My understanding of the relaxed force generated by the tai chi I teach and that used in I-Quan

It may be an most pointless exercise attempting to discuss the differences between the two systems of producing relaxed force as understanding necessarily evolves through cultivation and because I have zero experience of I-Quan, however it may prove interesting to review in the coming years.

A criticism of the type of tai chi I practice and teach from I-Quan practitioners is that the release in tai chi is too slow. They suggest that sinking to the ground and rebounding from both feet takes longer than releasing from the low dantian and so sinking to the low dantian being a shorter distance is quicker. What I believe they fail to understand is that in the 37 step form we practice, it is merely a training tool to develop the pathways and synchronisation necessary in the development of fajin production but that in practice since tai chi uses the peng force, the release is instant as peng is predicated on the fact that something rises as something sinks. This means then that we only use rebounding as a development tool rather than practically. If it were to be used practically then indeed it would be too slow!

Esaias Hobbs