Why Equestrian Tai Chi?
As a martial arts instructor I often look at corresponding arts. I have studied many different forms of movement and applied my knowledge of Tai chi chuan to these disciplines. Since meeting and marrying an avid equestrian I have been exposed to many styles of riding, we currently have six horses and through the various problems and triumphs we have encountered. I have realised the relation between the oriental arts and the different styles of horse riding.
Within horse riding, posture plays an important role not just for judges or competition but for health and understanding as well. If you are expected to sit straight and balanced on a horse, you must first be straight and balanced on the ground. These theories tie in with many taichi principles. For example: In taichi it is important to have an uninterrupted and straight spinal posture in order for any type of energy to flow. This also relates to out side energy, when pushing hands with another practitioner you are always concentrating on your posture,balance and relaxed energy flow. In the same way a rider has to be relaxed, balanced and with good posture so as not to send the wrong messages to their horse, how many times have you been stressed or uptight on your horse and the horse has seemed to react to this ? (normally making you more stressed).
What Taichi also gives you is a sensitivity to movement, originally designed to sense your opponents next move, this skill was also used by taichi masters to act and react with alignment on a horse regardless of physical attribute. For instance, If you are right handed your right side would be more developed on that side, this will effect your balance when riding and also confuse your horses way of moving (either through the reins or through weight distribution). Through taichi practise we try and identify these attributes and teach you away of co-operating with your body instead of using it.
It is difficult to write about every aspect of what we teach, but hopefully through instruction, equestrians will be able to benefit from this internal art.
Martial History of Horseriding
Researching the history of Chinese martial arts, we find many references to horses. From the ancient Chinese texts like “the art of war” to the naming of postures or patterns like “Mustang ruffles mane” in taichi and Shaolin. These facts pose the question “How does martial training relate to the art of horsemanship?”
Within most martial art styles there is a basic stance called the horse stance (Ma bu, Kiba-dachi) which is used to strengthen the legs and provide an exercise for sinking the chi. another aspect of this fundamental stance is its ability to make you more balanced and durable in the saddle.
Through further research we find specific kung-fu styles dedicated to horse movement, in the horse form of northern Shaolin we find a whole pattern based on the movements of the horse, they believed that the horse was a useful working animal that should be studied and its natural advantages in nature utilised. In this pattern we find techniques with such colourful names as “crazy horse biting at a bear” and “Meteor hoof punch”. A practitioner, while practising the horse form, would keep his/her trunk firm and stable, his/her steps powerful and steady. His/her fists would be held to look like hooves of the horse. The muscles would be relaxed and the body movement natural.
Taking these examples and many others we can see that horses played a major role in the cultivation of martial arts in china. The Chinese even named a year after this revered animal.
The horse was revered throughout china from the most ancient of time. In February another huge burial site from 660-480 B.C. was uncovered. There are thousands of clay soldiers, though smaller than the warriors of Xian. the central, most sacred area was occupied by 6 horses and 3 complete chariots, the body of a king’s relative, a couple of slaves and wives. Some of the earliest forms of writing we have from china are about the care of horses, listing the attributes of the learned “literati”; the Han dynasty texts list the needed qualities of, horsemanship, archery, calligraphy and poetry.
It was the Mongols who, via their beloved horses, who changed history and conquered the world. How? Through the platform stirrup. their saddle, with both a high front and back, locked the rider in. instead of stabbing with a spear or swinging a straight sword like the rest of the world, they would brace their spear into their shoulder or saddle and, just before impact, stand up in the platform stirrup to connect the horse’s power into the spear and literally become a tank. Even the sabre was invented for its ease of use on horseback. The Chinese quickly adapted that from the Mongols as well.
It was in archery that the Mongols truly used the horse for its advantage. The horses were trained to run with an almost flat gait. The platform saddle and stirrup allowed the rider to control strictly with knees and voice, leaving the hands free to shoot a barrage of arrows from their laminated compound bows. They were so accurate that the Chinese phrase “be careful” (Xiao shin dien) means “small heart smaller”, because if a Mongol on horseback could see you for a second he could put an arrow into your heart.