Once the basic skills of Tai Chi are mastered, students can begin to study jings. A jing is a way of moving energy using mind intent to achieve a specific expression. There are many different types of jings such as Fa Jing which is used for creating explosive energy or Tzeh Jing which can be used for stealing energy from an opponent.

Ting Jing is slightly different from most other jings because it is a way of guiding energy to the mind rather than sending energy in some other direction.Ting Jing means listening energy. It has to do with looking into an opponent and sensing that opponents’ body state and eventually their intentions.

When a doctor or nurse listens to someones’ pulse by putting a hand on the patient’s wrist, they are doing something quite similar to Ting Jing. They are using an external signal to feel inside the person and tell what is happening. When someone is given a polygraph test, the heart beat as well as many other physical factors are used to attempt to decipher their intentions.

These kinds of skills can be developed so that they can be used in a combat situation as well. Here’s one of the first drills used by students starting to learn Ting Jing. Close your eyes and put your hand on the outside of your partners’ arm. Have your partner try to strike you with the arm you do not have your hand on. It is your job to try to feel exactly when your partner moves his arm. Have both people try both roles in this drill. If you are like most people, you’ll find that it is very easy for you to sense when the other person is going to move their arm and very hard for the striker to move without being sensed.

Over time this ability can be developed so that in a combat situation, you can actually sense when your opponent is going to move even before they begin to move. With Ting Jing, you can also develop the ability to counter an attack using the right angle and direction so that an attack can be completely thwarted with very little effort.

You can even learn to sense weaknesses in your opponent’s structure. This will enable you to exploit these structural breaks so that you can strike your opponent in ways that make it feel like they have been hit by a train even though you are using very little force yourself.

Ting Jing is one of the tools that makes Tai Chi a powerful tool for older folks or others who need to defend themselves against people who are much stronger than they are. Ting Jing also has important health benefits as well. Not only can you use it to feel what is happening inside an opponent’s body, but you can also use it to feel what is happening inside your own body as well. For example, it can be used for deepening relaxation. Ting Jing helps to find tense spots in the body and also helps to remove them. Ting Jing can also be used to improve and deepen breathing and remove energy blockages in the body.

Ting Jing is a powerful tool both for self defense and for health. Whether you are a Tai Chi student or not, you can start listening to your body today.

Author Bio: Sigung Richard Clear has over 30 years of continuous study in Tai Chi Chuan both in the U.S. and China. Check out more articles and his Tai Chi DVD selection at ClearsTaiChi.com.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: Tai Chi, Ting Jing, Tai Chi DVD