This is a yilu demonstrated by Master Chen Zhonghua at the annual Taiji Traditions Camp in Victoria, B.C. Canada on Oct. 26, 2009. The demonstration was intended to suit the students at the camp in their learning.
Practical Method
Here is a video on how to maintain your own center while pushing hands and doing the form.
On February 6, 2009, Xavier Santiago of San Juan was accepted as Master Chen Zhonghua’s disciple through a brief ceremony presided by Raul Pujol. Xavier has been a student of Chen for several years. He became increasingly interested in the Chen Style Taijiquan as taught by Master Chen Zhonghua after attending workshops in Atlanta and Fairfield, IA. Last year, Xavier made trips to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Maple Ridge, BC. Canada to work with Master Chen.
The ceremony marked a milestone in Xavier’s life. He is currently pursuing his studies as a medicine doctor. According to him, Chen Taiji has helped him concentrate in his academic studies and improve his marks.
The ceremony was witnessed by all participants of the San Juan workshop and fellow disciples Humberto Pomales, Raul Pujol, Richard Druitt and Rafael Velilla, all of Puerto Rico.
Here is a clip of the activities at the 2007 Taiji Tradition.
Another way Master Chen teaches the students how to stick to your opponent. Master Chen believes that one of the most common errors in modern Taijiquan training is the use of other energies before “Squeezing” (press) energy is developed. The sequence of the primary four energies are:
Peng as a initial energy
Lu as a change of direction based on Peng
Ji as a step in (further energy) in addition to Lu, and
An as a result of the three previous energies.
Most people perform the four energies in an unrelated manner. They will not have progression in this way.
In the video clip below, Master Chen Zhonghua shows how two people are tied up with rubber cords to experience “snot” (sticking) energy. The aim is to make the lower body move and power up, while making the upper body to adapt and to adhere.
One of the most difficult things to do in the CTS system is to keep the elbows in. Master says “the elbow must be no more than 3 inches from the ribcage.”
While we cannot take these words literally, it does remind us just how important it is to keep the elbows in. While the hand moves outwards, the elbow must always have the orientation of moving towards the center, or the Dantian.
Here, Master Chen Zhonghua uses rubber cords to ties the students down at the elbow so that they will always keep their elbows in.
This is a photo slide show of master Chen in 2007 on Daqingshan. At the end of the show, master Chen shows the concept of “dots, not surface” with a video clip.
In this video, master Chen Zhonghua shows the positive circle and negative circle using a rubber cord. This exercise is very effective in getting the pulling energy and the pushing energy to move along the correct line.
from http://practicalmethod.com/?p=18680
youtube version
Another thing is that everything not just taiji seems to be that you allow each thing to do its part and that is how something greater can be achieved. Read more
In this video, Chen Zhonghua and Gord Muir showed how a structure can bring out power in Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method.
Read more
Fantastic photo slide show of Daqingshan in 2006! Read more
This video covers the content of dynamic foundations in the form of moving step and how they are applied in push hands and in the practice routines.
Master Xu Guicheng started his martial arts career at the age of 6 and a half in 1930 with Jinan master Li Kuixiang. After 8 years of hard training,
Hong Junsheng’s International Standard Bearer master Chen Zhonghua and Standard Bearer Master Li Enjiu are planning a series of celebrations in North American in 2007 to mark the 100 birthday of Grandmaster Hong Junsheng. Read more
You can generate power by pivoting on your foot. Here is a clip from master Chen Zhonghua’s 2005 Taiji Tradition Camp in Victoria, BC, Canada.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlFW7GjBri4]
Go here for more on this topic:
http://wujimon.com/2007/what-does-a-camera-tripod-have-to-do-with-taiji/
http://hunyuantaiji.livejournal.com/
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In the summer of 2004, Chen Zhonghua took a group of students to visit the Black Tiger Springs Park, where he received his Taijiquan training from Grandmaster Hong Junsheng. This is a brief video clip Read more
Everyone knows how dedicated master Chen Zhonghua is about his teaching. All his students all have stories to tell about being thrown into the bed in hotel rooms late at night or in his basement. When it comes to Chen Style Taijiquan, master Chen Zhonghua Read more
Some Yilu and Cannon Fist moves on the Great Wall in 2004. The video was filmed in the early morning in July.
陈中华老师2004年7月一天早5点在长城。一路和炮捶部分动作。
One of the aims of Chen Style Taijiquan training is to achieve the ability of penetrating power. Read more
These are clips of Chen Zhonghua in 2005 and 2006 demonstrating Cannon Fist and Yilu in Victoria, Push Hands and Fajin in Athens, GA, USA Read more
These are some practice shots of Chen Zhonghua during his 2003 full time training course. Watch out for the following:
Whole body integrity, flow, power does not exceed limits, stops at the right place without over extension, center line always erect and upright, center line does not sway when changing direction of movements.
Half-step is not unique to Xing Yi. It is an integral part of Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method footwork. It serves to integrate techniques so that power is allowed to come out. Most of the “Single Whip” moves start with the previous move stepping in a half-step manner into it.
After “Punch to the Ground”, you turn to the right and then double kick. This is the transition to the double kick. The first turn to the right is a right elbow strike. In this case, the previous move of “Punch to the ground” actually dodges the opponent’s punch or kick to the head. You then strike your opponent’s ribs with the elbow.
After “Whirl Arms on Both Sides”, you step forward with right foot (turn to the right) and use both hands to push your opponent out. In this video, the move is done in a more straight forward matter which is more applicable in real situations (it is not possible to engage your opponent on the side as directed in the form).
After the right arm goes out to the right with the hand as a hook, the body turns left to drive the right arm to make a strong negative circle (power). In this video, in order to get into position, the master had to compromise his central equilibrium first. Best done without this loss.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYLblJ73ECU]
Right arm positive circle while the waist turns left to set up. When executing, the waist turns right and then to the right again (two beats) while the right arm is doing one beat with elbow moving to the right in a negative (bottom portion) circle. In this video, the elbow was not physically used but the actions are exactly the same.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8E8GyjHdJo]
This is the second last Single Whip in the Yilu routine. It is different from other Single Whip moves. Before, stepping to the left, the right hand does a deep positive circle and goes way down before coming to the finished position. Hong changed it to this way through his personal experiences. Here is how it is applied. Notice that the left leg did not step forward as required in the form. Read more
On June 19, 2004, Chen Zhonghua was elected among Hong’s major disciples as Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method International Standard Bearer. This election was Read more
This is a video project that students made in 1999-2006. Read more
This is the text for the 2004 China Trip narration: A Great Wall Read more
Jim Peters is from Regina, SK. Canada. He is a student of Ronnie Yee. Jim was the strongest fire fighter in Regina. He studies Aikiko and other martial arts before. This is what he has to say about Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method and his 2004 trip to China
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdYJ5gb2Bw]
The last workshop I attended with Master Chen Zhonghua had him correcting me on structural positions, and pushing hands positions with an idea that connects with several other, higher level ideas he has previously taught. Read more
John and Dave Dahms
We have been both thinking and practicing. We began by thinking that every part of the body is kind of like a cylinder, and vertically they are strong but horizontally they have no strength. So if everything just moved along its Read more
This video clip was taped in 2003 when master Chen Zhonghua gave a workshop in Victoria, B.C. Canada. The workshop was sponsored by Gordon Muir. In keeping with his master’s tradition, master Chen seldom wears a uniform. This demonstration was done in slow and chopping movements so that the workshop attendees could see the full moves that they had learned. Front, rear and side views were shown in this clip.
Ed Zolpis
Points to remember re: Circle exercise-
-position of feet is so that when step to the side the feet are approximately 4.5 foot lengths apart with the back of the forward heel on the same line as the front of the toes of the back foot. Read more
