Peng is the first of the primary manifestations of jin (power) in Tai Chi Chuan. It's the first movement and the first application most students learn, and it's one of the most used forms of jin in Tai Chi Chuan. It is therefore vital that the student learn what Peng is, what it feels like, how it's applied and how to defend against it.
The first of the primary hand movements, Peng is a strong offensive form of energy (Yang Jin). An expansive bouncing energy it should feel like a balloon or a rubber ball that when compressed bounces force away. Most often it is not used as a direct attack, but rather to intercept an opponent's movements and attacks. Once the opponent has committed to a movement the Tai Chi player will use Peng to redirect the opponent's force (usually upwards or sideways), protecting the player from the attack while unbalancing the opponent and creating an opening to counter. Peng can also be used at close range to powerfully strike an opponent from the side in the chest, head or arm.
The most common example of Peng is intercepting a straight punch. Once the opponent has begun his attack the player will use Peng to press into the opponent's arm (usually at the elbow or just behind it on the upper arm). This sudden powerful intercepting force will lock the elbow joint and cause the opponent's fist to change direction unexpectedly. At this point there are several option available to the player, adhere to the opponent's arm and lock the joints to “capture” his limb, roll back and break the opponent's root (pulling him to the ground), strike his now undefended side, push the unbalanced opponent (knocking him over), use the locked arm to throw the opponent, etc. Clearly the variations are endless with Peng.
Peng is usually employed via the forearms, but it is vital to remember that this is merely the place where the energy is emitted, not the energy's source. As with all movement in Tai Chi Chuan preparing the body is the first step. Proper breathing (exhaling) during the movement is vital. Correct body alignment* and coordination is also crucial. Keep the body relaxed and your muscular and skeletal structure aligned After breathing in and solidly rooting rooting yourself (in preparation) you exhale and meet the opponent's energy at an angle.
You push into the ground with your rear leg (to generate power) while aligning most of your weight onto the front leg for stability. The energy should coil around your legs and rise as your rear leg pushed you forward and your hip joints (which must be loose) will open and close to allow the energy to rotate your torso. Then you will feel a powerful expansion of the pectoral muscles (like a balloon suddenly filling up) by keeping the arms and shoulders loose this powerful expanding sensation moves out from the chest and into the arms allowing them to meet your opponent's movement with a great deal of power and speed.
It's also important, as part of Tai Chi Chuan strategy, to come at the opponent from an angle. Rather than meeting the opposing force head on deflect it slightly before the opponent's energy has reached its full extention. If the opponent throws a punch use your forearm to press into the outside of his elbow before his punch has fully extended (and hit you!). This will cause his elbow to suddenly lock up faster than he'd expected and at a very different angle, thus leaving him vulnerable.
Defending against Peng is fairly straightforward, redirect the opponent's Peng or shift your footing and capture the opponent's force by wrapping and coiling around the powerful Peng. Alternatively you could use Cai (plucking) to pull his attacking limb, or simply use rollback to redirect the Peng energy to your side (leaving the opponent open to counter attacks).
As you can see Peng, while a very basic form of energy, has a great deal of depth. Students would do well to research and study it. Training with a partner is also vital, so as to get a realistic understanding of how to apply it. In addition it's important to explore your own posture so as to maximize your effectiveness in application. Lastly solo training with a heavy bag is also useful to further develop and strengthen you Peng energy.
For further illustrations view these:
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*The details of correct body alignment in Tai Chi are very complex and fall outside the scope of this article. For a more detailed discussion on the subject read my previous post: here
