Richard Johnson is now teaching in Decatur, Alabama. For more information, you may reach him at
Decatur, AL - Chen Taiji Academy – Classes and private instruction by appointment only
Richard Johnson
Shifu Chen Zhonghua often emphasizes how to learn Taijiquan. This web site has a great article called 6 Methods of Learning Tai Chi. (Read this if you hav not already.) It expands and elaborates on Grandmaster Hong’s Look, Listen, Ask, practice method.
I am working on a PhD in Exercise Science – Sports Biomechanics at Auburn University. A related field that I have also studied is motor control. In motor control research, I found the neurological basis for this method of learning.
There are neurological mechanisms called mirror neurons. The basic premise is when we see a person do something, mirror neurons fire off in our brain duplicating the pattern in the nervous system required to copy the movement. It is not a perfect copy at first, but with repeated viewing of the action, our brains and nervous system do a really good job of copying the movement. Read more
Fill it in, then add one.
- Get in - Loose - get into position, set it up, dissipate the opponent’s force. Two ways: Receive (a push from) the opponent. OR, Move into the opponent without pushing. (large circle) Read more
Old analogies – Taiji is like a rolling log (in water).
Theory Method
Back silk knot Silk reeling Read more
- Hinge
Chest must move like a hinge in order to link. (Shifu Chen puts the ends of two bottle together and shows them bending and sliding off each other in various ways.) - Split
Do the form with a center split. Then learn to split at any point in the body. This is the same as the demarcation line discussed earlier.
Saturday PM session
Practiced first 13 movements of the Yilu
“Pole dancing”
Use pole to practice getting on the line. Practice with pole against arch of far (rear) foot slanted diagonally and against wall horizontally.
(Most of this session was spent in hands-on practice, so not many notes.)
Start with 3 or more contact points and add points. Drop strainght down. (Brush Knee)
Contact points, Far points. Read more
Friday PM session – Form instruction
Repetitions must be done to make the form go into the body. This can be done with 10 yilus/day for 3+ years, 25/day for 1 year or 60/day in 3 months. Read more
Shifu Chen asked me to post my notes, unedited, to our web site. This is not because I am such a great note taker, but it is part of transmitting the knowledge of Taijiquan. Read more
Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method is now taught in Northwest Arkansas by Aaron Bartholomew. If you are in the area and would like to study Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method, please contact him to set up times and locations.
Contact: Aaron Bartholomew
eldrelore@gmail.com
Richard Johnson is now teaching in Auburn, Alabama. For more information, you may reach him at
twocircles13@gmail.com
Arkansas – Chen Taiji Academy – Classes
Contact for times and locations……………Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method
This is a review of the 2008 Workshop with Chen Zhonghua from the viewpoint of the host. Read more
Taijiquan as self defense can be ruthless and lethal. The fighting method of Taijiquan is called Zhan Shou (Cut Hand). Read more
“Don’t Move Your Hands!”
Contrary to what most believe, the hand in most cases move too much. Everybody wants to learn how to move the hand. In fact, they should learn how NOT to move it! Read more
Chen (2) Jian (1) Zhui (4) Zhou (2) 沉肩坠肘
Sink the shoulder and pull down the elbow.
The shoulder can only sink downwards towards the direction of the kua. It cannot move sideways. It cannot move upwards either.
The elbow must point downwards towards the direction of the Dantian. It cannot raise upwards.
The eight techniques of Taiji: peng, lu, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou and kao.
1. Peng: overall expanding energy.
2. Lu: energy that catches the opponent and make it come towards you.
3. Ji: energy that gets in close to the opponent but will not act on him.
4. An: energy that pushes but mainly separates from opponent.
5. Cai: energy that severs opponent by a pull or a jerk.
6. Lie (Lieh): energy that severs opponent by a even break (power on both ends or hands).
7. Zhou: energy that twists the opponent.
8. Kao: energy that is whole body action.
