The Five Primary Elements and the Eight Body Maneuvers of Zhaobao Taichi
（趙堡太極五行八法）
Although the five primary elements of traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy are metal（金）, wood（木）, water（水）, fire（火）, and earth（土）, Zhaobao Taichi also refers to its five basic fighting techniques as the five primary elements. They are: zhān（粘）, rào（繞）, bēi（背）, jìn（進）, jí（擊）. Applying these five primary elements is the fundamental principle of combat strategy.
1) Zhān（粘） means to glue. You glue yourself and your energy to your opponent’s energy through your hand, and bring yourself close to your opponent. Taichi is an art form of close combat, so engaging directly with your opponent is to your advantage.
2) Rào（繞） means spiraling. In combat, after you connect your energy to your opponent and he or she strikes you, you spiral your energy to escape, or you spiral your opponent’s energy in a circle to make him or her lose balance.
3) Bēi（背） means shouldering. It means carrying something on your back. After you connect your energy with your opponent’s, you move his or her center of gravity to your shoulder and make him or her lose balance, and then twist his or her forearm to disable your opponent. This technique is commonly used by Zhaobao Taichi practitioners.
4) Jìn（進） means stepping. Without careful stepping, you cannot properly keep your energy glued to your opponent’s, which would make it difficult for you to strike. Stepping makes striking easier.
5) Jí（擊） is striking. In combat, you may strike your opponent with your hand, fist, foot, knee, hip, elbow, or shoulder. If you are close enough to your opponent, you may strike your opponent with your knee or elbow. If you are more distant, then you should strike him or her with your foot or hand.
What Zhaobao Taichi Kungfu traditionally refers to as the eight body maneuvers is actually three sets of eight maneuvers each, for a total of 24. They are: 1) yǐn（引）, lǐng（領）, suǒ（鎖）, kòu（扣）, lāo（撈）, guà（掛）, lóu（摟）, fān（翻）; 2) tūn（吞）, tǔ（吐）, kāi（開）, hé（合）, xuán（旋）, bǎi（擺）, zòng（縱）, héng（橫）; and 3) chán（纏）, guì（跪）, tiǎo（挑）, liào（撂）, tiē（貼）, cuò（挫）, dèng（蹬）, chuài（踹）.
1) Eight hand maneuvers:
• Yǐn（引）means you let your energy be glued to your opponent’s energy, and at the same time you drive his or her energy into a disadvantageous position.
• Lǐng（領）means you glue the energy through your hand to your opponent’s energy, and at the same time drive his or her energy into a disadvantageous position.
• Suǒ（鎖）means you grasp the energy in your opponent’s hand or arm with your hand.
• Kòu（扣）means you lock your opponent’s forearm or weapon with your hand, making him or her unable to escape for an instant so that you may immediately strike him or her.
• Lāo（撈）means you put one hand palm down on your opponent’s wrist and the other hand palm up on his or her elbow, and lift the elbow up.
• Guà（掛）means you hook your hand on your opponent’s forearm to grasp him or her.
• Lóu （摟）means you grasp your opponent’s waist with your hands, with your thumbs up or down.
• Fān（翻）means you lift up your opponent’s arm with your two hands, and you combine the energy of your hands.
2) Eight hip maneuvers:
• Tūn（吞）means you twist your hips in a figure eight pattern to disperse your opponent’s energy as it comes towards you.
• Tǔ（吐）means you strike your opponent with your hips upwards at a 45º angle to make him or her lose balance.
• Kāi（開）means you take a wide open step and divide your energy into two directions to trap your opponent’s energy inside your energy.
• Hé（合）means you keep your steps close and drop your center of gravity to defend yourself.
• Xuán（旋）means you turn your hips force your opponent in front of your chest.
• Bǎi（擺）means you twist your hips to the left or right in order to strike the center of your opponent’s body.
• Zòng（縱）means you move from your hips when striking your opponent, going straight towards him or her before you take him or her down.
• Héng（橫）means you move with your hips to strike your opponent who is coming towards you from your side.
3) Eight leg or foot maneuvers:
• Chán（纏）means you pull your leg inward to twist your opponent’s front leg.
• Guì（跪）means you use your knee to drive your opponent’s front leg down.
• Tiǎo（挑）means you walk straight towards your opponent and use your front foot to hook and twist his or her front ankle outwards.
• Liào（撂）means you strike your opponent with your thigh and raise his or her feet up off the ground.
• Tiē（貼）means you connect to your opponent’s thigh with your thigh by twisting your hip.
• Cuò（挫）means you thrust your leg sideways so your foot forces your opponent’s calf or knee downward, outward, and then upward. Or you curl your toes to grip the ground so you keep your balance.
• Dèng（蹬）means you strike your opponent with your heel aimed straight towards him or her.
• Chuài（踹）means you strike your opponent at your side using the sole or side of your foot, with your head down and one leg up.
（趙堡太極五行八法）
Although the five primary elements of traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy are metal（金）, wood（木）, water（水）, fire（火）, and earth（土）, Zhaobao Taichi also refers to its five basic fighting techniques as the five primary elements. They are: zhān（粘）, rào（繞）, bēi（背）, jìn（進）, jí（擊）. Applying these five primary elements is the fundamental principle of combat strategy.
1) Zhān（粘） means to glue. You glue yourself and your energy to your opponent’s energy through your hand, and bring yourself close to your opponent. Taichi is an art form of close combat, so engaging directly with your opponent is to your advantage.
2) Rào（繞） means spiraling. In combat, after you connect your energy to your opponent and he or she strikes you, you spiral your energy to escape, or you spiral your opponent’s energy in a circle to make him or her lose balance.
3) Bēi（背） means shouldering. It means carrying something on your back. After you connect your energy with your opponent’s, you move his or her center of gravity to your shoulder and make him or her lose balance, and then twist his or her forearm to disable your opponent. This technique is commonly used by Zhaobao Taichi practitioners.
4) Jìn（進） means stepping. Without careful stepping, you cannot properly keep your energy glued to your opponent’s, which would make it difficult for you to strike. Stepping makes striking easier.
5) Jí（擊） is striking. In combat, you may strike your opponent with your hand, fist, foot, knee, hip, elbow, or shoulder. If you are close enough to your opponent, you may strike your opponent with your knee or elbow. If you are more distant, then you should strike him or her with your foot or hand.
What Zhaobao Taichi Kungfu traditionally refers to as the eight body maneuvers is actually three sets of eight maneuvers each, for a total of 24. They are: 1) yǐn（引）, lǐng（領）, suǒ（鎖）, kòu（扣）, lāo（撈）, guà（掛）, lóu（摟）, fān（翻）; 2) tūn（吞）, tǔ（吐）, kāi（開）, hé（合）, xuán（旋）, bǎi（擺）, zòng（縱）, héng（橫）; and 3) chán（纏）, guì（跪）, tiǎo（挑）, liào（撂）, tiē（貼）, cuò（挫）, dèng（蹬）, chuài（踹）.
1) Eight hand maneuvers:
• Yǐn（引）means you let your energy be glued to your opponent’s energy, and at the same time you drive his or her energy into a disadvantageous position.
• Lǐng（領）means you glue the energy through your hand to your opponent’s energy, and at the same time drive his or her energy into a disadvantageous position.
• Suǒ（鎖）means you grasp the energy in your opponent’s hand or arm with your hand.
• Kòu（扣）means you lock your opponent’s forearm or weapon with your hand, making him or her unable to escape for an instant so that you may immediately strike him or her.
• Lāo（撈）means you put one hand palm down on your opponent’s wrist and the other hand palm up on his or her elbow, and lift the elbow up.
• Guà（掛）means you hook your hand on your opponent’s forearm to grasp him or her.
• Lóu （摟）means you grasp your opponent’s waist with your hands, with your thumbs up or down.
• Fān（翻）means you lift up your opponent’s arm with your two hands, and you combine the energy of your hands.
2) Eight hip maneuvers:
• Tūn（吞）means you twist your hips in a figure eight pattern to disperse your opponent’s energy as it comes towards you.
• Tǔ（吐）means you strike your opponent with your hips upwards at a 45º angle to make him or her lose balance.
• Kāi（開）means you take a wide open step and divide your energy into two directions to trap your opponent’s energy inside your energy.
• Hé（合）means you keep your steps close and drop your center of gravity to defend yourself.
• Xuán（旋）means you turn your hips force your opponent in front of your chest.
• Bǎi（擺）means you twist your hips to the left or right in order to strike the center of your opponent’s body.
• Zòng（縱）means you move from your hips when striking your opponent, going straight towards him or her before you take him or her down.
• Héng（橫）means you move with your hips to strike your opponent who is coming towards you from your side.
3) Eight leg or foot maneuvers:
• Chán（纏）means you pull your leg inward to twist your opponent’s front leg.
• Guì（跪）means you use your knee to drive your opponent’s front leg down.
• Tiǎo（挑）means you walk straight towards your opponent and use your front foot to hook and twist his or her front ankle outwards.
• Liào（撂）means you strike your opponent with your thigh and raise his or her feet up off the ground.
• Tiē（貼）means you connect to your opponent’s thigh with your thigh by twisting your hip.
• Cuò（挫）means you thrust your leg sideways so your foot forces your opponent’s calf or knee downward, outward, and then upward. Or you curl your toes to grip the ground so you keep your balance.
• Dèng（蹬）means you strike your opponent with your heel aimed straight towards him or her.
• Chuài（踹）means you strike your opponent at your side using the sole or side of your foot, with your head down and one leg up.
