Bad Training Partners
Training with partners of any kind will eventually lead to being paired with someone that keeps making mistakes, has their own agenda, or is too caught up…
Author: Justin Landers
Why I Think Everyone Should Learn Some Pushing Hands
I encourage all my students to learn Pushing Hands . Even if my students are learning Tàijíquán for health and insist that they never wish to learn fighting at all.
My Journey
I wasn’t a particularly nervous child, just never seemed to fit in. I’m telling you as this is the first step on a journey to understand how Tàijí changed me.
Why Is Relaxation So Important In Taiji Practice?
If you have practiced Tàijíquán (太極拳) for any length of time, you are sure to have heard a teacher command you to “relax.” Sometimes they pick on a certain body part by saying things like, “Relax your shoulders!” Other times, they just tell you to relax your whole body. Why do they do that? From … [Read more…]
Why Is Fajin The Secret Weapon Of Taijiquan?
Diǎnxué (點穴, sometimes called Dianmai or even Dim Mak) is known as pressing or sealing the cavity and it is one of the most misunderstood techniques of Chinese martial arts. Most students of Chinese martial arts don’t bother memorizing cavities for striking for innumerable reasons. Knowledgeable teachers are hard to come by, the instruction is … [Read more…]
Four Common Pushing Hands Training Mistakes
If you train Tàijíquán (太極拳) as a martial art, you will, at some point, come across Tui Shou (推手). Also known as Pushing Hands, (Pushands, Push Hands), this type of training is an incremental step in the direction of Tàijí sparring. This training usually progresses from fixed-step training drills, to fixed-step pushing, to moving step … [Read more…]
Chinese Cosmology And Why Breath Is Important In Tàijí
Most times when we discuss Qì (氣), we are talking about Human Qì, or Rén Qì (人氣). But it is important to realize that this is not the only type of Qì out there.
The Scissors, Rock, Paper Of Chinese Martial Arts
One of the most interesting concepts in Chinese martial arts is the theory of tī dǎ shuāi ná (踢打摔拿). Tàijíquán (太極拳) teachers often overlook this and many times it is only taught by traditional Gōngfu (Kung fu or 功夫) instructors. Few Tàijíquán practitioners have heard this, and fewer still know the true depth of meaning … [Read more…]
Memorizing Those Annoying Basics Is The Road To Mastery
In one of his continuing education seminars, Bob Flaws (acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, author, and expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine) said, “Mastery of anything is simply mastery of the basics.” It is an extremely accurate statement, and very simple. In many ways, this statement is like watching an expert practice Tàijíquán. The movements appear slow and … [Read more…]