Initial realization - what I lack in Taijiquan, I make up for in lack of Xingyiquan.
One of my martial 'Heroes" Wang Xiang Zhai, the Founder of Yiquan was quoted in an interview as saying the most valuable 'parts'of Xingyiquan are the 5 fists (especially piquan), and of Baguazhang the first Palm Change. Sifu himself basically affirmed that sentiment in our lesson.
I have to keep reminding myself in practice that flexibility and range-of-movement in the body along with the phrase "light and lively" in the shen are the cornerstones. My previous training treated the upper torso like a "block"(as my brother Aaron put it) whereas Sifu's method demands the articulation of the ribs and breastbone in relation to the dantien.
Over the past 10 years I've retooled my body mechanics based on pistol and rifle. I don't do anything in punching, slashing/thrusting with a blade or impact weapon, etc that I wouldnt do with a firearm - no lifting up on the back heel, no "rolling" the pelvis, no bobbing/weaving, no lifiting the shoulders etc etc.
- Sifu pointed out that my santi was "cross-body" which made me thing of the Weaver position in shooting, as opposed to Sifu's santi which reminds me of the more stable isoceles shooting stance. Even the way that Sifu directed me to spiral my elbows inward is almost exactly the way my tactical pistol 'mentor' taught for stability and tensegrity.
- Regarding Circle Walking Sifu exhorted "Breastbone faces the Tree" in the center, waist stays on the circle. Again when I considered this from the perspective of firearms - the arms (the rifle) is aimed by the breastbone.
- Sifu's method of walking the circle - Holding rice paper between the thighs / inside-to-out / outside to in stepping is very very similar to the moving and shooting"" footwork I've seen European operators employ. I've never seen any police or military here in the US move like that.
- Piquan: my hands need to be more relaxed, and I must avoid engaging the tendons, causing my fingers to flare on the "chop". Sifu also directed the wrist to be articulated so the blow lands more like an axe, than a palm strike (which is how I learned it previously). I'm going to be working on my rise-drill-overturn with this correction in mind.
Luckily I'm new enough to these Neija arts that it (hopefully) won't be as difficult to set aside the mechanics I've been taught by another teacher in favor of what I'm finding to be a vastly more effective and sophisticated method.
* Also I must go deeper into the concept of the WRIST being the trigger in Xingyiquan.