The Degree System

Requirements by Degree

Degree 1 green border

Level 1
- Falls
  - Squat rolls
  - Stepping back
  - Side step with slap
  - Forward: Kneeling
  - Backward: Kneeling
- Stationary Four Corners
- Stationary Leading Rollback
- Push * (* indicates this technique also has a dynamic form)
- Whole Body Neutralizations
Level 2
- Basic Routine
- Rollback Variations:
  - Rolloff Rollback
  - Roll Off Escape
  - Inside Rollback
  - Leaning Rollback
  - Shoulder Sluff
- Dynamic Four Corners
Level 3
- Press Uproot *
- Ward Off
- Straight Pull
- Elbow Pull*
- Basic Spiral*
Level 4
- Cheng Hsin Tai Chi Mini-Set (12 moves on both sides)
- Cheng Hsin Body-Being Basics (5 Principles, 7 Points)
Level 5
- Yielding
- Pressure-No Pressure
- Folding In/ Game F
- Game A

Degree 2 green

Level 6
- Pa Sik Po
- Falls:
  - Forward: Standing
  - Backward: Standing
  - Standing breakfall
  - Rolling breakfall
- Pin Foot throw ex.
- Roll Down*
- Inside Wrist Technique*
Level 7
- Turn Out Projections*
- Centrifugal*
- Pull Through
- Spiral Down *
- Pull Down* and pin #1
- Armpit Spiral Down *
Level 8
- Brush Knee Projection *
- Body Throw *
- Outside Foot Sweep/Foot Propping
- Pa Kua Techniques:
  - Opening the Door Entrance
  - Revolving Door Entrance
  - Basic Blend
  - Changes
Level 9
- Spiral Extension*
- Inside Foot Sweep
- Turn Out Follow Up:
  - Shoulder Stroke
  - Bounce
- Inside Wrist Follow-up:
  - Corkscrew into the Body
- Inside Wrist Counters:
  - Spiral Down
  - Slapping the Rock
- Game B / Game O
- Intrinsic Strength Practice; Outreaching; Following
Level 10
- Cheng Hsin T’ai Chi Set (64 moves)

Degree 3 blue border

Level 11
- Brush Knee Pull*
- Holding the Palm Pull
- Drop Back Spiral Extension*
- Horizontal Spiral Down*
- Shoulder Throw*
Level 12
- High Pat Spiral Extension *
- Circular Spiral Extension
- Elbow Splitting:
  - Raise Hands*
  - Body*
- Elbow Twisting* and pin #4
Level 13
- Spinning Brush Stroke* and pin #2
- Central Spiral Drop
- Spinning Spiral Drop
- Downward Wrist Technique (and pin #4)
- Kneeling Spiral Down* and pin #3
Level 14
- Inside Leg Sweep
- Elbow Twist Counters:
  - Elbow Escape — Snake Creeps Down
  - Horizontal Spiral Down
  - Armwrap Spiral Counter
- Downward Wrist Counter:
  - “Become the Sword” (and spiral down)
- Hi Pat Follow up:
  - Spiral Extension (Reversal)
- Roll Down Counter:
  - Drop Back: counter to roll down attempt
Level 15
- High flip breakfall
- Rolldown Flip
- Inside Wrist Flip
- Armpit Flip
- Game C / Game J
- Wu Tasn Chun ( Misty Body Boxing )
- Interactive Skills: Yielding, Outreaching, Following, Joining, Leading, Folding, Intrinsic Strength
- Improved Freeplay/Sets/Body-Being: Ball and Chain, HandUp-YouDown, Extension

Degree 4 bule

Level 16
- Hand Sacrifice Throw
- Backward Spiral Extension *
- Outside Wrist Technique and pin #3
- Outside Leg Lift*
- Body Corner Throw*
Level 17
- Inside Leg Lift*
- Bent Leg Lift*
- Major Outside Foot Sweep/Rear
- Floating Hip Throw (Uki Goshi)
- Follow Up: Shoulder Throw (attempting Pa Kua blend)
Level 18
- Circular Press
- Shifting Push
- Elbow Splitting Throw
- Rear Leg Lift*
- Brush Stroke*/Turning in/Turning out
  - Follow Up: Spinning Brush Stroke (counter to spinning out escape)
- Spiral Upward Wrist Technique and pin #5
Level 19
- Opening Spiral Drop
- Rotating Spiral Drop
- Wrap Around Sacrifice Throw
- Rear Sacrifice Throw
- Outside Wrist Counters:
  - Become the Sword Variation
  - Spiral Extension
- Spiral Upward Wrist Counters:
  - Spinning Brush Stroke
  - Spiral Extension
Level 20
- Freeplay
- Sword Set and Sword Play
- Improved Sets/Body-Being: Waterdrop, 8 Attitudes, Intrinsic Strength
- Skills: Advantageous, Cutting, Borrowing, Joining variations, Leading variations

Degree 5 brown border

Level 21
- Circular Spiral Drop
- Foot Assist Sacrifice Throw
- Kneeling Corner Throw
- Wrap Around Throw
Level 22
- Standing Corner Throw
- Sacrifice Corner Throw
- Foot Sacrifice Throw
Level 23
- Rear Hip Throw (Ushiro Goshi)
- Scooping Throw (Sukui Nage)
- Body Drop (Taiotoshi)
- Neutralizing Kicks:
  - Spiral Down — Low
  - Backward Spiral Extension — Slanting Flying
  - Inside Leg / Foot Sweep
  - Leg Lift ( Bent, Outside, Inside, Rear)
  - Open Response
Level 24
- San Shou
- Open Attacks/Multi-person Attacks
- Choy Lin: T’ui Shou with strikes
- Basic Ontology (written exam)
Level 25
- All Techniques
- All Skills

Degree 6 brown

Level 26
- Cheng Hsin Sets
Level 27
- All Techniques
Level 28
- Cheng Hsin Tui Shou – Create 10 Techniques
Level 29
- Cheng Hsin Skills
Level 30
- Cheng Hsin Huan Sheng

Degree 7 black

Cheng Hsin Tui Shou — Create a domain of techniques
Cheng Hsin Huan Sheng

Degree 8

Be the founder or train a degree 7.

Advice for Passing Each Degree

Skills and Dynamics - 50 Dynamics in 7 Categories

Cheng Hsin Body-Being

Principles of effortlessly effective body state, structure, and movement (relax, center, ground, whole, calm; align with gravity, 3D awareness, drain down, use feeling-attention, etc.)

Perceptive Skills

Listening (constant perception)
Outreaching (feel and connect with whole body of other)
Sensation Awareness (immediate feeling-experience of the moment)
“Other” Awareness (feel what they see/feel)
Center Intelligence (center all perceptions and response)

Receiving Skills

Neutralizing
Yielding:
Unconditional Yielding/Melting/Mosquito Pressure
“Sensation” Yielding
Outreaching-Sensation/Yield to Outreaching
Evasion
Absorption

Power

Effortless Power
Intrinsic Strength/Compression
Intrinsic Strength Practice
Intrinsic Grip
Intrinsic alignment (keep in front)
Projection through compression

Ground Relations

Balance vs. off balance
Controlled stepping
Stepping vs. Throwing
Uprooting

Interactive Skills (Huan Sheng)

Sticking-Yielding
Offering and Taking Away
Advantageous
Following*
Folding-In
Complementing*
Borrowing*
Joining*
Contributing* (adding on; helping out)
Central Joining
Integral Joining — Connective Energy (one inch moves whole)
Cutting*
Leading*
Sprouting*
Choiceless*
Changing*
Completion/Timelessness*
Inclusion*

Technical Dynamics

Footwork (four corners, pa sik po, etc.)
Extension
Whirlpool Attraction Energy
Falling
Spiraling
Criss-Crossing/”Gyro”
Sacrifice/Dropping Energy
Pinning
Joint Locking/Twisting
Two-Fold Stepping
Tilting: Side/Rear Corner/Front
Flipping
Leverage: Wrist, Wedges, etc.
Timing: Intent/Impulse/Commitment

Skills and Dynamics by Degree

Degree 1

Basics of CHBB (See Structure and Principles) — exposure to all of the body-being material, and trying it on.
CHTS: Introduction to the Basics.
Beginning of Receiving Skills
Introduction to Ground Relations

Degree 2

Fundamental CHBB — Begin to have CHBB show up effectively.
CHTS: Cross section of major categories.
Beginning Perceptive Skills
Better Receiving Skills
Introductory Power
Some Ground Relations
Rudimentary Interactive Skills
Introduction to Some Technical Dynamics

Degree 3

Better CHBB
CHTS: Bulk of the CHTS techniques.
Increased Perceptive Skills
Most Receiving Skills
Competent Power
Good Ground Relations
A few more Interactive Skills
Most Technical Dynamics

Degree 4

Good CHBB
CHTS: Sensitivity and skill.
All Perceptive Skills
Increased Power
Complete Ground Relations
Most of the Fundamental Interactive Skills (through Cutting)
All Technical Dynamics

Degree 5

Very Good CHBB
CHTS: All of the techniques and dynamics.
All Receiving Skills
All Powers
Mastered Ground Relations
Better Interactive Skills (through Changing)
Skillful Technical Dynamics

Degree 6

Excellent CHBB
CHTS: natural mastery.
Honed Power
All Interactive Skills

Degree 7

Masterful CHBB
CHTS: States and principles.
Mastery of Huan Sheng skills

Degree 8

Be the founder or train a degree 7.

Glossary of Terms

Tai Chi Mini-Set: twelve fundamental Tai Chi Postures. The set of movements is be done on both the left and the right sides.

Cheng Hsin Body-Being: all that’s involved to obtain an effortlessly effective body structure, movement, and function.

T’ai Chi Short Form: 64 Postures, the whole Cheng Hsin Tai Chi set in which the Cheng Hsin Body-Being is practiced and developed.

Pa Sik Po: eight Ways Stepping — footwork studied in four stepping patterns.

Breakfalls: a falling technique to handle harder falls when a person is thrown straight into the ground without recourse to rolling out, involves a slap.

Game B: Cheng Hsin Tui Shou freeplay without struggle or resistance, each can yield to any attempted throw or uproot, but cannot use any strength or engage in any struggle to do so. If any strength needs to be used, or any struggle begins for any reason one must allow the technique to be applied, frequently even assisting the opponent in finding it.

Wu Tsan Ch’un: “Misty Body Boxing” — light “misty” strikes all over and constant; evasion

Effortless Striking: striking without strength, using intrinsic strength.

T’ai Chi Kim (Sword): straight double edged sword, application is surgical in nature rather than hacking.

Game C: Cheng Hsin Tui Shou freeplay where absorption, and absorption-joining is allowed.

San Shou: free Hand — technically open free play, but actually a two-person set of movements and skills incorporating a complete range of mock-fighting techniques from uproots to kicks, knees, shoulders, joint locks, throws, and pins. In the set, each is neutralized as application is attempted, and the tables are turned.

Basic Ontology: understanding the foundation principles of Cheng Hsin ontology, such as Nothing, Not-knowing, Honesty, Questioning, Concept vs. Experience, Perception, Distinction, Direct Experience, Authenticity, Communication, Intention, Commitment, Self, Being, and Freedom.

T’ui Shou Freeplay: spontaneous play or competition with tui shou skills.

Interactive Skills: skills that involve interactions such as boxing, tui shou, swordplay.

Multi-person: being attacked by more than one person.

Boxing: using gloves, learning hitting and dodging skills.

Choy Lin: to Pluck the Right Flower — mixing up all techniques and skills (throwing, striking, uprooting, etc.) and doing what is appropriate in the moment.

Free Fighting Skills: all around “boxing” skills, with tui shou mixed in as appropriate.

Swordplay: fighting with swords.

Create Techniques: come up with a technique not seen before.

Domain of Techniques: i.e. Uprooting, Spiraling, Pinning, Joint Techniques, etc.

Huan Sheng: “To Appear Everywhere, as Prolific as Thought” Ralston’s highest levels of skill.