Catch the Baby: A Natural Way to Learn Tai Chi

Song (Relaxation)

Everything in Tai Chi begins with Song—relaxation and letting go of unnecessary tension. When catching a falling weight, it is impossible to stiffen the muscles and still absorb the force. The body must relax to receive it. This same letting go is what we cultivate in every Tai Chi posture. Without Song, movement is stiff, energy is blocked, and the movement loses much of the health benefit as well as martial effectiveness.

Rooting

When rooting, the weight naturally settles into the legs and feet, establishing a stable base. Done correctly, it feels as if the feet are sinking into the ground. When we 'Catch the Baby,' the weight flows downward through relaxed joints into the legs and feet, creating this deep sense of rooting. In Tai Chi, if a posture is not rooted, it is not truly Tai Chi.

Whole-Body Connection

In catching a weight, the arms, torso, and legs work together as a single unit. The entire body participates in receiving the weight. This is exactly what Tai Chi trains: integrating the body so power flows smoothly from the feet through the torso and out through the hands.

Sinking the Shoulders

In Tai Chi, the shoulders must sink. Raised shoulders interfere with rooting and create tension that blocks energy flow. When catching a weight, the shoulders naturally drop - otherwise, the force cannot pass into the legs and feet. This instinctive release ensures the weight is absorbed by the whole body rather than the upper body alone.

Bending the Elbows

If the arms are straight when catching a weight, the strain falls mainly on the shoulders, making the effort clumsy and weak. If the elbows are bent too sharply, however, it’s like crimping a water hose; the 'crimp' cuts off the internal connection between the arms and body. Only when the elbows are rounded and sunk that the weight of the falling can be absorbed by the entire body. In Tai Chi, this curved shape of the arms is essential for creating ‘peng’ and transmitting energy.

Bending the Knees

The knees, like the elbows, must bend to allow force to travel through them. Locked knees stiffen the lower body and prevent rooting and the flow of energy. Tai Chi postures are often described as 'sitting while standing,' with the knees and hips bent just as if lowering oneself into a chair. When catching a weight, the knees naturally bend, allowing the force to pass into the floor. This is the same principle that makes Tai Chi postures powerful and stable.

Bending the Kua (Hip Joints)

For many students, bending the kua - the hip joints - is one of the hardest skills to develop, yet it is essential for progressing in tai chi. The kua allow the hips to turn without twisting the knees or compressing the lower back. Without the opening of the kua, movement becomes weak and injury-prone, there is no rooting, and the flow of energy between the upper and lower body is compromised. When catching a weight, the hips fold naturally as the body lowers. Repeating this action trains the body to bend at the kua instinctively, a habit that carries directly into Tai Chi practice.

Sinking and Expanding

Every Tai Chi movement contains both sinking and expanding.

Sinking: Through relaxation and releasing muscular tension, the body lets go and allows weight to settle deeply into the legs and feet. Without sinking, there is no lengthening of the muscles and fascia, no opening of the joints and channels, and no true connection to the ground. What gives tai chi movements their power is the connection of the feet with the ground.  That power is then transmitted to the waist and then to the hands.  When catching a weight, sinking happens instinctively—the body lowers, letting the force pass to the feet, and the whole body feels like it is sinking.Expanding (Peng Energy): At the same time as we sink, in every movement must also expand. This Peng energy feels like an elastic fullness, similar to an inflated balloon inside the body, gently pressing outward in all directions. As the body relaxes, the joints naturally open and expand. When catching a weight, our skeletal joints loosen and open, connecting and stretching the muscles and fascia so that every part of our body connects to all the parts.  The result is a springlike quality—soft yet solid—that defines Tai Chi.

In a Bow Stance or Back Stance

When “Catching a Baby” we are usually in a parallel stance or Horse Stance, but almost all the tai chi stances are either in a forward (Bow stance), or in a back stance, where most of the weight is on the back foot. How, then, can we do “Catch the Baby” in stances that are not parallel? The answer is to pretend that in every move you are “Catching the Baby”. In other words, in every move whether forward or back, move as you would when catching a weight. For example, In Brush Knee, rather than simply shifting your weight forward, sink your weight as you would when catching the baby. Your arms are doing the Brush Knee motion, but the rest of your body is doing exactly as you would when catching the baby. In Fair Lady Works at the Shuttles or Fan through the Back (as in Yang style) where the arms move up, it is still the same. As you move into the posture, sink as if you are catching a weight; the sinking of the hips and opening of the kuas will move your arms into the right position.

Moving into a Back Stance works the same way. Rather than shift back, sink into the movement. In White Crane (Yang style), use the mechanisms of “Catch the Baby” to sink into the movement while letting the arms move up.

Conclusion: Using Your Natural Instinct as Your Teacher

The beauty of 'Catch the Baby' is that it bypasses the conscious mind. Instead of thinking about where to place the shoulders, how much to bend the knees, how to root, or to remember to open the kuas, the body simply does it. The instinctive act of catching a weight embodies all of the core principles of Tai Chi—Song, rooting, whole-body connection, sinking the shoulders, rounded elbows, bent knees, open kua, and the balance of sinking and expanding.By practicing this simple exercise and bringing its feeling into every posture in your Tai Chi practice, you align with the natural wisdom of the body. As my teacher, Master William Ting, would often say: 'Listen to your body. Your body does not lie.'