There's such an amazing phenomenon waiting for you with this stuff, if you can get past some preconceptions. For example, I've written a lot about torso 'charge' and torso activation. That's an incredible experience once you get it running. You can trigger it with any of the usual disciplines: Tai Chi, Xing Yi, or Ba Gua. I've written about a bunch of methods for igniting it, such as the counter-revoling waist which I've talked about in several books and films in the context of Xing Yi, and also in Ba Gua (I did a YouTube tutorial explaining that, and of course in Tai Chi on of Ben Lo's Big Five Maxim's is 'turn the waist". And very recently I highlighted an extremely hi octane way of developing this, using my Hot Zone version of the ZMQ form and doing the climax practice of that: Heel Kick with full attention to totaly straight legs. You might not think that last one, being a kick, has any special relation to the Ox Torso Charge thing but let me assure you it does. It is the torso supercharger.
However you do need some degree of beginner's level perception of the energy at all, just to kickstart everything. I cover that in all my books and films also. And then beyond that "taste of qi" that you need before getting this advanced point, there's another confounder that just confuses the hell out of practically everybody.
The big mindfuck here is when we talk about 'torso' its natural to focus on the lower half of the torso at least at first, which I call the MUX in my books. The Ox Charge when you do get into it eventually is WHOLE TORSO - femoral joints to collarbone and every cell in between light you up like a Christmas tree. But yes initiallly there's extra focus on the MUX/hips/waist/sacral area, as the energy is rising up from the feet (Rebound process - I've covered to death in all books). But here's the thing about that pelvis/hips/waist and MUX - the lower torso:
EVERY 'NORMAL' SPORT AND PHYSICAL TRAINING ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE PRIMACY OF THAT AREA FOR ORDINARY PHYSICAL DYNAMICS
So it's very easy to get super confused. Every sport (and just to throw more dust in your eyes, most especially every combat sport!) highly emphasises the idea of "put your hips into it" or "don't just hit with your arms", you know - all that kind of exhortation. Bring the pelvis to life. Even in belly dancing they talk like that. And they are correct! For their sports they are absolutely right, to emphasize the physicality of activating and moving from the hips and waist and all that. But even though they are totally correct about their dynamics, still:
THAT ISN'T WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT
The 'torso charge' Old Ox thing does start with a bit of physicalized attention to the pelvis, hips and waist but it goes so far beyond them physicallly it's a whole different animal altogether (an ox lol!) Sticking with the athletic emphasis in your training will just tense you up and slow you down. For this work I mean, of course - follow your own coach in your sport.
I've talked a lot about how to activate this using both the Xingyi (Santishi counter-twist feeling) and Ba Gua (same as Xingyi but walking mode). However I know that those two are minorty practices. So for the far more popular Tai Chi method, the way to do it is the Hot Zone mode of ZMQ37 practice, with the most effective high point of that method being: Straight leg Heel Kick, held on both sides, as shown on my long form tutorial film The Hot Zone. You may think that's just a leg thing. No! It is Ox Energy torso charging par excellence, second to none. But this is a hard road to walk, hard to understand and hard to do day after day for the requisite time. I understand. But don't say you were never told.