Inners, Outers and the 10 Co-ordinations

 A friend of mine who teaches Yang style T'ai Chi once asked me if I knew about the 3 Inners and Outers.

What he meant are the six harmonies, typically divided into the the 3 internal and 3 external co-ordinations. These are:

• The hands co-ordinate with the feet
• The shoulders co-ordinate with the hips
• The elbows co-ordinate with the knees
• The heart co-ordinates with the intent
• The intent co-ordinates with the Chi
• The Chi co-ordinates with the power

I knew these as part of the 10 co-ordinations, which are:

1. The head must co-ordinate with the coccyx
2. The neck must co-ordinate with the waist
3. The shoulders must co-ordinate with the inside of the thigh, where it joins the body
4. The elbows must co-ordinate with the knees
5. The shin of one leg must co-ordinate with the shin of the other leg
6. The toes of one foot must co-ordinate with the toes of the other foot
7. The spirit must co-ordinate with the mind
8. The mind must co-ordinate with the Chi
9. The Chi must co-ordinate with the strength
10. The inner aspects (spirit, Chi) must co-ordinate with the outer aspect ( the external form )