During the whole process of Tai Chi learning, the third stage is known by some as the stage for "training the mind, energy and power". In this stage, attention should be given to the following points:

 

Make a clear distinction between emptiness and solidness, and combine softness with hardness
In Kungfu exercises the contradictory changes are often called the changes between the empty and the solid. In Tai Chi Chuan as a whole the end of a movement in the final position is solid and the process of changing the movement is empty. In the third stage, the main supporting leg is the "solid" and the auxiliary supporting leg, or the moving and changing leg, is the "empty" one; and the arm Which demonstrates the main content of the exercise is the "solid," while the auxiliary and supporting hand is the "empty" one. When the empty and the solid are clearly defined, in applying the force there should be both tension and relaxation. The solid movements and parts call for heavy and substantial force, while the empty movements and parts call for gentle and implicit force.

 

For example, when the exercise comes to the final position or is nearing the finish, the waist and joints should be relaxed and stable. When the exercises are changed, the joints of the whole body should be relaxed and invigorated. When the movements of the upper limbs change from empty to solid, the forearms should be firm and the palms should be fully extended, with the fingers relaxed and the wrists flat. The fists should be clenched first loosely and then tightly. When changing from empty to solid, the movement of the forearm should be gentle with the fists loosely clenched. In conjunction with the changing movements between the empty and the solid, there is both softness and force and tension and relaxation, alternating one with the other. The exercises are light, gentle and firm, with the equal application of force for all movements.

 

Apart from the combination of softness and hardness, Tai Chi Chuan calls for the uninterrupted application of even and integral force. Interrupted application of force means interruption, discontinuity, pause, and sudden change in the application of force. To ensure the continuous flow of force it is necessary to grasp the rules for making the movements continuous, coordinated, and circular. The force in Tai Chi Chuan, which originates from the waist and legs, is applied to the arms and hands, and is focused on the fingers. When the exercises are started, the body moves as an integral one, with the waist as the pivot. The turn of the waist is in harmony with the stretching and bending of the legs, the outward or inward movement of the feet, and the shift of the body weight. The movements of the arms are also prompt by the turning of the waist.

 

However, stressing the release of force from the waist and legs and the application of integral force does not mean ignoring the role played by the upper limbs. The frequent change in the movement of the arms in Tai Chi Chuan is an expression of the application of force in concentrated form. For example, when the forearm turns outward, a slight force is applied by its side with the little finger as if twisting the force outward. When the forearm turns inward, a slight force is apply by its side with the thumb as if twisting the force inward.