Chen Taiji Practical Method and Hunyuan Taiji on Daqingshan Mountain
General Principles
o Peng
Peng has been one of the most talked about topics in Taijiquan. Hong defined Peng as having two meanings: one is the upward expanding action of ward-off and the other the overall combined expanding energy that permeates all moves of Taiji. It is the latter meaning of Peng that is most important to him. “Without Peng, there is no Taiji.” Read more
One part of the body always likes to follow the direction of movements of other parts of the body. This will cause tossing and collapsing. If you observe people practice Taijiquan, you will notice that this is a very prevalent problem.
When one’s own body parts follow each other, there will be no possibility for rotation in the body.
The cloud-like moves usually are the result of the mistake. It is something to be circumvented, not something to be desired.
Originally published Nov 2007
Paramount in human behavior is habit. Habit is the hidden addiction that controls every human. The human learning curve is a downward line as we age.
Zhuan Guan: Turning of the Joint. It is one of the most central concepts of Chen Style Taijiquan.
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One of the most important tasks of Hunyuan Qigong practice is to “calm down the mind of the monkey and the intent of the horse.”
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Taiji Sword is one of the most important weapons of the Chen Style Taijiquan system. The use of the sword is the same as the way energy is manipulated in the barehand form. We talk about two aspects in this lesson.
The outsider see the fanfare. The insider see the secrets.
The fist of xingyi, feet of bagua and waist of taiji.
The punches of xingyi, the footwork of bagua and the yaodang (waist and crotch) of taiji.
Xingyi looks at the hands; bagua looks at the walk; and taiji is the gong of waist and crotch.
5 Levels of comprehension:
Enlightenment
Personal experience
Numbers
Images
Words
This is a saying from GM Hong Junsheng
Many people regard Taijiquan as a slow, gentle and soft art. The original principle, however, points to a different and more reasonable direction.
Guidance of a teacher is meaningless without a common experience between the teacher and the students
Any time you have a large surface of contact you are double heavy – no surface – only use a dot. The exception is when you intentionally create a large surface to counter your opponent’s particular action.
The most pervasive human behavior is rationalization. Rationalization happens after people make a mistake.
Here is an example. On our 2004 trip to China, a Chinese master was explaining a technique to Yaron Seidman. He said that his arm was so rubber-like that it was not possible for Yaron to catch it (usually catch means to render it straight thus losing ability to neutralize). Read more
I had always believed that the Hong Junsheng school of Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method was not for curiosity seekers. All who gravitated to Hong were serious students or masters of Taijiquan.
So much so that a certain master named Zhao was not ready to join Hong’s classes, even after observing training at Daming Lake for three days. Zhao had come to Jinan from the eastern part of the province in search of Hong Junsheng. When he saw the dedication of the students and the level of difficulty of their practice, he decided to look elsewhere. (When I spoke with him, years later, he recalled that even the old people were doing Hong’s taiji in very low stances). Read more
It’s easier to know the Dao than to believe in the Dao;
It’s easier to believe in the Dao than to act on the Dao.
It’s easier to act on the Dao than to gain the Dao.
It’s easier to gain the Dao than to keep the Dao. Read more
The rock in the north western corner of the Black Tiger Springs Park weighs about 30 pounds. It has special significance to me. It was the special object that told me just how strong Hong Junsheng was. Read more
“You can never do physical activity without physical activity. Taiji skill cannot be attained by reading books or talking about it. Thinking about it is only 5% of the practice.”
