Six-Direction Force In Taijiquan
Six-direction force includes the balance of opposing directions for up/down, forward/backward and right/left ( yang and yin pairs), which will be presented
Training
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…]
Be the Ball
How the Circle/Sphere Generates and Differentiates Yin and Yang in Taijiquan. An image I find useful is that of a properly inflated ball floating on water.
Humility
The article Humility is reprinted on Slanted Flying website with the permission of the author Sam Langley from his personal Blog. If you practice Tai Chi regularly you probably have some sense of gradual improvement. Personally, I find that the better I get the more I practice, and it seems to me that an increase … [Read more…]
Let’s Talk About Bling-Bling In Taijiquan & Qigong Classes
Some years ago I met a Taijiquan & Qigong teacher who expected all her students to take off their jewelry during class. Even the wedding ring!
Opening the Energy Gates of your Body
My experience with Energy Arts and Internal practices began in earnest some years ago with a Qigong form called Opening the Energy Gates of the Body, I bought Bruce Frantzis’ seminal book of the same title and arranged to have a few lessons with an instructor. After a lifelong but sporadic interest in martial arts … [Read more…]
Taijiquan’s Tui Shou (Push-hands) and Fighting from the Middle Range
Tui Shou, or push-hands, can be used to train many things in the study of Taijiquan, and different schools likely have numerous specialized methods for using this training tool.
Why practice Tai Chi?
Why practice Tai Chi? When I ask new students why they are interested in learning Tai Chi, they usually have difficulty coming up with an answer.
The Student
Even as a senior student when I taught a beginner it was always a great experience for me that they learned something. Not just a physical movement (like a strike or a weight shift) but the concept.
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…]