In other parts of the literature Extend (伸) is paired with a term that is usually translated as Bend (曲 or 屈), in special in Taijiquan texts (太極拳). In this context it has meeting akin to "reaching out". In this particular case, the conotation of Bend is the one of yielding, submission or withdrawing. One character for Bend is 屈 and it comes with conotation of submission such as to submit (屈从), to surrender (屈挠), to condescend (屈尊), to humiliate (屈辱), to bow to (屈体) or in its negative trait of unyielding (不屈). The other character that is usually translated as Bend, 曲 comes with some conotations of distorting (歪曲), crooked (屈曲), devious (委曲) and other conotations of winding (曲折), curved or indirect (曲線), curled (蜷曲).
This complementary pair encapsulates the strategic, less frontal side of Taijiquan (太極拳). As it is possible to see in the Taiji Boxing Treatise of Wang Zongyue (王宗岳太極拳論) one of the founding texts of the style, the order between Bend (曲) and Extend is important (伸), we first comply then attack. The following excerpt comes from the rendition of the treatise in Taiji Boxing Explained (太極拳釋義) by Dong Yingjie (董英傑):
無過不及。隨曲就伸。
Neither going too far nor not far enough, comply and bend, then engage and extend.
Dong Yingjie (董英傑) goes on to explain:
【解】不論練拳對敵。毋過毋不及。過與不及皆失重心點。如敵來攻我順化為曲。曲者灣也。如敵來攻不逞欲退。我隨彼退時就伸。伸者出手發勁也。過有頂之弊。不及有丟之弊。不能隨曲謂之抗。不能就伸謂之離。
Be it practicing the solo set or dealing with opponents, neither go too far nor not far enough. In either case, you will become uncentered. If the opponent attacks, bend to go along with it and neutralize it. Bending means curving. If the opponent attacks and does not yet want to retreat, go along with him, and then when he retreats, extend. Extending means to send out a hand and issue power. Going too far is the mistake of crashing in. Not going far enough is the mistake of coming away. If you cannot comply and bend, you are resisting. If you cannot engage and extend, you are disconnecting.
As a strategy for Internal Martial Arts, Yield (屈) and Reach Out (伸) are central to the adaptability and the listening (or its absence, confusion) that are typical of Taijiquan (太極拳). For example, on the Song of Practice of the Thirteen Dynamics (十三勢行工歌訣) attributed to Wang Zongjue (王宗岳) one can read:
仔細留心向推求 屈伸開合聽自由
Pay careful attention in your practice that you are letting bending and extending, contracting and expanding, happen as the situation requires.
And in Chen Jifu's (陳績甫) teachings on the Chen style, where one can find the Chen Changxing's Taiji Boxing Song (陳長興太極拳歌訣):
縱放屈伸人莫知，情靠纏繞我皆依。
Move both vertically and horizontally, bending and extending, and then the opponent will not understand what you are doing.
In this next passage by Wu Gongzao (吳公藻), the link between listening and Yield (屈) and Reach Out (伸) is event more explicit:
聽勁: 聽勁要準確靈敏。隨其伸。就其屈。乃能進退自如。
Listening to energy :When listening to energy, you have to have accuracy and sensitivity. Go along with the opponent’s extending, then move in toward his bending. Thus you will be able to advance and retreat smoothly.
Yielding (屈) and Reaching Out (伸) in the solo practice
Yielding (屈) and Reaching Out (伸) are in fact applications of the principles of Internal Martial Arts. It is not surprising to find then that in order to be able to apply them, the same fundational principles apply.
Wu Gongzao (吳公藻) for example puts centered stability as a pre-requisite:
中定: 伸屈開合之未發謂之中。
Centered Stability: Before you have expressed any extending or bending, opening or closing, you are in a state of being centered.
In another example, Chen Jifu (陳績甫) brings forward the unification of the body. With the unification comes also the ability to tighten (緊) the body and issue power:
一屈，統身皆屈；一伸，統身皆伸；伸要伸得盡，屈要屈得緊。如捲砲捲得緊，崩得有力。
When one part bends in, the whole body bends in, and when one part reaches out, the whole body reaches out. When reaching out, extend as far as you can. When bending in, curl up tightly. It is like a cannon that has been tightly packed, which will then shoot that much more powerfully.
In yet another example coming not from Taijiquan (太極拳) but from Liuhebafa ( 六合八法拳), Chen Yiren (陳亦人), mentions the continuity of Yielding (屈) and Reaching Out (伸) as a complementary pair:
两手輕輕起 曲伸無斷續
Your hands move with a lightness, bending and extending without pause.
References:
董英傑 Dong Yingjie, 太極拳釋義 Taiji Boxing Explained, Hong Kong, Aug, 1948, revised Oct, 1950), translation by Paul Brennan, July, 2022
居浩, Ju Hao, 孫氏太極拳 Sun Style Taiji Boxing, 真善美出版社 Truth-Goodness-Beauty Press, Taiwan, 1967, translation by Paul Brennan, September 2020
陳績甫 Chen Jifu, 太極拳學入門總解 General Explanations of Taiji Boxing Fundamentals, 1930, translation by Paul Brennan, Sep, 2019
吳公藻, Wu Gongzao, 太極拳講義, Taiji Boxing Explained, 湖南國術訓練所 Hunan Martial Arts Training Institute, June, 1935, translation by Paul Brennan, Dec, 2018
陳亦人by Chen Yiren, 六合八法拳學 A Study of Liuhebafa Boxing, Sep 1, 1969, Hong Kong, translation by Paul Brennan, May, 2021
This complementary pair encapsulates the strategic, less frontal side of Taijiquan (太極拳). As it is possible to see in the Taiji Boxing Treatise of Wang Zongyue (王宗岳太極拳論) one of the founding texts of the style, the order between Bend (曲) and Extend is important (伸), we first comply then attack. The following excerpt comes from the rendition of the treatise in Taiji Boxing Explained (太極拳釋義) by Dong Yingjie (董英傑):
無過不及。隨曲就伸。
Neither going too far nor not far enough, comply and bend, then engage and extend.
Dong Yingjie (董英傑) goes on to explain:
【解】不論練拳對敵。毋過毋不及。過與不及皆失重心點。如敵來攻我順化為曲。曲者灣也。如敵來攻不逞欲退。我隨彼退時就伸。伸者出手發勁也。過有頂之弊。不及有丟之弊。不能隨曲謂之抗。不能就伸謂之離。
Be it practicing the solo set or dealing with opponents, neither go too far nor not far enough. In either case, you will become uncentered. If the opponent attacks, bend to go along with it and neutralize it. Bending means curving. If the opponent attacks and does not yet want to retreat, go along with him, and then when he retreats, extend. Extending means to send out a hand and issue power. Going too far is the mistake of crashing in. Not going far enough is the mistake of coming away. If you cannot comply and bend, you are resisting. If you cannot engage and extend, you are disconnecting.
As a strategy for Internal Martial Arts, Yield (屈) and Reach Out (伸) are central to the adaptability and the listening (or its absence, confusion) that are typical of Taijiquan (太極拳). For example, on the Song of Practice of the Thirteen Dynamics (十三勢行工歌訣) attributed to Wang Zongjue (王宗岳) one can read:
仔細留心向推求 屈伸開合聽自由
Pay careful attention in your practice that you are letting bending and extending, contracting and expanding, happen as the situation requires.
And in Chen Jifu's (陳績甫) teachings on the Chen style, where one can find the Chen Changxing's Taiji Boxing Song (陳長興太極拳歌訣):
縱放屈伸人莫知，情靠纏繞我皆依。
Move both vertically and horizontally, bending and extending, and then the opponent will not understand what you are doing.
In this next passage by Wu Gongzao (吳公藻), the link between listening and Yield (屈) and Reach Out (伸) is event more explicit:
聽勁: 聽勁要準確靈敏。隨其伸。就其屈。乃能進退自如。
Listening to energy :When listening to energy, you have to have accuracy and sensitivity. Go along with the opponent’s extending, then move in toward his bending. Thus you will be able to advance and retreat smoothly.
Yielding (屈) and Reaching Out (伸) in the solo practice
Yielding (屈) and Reaching Out (伸) are in fact applications of the principles of Internal Martial Arts. It is not surprising to find then that in order to be able to apply them, the same fundational principles apply.
Wu Gongzao (吳公藻) for example puts centered stability as a pre-requisite:
中定: 伸屈開合之未發謂之中。
Centered Stability: Before you have expressed any extending or bending, opening or closing, you are in a state of being centered.
In another example, Chen Jifu (陳績甫) brings forward the unification of the body. With the unification comes also the ability to tighten (緊) the body and issue power:
一屈，統身皆屈；一伸，統身皆伸；伸要伸得盡，屈要屈得緊。如捲砲捲得緊，崩得有力。
When one part bends in, the whole body bends in, and when one part reaches out, the whole body reaches out. When reaching out, extend as far as you can. When bending in, curl up tightly. It is like a cannon that has been tightly packed, which will then shoot that much more powerfully.
In yet another example coming not from Taijiquan (太極拳) but from Liuhebafa ( 六合八法拳), Chen Yiren (陳亦人), mentions the continuity of Yielding (屈) and Reaching Out (伸) as a complementary pair:
两手輕輕起 曲伸無斷續
Your hands move with a lightness, bending and extending without pause.
References:
董英傑 Dong Yingjie, 太極拳釋義 Taiji Boxing Explained, Hong Kong, Aug, 1948, revised Oct, 1950), translation by Paul Brennan, July, 2022
居浩, Ju Hao, 孫氏太極拳 Sun Style Taiji Boxing, 真善美出版社 Truth-Goodness-Beauty Press, Taiwan, 1967, translation by Paul Brennan, September 2020
陳績甫 Chen Jifu, 太極拳學入門總解 General Explanations of Taiji Boxing Fundamentals, 1930, translation by Paul Brennan, Sep, 2019
吳公藻, Wu Gongzao, 太極拳講義, Taiji Boxing Explained, 湖南國術訓練所 Hunan Martial Arts Training Institute, June, 1935, translation by Paul Brennan, Dec, 2018
陳亦人by Chen Yiren, 六合八法拳學 A Study of Liuhebafa Boxing, Sep 1, 1969, Hong Kong, translation by Paul Brennan, May, 2021
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