RULES – INTERNALS
TAIJI & LIUHEBAFA HAND & WEAPONS FORMS
Time limit: Minimum 2 minutes & maximum 3 min. 30 seconds with verbal warning at 30 seconds left –may be shorter depending upon numbers competing. 24 Solo Form will usually be performed to completion.
The range of proficiency in individual moves, stylistic characteristics, and transitions as well as postures will be accessed in categories of: “Good”, “Adequate/Lesser Faults”, and “Needs Work”. Xingyi’s nei jia principles include expressing mind intent leading the qi in smooth and continuous movement linking the entire body. An empty spirit extending to the head top comes from having a sunken chest and lifted back. A clearly separated and then re-integrated upper and lower body distinguishes substantial and insubstantial in order to avoid double weighting. The spirit of a style in ideally expresses more variety of pa men jin energies: peng, lu,ji, an, tsai, li, shou, and ko.
Water Boxing will include elements of the above in high, medium, and low stances with both fast and slow circular movements.
1). STANCES re:
- pelvis/coccyx —clearly “defined sit stances”/ or position too far in or out
- knees —safe/stable or exceed front/back, in/out limits
- steps —empty, light, rooted/nimble verses floating or awkward, controlled or heavy
- feet —firm/well placed or rolling/shifting/awkward placement
2). POSTURES (Unity) re:
- waist/hips —active or idle
- shoulders/elbows —relaxed/extended verses high or restricted
- arms —linked to body-driven moves or more independent
- hands –immobile or slack
3). VIGOR re:
- head —erect/centered or down/jutting forward
- face and eyes —relaxed and calm or tense and furtive, eyes leading movements
- flow—continuous and well paced verses halted
- intent—clearly finished moves, “opponent” present verses absent or vague in general
Additional Weapons Criteria re:
- the empty hand —involved and correctly positioned or neglected and useless for application
. condition/safety —skill apparent verses endangers self or others
- usage —edges “working” or weak alignment
- tassel/flag —well managed or poorly employed
- grip hand( s) —supple, flexible, controlled verses immobile or loose
XINGYI & BAGUA HAND & WEAPONS FORMS
Time limit: Minimum 1 minute & maximum 3 min. 30 seconds with verbal warning at 30 seconds left.
In addition to the nei jia principles above, san ti stance will be expressed in an inclined straight back. Elbows are to be hidden under the armpits and remain sunken and dropped with loose shoulders and extended hands pressing forward. The tip of the nose, hands, and feet match one another. The six harmonies of hips/shoulders, elbow /knees, ankles/wrists in the limbs match with their root sections generating power; the middle sections directing; the end sections expressing intent. The rear leg bounces up to push the front leg forward and stepping to turn is expressed in urgent manners. Jin energies are: Tsae as if stepping on something poisonous; Pu, leaping like a rabbit or tiger; Guoo, folding and wrapping so that nothing is exposed; Shuh, binding or sealing top and bottom into one; and Yue, like water breaking through a dam; and most importantly explosive thrusting or pressing.
Baguazhong and Mother Palms express: rising, drilling, overturning, and falling as the body moves with the hands and legs immediately following. Upper thighs contract inward while the feet go with the waist’s movement. The hands go with the waist turning and eye focus. Loosened shoulders and vigorously dropped elbow movements bore down and up like a wheel turning. Arc stepping may be executed at high, middle, and low levels and with kicks.
BEGINNER FIXED STANCE & RESTRICTED STEP PUSH HANDS
The more variety of Taiji pa men energies utilized (peng, lu,ji, an, tsai, li, shou, and ko), the more favorable scores.
All push hands competitors must be free of serious infectious diseases with short fingernails.
Time limit: Two 1 min. rounds with a 30 second break.
Safety comes first, especially in heavy and super weight Free Pushing divisions. Tui shou’s midrange grappling includes: composure, maintaining central equilibrium (root), posture, re-alignments, and well-timed stepping when demonstrating effective yielding, sticking, neutralizing, and returning energies following in succession in continuous play –all push hands divisions are continuous play. Judges stop the play only when competitors neglect to keep contact with one another.
All the nei jia criteria for open hand forms will apply. The goal is to award skills that demonstrate the “effective subtlety” of: unbalancing an opponent with finesse rather than excessive strength or meeting force with force, disrupting an opponent’s equilibrium rather than just causing them to move forward, backward, or sideways, neutralizing (hua) or evading an incoming force and redirecting (returning) it. While pushing the object is to not be pushed. Judges may also take into consideration “positive control: ” the impression of which competitor seems to be responsible for the best aspects of the match expressing nei jia “postural dynamics” as set out above. Judges will use hand signals for fixed and restricted step pushing awarding cumulative scores to determine the winner.
Fixed Stance and Restricted Step divisions are both restricted to an alley 4 feet wide/I0 feet long marked in tape with a center cross-hatch mark. Competitors are required to wear a T-shirt, marital arts pants and athletic shoes. The referee will use voice commands working with the timer and score keepers and other judges. Contact areas are: from below the base of the neck to above the coccyx or bladder area. Pushing the back, neck, head, bladder area, hip joint or leg is illegal. REVERSING STANCES IN RESTRICTED STEP PUSHING IS NOT ALLOWED. Single forward foot stepping with the back foot following and backward stepping with the front foot following is encouraged. Bumping while being in contact must be restricted to ko application without endangerment. BRACING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER IS NOT ALLOWED. Personal violations leading to disqualification include excessive strength, grabbing clothing or with both hands (hauling), holding on to an opponent to prevent loss of balance, head butting or other endangerment, such as strikes or the use of qin na joint folding.
Weight Classes including Free Push Hands divisions, are roughly set at: Men <160 lbs, Men 160-180 lbs, Men 181-200 lbs, Men >200 lbs, Women <130 lbs, Women 130-150-lbs, Women >150 lbs . With enough competitors women may have their own division.
FREE (MOVING) PUSH HANDS
This division is open to all including external stylists who adhere to the nei jia rules for Pushing listed above.
Time limit: three 2 min. rounds with a 45 second break between rounds.
The field will measure 11 – 15′ in diameter marked in tape with an “+” shaped mark in the center. Three or four judges may use either hands or flags to award four points to the looser of a round due to stepping beyond the outside edge of the circle or when any part of the body touches or falls inside the circle or when succumbing to the opponent’s clearly executed technique. Five points will be awarded to the winner of a round. Disqualifications occur with the consensus of the judges/referees after three personal violations and/or repeated technical violations and/or endangerment.
A gold medal is awarded to the winner in all push hands divisions, silver to the runner up. Bronze medals may be awarded to the losers of the two semifinal matches as if they were tied for third place. If bronze is awarded only for third place, another match between the two competitors who lose in the semifinals will be held. Winners in the lowest limited step weight divisions will be matched with their moving step counterparts, then pair the winner of each weight class with the winner of the next weight class –lightest to heaviest.
A Tournament Grand Champion is occasionally determined by competing in fixed, restricted and free pushing as well as in any external style weapons and open hand forms competition.
TWO-PERSON & GROUP OPEN HAND & WEAPONS
All performance etiquette and procedures, including nei jia standards found in the solo form divisions will apply.
Time Limit: 3 minutes minimum / no maximum.
Nei jia principles apply and the pacing of the two person set(s) are accessed for alertness and liveliness; how players anticipate and match one another (ting jin) in a smooth, well-defined fashion (hua jin); how they maintain contact and adhere to each other throughout the routine in conformity with applications unless a break is clearly appropriate to the style or intent of a move. Their quality of touch should be sticky and soft, not jarring (nian jin) and applications energetic (fa jin). Groups are accessed for uniformity in all respects.
MAS/Amended 2020