The Three Levels of Tai Chi Chuan 太極拳 的 三階

There are three different levels of Tai Chi Chuan – Human, Earth, and Heaven.
太極拳分 天丶地丶人 三階

• The Human Level relaxes your sinews and vitalizes your blood.
• The Earth Level “opens the gates” so that the chi can reach the joints
• The Heaven Level exercises the sensory functions.
人階 為舒筋活血 之運動。
地階 為開關達節 之運動。
天階 為知覺作用 之運動。

Each of the above levels has three degrees:
每一階再細分為三段

THE HUMAN LEVEL

Great Grandmaster –
Cheng Man Ching

The First Degree relaxes your tendons from the shoulders to the fingers.

The Second Degree relaxes your tendons from the hip joint to the “bubbling well” [point in the bottom of each foot, 涌泉].

The Third Degree relaxes your tendons from the sacrum to the top of the head (ni wan).

人階：
一、為自肩至手指的舒筋法。
二、為胯至涌泉的舒筋法。
三、為自尾閭至頭頂(泥丸) 的舒筋法。

THE EARTH LEVEL

Grandmaster –
Huang Sheng Shyan

The First Degree sinks the chi to the tan-t’ien (丹田).

The Second Degree moves the chi into the bubbling well.

The Third Degree circulates the chi so that it reaches the top of the head.

地階：
一、氣沉丹田。
二、氣達涌泉。
三、氣的運轉，使其達至頭頂。

THE HEAVEN LEVEL

Master –
Chow Cheong King

The First Degree is t’ing chin（听劲）[Using the skin to feel the opponent’s energy and from this feeling to further understand his intention], which is the Second Degree.

The Second Degree is tung chin (懂劲）.

The Third Degree is omnipotence(无所不能) – having great or unlimited power.

天階：
一、聽勁(用皮膚去感覺對方的能量)。
二、懂勁(感覺到對方的能量後，從中了解對方的意向)。
三、無所不能(擁有強大或無限的能量)。