четверг, 27 декабря 2007 г.

Cheng Man Ching tai chi form 1st section

Cheng Man Ching tai chi form 1st section

The first section of the Cheng Man Ching form (17 moves) is demonstrated from the front and back


Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site

вторник, 27 ноября 2007 г.

четверг, 8 ноября 2007 г.

Chen Style Tai Chi Fan (Grandmaster Gou Version) Simple Basics

Chen Style Tai Chi Fan (Grandmaster Gou Version) Simple Basics

We got asked to do a little video on some fan basics (opening and closing etc) for the form we teach. First time we have done a tutorial and it was all on the spot so we hope it's helpful! HERE IS A LINK TO THE FULL TAI CHI GONG FU FAN FORM AS TAUGHT BY GRANDMASTER GOU KONGJIE: https://youtu.be/XiR4kxjLSP4


Featuring Paul Lockyer of Natural Elements. Chen Style Tai Chi 12th Generation Disciple of Grandmaster Gou Kongjie. Peace


www.naturalelementsgroup.co.uk


Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site

четверг, 18 октября 2007 г.

Chair Tai Chi for seniors, wheelchair, stroke, parkinsons, arthritis

Chair Tai Chi for seniors, wheelchair, stroke, parkinsons, arthritis

Introduction to the Ving Chi Tai Chi Chair Form for practicing Tai Chi and Qigong

from a chair or seated position.


This form of Tai Chi is great for:

Those in a wheelchair

Seniors

Stroke, Parkinsons, osteoporosis, arthritis, fibromyalgia and many other ailments

Mediation

At home or the office For more information, got to www.VingChi.com


Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site

понедельник, 8 октября 2007 г.

Cartoons on karate, kungfu and the plain silly

Cartoons on karate, kungfu and the plain silly
Sifu Bait Chi Alone

mh 120721 guest opponent

mh 120330 importance of sensitivity

mh 120301 executing single whip

lost cause

The Four Cs

Esoteric waffling

Lost in Translation

I’ve learned tai chi forms from two different schools -one was the late Erle Montaigue’s Yang style, and the other was Feng Zhiqiang’s Hunyuan chen style -both were very meticulous about the forms but both also taught qigong, zhan zhuang, other supplementary exercises (e.g. fangsong gong, jiben gong etc…) and push hands. If your tai chi school only teaches forms, you’re probably not at a very good school, and your definitely not learning how to apply the forms in a self-defence context.


Pushing Hanz

The thing I loved about the branch of Erle’s tai chi that I was at was the fact that EVERY lesson had push-hands -it was simply a given, because developing the structure and maintaining your centreline and ‘peng’ under pressure can take years -(I haven’t done it nearly long enough).


Starting with the basic one-armed push hands…



The potential for advanced push hands…



Original article and pictures take secure.gravatar.com site

четверг, 13 сентября 2007 г.

blog bruce frantzis source code old yang style tai chi

blog bruce frantzis source code old yang style tai chi

Next week I am going to start releasing a short series of videos about an upcoming program on the Old Yang Tai Chi Style and about the true potential of tai chi in your life and for our society.


In this email/post I wanted to give you some background information, tell you more about the origin of the Old Yang Style of Tai Chi and WHY I think it so important for entire tai chi field.


Just like a computer has hardware and software, tai chi could also be said to have software or source code. Traditionally the original source code of tai chi was only taught to a select few. Over the years the source code changed, was modified and segments of what was in the original form were lost.


I want to state that this is considered true by many high level practitioners and is not just my personal opinion.


Two reasons this occurred was because of the Cultural Revolution in China that caused these arts to go underground and because in modern times fewer individuals chose this as their primary occupation or had the required time to practice.


To track the original source of the Old Yang Style of Tai Chi we have to look back to the person who brought tai chi out of the Chen village.


The Chen Village is historically considered the birthplace of tai chi. The three most popular styles of tai chi are Chen Style, Yang Style and Wu Style. All of these are family names. (FYI...Yang style is not related to the Taoist concepts of Yin and Yang, but is the family name of the founder of that style.)


Now although the Chen Village is where tai chi is considered to have developed, the Yang style (not the Chen style) is the most popular.


Why is this?


The main reason is that it is only in the past 20 years that the Chen style has been taught outside the village. Historically it was NOT taught publicly, but now that teachers are traveling and teaching more openly it is gaining popularity.


Within the Chen Village there was a servant name Yang Lu Chan. He pretended to be deaf and mute, silently learning and practicing every night when others went to sleep. This is an extraordinary story.


Yang Lu Chan brought tai chi out of the village and spread the teachings around China and eventually to Beijing. If you want to learn more about the birth of Yang Style tai chi, I wrote a previous blog post about its founder Yang Lu Chan here:


http://www.taichimaster.com/2010/10/06/birth-of-yang-style-tai-chi-chuan-yang-lu-chan/


Yang changed what was taught in the Chen village and created what we know as the Old Yang Style of Tai Chi. Yang Lu Chan is the original source code for what we know as Yang Style tai chi.


His teachings are now considered the ORIGINAL or OLD Yang Style of Tai Chi, but nobody knows exactly what he did because this was the era before video recording. He only taught the emperor’s guard, the aristocracy and a select few disciples to a high level of excellence.


Yang Lu Chan taught three people who were considered the BEST students. The first two were his kids Yang Chien Hou and Yang Pan Hou. The other was Chen You, whose name was later changed to Wu Chen You and whose son was Wu Jian Chen of the Wu Style of Tai chi.


In essence the Wu Style is a smaller frame version of the Old Yang Style. Let me say it another way, the Wu Tai Chi Style came from the original source code from the Old Yang Style. The importance of this connection is critical. In the upcoming video I talk more about this connection.


When you are looking to find the original source code for what is considered Old Yang Style, you have to look to these three people (his two kids and Wu Chen You) and their lineages.The three students of Yang Lu Chan taught what could still be called the Old Yang Style, but by the third generation of teachers the styles started to morph and change. The forms were interpreted differently.


This is where the Old Yang Style morphs into what we now call the New Yang Style of Tai Chi. The forms diversify from the original form in many ways, both externally and internally. There are dozens and dozens of different Yang forms.


The reason we want to find the original code is because it is a pure stream for the higher potentials of tai chi.


The inner energetics or neigong of tai chi are one of the most valuable practices you can cultivate in your body and your life.The smaller frame forms of tai chi have as much or even more power than the larger forms, but with the larger forms you can see what is happening more clearly.


This is even more so with outer form of the Old Yang Style because is makes many of the internal energetics very explicit and it is very precise if you know what to look for and how to 'see'.


This means that every movement is deliberate in the way it moves the qi throughout the body.


Why is this important? Tai chi is powered by internal energetics. This is true for BOTH its health and martial art applications.


You might ask, what are these internal energetics and how do we learn them?


Here is a quick learning progression in tai chi in general.


Classically you start by learning the physical movements and body alignments. Then you slowly start to fold in the energetics. Just as you have external alignments, you also have internal alignments, which are physically invisible.


In the intermediate stage, the energetics become more detailed and you slowly put the techniques into the form. Then you start to get into application tracks because everything up to this point is general or learning the basics.


The type of application - healing, martial arts or meditation - will determine how and what you do.


What is important about the Old Yang Style is it will help you learn what is inside tai chi. It helps you take what is in the dark into the light so that you can know what to focus on and how to activate it in your body.


Here is a quick overview of the different areas of study that you can look at within tai chi:


  • Precise physical alignments
  • The 4 primary energies (and 13 total)
  • 16 Taoist Neigong (inner energy work) principles
  • Yang Chen Fu’s 10 Principles
  • Internal energetic alignments
  • Martial art applications move by move
  • Other applications

All of this makes up the original source code of tai chi.This is not an intellectual study however, but rather a study of how energy specifically moves in the body.


The original tai chi forms are optimized to have the biggest health and energetic results on your body. This is why learning tai chi can be both fun and addicting because after you do your practice your body feels better, vital and more alive.


This is not by accident but is very conscious and intentional.


I am excited to be sharing with you this upcoming video series and telling you more about this in the future. What was once secret is now openly available for everyone to study and learn.


Be on the lookout for the next video soon...


Live the Tao,


Bruce Frantzis

Founder, Energy Arts



Original article and pictures take www.energyarts.com site

четверг, 6 сентября 2007 г.

Black Short Sleeved Tai Chi Uniform

Black Short Sleeved Tai Chi Uniform
Black Short Sleeved Tai Chi Uniform

Black Short Sleeved Tai Chi Uniform

Black Short Sleeved Tai Chi Uniform

Traditional Tai Chi Uniform for daily Training


  • Custom Tailored*
  • Optional 2 Pockets

Choose between:


  • High quality hemp/linen material. (50/50%).
  • Extremely durable synthetic material for hard kung fu training.

Both are very flexible and breathable fabrics.


Unisex - Men and Women can wear this.


The Uniform includes Shirt and Pants.


*It is required to submit your measurements!


Original article and pictures take cdn.shopify.com site

пятница, 10 августа 2007 г.

Birth of Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan – Yang Lu Chan

Birth of Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan – Yang Lu Chan
Yang-Lu-Chan-Portrait
Tai Chi Master Yang Lu-Chang

Note: Originally published as “A Servant in the Masters House” on the Energy Arts Website.


In ancient China, the Chen village kept tai chi chuan a closely guarded secret for over a century and refused to teach it to a single outsider. Having a superior martial art such as tai chi chuan enabled the village to stay safe from marauding bandits and securely conduct business without their goods being stolen or having to pay protection money. The villagers developed the internal martial art of tai chi chuan to a very high level.


In the nineteenth century, an immensely talented and motivated young man with a great love of internal martial arts, by the name of Yang Lu Chan, was told by his teacher that if he wanted to progress, he needed to go to the Chen village to study tai chi chuan.


Yang went to Chen village, asked to be admitted and was summarily refused. The tai chi chuan teachings were secret and forbidden to non-family members. Yang devised an immensely disciplined strategy. Posing as a deaf-mute, he obtained work as a servant in the house of the teaching master.


A diligent and cheerful worker, over time he became trusted enough to be given free reign of the house, including the keys to the locked doors surrounding the tai chi chuan training hall. Keeping himself hidden, he secretly watched the classes and practiced late into the night when everyone was asleep, no doubt overcoming years of sleep deprivation to succeed.


At the time, the Chen style tai chi chuan master had a dilemma. The next generation of the village was resting on the family laurels and not training sufficiently. The tai chi master was greatly concerned and saddened, and feared that his family’s art of tai chi chuan would be lost. One night Yang was caught watching tai chi chuan. He was dragged down to the tai chi chuan training hall. The students, not wishing their position to be usurped, demanded his execution for breaching security-a reasonable response in nineteenth-century China given the circumstances.


Speaking for the first time, future Tai Chi Master Yang profusely apologized. A shocked Chen master then pondered the implications of the discipline required to maintain this deaf-mute act for years. Yang begged the Chen master to be allowed to learn his art of tai chi chuan. He then challenged his would-be executioners and, one by one, using their own tai chi techniques, Yang managed to defeat them.


The tai chi master, who was truly searching for a good student to pour his knowledge into, wondered what Yang could do if he got the full meal rather than only the crumbs. After a psychologically grueling three-day test of character, Chen accepted Yang for what ultimately became an 18-year tai chi apprenticeship. After completing the full tai chi chuan training, Yang left the village with his teacher’s blessing to go out into the world and teach however he thought fit.


So if you are already doing tai chi, keep practicing as Yang did. Keep focusing on going inside and becoming aware of what’s inside. All you’re going to find is what’s there. And, make sure you take the time to find out about your teachers because it can mean the difference in how far you advance in a subject.


By the way, after receiving his tai chi master’s blessing, Yang traveled around and challenged China’s best internal and external martial arts exponents. He convincingly defeated all of them without injuring anyone-a sign of truly remarkable skill.


Gradually he found his way to the imperial capital Beijing, did the same there, and became the teacher of tai chi chuan of the imperial guards and many aristocrats, something that can be linked to the spread of tai chi in China. Although most wealthy aristocrats were not fighters, they found that the tai chi’s energy work did wonders for their health and general vitality…maybe you will too.


Stay good,


Bruce


Original article and pictures take www.taichimaster.com site

четверг, 5 июля 2007 г.

Best TED talks related to Taijiquan, Qi Gong and Meditation

Best TED talks related to Taijiquan, Qi Gong and Meditation

I truly enjoy watching TED talks. It’s so much better than watching another episode of Big Bang Theory… So I searched for what I think are the best TED talks somehow related to Taijiquan, Qi Gong and Meditation.


Watch this very moving talk about how this woman prepares for Alzheimer. And yes, Taijiquan is one of the things she does:


Learning and doing Taijiquan is a slow thing. And living in a fast world doesn’t kame it easier. However, more and more people know how wonderful it is to be slow sometimes. This is Carl Honoré talking about the praise of slowness:



If you still want to speed up your learning curve, And just imagine you could do this: plug some patches on your master’s body, connect yourself and then learn the Taijiquan movements – does that sound too Sci-fi-ish? Have a look at this TED talk:


Well, until that neuro science technology is further developed, you need to learn the Taijiquan and Qi Gong movements all by yourself. I like how open this speaker is about how boring it can be in the beginning to learn Taijiquan or meditating:



In case you want to get up and move a bit, have a look at this talk and do a small Qi Gong exercise:



Now let’s move on to meditation. You can find a more scientific look at how meditation changes the brain in this TED talk:



However, I prefer the next talk about “the art of stillness”. It has some really wonderful quotes. My favorite is: “Going nowhere (= sitting still) is at least as exciting as going to Tibet”:



I hope you enjoyed my best TED talks about Taijiquan, Qi Gong and meditaion. And I welcome you to get up now and do a Taijiquan form or some Qi Gong exercises, meet your Qi-friends or meditate, eat well and move naturally!


Happy Qi


Angelika


If you still want more and would like to know more, have a look at Chungliang Al Huang explaining Taiji or YinYang philosophy:



best TED talks about Tai Chi, Qi Gong and meditation

Original article and pictures take qialance.com site

вторник, 19 июня 2007 г.

Best Tai Chi Videos Online

Best Tai Chi Videos Online
Fu Qing Quan – Yang Tai Chi Sword
Fu Qing Quan – Yang Tai Chi Sword

Chang Dsu Yao performs Yang Style Tai Chi Sword
Chang Dsu Yao performs Yang Style Tai Chi Sword

Yang Zhenduo Performing Yang Family Tai Chi
Yang Zhenduo Performing Yang Family Tai Chi

Wang Peisheng – Wu Style Tai Chi Sword
Wang Peisheng – Wu Style Tai Chi Sword


AdChoices



AdChoices


Sun Jianyun – Sun style Tai Chi Sword
Sun Jianyun – Sun style Tai Chi Sword

Ma Hong Performing Chen Style Tai Chi At 80 Years Old

Wang Yongquan – Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan
Wang Yongquan – Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan

Du Yu Ze – Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan
Du Yu Ze – Chen Style Tai Chi Chuan

Wang Peisheng Demonstrating Northern Wu Tai Chi Chuan

Choy Kam Man – Yang Tai Chi in the 70’s
Choy Kam Man – Yang Tai Chi in the 70’s

Ma Yue Liang – Wu Tai Chi Chuan
Ma Yue Liang – Wu Tai Chi Chuan

Hsiung Yang Ho (Xiong Yangho) – Yang Style Tai Chi

Sun Lu Tang Tai Chi Chuan
Sun Lu Tang Tai Chi Chuan

Hu Yuen Chou Demonstrating Yang Tai Chi Chuan

Cheng Man Ching Quote
Cheng Man Ching Quote

Tchoung Ta Tchen Performing Double Yang Style

Yang Sau Chung Film
Yang Sau Chung Film

A Younger Chen Xiaowang
A Younger Chen Xiaowang

Cheng Man Ching in Taiwan during the 1950’s-1960’s

T.T. Liang Performing Tai Chi Sword
T.T. Liang Performing Tai Chi Sword


AdChoices



haveenergyatanyage.com3 Fatigue-Causing FoodsBoost your energy level every day by

never eating these 3 foods


AdChoices


Cheng Man Ching Instructing Push Hands
Cheng Man Ching Instructing Push Hands

The 108 Postures of Yang Cheng Fu
The 108 Postures of Yang Cheng Fu

Chen Xiaowang Performs Tai Chi With Fajin
Chen Xiaowang Performs Tai Chi With Fajin

Wu Style Tai Chi Filmed in 1937
Wu Style Tai Chi Filmed in 1937

Sun Style performed by Sun Jianyun
Sun Style performed by Sun Jianyun

Yang Style Tai Chi From Empty Mind Films
Yang Style Tai Chi From Empty Mind Films


haveenergyatanyage.com3 Fatigue-Causing FoodsBoost your energy level every day by

never eating these 3 foods


AdChoices


Original article and pictures take taichivideos.org site

четверг, 31 мая 2007 г.

Benefits and Importance of Bhujangasana

Benefits and Importance of Bhujangasana

This pose, also known as the snake or cobra’s pose because it mimics (raising the head along with chest ) the look of a raised hood of a cobra (with the rest of the body laying down imitating the body of the snake).


benefits of bhujangasana

This asana is one of the best asanas for the back including the spine. Monitored breathing is crucial in this and every other asana. Old age limits the flexibility of the back; this is why the bending and the stretching moves in this asana are great ways to grow the flexibility and tone of the back, so the back won’t give out when we get to that time of our lives.


The spinal column gets toned from the stretching done in this pose; this stretching also happens to tone the abdominal muscles too. Dormant muscles such as the uterine muscles and, organs like the ovaries get toned while doing this pose. It remains one of the best poses, acting as a medicine in cases such as leucorrhoea and wet-dreams. The raising of the chest helps to firm up the chest and bust.


This raising hood position also contributes to enriching blood supply to the entire body because of the pressure it puts on the adrenal glands. Other organs located next to adrenal glands such as the liver also benefit from this pose. The asana resolves problems of irregular menstrual cycles. This asana puts pressure on the digestive system and muscles helping to relieve constipation.


Regularly doing this asana helps with acute gas problems. The stretching of the spine helps individuals who suffer from back problems such as slip disc by giving the spinal column proper toning. The continuous practice of this asana solves your backache problems.



Original article and pictures take www.lynxyoga.com site

четверг, 10 мая 2007 г.

Beneficios del Tai chi para mejorar la diabetes

Beneficios del Tai chi para mejorar la diabetes

Quieres aprender como revertir la diabetes o como curar la diabetes ? si es asi tenemos un video que tienes que ver:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znfJ9...


Deseas poder revertir la Diabetes - Si es asi por favor ingresa al siguiente enlace:


http://cuidesudieta.com/vi-sin-diabetes


Problemas o dudas en adquirir el destructor de la diabetes tipo 2 ? entonces ingresa al siguiente enlace para saber como adquirirlo correctamente:


http://cuidesudieta.com/descargar-des...


Quieres formar parte de nuestra gran famlia ? si es asi te invito a suscribirte si aun no lo haz hecho haciendo clic en el siguiente enlace:


http://cuidesudieta.com/suscribirte


Deseas ver muchos mas videos sobre la diabetes por favor ingresa al siguiente enlace:


http://cuidesudieta.com/mas-videos-co...


Deseas leer nuevos e interesantes articulos relacionados con la diabetes? tambien tenemos un blog donde puedes encontrar esa informacion:


https://www.destructordeladiabetestip...


Tienes alguna duda sobre nuestro sistema para revertir la diabetes? puedes hacerlo directamente a nuestra pagina de Facebook:


https://www.facebook.com/Vivesindiabe...


Quieres aprender a revertir la diabetes?


Tenemos un video para ti:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znfJ9...


No olvides compartir nuestro video, sin duda eso ayudara a muchas personas con diabetes


Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site

понедельник, 2 апреля 2007 г.

Become a Tai Chi Master in 5 Steps!

Become a Tai Chi Master in 5 Steps!

Become a Tai Chi Master in 5 Steps! These are my 5 Secrets to being the Ultimate practitioner of Tai Chi, Tai Ji Quan, and Qigong:


#1: Warm up Tai Chi Postures

#2: Practice of Solo Form

#3: Qi Gong Practice

#4: Stillness Meditation

#5: Tai Chi Fighting and/or Self Defense


Hit "SUBSCRIBE", Click "Like", Leave a Comment Below, Enjoy:


***"LIKE" Our Facebook Page Here: https://www.facebook.com/JakeMace.TaiChi

***"Follow" Jake Mace on INSTAGRAM at "JakeMaceTaiChi"

***"Follow" Jake Mace on Twitter at "KungFuUniverse"


***Order a DVD Below! Thanks! :)


ORDER JAKE'S YANG TAI CHI DVD HERE, (Free Shipping in USA):

http://www.shaolinarizona.com/Site_2/...


ORDER JAKE'S IRON BONE DVD Here (Free Shipping in USA):

http://www.shaolinarizona.com/Site_2/...


Please subscribe to my channel and my vlog channel! I make new videos here everyday and make vlog's about the Martial Arts way of life.

-Jake Mace


Look me up for a friend request on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/JakeMace.TaiChi


Visit Us At:

http://www.PhoenixLongevityArts.com


View all our current DVD's available at:

http://www.shaolinarizona.com/Site_2/...


Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site

пятница, 2 марта 2007 г.

Awareness Tai Chi Complete Set Reminder

Awareness Tai Chi Complete Set Reminder

Here we present a complete set reminder for the 108 move set.

You can download our Awareness Tai Chi 108 Move Set List here:

http://www.theawareness.website/freeb...


In the beginning, we're so focused on learning the Tai Chi set, we tend to get mental overload and soon begin to forget the steps learned earlier on.

Kevin's here to guide you through the entire 108 moves, step-by-step.


On our Facebook page, we have 19 separate videos as follows:


Video 1 moves 1-3 .......... Video 11 moves 49-55

Video 2 moves 4-6 .......... Video 12 moves 56-62

Video 3 moves 7-13 ........ Video 13 moves 63-69

Video 4 moves 14-17 ...... Video 14 moves 70-74

Video 5 moves 18-24 ...... Video 15 moves 75-82

Video 6 moves 25-29 ...... Video 16 moves 83-89

Video 7 moves 30-33 ...... Video 17 moves 90-95

Video 8 moves 34-35 ...... Video 18 moves 96-101

Video 9 moves 36-42 ...... Video 19 moves 102-108

Video 10 moves 43-48


SHARE THIS VIDEO:

https://youtu.be/K69RuEIZYaM


SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE AWARENESS HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2AQ...


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Follow Us


OUR FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/TheAwareness...


OUR TWITTER:

https://twitter.com/KSAwareness


OUR GOOGLE+:

https://plus.google.com/+TheAwareness...


WEBSITE:

http://www.theawareness.website


Original article and pictures take s.ytimg.com site

вторник, 30 января 2007 г.

Authentic Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) and Qigong (Chi Kung)

Authentic Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) and Qigong (Chi Kung)

Follow @TaiChiYourLife



Mastersoft Media
Classic Ideas in Modern Formats
www.MastersoftMedia.com

Dale Napier, Writer
DaleNapierWriter.com





Camps, Retreats, Workshops, Tournaments
  • Stuart Alve Olson / Sanctuary of Dao
  • Richard Clear
  • Bill Ryan / Energy Arts
  • Bruce Frantzis
  • Eric Peters / Energy Arts
  • Henry Chung
  • ICMAC Training Camp
  • Dr. John Painter - The Gompa
  • Kim Kanzelberger
  • Lenzie Williams
  • Marie Favorito / Boston Healing Tao
  • Peter Ralston
  • Steve Barowsky / Energy Arts
  • Tai Chi Gala
  • Yun Xiang Tseng
If you have an event you would like listed, send it to TaiChiInYourLife@hotmail.com. Only multi-day events are eligible.

What is Tai Chi?
July 21, 2016
In the latest issue of T'ai Chi Magazine I begin a series exploring universal principles of Tai Chi Chuan. The question underlying the subject is, when is an exercise Tai Chi and when is it simply an expercise loosely based on Tai Chi, but which does not follow basic principles? To be universal the principles cannot be specific to a particular style. For instance, some styles emphasis the absolute necessity of keeping the body straight up and down; others do not, stressing instead the simpler need to keep the crown up. Thus this opening article is titled Crown Up: A Universal Principle of Tai Chi, discussed in context of Yang Cheng-fu's Ten Essentials. You can obtain the magazine at your local Barnes & Noble or by subscription at Tai-Chi.com. I will post the article after the next issue comes out.
Meanwhile, read an earlier blog on the subject, Crown Up, here.

What is an Internal Art?
February 7, 2016
When you hear that Tai Chi is an internal art, what does that mean? More than twenty years after my first Tai Chi lesson, I had still not heard a satisfactory explanation from any of the teachers with whom I studied. In the end I had to forge my own understanding from a wide body of teachings.

Sometimes internal arts are explained by contrasting to external arts like karate, tae kwon do, or "kung fu" (a misnomer for Chinese martial arts, which are best referred to as kuo shu). This comparison serves as a form of differentiation but satisfies no one, especially since internal martial arts like bagua and hsing-i have aspects that seem very external, not to mention vicious. Let me help.
Click here to continue.

Tai Chi Beginnings - Blogs for New Students
December 24, 2015
Over the years I've written quite a few blogs aimed at new students, and those looking for more depth. The end of the year seems like a good time for revisiting old ideas, as we prepare to move forward into new classes, so check these out:

Rebooting Tai Chi
November 30, 2015
I'm starting new tai chi classes in Boulder City, Nevada at the first of the year - a culmination of my work this year on creating a new curriculum and "scientific" method for teaching tai chi and building a body of qualified teachers for new schools as I open them. What the heck is a scientific method for tai chi? This is what I asked my teacher George Hu long ago when I heard that Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, an esteemed kung fu and tai chi teacher, was using that phrase to describe his teaching. Since Dr. Yang is a retired engineer it's not a surprising choice of words, but also not obvious.

Read more about the implications of my reboot here.


Author and Taoist teacher Bruce Frantzis has been teaching qigong, taijiquan and baguazhang for years, but most of his workshops are aimed at ongoing students with prior experience. How does one get started with Frantzis' Taoist Energy Arts? He and a top teacher, Paul Cavel, discuss Cavel's 10-week program The Five Keys to Taoist Energy Arts. The five keys are:
  1. Taoist Whole-Body Breathing
  2. Standing Qigong and Outer Dissolving
  3. Dragon and Tiger Exercise 1
  4. Energy Gate Qigong's Cloud Hands
  5. Tai Chi Circling Hands
Cavel has a podcast discussing these five points in detail. You can listen or download it here, at no charge.
In the closing essay of my What is Tai Chi? series, with "ten essentials", I discuss stillness. Most people have trouble sitting still, but a much higher attainment is desirable: The ability to maintain internal stillness, internal calm, while in motion. The beginner and intermediate student must shut out external vibration, such as music and other controllable noise, in order to concentrate on the stilling of internal movement. Even internal cultivation such as Daoist orbiting must be set aside to acquire deep stillness.
Read about stillness - and try sitting perfectly still while you do. Is it so hard?
What is it about Tai Chi practice that draws us in - that makes us feel so good that many proponents adopt the language of joy in describing their practice of this, the ultimate martial art? The keys are relaxation, balance, slow speed - and smooth, continuous movement. These components allow our chi to move freely in the "internal massage" that so many of us are hooked on. Continuity is, at long last, one of those tai chi essentials that we all grasp without struggle; it is one of those commented upon the most. Although this principle seems straightforward, you must consider the nuances in order to get full benefit.
Read on to find out more.
Do you have an chronic illness or condition that your medical doctor has not been much help with? Don't waste your time cursing the doctor; there are limits to what drugs or surgery can accomplish. Instead, investigate whether you can heal yourself, or at least help yourself. The herniated disks in my spine often cause me pain and limited mobility. Except for aspirin no painkilling drugs help, and in any event the side effects of narcotics are grossly undesirable. I've discovered that most of the time, a heaping helping of tai chi goes a long way toward easing the problem. Although I like yoga and have practiced it since my teen years, when I have pinched nerves it is usually impossible.

My own condition is not the only one that is self-treatable. Is yours?
Read here about healing yourself.

Tai Chi Destination: Wellspring
"Mind Over Matter" does not mean telekinesis, it means using your mind to guide your body's actions. You may think you do that already but unless you are an advanced practitioner, chances are you've barely gotten started. How can you train for it? Read more.
"Full and Empty", along with freeing the waist, are concepts that help make Tai Chi the vital, dynamic exercise we know it to be - concepts that require the whole body to realize. We start out learning about full and empty when our teacher tells us to avoid equal weighting on each foot. Later we see that one arm/hand will be full while the other is empty. Even later we see that when we split at the waist, the lower body is full, giving strength, while the upper body is empty, giving fluidity and the freedom to neutralize our opponent's advances. Read more.
Last month I began a series of columns starting with the general question, does Tai Chi have standards? From there I proceeded to write individual columns about each of Yang Cheng-fu's Tai Chi "essentials". Three columns into it and I've already accumulated enough feedback to pause and recap what has been said. To put these comments in context, I publicize each column heavily on two Twitter feeds, @DaleNapierLV and @TaiChiYourLife. The tweets are deliberately provocative in the hope of drawing readers and comments. And it works! I generally agree with the comments I received, but would like to add some footnotes to emphasize the basic points of each column. Read more.
A key secret to the power of Shotokan karate is the use of the hip in completing a punch, often a reverse punch. Most karateka and taekwondo students are taught this hip movement, but many beginners find it unconvincing because their teachers cannot explain why. If you know about the use of the hip in karate, without an understanding of why you use it, you will find it tough to separate from the idea of using your waist, not your hip, in tai chi. If you have no karate background you will not have this problem; instead other problems will emerge.

Put your hip into the karate punch because the angular momentum arising from the twist will provide last-minute acceleration to the punch, increasing the force (force equals mass times acceleration). In tai chi our punching power is derived by totally different methods, so our use of the waist has different reasons as well.
Read more.
The second essential, regarding the posture of the chest and back, carries another "anti boot camp" element: As a young student I had difficulty absorbing this lesson except through a separate art my teacher introduced, tongbeiquan. Tongbei emphasizes the use of the upper back for power. Although that art has other elements as well, this aspect is a common influence on tai chi practitioners because of Cheng-fu's second requirement. Digging deeper, we discover that this principle has energetic as well as physical goals.
Click here to find out more about sinking the chest and raising the back.
Yang Cheng-fu's first "main point" of tai chi describes the posture of the head and neck. The ramifications are physical but also energetic. If you miss this principle you will never get far in your tai chi practice.

Tai chi scholar Douglas Wile in his book Tai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Touchstones, translates Cheng-fu's description as follows:
Click here to find out tai chi's first requirement.
What is tai chi chuan? We must ask this question with tact because it is a sensitive matter. A lot of exercise passes as tai chi that probably is not, often taught by people who have no idea what tai chi is. At the same time many advanced practitioners hold opposing views about what tai chi is or is not, and what it should or should not be. Chen style practitioners famously advocate tai chi's martial methods, although they are not alone. Others claim exactly the opposite, that tai chi was never, or at least should not be, a martial art. This is easy to understand among those who have never been taught martial methods, which is increasingly common. Others conduct classes in sitting tai chi, or wheelchair tai chi. Who is right and who is wrong? More importantly, is there even a right or wrong? Does anything go?
Click here to find out whether tai chi is a "to each his own" art.
All classes are cancelled for the time being.

For new students one of the toughest problems is learning to create a pattern of practice at home. Many people will add their Tai Chi practice into their other exercise practices, but if they do not already have a habit of exercising, it takes a little effort to build the habit. I wrote two blogs on this subject a few years ago that I recommend you take time to read.
Click here to read Best Practices.
Click here to read Habit Forming.

Not your grandfather's Tai Chi! We do not compromise the exercise to accommodate people who are unable to perform them. That defeats the purpose of exercise! Instead we encourage everyone to participate if they wish, and to do as much as they possibly can. There is no shame in sitting out some of the exercises, if necessary, but there is even less shame in trying without success.

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Free Tai Chi E-Book:
Tai Chi Intention

November 10, 2014
Interested in learning more about how to apply intention in your Tai Chi practice as well as daily life? Chapter 2 of Tai Chi In Your Life examines intention from a unique perspective. The exercises provide valuable insights into training methods for cultivating intention, which is basic on habit formation and honest introspection. To get the free e-chapter, simply
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE AND DOWNLOAD TAI CHI: INTENTION.
As a young student I mistakenly believed that centering was a mental-spiritual idea and nothing more. As a result one of my earliest important "light bulb" moments came when I realized that balance is first physical. From physical balance can arise mental balance, and from mental balance can emerge spiritual balance. I say "can" because more work is needed after achieving physical balance, but by taking the first step you make the later steps possible.

Today I wish to explore balance as a scientific concept and how that applies to Tai Chi. (Click here for more)



Sifu Napier's articles

"Conversations with the Grandmasters" (Dec 2009)


"Yang Family Comes Out In Style"
"Symposium Makes U.S. Tai Chi History" (Oct 2009)



"Standing Exercises for Taiji Qi Cultivation" (Aug 2009)

"Yang Taiji for Combat" (Apr 2007)

Tai Chi In Your Life is a timeless guide to making your Tai Chi lessons part of your everyday life. Using universal Tai Chi principles, not specific to any particular style, Sifu Dale Napier shows how to apply the principles to your Tai Chi / martial arts practice and then move them into your everyday life.
"Read this book to see why we teach Tai Chi" - Grandmaster Lawrence Day
Click here to view/purchase on Amazon.

Sifu Napier's Tai Chi Meditations CD now available.
Sifu Dale Napier's meditation CD, Tai Chi Meditations is backed by pianist-composer Marta Keen (Thompson) It features a standing meditation, Zhan Zhuang, and a sitting meditation, Six Healing Sounds.

Zhan Zhuang, or standing post meditation, is taught here for breath, balance, and relaxation. Balance is required for deep relaxation. To deepen the relaxation further we learn to use deep breathing, giving us lung improvement as well. Standing post is important for building Tai Chi Chuan rooting ability.

Six Healing Sounds is a popular chi kung (qigong) exercise that uses movements, sounds, and visualizations based on Five Element Theory. The general idea is to purge ourselves of negative emotions, which removes damaging energy from our internal bodies - helping keep us youthful, vital, and energetic.

Tai Chi Meditations is available as a physical CD or for download. For download, go to
CD Baby
Amazon
For the physical CD, Click here.


My early introduction to Tai Chi took place in the mid-1970s. I had no teacher but was talking about it, so my step-father gave me a book by Sophia Delza, which I read but did not understand. Little did I know at the time, but Delza was the first American to teach Tai Chi - Wu style, from Ma-Yueh Ling - and first demonstrated it in public in 1954. Take a look at this great article to learn about the Tai Chi life of Delza, who lived from 1903 to 1996.
Click here to read the article.


Taoist teacher Stuart Alve Olson, one of my teachers, has released a new DVD, the first of two to accompany his book on the subject of Taiji Sensing Hands - what most teachers call pushing hands, tui shou. Stuart's approach is the most peaceful possible, eschewing all notions of combat. He maintains that calling the exercise "pushing hands" automatically puts the student at a disadvantage by suggesting an aspect that simply should not be in play.
Click here to acquire the DVD..
Click here to visit Stuart's Valley Spirit Arts website
, based in Phoenix, Arizona. He has quite a few more books and DVDs, as well as a schedule of practice for those in the area.


A new study published Jan. 21, 2015 in the online journal Frontiers in Psychology has published a study showing the meditation slows aging. They "observed that age-related gray matter loss was less pronounced in meditators than controls."
Click here to read the complete study.

A remarkable Tucson man, once paralyzed, has rehabilitated himself using Tai Chi, which he now teaches. Click here for the full story.

The Houston Chronicle covered our session of Six Healing Sounds qigong on Tuesday, Sep. 6. Click here for the full story.
(June, 2012) Michael DeMarco, Editor and Publisher of Journal of Asian Martial Arts, has nothing but compliments for Tai Chi In Your Life:
  • "Napier's work provides very practical information for both taiji practice and everyday life. He does so in a way that is easy reading and inspiring."
  • "Napier expects us to not only read, but to think deeply about the principles and creatively utilize them inside and outside of our taiji practice."
Click here to read the entire book review.
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World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 2010

Johannes Huber, Susan Davis, Ellie Blaby, Dale Napier, Sue Greensmith, Kitty Borah, Sandra Jequier, Jim Haskins, Lizzy Hargrove



Original article and pictures take www.elementaltaichi.com site