The Form & Application of Peng

Written by Bill Donnelly

It was a chilly April morning in New York. Actually – it was cold.  I was surprised to still be wearing gloves and a hat.  But I expected to warm up once I started moving. I was hoping the 10am T’ai Chi forms demonstration would do the trick.

I was invited to present a workshop for World T’ai Chi Day. The audience included curious weekend warriors looking for something to do, students with experience ranging from novice to intermediate, and instructor level practitioners from different styles and disciplines. It is a great opportunity to connect with instructors from different areas of Long Island, New York to share what we have discovered in this art.

Time is limited at this annual event. For my allotted time I strive to give the class one thought or approach that can be applied to their T’ai Chi, regardless of their style or level of experience. My goal is to give a perspective that allows them to look at the art in a new or different way. There may even be a little breakthrough for someone.

For today’s session I decided to focus on Peng. Peng is one of the eight doors: the foundational moving patterns also known as the Eight Trigrams.  Peng, combined with the remaining seven doors or patterns and five stepping strategies are the core principles of T’ai Chi Chuan.  Peng is defined as “wardoff,” and is represented by rounded arms and chest, which engages the large back muscles for additional power.  The form has an expanding quality which can be directed up, down or to the side.  It is an offensive position that produces genuine force when applied correctly. 

My presentation focused on the structure of the Peng technique and how the shape appears in other parts of the form.  I started at the most basic level so that the new players had a point of entry. We began by holding the Zhan Zhuang, or Post Stance, for a few minutes.  Here I focused on maintaining the integrity of the position with respect to roundness of the arms and chest.  Next, we moved to basic hand positions, which included Wardoff, Grasp Sparrow’s Tail, Wave Hands in the Clouds and White Crane Spreads its Wings.  We alternated between left and right sides, focusing just on the arms so that the students can understand the essence of the position.  Any additional movement might distract them at this point.  Eventually I incorporated stance work, moving from a Horse Stance, to Bow and Arrow Stance and then added transitions with stepping patterns.

I work gradually so that the person with little or no experience can graduate through each phase.  Even if it is not entirely correct, the person feels like they have made some progress.  And that is what is most important to me at these types of events.  My goal is not to prove myself, but to raise awareness of the art.  I keep it fun and want to be approachable.

At one point in the lesson a person stepped up and asked for a demo of applications. I typically avoid lessons on applications in these forums because I do not know the students. I want to avoid anyone getting hurt, especially if they lack the skills, experience and touch. I also do not want the new and curious people to become intimidated in any way, so I maintain my focus on the goal of sharing. 

However, this person seemed genuinely interested.  He asked me more than once.  I offered to show some applications if I could finish the class and he would be willing to wait until after the lesson.

The video captures a few responses to the question around use of Peng in different parts of T’ai Chi Chuan. I demonstrated the position in Wave Hands in the Cloud, Ward Off as applied to a side angle, and Fair Lady Weaving the Shuttle.  I wanted to show how the roundness of the arms is a stronger position than straight armed positions.  To my thinking, this is like the archway of a building, which is the strongest architectural structure. 

We had fun and I think my new friend got something out of it.  The onlookers seemed to be comfortable too. Maybe they were more intrigued than I would have imagined. 

These videos show a person with a larger frame and mass that is easily moved. So, the ultimate lesson that day was that T’ai Chi Chuan is technique over strength. It’s not about size and not about muscle. It’s about a fully integrated body used to defend or attack. It is about fulcrums and levers, angles and balance.  T’ai Chi and T’ai Chi Chuan is more mental than physical.  It is chess, not checkers. 

T’ai Chi is not a “fast and easy to learn” process. It takes many years of humble practice to learn, integrate and master. But the rewards are there or you.  The time invested will accumulate in a positive way over the years.  Throughout the process a growing sense of personal well-being and personal power will emerge.  It is that empowerment that becomes the essence of your art, and it will surface spontaneously from within as you face the challenges associated with your everyday life.