Silk reeling

Silk reeling (pinyin chánsī, Wade-Giles ch'an² ssu 纏絲) refers to a set of neigong (internal) movement principles expressed in traditional styles of t'ai chi ch'uan, but especially emphasised by the Chen and Wu styles. The name derives from the twisting and spiralling movements of the silkworm larva as it wraps itself in its cocoon, and to the metaphorical principle of "reeling the silk from a silk worm's cocoon". In order to draw out the silk successfully the action must be smooth and consistent without jerking or changing direction sharply. Too fast, the silk breaks, too slow, it sticks to itself and becomes tangled. Thus silk reeling movements are continuous, cyclic, spiralling patterns performed at constant speed with the "light touch" of drawing silk. Silk reeling is trained in solo forms and stances as well as in pushing hands with a partner.