Training with Mindfulness
Whenever I practice with students who are just starting their journey into tai chi, they are shocked when I refer to the martial arts history of tai chi.
Philosophy
Differentiating Yin From Yang in Taijiquan
Some practitioners view yin and Yang, as two sides of the same coin,
and this can seem like an appropriate analogy for yin and yang united as one whole.
10 Guiding Principles For Tai Chi By T. T. Liang
T. T. Liang (1900 – 2002) gives a talk on his 10 guiding principles for Tai Chi from his book “T’ai Chi Ch’uan for Health and Self-Defense”. This was filmed at the annual Zhang San Feng festival when he was 96 years old. Above video was curated from Zhong Ding Tai Chi Youtube channel. T. T. … [Read more…]
Internals
Most books on the subject tell you it’s something to do with energy and the mind. Whilst there may be some truth to this it doesn’t help a beginner very much.
The Pathway To Stillness
Gary Irwin-Kenyon talks about Tai Chi, and the use of stillness to benefit practice and everyday life. He is a gerontologist, author, and Tai Chi instructor.
Taking The Initiative In Taijiquan
Wu Yuxiang’s Taijiquan classic states “You must act according to your opponent, not try to do things from yourself, for if you go along with your opponent,
Softness, Sensitivity, and Science in Taijiquan
Weber’s Law of Just Noticeable Differences can help us understand our perceptions of changes in force against an opponent when practicing Taijiquan (太極拳). Weber’s Law applies to most types of perception,
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.
Don’t Know Mind
Several years ago I read book called ‘Wanting enlightenment is a big mistake’. It was about the teachings of Korean Zen master Seung Sahn and written by one of his students .
Hitting Taijiquan’s Sweet Spot
(A New Commentary on Wang Zongyue’s Treatise) The sweet spot in Taijiquan (太極拳), as I understand it, is the fine line between yin (阴) and yang (阳) [traditional characters 陰 and 陽 respectively], i.e., between excess and deficiency, between resisting and collapsing, etc.; or visually, being on the “s-curve” line separating the yin from the … [Read more…]