workshop notes

Notes for Sydney Workshop Trip Sept 1-6, 2022 by Brian Chung i

by Brian Chung on 2022/09/06

2022.09.01 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Airport Drive
  1. We will be entering into a new era.
  2. We are retro fitting new technology into our old systems. A change requires something totally new.
  3. Do you understand money?
Breakfast at Laneway Cafe
  1. Master noticed the foot of a bird was damaged.
  2. Students are making vast progress with online classes. Consistency.
  3. What was your enlightenment?
  4. Write it down and publish it. Other people will read it and may learn.
  5. Did you try it? Your next step is the physically try it.
At home
  1. Master’s elbow is open. I held onto his bicep. It did not move.
  2. Fix the front, move backwards.
  3. Size of the stance for training vs fighting. In training we go from a perfect position and stretch out. In fighting we adopt a smaller position to go into the perfect position.
  4. Hand to elbow.
  5. Foot on the wall.
  6. Rear kua down, rear knee up.
  7. Pivot on middle of the thigh. Rear kua goes lower.
  8. Actualise a dot in space.
  9. Pulling two ends of Marcus’s fluffy vest.
Apartment
  1. There are no moves. Only rotation.
  2. No space.
  3. Hong. Rotation and a stretch.
  4. Back on wall. I could not push. No direction.
  5. Master showed how to go through. Chest sound. Finger of steel.
  6. Empty space.
  7. Forearm lever. Positive and negative. Entice into emptiness.
  8. One piece to pull and push.
  9. Sinto repeats one move.
  10. The reality is, I am stronger than you. Structure (distance), angles, timing. I use my efforts to make myself strong, not fight with you.
Dinner
  1. Procedure of learning. Do not use your own body.
  2. Hand attach to phone. Elbow. Kua.
Evening Online Class
  1. Forearm on chair, no move. Move the rest of the body. Worry about the relationship later.
  2. Master demonstrated turn with waist in Six Sealing Four Closing. I was touching his elbow and wrist. There was no movement.
  3. Master used his fingers to go through a dot on on my left chest. I took two photos of the position.

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2022.09.02 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Morning Session
  1. Whatever you I do to my body, you will feel.
  2. Push hands exercise. Stretch out front hand, rear elbow. Rotate shoulder. Turn Waist. Legs.
  3. Peng is to stretch out your opponent. Five points stick figure. Five points struggle out. This is full. Wu Dian Wai Zheng.
  4. Three ring spiral. Shoulder (small) kua (mid) foot (large).
  5. Peng exercise. The waist reverses the mid.
  6. Bie is a pair of scissors. Gap, paper will fold. On is stuck.
  7. The flip. Cannot engage muscles. Emptiness.
  8. Bie with a gap on my elbow and wrist. Two actions locked onto the middle.
  9. Master showed multiple variations of bie locking onto a dot on my forearm, elbow, bicep, rear shoulder, rear foot.
  10. I held Master’s rear kua and knee while he pushed Rory. There was a stretch from the knee going out and around. The toe was lifted.
  11. When two two ends are equal, the result is balanced.
  12. Balanced is not moving. Not moving is the physical property.
  13. In learning, the original cannot be lost. We have to go deeper without changing.
  14. Song is everything in its original state.
  15. Han xiong ba bei. This is lock the two ends and move the middle.
  16. Example of lock middle move two ends (A) is a lever. Example of lock two ends move the middle (B) is a bow and arrow.
  17. Both are bie.
  18. We must fit everything into our logic. Is this example that worked (A) or (B)? It must be one or the other, you just can’t see it. Do not allow others to change your logic.
  19. To be precise is clear. The opposite is muddy.
  20. Cai is plucking. To yank grass.
  21. Lie is to break the middle.
  22. Zhou is to twist. Twist to break the structure.
  23. Template for training the front hand on a dot. (1) Hold onto something. (2) Star on the mirror. (3) Laser pointer.
  24. Hong’s Taiji is the original Taiji. Something that is right cannot be improved.
Lunch
  1. Elbow on the table. Match the elbow with grip. Match with muscles in forearm.
  2. Exercise to bend the wrist. Use the elbow to shoot power to the finger. This is stretching the two ends of a rubber cord to make the middle strong.
Afternoon
  1. When you are stuck in a problem, the solution must come from someone else (outside).
  2. To know something, continue without, advancing, without changing. No deviation from the original design. E.g. Rotation is a continuous lever.
  3. Hong said distance is fake. When two dots line up there is no distance. How to line up? Small.
  4. Story about Hong speaking French.
  5. Three dimensions. Front and back (elbow), left and right (waist), up and down (knee).
Evening
  1. No confrontation. Reverse and go over. We went through different variations on this. Master was holding my right forearm. My rear shoulder had to go back towards the fridge.
  2. Master showed the connection to his elbow, front shoulder, rear shoulder and rear elbow. Used my push to follow and reconnect.
Evening Online Class
  1. Waist and knee separation. I held onto the knees and the waist turned. I held onto the waist and the knees turned.
  2. Knee pump.
  3. Knee can only move backwards. Forwards will cause injury. Master showed this is still the case in stepping.
  4. I held Master’s front ankle and front knee. It inflated like a strong rubber tube.

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2022.09.03 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Workshop Day 1 Morning Session
  1. (1) Kai kua (open kua). (2) xuan zhuan (rotate). (3) budong (not moving).
  2. One fixed dot controlling everything.
  3. Quan. Hong said Authority is the counterweight on a scale.
  4. We must touch something solid. Facts are solid.
  5. Fix Hand Exercise. (1) Fix one hand hold onto a non moving pole. (2) Let the rest of the body go. (3) Whatever you let partner does to push and pull, do not respond.
  6. Activity on the rear shoulder vs front hand.
  7. Active vs passive usage of the dot.
  8. Back on Wall Exercise.  (1) Place the back of your front shoulder on the wall with one dot touching. (2) Partner pushes into front hand. (3) Compress the two ends. (4) Switch the dot on the rear end that is touching the wall to a dot closer to the middle of your back. (4) Continue this nine times until the dot on the rear end is on your rear shoulder.
  9. Yao dang zhuan huan (switch). There is a Lid on the waist. Master showed the transfer of energy.
  10. Xia ta wai nian (lever). The original is a mudslide.
  11. Master showed an exercise to hit the back on the wall.
  12. Everything comes out of nothing.
Workshop Day 1 Afternoon Session
  1. I had my finger on the bar. Master said to isolate one dot on the rear knee against the middle finger. Eventually the foot. Only one, let the rest go. He demonstrated this with a pull while I held his wrist – isolating one at at time the elbow, shoulder, kua, knee.
  2. Exercise. (1) Place a elbow against the wall. (2) Partner pushes into it. Pretend to fight. (3) Align elbow against push. Forearm solid.  (4) Use your finger to cross over their centre.
  3. Finger Reverses Push Exercise. (1) Partner pushes your arms. (2) Do not respond with upper body. (3) Align the rear foot. (4) Use fingers to aim back at their centre.
  4. Switching Exercise.
  5. There are three directions. (1) Forward backward. (2) Left right. (3) Up down.
  6. Space and no space. Both are the same. Master made a huge ball. There was no space for me.
  7. Ba Chang. Telescopic rod of a tripod. To attach yourself. To pull yourself open.
  8. Yilu with Power. Kenny corrections. My corrections.
Post Workshop
  1. I was working on the move after initial closing. Fix the left kua and thigh. Turn the waist to the left. Stretch the rear heel out. This causes the tension to be not lost.
Evening Session
  1. Master adjusted a student’s feet.
  2. Master corrected my stance smaller.
  3. Zhuo. We do not know how to contact.
  4. To line up without deviation, use two perpendicular straight lines at each end. Master used a book as an example. A secondary example was a cup.
  5. Fix the contact, move the feet. Master said this is winding a clock. There is a delayed build up of tension. I felt there was no push.
  6. Lid on the kua, use the knee to open backward. I must practice this. Secondary example was Master pushing my back down from a bent over position. This is the same thing.
  7. Rick Pietila story of hummer gun. The machine gunner is locked into one piece.
  8. Open into an arch. Back must open up, buttocks must go down.
  9. Push chest exercise into foot.

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2022.09.04 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Breakfast
  1. Boiling point. At 98 degrees, the water is still water. We have to go past the threshold.
  2. Learning is breaking the pattern. This is very rare.
  3. Look for the pattern in human behaviour and make notes.
  4. In promotion, the order is photos, videos, writing.
Workshop Day 2 Morning Session
  1. We never lose power. We only change structure.
  2. The curvature never existed (Six Sealing Four Closing).
  3. Two sticks on a rail. Everything is stiff. The setup makes it look smooth.
  4. Master held my forearm and touched a dot on my chest in Six Sealing Four Closing. Stretch back against the front hand.
  5. Six Sealing Four Closing with power. Master said power was on my chest. He pointed to use the dantian.
  6. I held Master’s thigh. It did not move.
  7. Hong’s number one characteristic is a half pipe with the back on the wall.
  8. Pushing Exercise. (1) Touch the chest. (2) Fix the elbows. Stretch the fingers. Forearm is 45 degrees forward. (3) Rear foot in. Opponent is on the edge. (4) Then move the feet. This is a snow plow (blade 45 degrees, vehicle is straight). The trajectory of the contact is an arch. Continue the track the opponent with your hands (Example is of a tiger tracking prey jumping up and landing down on it).
  9. Snow plow. Master asked me to explain the main points. Do not change the structure. Do not deviate. Our human nature is to deviate on what we see.
  10. We must find a method to motivate us.
  11. Step up exercise. Action of the front foot. The front pulls the rear. Every push is a pull.
  12. Intention is fine tuning the angles to adjust longer.
  13. Exercise. Pinch forearm. Master showed how to catch the entire body, allowing him to walk in.
Lunch
  1. Master showed his forearm while I held onto his wrist. He said he is actually pulling the ligaments inside.
  2. Inside of the glass cup. Hong told Master Chen he was wrong as he was touching the outside. The inside eventually relates to the core. The outside is unrelated. The inside is about the restriction.
Workshop Day 2 Afternoon Session
  1. Exercise. Line up front hand and rear elbow touching the the wall.
  2. Exercise. Rear foot line up with dantian. Hold the compression. Step forwards.
  3. Block Touching Coat application. (1) Intercept punch (2) Pull to your left side (3) Seven inch knife on throat (4) Catch neck (5) Stay on neck and push out.
  4. Four Corners Exercise. Get stuck. Turn the waist.
  5. Hand elbow exercise. Touch the wrist and elbow. Hand must always touch the elbow. We have to reverse our normal habit. Line up and pull the elbows in.
  6. Horizontal Rod exercise with James Strider pushing us. The rod is the point of reference. This allows the body to be very calm. Without it we always stumble.
  7. Five flowers. Four circles intersecting one middle. Watch the video again on Hunyuan.
  8. Bu liu shui. Not moving water. Master demonstrated this. The fist stopped on my chest. Power went through. I tried it, Master said I am too stiff.
  9. Talk about Jing Qi Shen.
Dinner
  1. Story of Liu Yang challenge.
  2. Story of Sun Yang challenge.
  3. Normal power is based on movement. We create power without moving. To fight someone strong, do not allow them to move.
  4. Pieces of information can be taught. Do not try to combine them. It will happen automatically.
  5. We need new ideas to conduct real Taiji research. Example, photo analysis from western science practitioners.
  6. Story of Hong’s photos.

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2022.09.05 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Privates Morning Session
  1. Bicycle chain. We all have one extra piece.
  2. Normally our shoulder is out. We have to totally change the body until it all fits.
  3. There is only one move. It is so tight, it only moves as a conveyor belt.
  4. Bie. Knee, calf, toes. Toes grip, knee back. Calf erect. I need to work on this.
  5. Exercise. Touch the wall.
  6. My rear foot was moving. Master put his foot against mine. Only hand on the wall and rear foot are solid. Middle is empty.
  7. Touching the wall timing exercise. Horizontal and vertical.
  8. I was pushing the wall with my left palm and rear foot. Shifu touched my left ribs and left thigh and stretched them out.
  9. The unbendable arm. This is Peng. Exercise. Partner pulls down on your elbow. Stretch the two ends (front hand and shoulder).
  10. Going over exercise. Long stick on the two arms. Lock the body as one piece. Stretch the two ends. Fix a dot on your chest in the middle. Go over it.
  11. Master let me feel what stretching the rear is. This is a rotation. Not a push.
Lunch
  1. Vertical is length. Horizontal is width.
  2. Power is on the vertical.
  3. Story about Zhang Lian En.
  4. I asked Master how to bie the knife, I need three dots. If I draw a diagram, there are only two. Where is the third? He said write an article about this.
  5. The third is created. It is very elusive. The action is two separate trajectories meeting at the middle.
Privates Afternoon Session
  1. Master was holding my wrist. Pull the elbow in. Crunch dantian. Connect elbow to dantian. Connect both to front heel. Get this feeling. Only work on the three dots.
  2. Pulling exercise after fist draping over body. Engage. Squeeze down to waist. Connect R arm to L kua. Here must be there. Lift L heel. Open L knee straight to L foot and L kua. L kua has a total vertical restriction. This causes a rotation and the L heel to grind out.
Privates Corrections
  1. There is a switch of side on the fingers in closing the first move.
  2. No Chou. No pulling (to pull the shoulder up).
  3. Six Sealing Four Closing. Front elbow and front kua can open or close. It must be one or the other.
  4. Turn Left to Pound Mortar. Kick from the right heel to cause the waist to turn. It must spin like a top.
  5. Brush the Knee. Turn over a dot in the middle of the chest. We must continue to expand.
  6. Master showed the rotation on brush the knee. Slide. As you rotate, the chest goes down. The correct feeling is nothing to hold onto.
  7. When I rotate, there is no surface.
Evening Online Session
  1. We repeated the learnings at the Chinese online class.
  2. Use a stick to go over. Forward backward, left right, up down.
  3. Unbendable arm.
  4. Pie Shen Chui.
  5. Discussion with Kelvin. He is very clear.

Empty the cup is not correct analogy when it comes to Taijiquan i

by Paul Janssens on 2012/11/28

Master Chen gave us explanation on proper way of learning.

originally posted July 2010