Reeling Silk Exercises (Chan si gong)

written by Nick Gudge

Reeling Silk Exercises (Chan si gong) are a recent development. They were created to assist students of Taiji to understand how the body must move to gain and utilise the unusual strength of Taiji (chan si jin). Understanding how the whole body coils and uncoils, opening and closing, is central to training in Taiji.

These exercises simplify the process of understanding into a graduated process. It begins first by training to move one arm / hand using whole body coiling, then the other, then both hands in one plane of motion (e,g front circle). Then a similar progression in a second, more difficult  plane (side circle) is taught. Then a combination of both planes in increasing complexity.

The list below is provided as a reminder of the fixed feet reeling silk exercises Wang Hai Jun commonly uses in his workshops and classes.

1.   Single Arm Reeling Silk - Front Circle (zheng mian) (Left and Right Side)

2.   Double Arm Reeling Silk - Front Circle

3.   Single Arm Reeling Silk - Side Circle (ce mian) (Left and Right Side)

4.   Double Arm Reeling Silk - Side Circle

5.   Peng-Lu Reeling Silk. (Left and Right Side)

6.   Peng-Lu-Ji-An Reeling Silk. (Left and Right Side)

Once these are learnt and understood footwork (Bu fa) is added.  Again there are increasing levels of difficulty. Stepping includes: side stepping, diagonal stepping, forwards and backwards stepping.

The list below is provided as a reminder of the stepping reeling silk exercises WHJ commonly uses in his workshops and classes.

7.   Single arm side stepping reeling silk - Front Circle (zheng mian) (Left & Right Side)

8.   Diagonal stepping reeling silk (Shaung Lu) (Left and Right Side)

9.   Alternating leg diagonal stepping reeling silk

10. Forward stepping reeling silk (Shaung Bu)

11. Backwards stepping reeling silk (Tui Bu)

12. Double Arm side stepping reeling silk - Front Circle (Cloud Hands – Yun Shao)

As mentioned above, silk reeling exercises are a teaching aid. Any movement or part of a movement from any form can be used as a silk reeling exercise. They can be executed in a wide variety of ways.

There are various articles on Silk Reeling by several authors on this website. The main ones can be found here:

• Silk Reeling Motion by Nick Gudge
• A commentary on beginning training Silk Reeling with Wang Hai Jun by Nick Gudge
• Silk Reeling Exercises in Taijiquan by Wang Hai Jun written by Aarvo Tucker
• Beginners Skills (Part 3) - Chan Si Jing by Wang Hai Jun written by Nick Gudge
• Chen Style Silk Reeling Practice by Chen Zheng Lei and Gao Xiao Hui with De Ru
• Silk Reeling Energy Skills by Chen Xiao Wang & Marvin Smalheiser

There are references to silk reeling in many other articles.

Nick Gudge teaches Chen style tai chi classes in Limerick