commentary: (cosi fan) tantui

so one of the things that is taught in the Jason Tsou Kung Fu Academy (i've found out that was the name of the school, although Sifu closed the actual building some time ago) is something called tantui.

tantui is evidently a series of forms involving a progression of total body movements, incorporating stances, transitions, and use of upper and lower body. the progression is done along an imaginary line on the ground, with the practitioner proceeding from one end to another doing sets of repetitive movements that alternate from the left to right sides of the body and that begin at one end of the line and finishes at the other end of the line where they transition into another set. the sets of movements are often referred to as "lines" or "roads."

tantui is characterized by wide stances and wide, expressive movements that cover a large swath of ground. in performing tantui, the practitioner will end up facing in many different directions and go from low to high positions following paths both circular and linear in patterns which are by varying degrees simple and complex.

from what i've been able to gather from others in the class and from some surfing on the internet, tantui originated with the Muslims of ancient China. it's alternatively translated into English as "springing legs" (as in imagine a frog) or "pond legs" (i'm envisioning a connotation of frogs on lily pads again). tantui is considered a defining element of Muslim Long Fist, which is considered one of the oldest forms of Chinese martial arts and--because of the closeted nature of the Muslim community in ancient (and modern) China--one of the purest in terms of being preserved in its original form without corruption from external influences over time.

tantui apparently exerted some influence in traditional Chinese martial arts, particularly those of Northern China. in particular, there's forms of tantui in Northern Long Fist styles such as taizu chuan, mizhong chuan, praying mantis, etc. however, i've also learned that there are forms of tantui used in the styles of Southern China. as a result, kung fu has evolved different styles of tantui. despite this, tantui can largely be classified into 2 groups: tantui involving 10 lines (or roads) or 12 lines. Northern Chinese tantui apparently uses 10-road, and Southern Chinese styles use 12-road.

for definitions and more extensive description, please reference:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantui
• http://thetruereligion.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=302
  
• http://www.plumpub.com/info/Articles/art_TMmuslimkf.htm
• http://www.jkwongkungfutaichi.com/about/tan_tui.htm
• http://formosaneijia.com/2006/traditional-tantui/
  

you can see what some differing styles of tantui look like:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt83nvRwq-4
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJup-h-p_ck
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vjGMpTMGF8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq3P5wKrW94
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMZN7qJWVE0
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJAo1xRdkaE
  

from what i can tell, the tantui i've been trying to learn is the first one. i say "trying" because the class hasn't done it in a while--some students did it as a part of warm-up for the first few classes i attended, but since then it hasn't been done. i managed to get an introduction to the first 4 lines (enough to get a feel for how they are supposed to be done), but that's about it. i've been practicing them on my own, but haven't had anybody review my technique or teach me any more than what i picked up.

Sifu uses tantui as a training tool, since its use of total body movement is viewed as a good device for improving a student's overall physical coordination, balance, flexibility, and mind-body awareness. it also serves to strengthen joints, ligaments, tendons, and open up a student's posture by acclimating them to stretched positions and transitions. it's also a good introduction into many of the basic elements of Northern Chinese kung fu styles, particularly in terms of stances, foot and legwork, and arm and hand movements. in addition, i've been told that when performed slowly it is a good way of developing leg strength. basically, tantui is meant to give students the solid foundation necessary for subsequent progression in kung fu. this is all apparently consistent with Northern kung fu fighting styles, which use a phrase that "if your tantui is good, your kung fu will be good."

tantui, however, apparently has combat applications, and actually forms the basis of a lot of Muslim long fist kung fu. from what i've found on the internet, tantui is actually viewed as being enough to form an effective fighting style, with each line offering multiple permutations for blocks, evasions, and strikes. with proper training, a practitioner is supposed to be able to use tantui in actual combat situations.

personally, i found tantui to be pretty awkward when i first started. but since i've been practicing it's been getting easier. i have to admit, my balance has improved, and some of the movements have gotten easier to do. for example, i couldn't hold a leg straight horizontally while standing at first, but i've found that i now can with some relative ease. i still find some of it a little confusing, and i am still at a point where i have to consciously think about the movements in each line as i do them, but it's beginning to feel much more natural and i'm starting to feel myself able to do the lines much more smoothly.

of course, i should note that tantui has little or no connection with the bagua zhang that i've been learning. apart from training purposes of improving coordination and strengthening connective tissue, tantui doesn't really tie into bagua's circular movements--at least, from what i can tell. just to confirm my suspicions, i asked John if there was any relationship between tantui and bagua, and he shook his head and said: "no. none."

still, i figure it's useful for training, and i figure that if i really am going to continue on and eventually learn other Northern Chinese fighting styles that it's going to be a necessary element, and so i'll continue to practice it. but i expect that i'm going to have to check with Sifu at some point to see what i should be doing with it, as well as review my technique and the proper steps to learn the remaining lines.