When someone mentions Tai Chi Chuan, your first thought probably isn't about skiing. My initial reaction was about kung fu, or something something out of a Bruce Lee movie. Yes, it's principles are founded in forms of self defense, but the same principles that found T’ai Chi's martial arts can help us become, among other things, better skiers. With a general concept of how skiing works at a basic level, we can apply some key characteristics of T’ai Chi to expand the way we ski and perhaps even the way we view skiing in general.
A fundamental idea of Tai Chi Chuan is based on the Yin and Yang. You may be thinking, “So what does this black and white symbol have to do with skiing?” Before we can apply concepts of T’ai Chi to our skiing, we must first understand the foundation of it principles and its history. Yin and Yang represent polar opposites that are constantly at battle with each other and yet constantly in harmony. These two “forces”, for lack of a better word, are deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy and they help to explain everything that we perceive. Yang is the ‘visible’, assigned to represent what can be seen, and Yin the ‘invisible’, together these opposite forces create an equilibrium that allows existence. Think of it like this, without darkness there would be no need for light, in the same manner without Yin, there is no Yang.
Yin and Yang can be associated with many different concepts such as light and dark, male and female, or even good and evil. The philosophy attempts to create a model for all opposite forces that can be seen (or not seen) in reality. For our application, we will view Yin and Yang each as one half of respiration; Yin will represent breathing in, and Yang, breathing out. By breathing in and out, you harmonize Yin and Yang, and by focusing solely on breathing, you allow your body and your mind to be unified. At this point, Yin becomes your body and Yang your mind, perception of reality changes and your mind and body are able to work in perfect unison. Obviously, to achieve perfect harmony between body and mind can take a lifetime devoted to meditation, but for our purposes simple meditation, or even just the simple understanding of this process works will be sufficient.
Whether it be kung fu, or mma, it seems pretty simple to figure out who your opponent is, it’s that guy in the other corner who’s trying to adjust your face. Outside of competition skiing, however, it might seem difficult to identify a clear adversary. But, look closely and you’ll see that gravity, the very same force that makes it possible for you to ski, is your single greatest enemy as you descend the mountain. Luckily your goal is not to combat this, monster force, no instead, in order to be a great skier you must learn to use it to your advantage.
This is a fundamental idea in Tai Chi, the goal is not to resist a force with a stronger force, but instead to yield, to “deflect”, “check”, and “follow”. To apply this concept to skiing we must use these three techniques to change gravity’s influence on us. When combined these three techniques are called “Nian”, loosely translated it means “sticky”, or to stay with the opposing force. In order to do that we must have a fundamental idea of what gravity is actually doing as we descend down the mountain.
Every move that you make reduces the ability of gravity to pull you straight down the slope, or in other words, straight down the fall line. The fall line is an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the ground. As skiing is a sport that is a slave to the influence of gravity, the skier must use that gravity to create speed down the hill, controlling speed with turns. Turning can be broken down into four parts, which, coupled together create a complete turn. First, the skier plants his pole, marking a point which he will initiate his turn around, as well as aiding the skier’s balance as he enters into the turn. Next, the skier unweights his ski edges(2) which allows him to shift his weight(3) from one side of the ski to the other, more specifically from the uphill edge, to the downhill edge. Finally the skier maintains this edge(4) until he passes the fall line and then begins the next turn with the following pole plant.
The more energy that a skier uses to initiate and maintain turns, the more speed he loses and the less efficient the turn is, this is opposite of what Tai Chi teaches us. Instead, gravity should be channeled through the ski, allowing the ski to ski you and not the other way around. By internalizing what is going on as you slide down the mountain you will achieve a higher form of skiing, in a sense you won’t be skiing the mountain, the mountain will be skiing you.
Skis are nothing more than a tool that allows you to move down the mountain and your body needs to move in certain ways to maximize their ability. True Tai Chi skiing requires us to lose our poles and ski in a more pure sense, but before you go throw them in a trash can, look at how T’ai Chis principles can help you ski with poles. Practicing the slow movements of Tai Chi will make you a better skier, much like yoga it has the ability to strengthen muscles which allow for better balance which is a key ability in downhill skiing. Remember however, that much of skiing is internal, and Tai Chi’s greatest addition to skiing comes from its idea of unification of mind and body. Instead of thinking about your next turn and the complexities of how to make and finish it, just allow your body and mind to work together and just react.
So the next time you stand at the top of a mountain, before you charge down the icy slope, pause and take a second to take in the beauty of the Earth that we live in. Breath in and taste the cool air as it enters first your nose, and then proceeds down into your lungs. Visualize yourself skiing down the mountain, or better yet the mountain skiing you. Then exhale, feeling the warm, moist air exit your body, and feel your mind slipping away, slowly becoming one part of a whole with your body. Point your tips down the hill, and just maybe you’ve taken the first step into a whole new realm of skiing.
