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The Tai Chi Gala – May 30th to June 1st, 2014

The Tai Chi Gala will take place from May 30th to June 1st in Albany, New York, United States. It is a continuation of the event that Jou Tsung Hwa had originally started, which he called the “Zhang San Feng Festival”, named in honor of the legendary (and some say mythical) founder of Tai Chi Chuan. The original event was held on the Tai Chi Farm in Warwick, New York, which was founded by Jou Tsung Hwa.

The Tai Chi Gala, as did the Zhang San Feng Festival, attracts Internal Martial Arts enthusiasts from all over the North America and the world. It is a time to learn, teach, and share their love of the arts, and show their respect for Jou Tsung Hwa, Zhang San Feng, and the history of the Internal Arts.

Please enjoy the video below which features slides highlighting last years Tai Chi Gala.

The Gala will hold workshops throughout the event, and feature instructors from the Internal Martial Arts such as Loretta Wollering, Jianye Jiang, Ren-Gang Wang, Donald Wong, Dr. John Painter, Gene Ching, and others. Over the years since the original festival began, the event has seen notable instructors of the Internal Arts such as Dr. Yang Jwing Ming, William. C.C. Chen, Henry Look, Ren Guangyi, B.P. Chan, T. K. Shih, Fong Ha, and Tchoung Ta Tchen.

For more information on the 2014 Tai Chi Gala, you can visit their official website at TaiChiGala.com or visit them on Facebook at Facebook.com/TaiChiGala.

May 20, 2014
Book Review: Laoshi: Tai Chi, Teachers and the Pursuit of Principle

Review of Jan Kauskas’ book, Laoshi: Tai Chi, Teachers and the Pursuit of Principle.

Many a tai chi student, be it novice or experienced senior, have pondered putting pen to paper in order to try and convey or share their enthusiasm for the art and the stories forged over time b their instructor. The compulsion to express via the written word some translation of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies one feels welling up inside when learning various internal arts practices is a strong one, yet not all can easily lay bare the soul of the art in such a fashion.

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Jan Kauskas takes us into the ups and downs of learning not only tai chi, but applicable life principles that arise along the way. Something my own teacher often refers to as ‘living the art’ –finding daily affirmations or recognizing the tai chi philosophies in many aspects of our lives, work, social encounters and world view.

The book is an extension of the storytelling art, and the heart to heart transmission between teacher and student. Kauskas not only discusses the technical aspects of the tai chi form, push-hands, spherical dimensions, sword mythology, coiling, structure, kicking and importance of the tan tiens; but also the more spiritual and philosophical notions of art versus fighting, force, balance, yielding, Daoism (or The Way) judgment, the eternal balance of yin and yang, learning to give up total control, the dangers of blind respect, and the rational mind versus the heart-mind.

One of my favorite quotes from Laoshi: Tai Chi, Teachers and the Pursuit of Principle is: “The more you try to control life, the more you imprison yourself. You will experience greater and greater tension and so less and less joy, happiness and love. Once you understand the only way to control the universe is to realize you can’t, there is a wonderful freedom. It takes away the pressure that goes with trying to force things to your will.”

Push-hands is more of a conversation, not a fight. Swords are about defense and are forged by removing impurities. Our own world-view impacts our judgments. We need to befriend our yang energy, lest it destroy us. Suffering is about our reactions to life, and differs from pain. The heart-mind, faith and love are the currency of internal arts. And to force control, rather than yield and relax, is to be imprisoned. Some of the many lessons learned and applied by Jan Kauskas from his many teachers.

May 19, 2014
The Five Principles of Tai Chi Chuan

The definition of distill is – To extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of.

When I began my Tai Chi practice about 8 years ago I was thinking about how fascinated I was when I first saw it. I remembered thinking this looks like a lot I have to memorize and I wondered whether I was breathing properly and what direction should I be facing now?

My teacher Mark Lord (a student of Yang style practitioner Mr. Liu Hsi-Heng) started his class and I stood attentive determined to “learn” how to do this Tai Chi thing.

He was an amazing man to say the least. With a calming presence he had always started the class by reminding us that there were 5 principals that should be thought about throughout our daily practice. To this day they have served as a constant reminder of what is truly important in “learning” Tai Chi.

He was able to distill generations of wisdom into these simple principles that he felt were so very important to understanding the practice of Tai Chi.

The first was Relax. No tension. He used to say “Relax don’t collapse.” There is a difference in staying relaxed but still being aware of your body and collapsing and having no structure to speak of.

Second was to “Suspend the head top.” Mark often described it like a plumb line. I always imagined my body was like a marionette puppet. Suspended but hanging free. My head always in line with my spine, straight and centered.

Third was “Turn don’t twist.” This is probably one of the more challenging principals. I always imagine my body from the waist up to be between two panes of glass. So any direction I have to move, my upper body can’t “twist” but has to move within the glass frame. It is meant to keep the spine in alignment so the flow of “chi” can be maintained and there’s no tension in the body form twisting.

Fourth was “Separate the weight (clearly).” Often postures in the practice of Tai Chi require us to move and distribute weight in our legs. Sometimes evenly and sometimes one leg can carry all of our weight. Mark used to say one leg was heavy like a mountain and the other was as light as a feather. That distinction seemed “clear” enough to me.

The Fifth principal was the “Beautiful lady hand.” This was defined as a straight wrist.(Not bent or closed off to the flow of chi.) Not tense but straight, ready to receive, sensitive and full of flowing energy. Certain moves in the form break from this principle, but it is a steady reminder that we must allow for our body to stay in alignment with natural energy flow and not “close off” our chi.

I continue to use these guiding principals to maintain good habits and I’m reminded Tai Chi should be practiced with a sense of simplicity and strong “rooted” fundamentals. Enjoy your practice and I hope these basic principles help you in whatever form of Tai Chi you practice.

Above all, your movement should feel natural and always be mindful of your breathing. If you feel like your swimming in air chances are your doing something right.

May 19, 2014
Memories From The Fall

This beautifully filmed video features the stunning colors of the Fall Season combined with a solitary figure practicing his Internal Martial Art, all set to wonderful music. This video was almost made by accident, as it was actually test footage taken on a new Sony EX1 camera. The video was shot and edited by Felipe Rojas.

“This is a short video I edited recently with some test footage I’ve taken playing with the 60p feature when I first got this camera; I had found it accidentally on my computer while cleaning up my hard disk; it was shot last Fall while going for a walk on a Saturday morning at a park near by our house.”

Felpe Rojas

Memories from the Fall – Sony EX1R Test from Felipe Rojas on Vimeo.

The man featured in the video is immersed in his morning practice. It appears he is practicing an Internal Martial Art, Tai Chi Chuan or Hsing I or a combination of both. When the filmmaker was asked if he stumbled upon the person practicing in the forest by accident, he replied:

“Yes, it was pure accident, and rather unusual for this man to be there; I wanted to get closer but I was afraid it would bother him, so that is the reason for all my shots to be from a distance.”

Felipe Rojas

Other works of Felipe Rojas can be seen on the website for his film production company Teraluma Pictures.

It is truly inspiring to see such well made short films of quality being made which feature Tai Chi Chuan and other Internal Martial Arts.

May 17, 2014
Tai Chi In The Movie Easy Rider

The movie Easy Rider is an American Classic that was made in 1969. It was written by, and stars, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. The movie also features Jack Nicholson. The story follows two counterculture motorcyclists who ride from Los Angeles to New Orleans, searching for freedom but mostly find negativity or hostility along the way.

During their travels, they visit a commune, and we get to see actor Robert Walker Jr., who plays Jack in the movie, perform some Tai Chi movements in front of the beige parachute backdrop of the stage at the commune.

Robert Walker Jr. learned Tai Chi Chuan from Marshall Ho, as did his mother, Jennifer Jones, who learned in 1962. Marshall Ho had also been associated with and taught Tai Chi to Hollywood notables such as John Saxon, Grace Boyd, Nick Nolte, Erin Gray, and Craig T. Nelson.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you can click on the image below to see more about it!

Check out other posts featuring Tai Chi in Movies and TV

May 9, 2014
Local Street Mural Features Tai Chi

In the City of Eagle Rock, California, there is a beautifully painted mural in a neighborhood public space. It depicts Tai Chi practitioners practicing their art peacefully on the lawn.

The artist of the Tai Chi Mural is Roger Dolin, and it was a public mural project which was produced in coordination with the city of Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council.

The mural was originally painted in 2004, but was restored in 2012 when it was defaced. A special anti-graffiti coating now covers the mural, and the city of Eagle Rock watches over it. It is also registered with the Department of Cultural Affairs, and is part of their art collection.

Roger Dolin has been painting murals for over 30 years. When he did the Tai Chi mural in 2004, it was his first public mural for the city of Eagle Rock, CA. Before that, Roger worked mainly in the healthcare industry painting murals in hospital treatment and waiting rooms. After Roger Dolin painted the Tai Chi mural, he has become an advocate for outdoor public art, and is now the director of Pubic Arts for the Museum of the San Fernando Valley.

The work on the Tai Chi mural could not have been accomplished without the help of volunteers.

[quote]”I had been studying Tai Chi with former students of Marshall Ho. Does that name sound familiar? The woman in front is Doria Cook Nelson, The woman behind her is Jeannie Shannon. They were both my teachers for the few years that I studied. I loved the forms and thought they made great figures for a mural and since Eagle Rock was a huge Chinese community back in the 20’s I just assumed that there must have been some Tai Chi going on.”

Roger Dolin[/quote]

The work of Roger Dolin can be seen on the website http://www.muralenvironments.com/

If you want to contact Roger Dolin, you can reach him at his Email.

May 8, 2014
Tai Chi In Rolling Stones Music Video

In the Rolling Stones music video “Neighbours” we see Tai Chi being featured several times throughout the video. The video is set in an apartment building where it is viewed from the outside looking in the windows. The camera moves from the band playing in one window to the neighbour’s windows and back to the band. In one of the windows, several times we see a man practicing Tai Chi in his apartment.

Mick Jagger was inspired to write the song from Keith Richards’ run-ins with his neighbours from his playing the guitar in his New York City apartment. After complaints that he was playing music too loudly, Richards and his girlfriend were evicted from their apartment in 1981. The song was part of the Tattoo You album released in 1981.

As a Tai Chi enthusiast who loves all things Tai Chi, I always get excited when I see Tai Chi Chuan being featured in movies, TV shows, and commercials.

May 7, 2014
Chen Bing Workshops In Dallas, Texas

Chen style Taijiquan master Chen Bing, nephew of Chen Xiaowang, will be coming to Dallas the week of June 16, 2014 and will be hosting a series of workshops in conjunction with Simply Aware on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Topics include Qigong, Chan Si Gong, Chen Bing’s short form, and a Push Hands and Martial Applications workshop.

Below is a video featuring Chen Bing.

A bio about Chen Bing Laoshi is listed on the website here:
http://www.simplyaware.com/about-us/tai-chi-qigong-family/master-chen-bing-3.html

The page to sign up for the workshops, with more details including pricing information, is here:
http://www.simplyaware.com/events/2014-workshop-opportunities/chen-bing-2014-dallas-workshops.html

More general information about the organization Simply Aware, including instructor biographies, can be found at simplyaware.com

May 6, 2014
A Moment Of Inspiration

I began my studies in the art of Tai Chi Chuan under the instruction of Larry Banks, who was one of the original students of Jou Tsung Hwa in Piscataway, New Jersey. It was through Larry that I met and associated with Mr. Jou as we addressed him during those times and some of his other students as well.

After 1984, Master Jou as he was later addressed, shifted most of his teaching to my knowledge to the Tai Chi Farm in Warwick, New York. Most of the students from the New Brunswick area didn’t visit the farm too much, and a new group of students emerged.

One day while at the Tai Chi Farm, Master Jou walked over to me and started talking. The scene itself was kind of strange, as no one else seemed to be around as he started talking about old people and the fact that most of them had no root. As root is sometimes confused with balance, he was not talking about balance. He then showed me some movements wherein he pulled his toes together gripping the ground or the dirt beneath his feet, while simultaneously also opening his hands with the palms facing down as the toes were then expanded and flattened on the surface. In conjunction the abdomen was expanded as the palms were facing down and then contracted as the palms were slightly raised and turned upwards with the toes pulling together.

This would have been enough for me as I pretty much got the point, but then he did something that really caught my attention.

He began to jump up and down repeatedly, each time leaving the surface as quickly as he landed on it. To add emphasis to what he was doing, he was talking while jumping up and down, all the time saying “I’m not old, I’m not old.”

I do remember him telling me earlier, that what he was showing me [ the exercise itself ] was “very important”. I remember also that shortly after this, the pulling in and alternate relaxing or expanding of the toes was incorporated into the Tai Chi-Chi Kung breathing form that we practiced from his book “The Dao Of Tai Chi Chuan”.

I would like to go into greater detail in the future although I’m not interested in posing for photos, but as I only use the explanations that I have, I feel that they should suffice for now.

Although I feel that Jou Tsung Hwa was more than a master and more of a genius, so were my feelings regarding Larry Banks who I considered to be a martial arts genius. I hope that this will serve as an introduction worthy of the two.

April 29, 2014
World Tai Chi Day 2014 In Colombia

On the 26th of April, 2014, Tai Chi practitioners all across the world gathered at 10:00am local time to celebrate the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong for the World Tai Chi and Qigong Day. There are many places in the world where Tai Chi is now becoming more popular. In Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, a group of enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the event in their city. Students of the Master Kam Fung Tai Chi Chuan School gave a wonderful demonstration of Tai Chi and Qigong.

Please enjoy the video that was filmed for the day’s event.

The World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is a wonderful event that brings awareness of the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong to the public. Each year the event grows as new groups all over the world gather to celebrate this day.

April 28, 2014