Category: Training

One of the requirements to the road of mastering the art of Tai Chi Chuan is the dedication of practice. Mak Ying Po, who was a student of the famous Tung Ying Chieh, said that “Determination, Humility, Practice, and Patience” were important for gaining a greater interest in Tai Chi Chuan, greater health, and a long life.

So if one really wants to be serious about progressing and achieving the higher levels of Tai Chi Chuan, then they must be prepared to practice when tired and sore, to make time in a busy life, and practice when and where… no matter what the weather is outside.

Many students of Tai Chi will not show up for class if it is raining heavily, too hot, or cold outside.. And this is when the class is held indoors! Imagine the dedication of the student who shows up for class or practice time in these unfavorable conditions, and their class or practice is outdoors!

Below is a wonderful video of a young woman who is truly dedicated to practicing her Tai Chi Chuan no matter what the weather. Even in the cold outside with snow falling, she still finds the time and motivation to practice!

Dedicated practice is a must for the serious student of Tai Chi Chuan. Make a routine of your regular training, and it will start to become a habit. Dedicated practice will help lead one to the deeper levels of understanding in the practice of Tai Chi Chuan.

As a practitioner of Tai Chi Chuan, what relation does Wu De have to my art? Wu De can be called the “Martial Code of Conduct”. Wu De is how one, as a martial artist, should conduct themselves in their training with their learning brothers and sisters, their students, their teachers, as well as their social interactions with anyone else.

Tai Chi Chuan is part of the Chinese styles of Kung Fu. We practice our art for health and mental well-being, culture, social interaction, and even self-defense. Wu De is an integral part of Chinese Kung Fu, and therefore should be practiced in our study of Tai Chi Chuan.

Below is a wonderful short documentary in which master Wong Xing Hui gives a talk about traditional Kung Fu and how Wu De is part of it’s philosophy and practice.

There are five important points contained in Wu De. They are Respect, Humility, Trust, Virtue, and Honor.

[quote]

Respect (Zun Jing; 尊敬)

The term respect means to acknowledge the feelings and interests of another in a relationship and treating the other at a standard that rules out selfish behavior. Respect is derived not by behavior but by one’s attitude. Respect is appreciated as demonstrating a sense of worth or value of a person, a personal quality or ability. In martial arts, respect is the cornerstone of all the teachings of martial arts. In regards to Wu De, respect begins with the individual and manifests outward meaning that those who respect themselves as well as others will, in turn, be respected. Respect must be earned as well as displayed. This is why we bow and why we use titles.

Humility (Qian Xu; 谦逊)

The term humility is the quality or characteristic of a person that is unpretentious and modest. Humility comes with controlling one�s pride and ego. Pride and ego are the killers of good martial arts and good character. When we allow our own pride and ego to infiltrate our rational judgment we start to make decisions based on self-pride and not solid facts. When your ego and pride take over you will become satisfied with yourself and stop thinking deeply. Try daily to display humility in everything you do. Train for yourself and not the title or color around your waist. Keep your cup of tea empty allowing yourself to yourself to always learn.[/quote]

Please check out the rest of this quote by Lao Shi Yungeberg. You can find the whole passage on the the aspects of Wu De here!

In our Tai Chi training we are often told to be mindful. So what is mindfulness, and why is it important to our practice of Tai Chi Chuan. Mindfulness is being aware, in the moment, being present in what you are doing and where you are at that moment.

We need to be mindful of all parts of the body, not only the isolated parts. For example in the movement “Single Whip”, it is very easy to be focused on the lead hand opening out, and not on the the opposite (hooked) hand or on the movement of the legs. This act of being mindful helps to not only unite the parts of the body together, but also the mind and the body.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. is known internationally for his work as a scientist, writer, and meditation teacher. In this video below, he explains his working definition of mindfulness. This is another look at the meaning of mindfulness so we might better understand its use in our practice of Tai Chi Chuan.

In the video, he talks about an interesting and important part of mindfulness. That is to be non-judgmental while being mindful. Jon Kabat-Zinn then goes on to say what he means is to not to be caught in those judgements which color the things we like or dislike.

How could being non-judgmental in our mindfulness affect our practice of Tai Chi Chuan? Perhaps one might not like the way the teacher is telling you how to learn a movement, which you might not quite agree with. If you practice this movement with that judgment in your mind, then you are not being truly mindful, and being in the moment to be aware of all the things that need attention. Perhaps you are proud of yourself that you can do the movements so well. Does this cloud your mindfulness so that you don’t notice flaws in your Tai Chi?

Practicing your Tai Chi Chuan with true mindfulness is very difficult. There are so many things to remember when learning and even for those that have been practicing for many years. By practicing being mindful in the beginning stages of your training, you ingrain an important part of your training that will become more important as your Tai Chi develops.

As one becomes more proficient in their Tai Chi Chuan, the practice becomes more of an exercise of the mind than that of the body. The ability to maintain mindfulness in one’s practice is an integral part of achieving higher levels in the development of Tai Chi Chuan.

Let us know in the comments section below what are your views and experience on “mindfulness” in the practice of your Tai Chi Chuan!

The use of the eyes in traditional Tai Chi Chuan is an often misunderstood or even unknown element of training in many schools. So then, what is the importance of the eyes in the training of Tai Chi Chuan, and how does one train the use of the eyes? This article will focus on the use of the eyes in order to build a strong foundation based upon the principles of movement in the beginning stages of training.

The proper usage of the eyes will help unite the mind and body. The eyes assist in training the body to move in the right manner according to the principles of Tai Chi Chuan. Generally, the body will turn towards the direction in which the eyes look out towards. In fact, if you are looking straight forward or in the wrong direction then the eyes may actually even be a detriment to the proper turning of the waist which we want to achieve in our practice of Tai Chi Chuan.

I was taught to follow the movement of the lead hand, then as the movement is finishing, “head up and look far away” as I was often instructed to do.  Now, depending upon the specific style and intent of the move, what may be the lead hand for some may not be the lead hand for others. Basically, the lead hand is the hand that is “leading” the direction of the movement.

For example, let’s look at the movement “Brush Knee Twist Step” from the Traditional Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan starting from the previous posture “Play the Pipa”. (Stylistic differences will vary)

As the weight shifts into the right leg to allow the left leg to empty for the step, the right hand drops, circles out and up to the right. When the step is completed and the left heel touches the ground the right hand should have circled up to the area by the right side of the head (height of the hand will vary depending on style). The eyes will follow the movement of the right hand as it circles out and back closer to the body.

As the weight shifts into the left foot, the right hand and arm drop in front of the right chest and then releases away from the chest with the palm forward. The eyes will follow the movement of the right hand until the weight has shifted  approximately 3/4 of the way forward at which point you look far away in the direction of the right hand.

One thing to note is that when the eyes are looking in the direction of the hand, they are not focused on the hands itself. The area of focus for the eyes is just beyond the the hand, and slightly ahead of the direction in which the hand is traveling. You are not focusing on one point, but rather it is a soft focus of that area.

So then the the focus is in the direction of the movement of the hands, and not the hands themselves. While the eyes follow the lead hand, the other hand is not forgotten. Try keeping both of the hands within the peripheral vision of the eyes. With training, the following of the hands become more of a mental focus rather than visual. When they eyes look far away, they look beyond the person that may be in front of you, past the wall that is behind them, and past the buildings and hills beyond that!

This method will help to train the body to move in a more unified manner. The use of “whole body” movement is one of the hallmarks of traditional Tai Chi Chuan. By following the movement of the hands with the eyes, it allows a process that starts to train the mind-intent. The eyes connect with the movement, the mind connects with the eyes, and with time the mind connects with the physical movement without the need of the intent of the eyes.

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Tung Ying Chieh (1898-1961) was a well known master of the traditional Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan. He was a top student of the famous 3rd generation Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan master Yang Cheng Fu (1883–1936). Tung Ying Chieh trained with Yang Cheng Fu for more than 17 years, and assisted with Yang with teaching when he went on travels through China

Tung Ying Chieh wrote this essay on important points of the practice of Tai Chi Chuan. Although Tung was a master of the Yang style and the Wu/Hao styles of Tai Chi Chuan, this work is valuable to all students of Tai Chi Chuan no matter the style which they might practice.

This is one of several essays which Tung Ying Chieh wrote and included in his “Red Book”, on Tai Chi Chuan called “Tai Chi Chuan Explained”

Below is an excerpt from the book on the section called “Words of Experience”.

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1. Tai Chi Chuan is an internal martial art exercise. Strength is produced in the bones. Power is reserved at the muscles. It does not require one to have tough skin or thick muscles, but sunken “chi” and strong bones are required. Therefore, learners have no suffering of broken bones and hurt muscles, and the tiredness of jumping, but just move naturally to find the potential of power of origin. It is an exercise to develop the your original power.

2. The three main points: spirit, intention, and posture (likeness of the movement’s names) have to be there.If the posture is correct, then the spirit and intention are there, and you will have good progression. Also, you will feel differently every day. Learners should try to feel the differences intentionally.

3. If the posture is not correct, then spirit and intention are not there. The result will be just like cooking an empty pot, even after many years of practice you will not be successful. There is a tease saying that ten years of Tai Chi Chuan practice is not as good as three years of kung fu. Therefore, for good Tai Chi Chuan practice: first you have to practice diligently; and secondly you need to have good understanding. Also, the result is dependent on your intelligence, but hard practice can help stupidity. So you should always encourage yourself to practice harder.

4. Breathing during practice – to breathe naturally. Do not force your breath deeply. After many times of practice, your Tai Chi Chuan will reach the natural point. By that time, the breath will be balanced automatically.

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To see the rest of the 16 points, read the full article which was translated by Albert Tang. Follow this Link to the site of Little Mountain Tai Chi Club

Why is being consistent in one’s own practice so important, and what does that really mean?

From my own practice over the years, I have found that consistency in one’s practice is vital to progress to higher levels of your training in Tai Chi Chuan. I believe that the main goal of the different training regimens of the traditional styles of Tai Chi Chuan is to train a certain method of body movement that is unique to Tai Chi Chuan. The many movements and postures of the long forms from the family styles are one of the main vehicles to practice and train this method of body movement.

The goal of learning the long form should not be to finish learning the whole set, nor should it be to make it look graceful and flowing. The goal should be about using what you are learning in the form to build a strong foundation and start to understand and train the method of body movement that is used in Tai Chi Chuan which can make it an effective martial art. The graceful and flowing movements then become a by-product of the training and not the goal of the training.

What should we be consistent about in our practice, and what role does being consistent with one’s practice of Tai Chi Chuan really play?

On the physical side, one of the first things we should try to become consistent with is the placement of the feet. When you first stand and prepare for the start of the Tai Chi Form which you are about to commence, are the feet both pointing in the same direction? Either both feet parallel or slightly turned out; what ever the starting position of the feet for are your particular style of Tai Chi Chuan. Is one of your feet more forward than the other? Take the time, look down and make sure the position of your feet is consistent each time before you begin your form.

When you are performing your steps in your movements of your Tai Chi Form, are you consistent with the length and width of the different types of stepping? Are your feet pointing in the proper directions each time you step out? Again, take a pause, look down and make any adjustments you need to in the feet, and then carry on. The feet are probably the easiest thing to work on to make consistent in your training, but they are probably one of the most important elements in working towards building a strong foundation for your practice and further advancement in the art of Tai Chi Chuan.

The same principle is involved with the timing of the weight shifts, lifting and lowering of the legs, and the movement and positions of the legs, arms, and hands. It will take more time with these things than with the positions of the feet, but with time and better understanding of the functions of the body movements, then one can become more consistent in these areas of your practice as well.

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