Ever wondered why Taiji is so magical especially at the hands of true masters?
I first experienced that magic when I met Master Zhonghua Chen in Daqingshan on a warm July evening of 2012. Ever since that moment I have developed a fixation of sort to figure out what is behind that magic – it is so ever present in everything Master Chen does, it is impossible to differentiate between the magic and the magician! With no disrespect meant, I have seen and met many Taiji practitioners including some who claim to be masters but not one in my humble view truly possesses that magic, not even remotely. So, what is it that sets him apart? What’s that magic and what’s behind that magic? Read more
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!
This is the section where Master Chen Zhonghua offers online information and classes on Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method. There are mini lessons, discussions and student evaluations.
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Application Articles Body & Posture Common Errors Glossary and terms Learning Method Principle List Principle, Concept Principle, Rule Principle, Technical Quotations Routine Names Routines Videos Stories Student Evaluations (Private) Taiji Apparatus Taiji FAQ Workshop Notes
Master Wang Zhanjun uses the video clip “Sink the Waist to Press the Elbow and Whip” to analyze taiji in his teachings. The animation at the end was created by Xu Jingpeng. Master Wang is the son of Grandmaster Wang Xi An, one of the 4 Tigers of the Chen Village. Wang Zhanjun is also. Ten-time National Push-Hands champion in China.
We will have an online class based on this video using the comment section of this video at 10:30 am Central Time, 11:30 pm Eastern Time on Saturday, April 4, 2020. On the days that I am teaching, I have selected a series of videos that will be taught in a sequential manner. The primary emphasis will be improving your understanding of how to take an opponent’s space that utilizes the principles that are inherit to Chen Style Practical Method Taijiquan. The video’s include:
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Master Chen Zhonghua always amazes me, whether it is at the next workshop (there is always something new and amazing) or looking back — such as in this video captured during a workshop in Ottawa ten years ago… an easy, seemingly simple, and clean bounce:
What do you see in the video?
John Upshaw: Everything is on a line. He added the right leg to the line…left arm to right leg…
Lou Sacharske: Watch his right shoulder, as he adds the right leg, there is zero deviation to telegraph the execution.
James Tam: I believe the rotation axis is the one joining Shifu’s left shoulder and front foot. And, the stick (effective energy pathway) is from his back foot to Steve’s upper back.
Online practice groups are a way to support and motivate each other along our Practical Method journey.
Anyone learning Practical Method can conduct an online foundations practice group regardless of where you are in the world.
Yilu and foundations are for warm up
Then one must learn, create yin yang split
Action has movement, physical structure has no movement
Hand and screwdriver analogy –
Screwdriver doesn’t work on its own but is turned by hand
i.e.
Twisting towel
Hand doesn’t move on it’s own,
Kua is responsible for action on hand
Technically
object is yin &
Action is yang -
Fixed for consistency and to avoid confusion
At higher level it doesn’t matter which one is which, just know there are two and can be switched
There has to be a trap to walk in for opponent
Trap doesn’t change shape/size
Trap is designed so that you can have the hold
Hold gives access to ligaments and not muscles, working on muscles is futile
Opponent’s arm is not sufficient to get the hold of the whole body
Body parts are irrelevant for the hold,only think of to hold the line, have a grab from both side of teh line and not just one
Drill-
Sink waist to press elbow
Hand should be complete dead no move on its own, and that is quality like a steel, otherwise it absorbs like cotton
Shoulder rotates on vertical axis and doesn’t get displaced
Two ends have to be related, timing has to be coordinated
Stretch in right shoulder has to be totally matched by stretch in left heel
_____
Only two ways to move opponent .
Lever- lock middle and move the ends (strong opponent)
Anti-lever – lock the ends and move the middle (loose opponent)
Two ends and the middle are independent of one another. However opponent thinks they all happen at same time because the difference in time is so tiny it goes unnoticed.
A nut (micro living that lives only morning to afternoon) can not fathom a qun (mythical bird that lives many years) and for qun a nut did not exist, however they both live same life cycle birth-growing-reproduction-death.
Taiji encapsulates everything – in time.
If one splits that fraction of second when action was done at two ends and middle into million parts, these three actions will be only 3 of those million parts and totally different (although sequential) and they have no relationship to one another but for opponent it feels as if they happened at same time and they have relationship.
John Saw – My journey from a hotelier, gambler and Qigong Master to a faithful and loyal disciple of Master Chen Zhonghua 5
John Saw at Sydney Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy – 8 March 2020
John Saw – My journey from a hotelier, gambler and Qigong Master to a faithful and loyal disciple of Master Chen Zhonghua.
I was born in Burma in 1935. I lived there till I was 29, had to leave everything behind as the country was taken over by the military. I swam across the Mekong river to Thailand in 1964. Started work at the Bangkok Hilton and after 6 years, decided to migrate to Australia.
In June 1970, I arrived Sydney with my wife and infant son and started work in a motel. In no time I got involved in gambling. Life was easy and had so much fun that by the time I was 60, I suffered a stroke due to smoking, bad diet and not enough sleep. My left side of the body was affected, my speech was slurred and I lost my balance. Through Qigong, I gained back my health, and I recovered fully after years of hard work.
After 20 years traveling around the world spreading our Qigong system, I felt restless, something missing. Even though I was an International Master of Lohan Qigong, I just couldn’t figure out what’s missing in my life.
Throughout my travels, I’ve met many great Masters and practitioners in Qigong and Taiji, and became friends but nothing really impressed me.
Then in December 2014, I was invited to attend a lecture by Taiji Master Chen Zhonghua at the UTS. I went along as I was free at that time and also curious as to what’s there for me to see. The first time I saw Master Chen, I was impressed by his demeanor, he was a humble man with twinkling eyes. When he started talking about his style called Chen Style Taiji Practical Method, I was a bit hesitant. I thought another Master promoting their style. The minute he explained the technique and showed us why it’s called Practical Method, I was blown away.
Mind you, I’ve travelled a fair bit and met many skillful Masters, but what Master Chen did with one slight movement of his body was incredible, seeing is believing I should say. He let people touch him and let them feel that he didn’t move his muscle. I was very impressed and decided to join his workshop that weekend. There again, I was amazed with his skill but most importantly, it’s his willingness to share his knowledge without withholding anything, thats got me hooked.
Since then, I’ve been to Daqingshan many times and attended his seminars yearly without fail.
I was accepted as a disciple in 2017 and my number is 257.
I went to Bali last Nov 2019 to join his workshop and again in February 2020 in Sydney. Master Chen never stop to amaze me with his willingness to share and spread this wonderful system.
The last day of the workshop in Sydney was my 85th birthday. Master Chen was kind enough to join my family and friends with some disciples to celebrate this special occasion with me.
Thank you Shifu.
Your disciple,
John Saw #257
John Saw – Burma Days
John Saw – Burma Days
John Saw – Gambling Days
John Saw – Qigong Days
John Saw with Master Chen Zhonghua at Daqingshan
John Saw with Master Chen Zhonghua at Zhenbudong Rizhao Taiji Acacdemy
John Saw Discipleship Photo in Sydney with Master Chen Zhonghua
Daqingshan Taiji Flame Torch Bearer 2018
Chen Zhonghua Practical Method Workshop Sydney 2020 February
Chen Zhonghua’s Sept. 2019 Toronto Workshop Video.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:2/5 At:Toronto
Question and Answer part two of the Chen Zhonghua Sept. 2019 Toronto Practical Method Workshop.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:1/5 At:Toronto
Question and Answer session at the Sept. 2019 Chen Zhonghua Toronto Practical Method Workshop.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:1/5 At:Toronto
Master Chen Zhonghua’s Sept. 2019 Toronto Practical Method Workshop Videos.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:3/5 At:Toronto
The intro, instructions and outro are in Polish, but you can turn on English subtitles.
I am curious about usefulness of this video for PM students around the world – if you think it is helpful enter your city name in the comment (on YouTube).
Enjoy the practice!
Chen Zhonghua’s Sept. 2019 Toronto Practical Method Seminar.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:3/5 At:Toronto
Chen Zhonghua’s Sept. 2019 Toronto Practical Method Workshop videos.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:3/5 At:Toronto
31st Daqingshan Chen Zhonghua Practical Method Seminar.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:2/5 At:Daqingshan Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy
31st Daqingshan Practical Method Seminar. Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:2/5 At:Daqingshan Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy
2020.02.12 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)
Energy path is the pathway that energy travels on. There are both a physical path and a virtual path for a given setup. For any three points in the body, they can form a triangle (unless they all fall into one straight line). For this discussion, let’s use right hand, left kua and left foot as the three points. As similarly discussed in this previous article, while the right hand and left kua form one physical (solid) line, and the left kua and left foot form another physical (solid) line, the right hand and left foot form a virtual (invisible) line. While the actual energy travels along the two physical lines, it can be viewed as if it travels on the virtual line.
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