladjustedgamer6946]

Study with Chen Taiji teacher from Chen Village to learn Fajin. You will see things a lot differently after.

[@sangmumunju]

we actually do practice with Chen village head teacher. Our teacher in Korea, Seo Myeong-won, is a direct student. Teachers from Chen village have visited our school and we have been to China to learn.

[@genin69]

What do you want to know about spiraling energy?

[@Mr3dTube]

Most Chen-style players emphasize spiraling energy. I was wondering how that fits in with the body mechanics related to "fajin"?

[@lesliechoi5236]

Hope you get some idea from here kzbin.info/door/gPe_jM639Kh4jAXfwDXAcQ

[@cleopatra862]

May i kindly ask you where you teach at? I would love to attend your class. Thank you so much for teaching us the basic principles. This has been one of the best video I have seen so far. I appreciate it.

[@sangmumunju]

+Bella Angelina we are located in Incheon, South-Korea.

[@cleopatra862]

sangmumunju Thank you very much for responding. Aw..Incheon South-Korea..Darn. :-)

[@ryujayjun3905]

좋은 영상 감사합니다. ^^*

[@lionellovanoni733]

Excellent! :-)

[@hrishikeshmandle4925]

Can you tell me how can I know my Dantian is full of yang chi ? After years of meditation . I mean completed level 1 of chi kung

[@SI-ln6tc]

You would feel it. Almost like static electricity. Yang warmer. Yin cool and clinging but I can't really speak about yin chi. Havnt developed it. Just beginning.

[@gatojazz13]

ES MUY BUENO! GRACIAS!

[@JimmySlacksack]

Do you practice cham jang gong /standing like a tree also?

[@bshtaichi]

Thank you for your compliment. Cham jang is important in Taichi. Of cource I practice every day. But I put more weight on 'Chen si gong'. Masters has different organs in these elements.

[@vshivone]

Thanks

[@Asianbeard]

damn I wanna learn tai chi so bad! rough neighbourhood you see and although theres a couple places near me that do wing chun, its too aggressive for me. tai chi seems just right

[@sangmumunju]

why unexpected? we teach chen taichi at our school as well.

[@fingerstamina]

Nice vid!

[@caviteboy304]

completely unexpected coming from samumunju

[@호롤롤로-o1y]

한국사람이 만든 ucc에 한글 댓글이 하나도 없노. 내가 첫빠따임 ㅋ. 근데 미국식이나 영국식 영어발음보다 한국식 영어발음이 훨씬 잘들려서 동영상 감상에 지장이 없음. 잘 봤어요

[@arztmohamedismaelalmajdoub2788]

If you want to teach a way, you have to know it. Don't be ignorant.

[@TheManofsorrows]

hard to understand what he is saying???

[@RoonVonBismarck]

His English sounds broken and that's probably why some people are not getting it.

[@nomassbitches4562]

Finally real fajing ..

[@xenogears67]

He said "I don't like Qi". But the colligraphy at the center of background says "Qi". Plus, the name of their organization is "Han Ki Do". Ki means Qi in Korean. If he doesn't believe and doesn't like Qi then he put the colligraphy away and has to take "Ki" out from the name of their organization. What he knows is pretty basic concept of physical part of Internal Martial Arts. I bet he doesn't understand all of Internal Martial Arts theories. He doesn't deserve to explain Fa Jin yet before he understands it completely. Or many people would misunderstand Fa Jin.

[@mademax1]

He didn't say he doesn't believe in qi or chi he said he doesn't like it as a term or a response to why thing happen in martial arts or specifically tai chi in this video. Also someone explaining the full of advanced fajin of tai chi in a foreign language would be so long and sound so stuipid epecially to beginners that its worth as a video would be nothing.

[@orangeiceice12]

He says it in the same way the Madhamyaka would say "If you meet Buddha on the road, kill him." The qi of which you speak is not the real qi.

[@武龙-b1c]

+xenogers67 I agree, he shoudn´t know too much about "nei gong " 内功.. Also he´s having lots of mistakes practicing "yan shou hong quan" 掩手肱拳

[@sangmumunju]

you seem to be very knowledgeable, looking forward to your video on this subject.

[@joshpickles9022]

God damn haters! Tell you what, post your own video about Fajin and we will all see what you got. Or continue being a whiny little girl and nitpick unimportant details. Your call.

[@sangmumunju]

I will ask him if he wants to make another video with us.

[@bshtaichi]

Hey, master sangmumunju! My English name is 'Shawn'. Not John.^^; Because my name's initals is 'S.H' so I made this name. Please modification that~ ㅋ

[@ukguy]

Excellent video, the teacher has a very high skill level.

[@sangmumunju]

thank you very much for your nice comment

[@OriginalGrandMenator]

sangmumunju Yes very good explanation!

[@LeviMcCormick]

Dan0101010101010 He was trying to communicate that artificial shaking is bad. There will be some natural shaking as the force resonates in the structure, but you should not try to induce that feeling. The best exchanges actually feel like nothing, as you build the most efficient structure to transmit the opponent's force to ground and back again.

[@Dan0101010101010]

Levi McCormick I see, am I bringing in a technique that isnt in the video? When I shake my hips back and forth it adds alot of power. You dont mean THAT is bad right? What you mean is if you do the punch and relax and connect, you may shake from the recoil, but if you dont, dont try to recreate the recoil artificially? But its still better to counter rotate the hips right? For power? In another video I saw that the shaking power was very important and they were deliberately creating it, and you could say artificially creating the shakey power, it wasnt just a result of striking the target and a recoil! they were purposely rotating the hips then counter rotating the hips to create the shake and power. !? Also why didnt he teach that in this video I thought that was a bog standard tai chi way of generating power?

[@sangmumunju]

rotation of the hip is of course a good thing, but artificial shaking isn't. people see high level masters shake and they just mimic the shaking, not the technique.

[@krautbeer100]

A great hitter will never use brute force to swing, but will be loose and "pull" the bat around "guiding" with the lead hand while rotating waist and hips. A good boxer never drills the punch but throws it, Impact relates to velocity. A stiff punch is weaker than a loose one. Whips crack, because they're loose (you can't crack a stick) When the "wave" arrives at the end, the tip breaks the sound barrier. That's the snap. Chi is nice, but can you use it to fight? If not stick to body mechanics.

[@dekal1]

Yes. Try to pay attention as he transfers his weight and you will notice that's how good his fa jing is. It's not like a boxing punch where the heel presses first. He's not pressing on purpose. As I said, it's just a result of the body mechanics. He's relaxed, so that is the result of proper fa jing.

[@sangmumunju]

My Yang-style teacher retired. After I had finished my time in the army I got in touch with my current Chen-style taichi teacher.

[@5324TuiG]

He looks such like a humble guy, Very lucky to be his student.

[@sangmumunju]

We only teach Chen style taichi these days, but back in the early days we started out with Yang style.

[@Parisella]

Might be mistaking terms such as Fa Li as Fa-Jin. By definition, external arts such as boxing would need to use muscular force to hit - therefore Fa Li.

[@Rajj854]

A brilliant explanation of a little understood Tai Chi technique. I salute you Shifu.

[@balramkumar5084]

One of the best videos on Fajin..ever explained in such a lucid way.... thanx from the heart....

[@jimmykim6586]

백상헌 관장님 너무 멋있습니다. 팬이 되었습니다~ 영상 순회 정주행 중 입니다.👍

[@coolmint9970]

Thanks. Very clear in explanation.

[@aiko4321]

Very good teacher. Respect!

[@rh3675]

백상헌 관장님 정말 멋지십니다.

[@klaasbarends]

if you don't use any muscles you die. Taichi and Boxing both use muscular force. What Shawn in this video is saying is that there are both differences and similarities between the use of power in boxing and taichi. I think he makes it clear when he says that in boxing only one side is used.

[@YouTubeAutoRepair]

Thank you for the demonstration, even with language barrier quiet easy to comprehend with your detailed body explanations.

[@genin69]

Interesting that he says that you should not lift your heel off the ground yet his heel lifts off the ground for split second each time he punches full speed (that where the thud sound comes from) maybe the english is not perfect and some of it is lost in translation..

[@golfinguna]

sealsgivebirth His explanations are hindered by his lack off English but he translates his teaching very well. If you tense your muscles you lose speed. You cannot generate speed and therefore power if your muscles are tense all top sportsmen and women know this. look at a sprinters face and body in slo mo and you will see complete relaxation a golfer cannot generate speed and power if he is tense in any way. I believe top sportsmen and women are generating fajin when they are involved in there respective sports The difference here is true masters are also generating much more chi than your sportsperson, something us westerners struggle to do. Relaxation is the somewhat easier part to generating fajin. This is my take on it anyway)

[@sangmumunju]

thank you very much, I agree with what you say

[@maladjustedgamer6946]

the difference with Fajin in sports and athletes compared to Taiji(Chen Style anyway) is that their power isn't birthed from jing or "stored chi". this is why if you take that same athlete, they would not have the proper principles within the Taiji form. the key word is "internal" with Chen Taiji and also Fajin. that's the difference with the athlete and Taiji. that's why for anyone first starting in Taiji a teacher will always say, "shed all of your brute force or muscle strength". one must not only connect to the chi deeply but also follow the meridians and the path it takes through the body from foot to head or Earth to Heavens.

[@8KILLSTEP]

Maladjusted Gamer u dont Even know whatursayn

[@BeatrixFrancia]

Absolutely stunning, I could feel the energy of his moves through the video. It must have been a very powerful experience to watch the lesson next to him. Thank you very much for sharing. Greetings from Italy!

[@tangrui1992]

Fa-Jin（发劲），literally translated as "generate power"or "give power"

[@joli8606]

+Rui Tang (Nathan) generate power

[@bakersfieldwingchun1613]

Release

[@kwaishiu6460]

👍I don't like chi👍, without proper body structure and alignment all the chi in the world won't help one make it work

[@firsttaekwondocanningvale8564]

Hi Sehwan, the writing on the right side of the wall seems to suggest 'Young' style taichi but your video suggest Chen-style.

[@sangmumunju]

Sorry about that. But I think your name is Sang-heon ;-)

[@dekal1]

It seems like his heel lifts as a result of the body mechanics. Not the other way around. That's normal in proper Fa Jing.

[@Tsougroum]

I would like to ask you why you stopped yang style and started chen. Thank you very much in advance for your time.

[@sangmumunju]

not yet, we might upload one later this year.

[@Shaolinkempotc]

That should read sifu Shawn, not sinful

[@GaryBishopPitts]

Wow, this is such a great explanation!, where to you teach sifu Shawn?

[@ukguy]

good vid thanks.

[@armidakaci6909]

Tai chi is the best technik for self defense

[@sangmumunju]

Very sharp ;-)

[@rogerlimoseth4790]

dudes got some juice!

[@lallilalla4874]

good videos

[@TonyqTNT]

Does the fist close only upon target mass contact in the Fa Jon system?

[@TheSilence1]

Fajin is not a system. It is a term that means something like "exploding energy". When you're doing fajin it does not matter how you close your fist. You can do fajin with an open hand, like a palm strike, and even with your shoulder in really close quarters. In other words, fajin is generated from your lower torso.

[@TonyqTNT]

@@TheSilence1 Thanks for clarifying. I think fajin is awesome!!!

[@TheSilence1]

@@TonyqTNT You're most welcome. What martial art are you studying at the moment? Maybe I can find some videos to help you understand a bit more about the internal mechanisms.

[@TonyqTNT]

@@TheSilence1 Escrima, indigenous martial art from the Filipino culture.

[@TheSilence1]

@@TonyqTNT Excellent! Do you know what the origin of Escrima is? It's a martial art called Silat. In the Philippines they added some ideas from Spanish sword and dagger forms to Silat, and that became Escrima. Anyway, before you can learn to use fajin you have to learn how to sink your energy. Try studying this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6jKqZVvibyrrMU Maybe you should follow his channel as well.