Pawel Mueller

The End of the 2023 European Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Tour with Shifu Chen Zhonghua i

by Pawel Mueller on 2023/04/03

Today I said goodbye to my Shifu Chen Zhonghua in Gdynia. I just arrived in Vienna, Austria after one month traveling with Shifu, Gerry Gebhart, Chen Ronghua (Curry) and Song Zhenhua (Leo) through 7 European countries.

I met lots of old and new friends. It was great and it’s sad, it has to end. But even the best things in live end…. only to make place for new things.

In the picture below you see Shifu, Chen Xu, Ling Zili and me on my very first Workshop with Shifu in Wuxi, China. And below a picture taken exactly 9 years later in Vicenza Italy with Shifu, Leo, Gerry, Curry and me. With lots of Workshops in between.

There were many highlights along the tour of various nature, like cultural, touristic, culinary, personal and of course Taijiquan Practical Method-ic.

I hope I’ll find the time to render my notes into some articles about those highlights.

To answer one special request by Kevin Chen from Nantes, France briefly: I ate the worst but also the best Hamburger in Italy 😉

By the way:

If you want to practice Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method in Austria, contact me. I’m living close to Vienna and we have a group here. As a disciple it’s my duty and an honor to propagate this rare art. I can show you the special characteristics of Practical Method. It must be experienced, so I invite you to have a look.

I’m also the coordinator for Practical Method in Europe, so if you want to know if there’s somebody close to you doing Practical Method, just text me.

Speaking of coordination: Thanks to all the host on the tour for the great workshops. And also a big “Thank you!” to their helping hands. It was a great time!

Raymond Dickey from London, England

Pavel Codl from Prag, Czech Republic

Sven Gusowski from Berlin, Germany

Thomas Poitreau from Bordeaux, France

Giuseppe Bon from Vicenza, Italy

Damian Jagosz from Żywiec, Poland

and last but not least

Tomek Raganowicz from Gdynia, Poland

Special thanks for helping me out organizing the Workshop in Vienna, Austria goes to

Fabian Kassing and Ewald Artacker

And a special thanks for retrieving my laptop which I forgot on the plane in Bordeaux goes to Thomas’ wife: Claire

2021.08.28-29 – 5th European Practical Method Meet-Up in Żywiec, Poland i

by Pawel Mueller on 2021/06/20

Regardless of the current difficulties this year, we will be organizing the 5th European Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Meet-Up. It continues this year close to Żywiec, Poland on August 28th through 29th. This years host is Damian Jagosz, who is a very dedicated student of our style. Read more

Sinking to the floor, sequential moves and stretching 3

by Pawel Mueller on 2020/12/04

We hear those things often. In this article I‘ll give an overview of what that means and also write a little bit of how to implement it into your body.

The concepts are very easy to explain. So here we go: Read more

Online Lesson with Shifu 202011-23 i

by Pawel Mueller on 2020/11/23

Rhythm

Shifu: You need to get the rhythm/counting of the form.

After you learn it, then it becomes music. But this cannot be thought. Everyone „hears“ his/her own music. And this is only after a long time of learning the correct rhythm. Read more

Master Chen Zhonghua’s Online Lesson on Nov. 2, 2020 – Pawel Müller 5

by Pawel Mueller on 2020/11/02

Main Exercise

We did a very basic move from Six Sealings four Closings: The out with hand Part:

Preset: Shoulder and Hand lock (better: being locked by partner or other outside restraints)

Action: Elbow moves into the Line of Shoulder — Hand (lead by the other hand pushing the elbow)
Read more

European Practical Method Meet-Up 2020 in Żywiec, Poland 2

by Pawel Mueller on 2020/07/27

It’s the fourth year since we started the European Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Meet-Up Series. It continues this year close to Żywiec, Poland on September 12/13th. This years host is Damian Jagosz, who is a very dedicated student of our style.

4th European Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Meetup. This year in Żywiec, Poland.

Austria – Vienna! Master Chen Zhonghuas 5th Workshop i

by Pawel Mueller on 2020/02/21

Dear Tai Chi – enthusiasts and those interested!
Please use this link to register: www.practicalmethod.at/vienna-2020
Read more

Generous Discounts on Workshops in Europe 2020 4

by Pawel Mueller on 2020/01/23

I’ve just spoken to Shifu and I‘m happy to announce, that there will be discounts on the 8 European workshops this year (2020). It’s simple:

First workshop: Full price
Second workshop: 25% off
Third workshop: 30% off
Fourth and further workshops: FREE
Read more

My kua opened up at the Vienna Workshop 2019 i

by Pawel Mueller on 2019/09/16

Participants of the Vienna Workshop with Master Chen Zhonghua in 2019
So we were doing lots and lots of six sealings four closings exercises at the end of the Vienna Workshop. I was leading the group and counting. Then, at #476 something in my hip cracked open. A rush of pure energy run through my body and I felt like a conductor between heaven and earth, and then … Read more

Regular Practical Method Class in Lower Austria 2019-2020 1

by Pawel Mueller on 2019/07/19

I moved out of Vienna and I‘ve been thinking how I could offer Practical Method classes here in Lower Austria. In Vienna I started a group from scratch, together with Fabian. But with three kids now and a full time job I simply have no resources to start a group this way. “There must be a better method” I thought. And, as is often the case at the country side, my neighbor helped me out.
Read more

European Practical Method Meet-Up 2019 in Toulouse, France 3

by Pawel Mueller on 2019/07/17

It’s the third year since we started the European Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Meet-Up Series. It continues this year in Toulouse, France in August 24/25th at the Main Garden Square or at the 3 rue du Gorp 31 400, depending on weather.

Vienna – Austria! Workshop with Master Chen Zhonghua in Vienna 20./21. March 2019 i

by Pawel Mueller on 2019/03/14

Dear Tai Chi – enthusiasts and those interested!

Master Chen Zhonghua is coming for the third time to Vienna to show and share his skill in Tai Chi. The workshop is made for those without any knowledge about the art as well as advanced students of Tai Chi and will grant deep insights in the art. Also practitioners of other martial arts are welcome to participate at this workshop.
The workshop will be held in english, translation into german will be provided when needed.
Read more

Taijiquan at 30,000 Feet i

by Pawel Mueller on 2018/06/04

I’m writing this at about 30,000 feet on the plane from Munich, Germany to Toulouse, France. Master Chen Zhonghua is sitting next to me, it’s late evening and we are both tired from traveling shortly after noon.

On the last flight, from Danzig, Poland to Munich Master Chen gave me another lesson about rotation.

Some of those ideas I had already heard on a flight almost two years ago, but what Master Chen taught me a few hours ago goes much, much further, of course. Some questions were answered, especially regarding applying the theory on the body.

The application cannot be written down, really. It must be demonstrated and felt. Trying do write it down will never do justice to the physical experience felt in person. Read more

Report of the 2nd annual European Practical Method Meetup i

by Pawel Mueller on 2018/03/20

Group photo at the 2nd annual European Practical Method Taijiquan Meetup

This is a report written by Massimo Giorgianni from Toulouse, France. He is a full time martial arts teacher and will also host a Practical Method Workshop with Master Chen this year in Toulouse.

____________

In March I attended the annual Practical Method European Gathering held in Berlin. This workshop was my first time involvement with Chen Taiji Practical Method. I am a professional Wing Chun teacher and have 18 years practice in Wing Chun and 5 in Yang Taiji Quan.

Since I discovered Practical Method only two months before this event, I had to prepare intensively, and once there I had the great opportunity to receive first hand explanations and clarification from expert teachers. I could have an insight of the organized structure of the art, which successfully conveyed a basic understanding of the principles of Chen Taiji Practical Method.

This training involved the techniques of foundations, Yilu, practical applications and push hands.

Also this gathering is an opportunity for the European Practical Method community to build strong relationships in an intensive training environment. Definitively a must do! Next meeting will be held in Toulouse (south of France) beginning 2019, see you soon!

Association for Practical Method founded in Austria, Europe i

by Pawel Mueller on 2018/03/13

After becoming a disciple last year I solidified my plans about my future with Practical Method. One result is the foundation of an official association in Austria. After some back and forth with the responsible officials regarding the association rules we, Fabian K. and Pawel M. got the permission to begin our association activities.

Our association is registered as acting globally and not only in Austria. This opens new possibilities for the European community which is emerging now, since people from other countries can become members, too, benefiting from our services.
An association allows us to act as an official entity, like a company. We can now easily access public training space and be official partners for schools, companies and other projects.

It’s exciting. We are eager to begin our work and establish our association in Austria and abroad. It’s a long way, but so is learning Practical Method which equipped us with the right set of tools already through our training: continuous work and time.
We are preparing materials for marketing new events now. There will be new courses in and around Vienna and we’re planing events to promote Practical Method.

Who wants to be part of it? Just send us an email to pawel.mueller@gmail.com.

And the name of our association

Practical Method Taijiquan Österreich

Verein zur Förderung der traditionellen chinesischen Kampfkunst „Practical Method Taijiquan“ in Österreich

In English, please

Practical Method Taijiquan Austria

Association for promoting the traditional Chinese martial art “Practical Method Taijiquan” in Austria.

Why the Teacher is Important 11

by Pawel Mueller on 2017/03/06

I had an interesting experience lately. I took singing classes with a professional classical singer. It was only one single event, but I learned two important things in those one and a half hours which are not only reflecting back on my Taijiquan but also on my life in general.

Western Learning Methods
Everything is about intellectually understanding things. After listening to my singing for a short time and before the teaching started I got two or three pages of text describing how the breathing organs work and how those relate to singing. Doing Practical Method for a while now and being in contact with eastern learning methods I just skipped through the pages to see if there’s something useful. I asked the teacher whether knowing this stuff is of any importance, especially in the beginning. She said, being a little puzzled, that most people want to know what they are doing, first. Intellectually. I explained, that I do PM and I trust her as a teacher to lead me through exercises which she figures are important for me at my current state. She started teaching me.

Feeling Awkward
With different exercises she tried to get me in a mode where the voice was full. She put me on a stepper on which I had to walk while singing. At some point I had to lean forward in a shoulder wide stance. Singing “dui dui dui” up and down the scale in this position felt strange and she directed me saying “try this” or “try that”. At some point my voice felt awkward. The setting of my muscles in my vocal tract was so wrong. I even got a little scared somehow. I stopped after being in this state for not even a second. Suddenly the teacher almost shouted at me: “why did you stop?! That was wonderful! Do it again!”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find that setting during the remaining 15 minutes of the lesson.

This moment, when the awkwardness was on its peek was the moment when the door opened. I didn’t step through it, but now I know it’s there, at least. Even if I would have find this door without the teacher, I would be convinced that it’s the wrong door.

First European Practical Method Meetup in Vienna, Europe 1

by Pawel Mueller on 2017/03/05

Practical Method Meetup in Vienna, Europe
17th – 19th February 2017

What a cool experience! On 17th of February 2017 we had the first PM Meetup in Europe. A meetup which was dedicated to meet other groups practicing our art. It was no workshop in that sense, but we were lucky, that Rick Pietila, a disciple of Master Chen was still in Vienna at that time and was leading most of the training. He prepared a training schedule which build up over the course of the meetup. Everybody was exhausted afterwards, but happy to meet other peers and to have learned so much from Rick.

My Taiji Evolution 1

by Pawel Mueller on 2016/12/29

It’s amazing – to me – how long I’m into Taijiquan. This photo was shot in Turkey where I spent Christmas with my family. Even then, shortly over a year into Taijiquan an Yilu or two daily were mandatory to me. I’ve been to China once already and to me it was clear that I want to give Taijiquan much more time. Back in 2010 it was the old frame I practiced. Since March 2014 it’s Practical Method. It still and much more fills my life. I practice on my way to work, while carrying my kids nopen doors, … always. I had so many insights, new experiences, I met many new people from all over the world and spent more then 7 month in China to study this martial art.

Practical Method in Vienna, Austria i

by Pawel Mueller on 2016/11/04

Our training spot at Augarten in beautiful Vienna, Austria

If you are in Vienna, Austria, or close to it and you want to practice Practical Method Taijiquan you are most welcome to join our growing group. We practice in different places which you can check out on our map, our main spot is currently in the 15th district at a Karate Dojo where you can find us every Saturday morning from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Read more

Pawel Mueller Yilu 2

by Pawel Mueller on 2015/01/12

Sightseeing on DQS 1

by Pawel Mueller on 2014/09/14

So I got this cool professional camera from Master Chen and I recorded a lot of clips. Still need to sort most of them out but here’s one video I compiled from it.

We took a tour around DQS. The 8 immortal caves as well as some other attractions. It was a nice afternoon and we had together. Lilia, John, Paul, Eric and me. I think I’m not in this video though. Typical photographer problem indeed.

Perseverance 6

by Pawel Mueller on 2014/09/14

Back in Vienna and now also with a fix 40h job I can’t practice that much. But, as Master Chen often says, Taiji practice is more about perseverance. So I do in fact practice all the time. On the subway, while sitting and an Yilu or Jibengong here and there when waiting on the train.

At first I was worried, that this is not enough. Sure, I won’t be having huge breakthroughs that fast, but I have some from time to time and that’s good. Instead of waiting for some time off where I can practice I practice all the time a little bit. That sums up. I recorded this Video at the end of my first 3 months visit to DQS and I see a lot of improvement already.

What I want to say with this? Do small things all the time. It’s worth it and it’s better than doing nothing after all. (People on the Train might look strange at you, though)

happy training

cheers

Morning Training at Da Qing Shan i

by Pawel Mueller on 2014/08/12

From time to time there is this dense fog on the mountain. Actually that the clouds. So you could say we were in heaven. For all interested going there: Most days during my stay were sunny, even in march.

But this fog was great, too. So mysterious. Sometimes you couldn’t see more than 10m. Ask John Intervalo about it. He arrived in a very dense fog and couldn’t see most of the mountain for about four days. But what a sight after that. It’s so beautiful there.

First Month Daqingshan Impression i

by Pawel Mueller on 2014/04/11

By Pawel Müller
Regarding DQS: I like it very much. I’m not practicing so much (only 4-5 hours daily) because I also try to learn chinese. Last weekend I become a cameraman and recorded some scenes for a short Read more