Taiji’s Structural Push Force and Explosive Force of the Bow Stance

Abstract

This paper presents the first scientific experiment on the combative function of Taiji.  The force generated in a bow stance comes from many factors, two of which are structural force and explosive force. Three scales were used for measurement: the front scale measured the weight borne by the front foot, the rear scale measured the weight borne by the rear foot, and the wall scale measured the horizontal force generated by the bow stance. The experiment consisted of two parts: the structural force and the explosive force of the bow stance. Structural force experiments demonstrate that the bow stance is typically a force-disadvantage lever: the entire body acts as the lever, gravity is the driving force, the structural horizontal force is the resistance, the balance degree is the driving arm, and the connecting hand height is the resistance arm. Therefore, heavier individuals can generate greater structural force. Although gravity is the driving force, the structural horizontal force originates from the friction between the soles of the feet and the ground, continuously transmitted through the entire body to the connecting hand, where the force is applied to the opponent. The wall scale acts as the opponent, objectively measuring the horizontal force. Structural force experiments have proven that the bow stance is suitable for generating pushing force, and the lower the bow stance, the greater the horizontal structural force generated. However, the horizontal structural force generated has an upper limit. This upper limit can be calculated using the simple formula presented in this paper. For more complex situations, the formulas and software described in "Calculating Taiji and Martial Arts" can be used. Explosive force experiments have shown that explosive force is related to the practitioner's skill level.  Greater explosive energy, shorter explosion time, and greater body weight result in greater explosive force upon impact. The relationship between explosive force and stance is not significant; in other words, there is not much difference in explosive force whether the stance is a bow stance or a horse stance. The formulas and software in "Calculating Taiji and Martial Arts" can be used to calculate explosive force.