Intrinsic Energies of Taijiquan—The Secret to Mastering Tai Chi

Adhere-Sticky Energy

Most of us, even those of us who’ve been learning and practicing Tai Chi for years, find ourselves losing our calm center and reacting with tension in a self-defense situation.

We may feel relaxed and experience our Qi flowing as we practice our solo form or practice two-person with a partner we’re used to, but the minute we’re in an unknown situation, or up against someone who intimidates us, we may overreact with too much aggression or fear, or freeze up inside and not know what to do. 

When we lose control of ourselves, we lose control of the situation. That’s why Stuart Alve Olson calls Tai Chi, not self-defense but “defense against the self.” 

Our ways of dealing with self-defense situations tend to mirror the ways we deal with the everyday stressors of life. Most of us have a pattern we fall into when we feel threatened. Instead of responding effectively, we may react with too much forcefulness, anxiety, or by going into collapse.

Because we have these habits of reacting with tension in our body, even though we experience a calming of the mind while performing Tai Chi, we don’t achieve what the early masters called “Song,” which is a catlike state of sensitivity, alertness, and relaxation in the body. 

This art of staying in a state of deep relaxation yet alertness allows you to develop your Intrinsic Energy. Using Intrinsic Energy in the application of Tai Chi allows you to neutralize an opponent with what appears to be a supernatural ability, and move through life with clarity, calm, and confidence. 

Issuing Energy

Most students of Tai Chi have heard stories about classic Tai Chi Masters doing incredible and inexplicable things because of the internal power they’ve cultivated.

These powers have seemed mythical and mysterious, and they have intrigued our imaginations, but there’s never been a clear path for how to attain this level of mastery. 

As Stuart said, “When I was with Master T.T. Liang at age 32, I couldn’t believe how at age 82, he was so easily knocking me down. It took me a few years to realize what he was using. I always thought it was something mystical, that I had to get this thing called ‘Qi.’ We throw this Qi word around because it comes off as magical, but it’s really not. As Master Liang said, ‘No, it’s Intrinsic Energy that’s required to master Taijiquan.'

So I practiced these things, solo form, two-person, applications, and studying the old Chinese texts, and then one day he said, ’Ooh, you’ve got Intrinsic Energy.’ It took me 15 years to learn how to further develop these Intrinsic Energies because I didn‘t have this course. I’ve now created what I wish I’d had back then.”  

Intercepting Energy

Stuart Alve Olson had a long tutelage with Master T.T. Liang, who himself studied with many foremost masters in Taiwan in the middle of the last century. Stuart lived and taught with Master Liang for many years, which exposed him to the inner teachings of Intrinsic Energy.

Along with his personal practice, Stuart has studied and translated many original writings on Taijiquan, and had the opportunity to learn from Master Liang how to interpret and apply these texts in his practice. 

Stuart has written a book on Intrinsic Energy called Tai Chi Jin, which you can learn more about below, and find on Amazon if you're interesting in reading more on this topic. 

For the first time ever, Stuart is going to transmit his teachings on the 30 major types of intrinsic energy in an in-depth yet easy-to-understand way. 

Along with transmitting this knowledge, he will teach the rare methods to develop each of these Intrinsic Energies.

This will go into more depth on each of the energies than the book was able to cover and share these training methods that were not in the book. 

Intrinsic Energy is something that develops through a serious practice of Taijiquan, through the exercises of Sensing Hands (Tui Shou), Greater Rolling-Back (Da Lu), and Dispersing Hands (San Shou). But unless you have the right teacher, the right knowledge, and a systematic way to cultivate it, it's very slow and difficult to actually develop Intrinsic Energy in a substantial way on your own.

With this program you can take advantage of Stuart’s years of study and practice and the insights he’s gained from teachers and from his own experience, to gain a faster, more reliable and effective route to developing your Intrinsic Energy and mastering Taijiquan.

Praise for Stuart’s book Tai Ji Jin: Discourses on Intrinsic Energies for Mastery of Self-Defense Skills 

Program Syllabus

Class 1

• Introductory Comments
• What Is Intrinsic Energy?
• Examples of Intrinsic Energy
• Intro to Restraining, Seizing, Grasping, and Closing
• Waist, Breath, and Mind-Intent
• Big Picture View of Taijiquan Practices
• Progression of Lessons and Following the Classics
• The Four Approaches to Taiji Practice

Class 2

• Adhering-Sticking Energy (Zhan Nian Jin)
• The Yang Family Lineage
• Sensing and Developing Adhering and Sticking Energy
• Using a Piece of Paper
• Zhan Nian and the Ability to Relax
• Raising an Opponent’s Breath
• Resistance Is the Biggest Obstacle We Have
• Concluding Comments
• Q&A Discussion – Whole Body Is One Unit
• Adhering-Sticking Energy Demonstration

Class 3

• Listening Energy (Ting Jin)
• Develop Listening Energy in the Feet
• Listening Energy Demonstration
• Interpreting Energy (Dong Jin)
• Interpreting Energy Demonstration
• Listening and Interpreting Are Tied Together
• Concluding Comments

Class 4

• Receiving Energy (Zou Jin)
  Receiving Energy Demonstration
• Neutralizing Energy (Hua Jin)
• Neutralizing Energy Demonstration
• Enticing Energy (Yin Jin)
• Enticing Energy Demonstration

Class 5

• Seizing Energy (Na Jin)
• Seizing Energy Demonstration
• Issuing Energy (Fa Jin)
• Issuing Energy Demonstration
• Borrowing Energy (Jie Jin)
• Borrowing Energy Demonstration
• Q&A Discussion

Class 6

• Opening (Kai) and Closing (Ho) Energies (Jin)
• Opening and Closing Energies Demonstration
• Q&A Discussion

Class 7

• Rising (Ti) and Sinking (Chen) Energies (Jin)
• Rising and Sinking Energies Demonstration

Class 8

• The Eight Operations
• Warding-Off Energy (Peng Jin)
• Warding-Off Energy Demonstration
• Rolling-Back Energy (Lu Jin)
• Rolling-Back Energy Demonstration
• Pressing Energy (Ji Jin)
• Pressing Energy Demonstration
• Pushing Energy (An Jin)
• Pushing Energy Demonstration
• Concluding Comments
• Q&A Discussion

Class 9

• Pulling Energy (Cai Jin)
• Pulling Energy Demonstration
• Splitting Energy (Lie Jin)
• Splitting Energy Demonstration
• Elbowing Energy (Chou Jin)
• Elbowing Energy Demonstration
• Shouldering Energy (Kao Jin)
• Shouldering Energy Demonstration
• The Four Diagonal Energies
• Q&A Discussion

Class 10

• Long Energy (Chang Jin)
• Long Energy Demonstration
• Intercepting Energy (Jie Jin)
• Intercepting Energy Demonstration
• Q&A Discussion

Class 11

• Drilling Energy (Zuan Jin)
• Drilling Energy Demonstration
• High Lofty Energy (Ling Kong Jin)
• Lofty Tower Energy Demonstration
• Q&A Discussion

Class 12

• An Explanation of Restraining, Seizing, Grasping, and Closing Within Taijiquan (Tai Ji Quan Zhong Jie Na Zhua Bi Jie)
• Restraining and Seizing Skills
• Joined Coiling Palms (合盤掌 Ho Pan Zhang)
• Restraining Demonstration
• Seizing Demonstration
• Q&A Discussion

Class 13

• Grasping and Closing Skills
• Grasping Demonstration
• Closing Demonstration
• Q&A Discussion

Class 14 – Hand Skills Training

• Yarrow Stalks and Metal Rods
• Organic Red Kidney Beans
• Clay Balls
• Sword Charm Drill with Artist Clay
• Fist Drill with Modeling Clay
• Palm Training with Taiji Ruler