The difference in push hands 1.5 years training can make.
Instructor: Hugo Ramiro
Instructor: Brennan Toh
Top/Bottom Separation, Taking Up Slack, Creating a Catch, Rotating Without Moving the Hand.
Instructor: Kelvin Ho
Topics:
- Footwork
– Shoveling out with Front Heel, Land the Front Foot, Pull up the Rear Foot
– Jumping across to cover distance - Aiming
– Aligning Front Hand with the Rear Foot
Master Chen Zhonghua has demonstrated numerous times of having a fixed point (dot) for rotation in his action. Recently, I start to understand the pair of contacting points which can be used to create a stick/lever. I have been able to rotate an opponent using a dot in the middle of the stick. Today, I realize this dot can, in fact, be in space, and not necessarily in the opponent’s body. It depends on how I contact the opponent, e.g. which body parts I use to create the stick. This kind of rotation is vertical, and can take the bottom support out from the opponent.
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Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Toronto |
I had the good fortune of being able to attend the Autumn 2015 Ottawa Seminar with Master Chen.
I was kindly offered the opportunity to bunk up with my Taiji brothers John and Brennan while I was there – one of the several things that made my trip possible at all.
On the second night, I believe, hanging around in their living room, beginning to chat about Taiji, I was actually lucky to be present for an impromptu lesson by my Taiji brother John Dahms.
He began by mentioning that we need to have a solid, undeformed torso. And he demonstrated, and he talked, and he demonstrated. Because he is a good instructor, his spoken lecture was only a minor dressing on his physical demonstration, serving to subtly direct attention to the physical movement. And as he delivered the instruction, and I watched with screwy eyes, I began to see, a little at a time, something of what he was demonstrating.
By the end of his lesson I had acquired a new angle on a topic that I have struggled with for several years.Such are the benefits of good instructors, training partners and quality material!
The post and two videos below deliver a valuable and enlightened discourse on the topic that John helped me with:
“Torso Arm Alignment” Online Video
Shoulder Torso Separation Online Video
photo from flickr
Negative circle is likely the second thing one learns in Practical Method. The following are some starter instructions for a right-side negative circle:
- The right side is considered the front side, and the left side is consider the rear side.
- Find a line that is parallel to your chest on the ground.
- Put your right foot at 45 degrees to the line with the heel touch the line.
- Put your left foot at 90 degrees to the line with the toes touch the line.
Positive circle is likely the first thing one learns in Practical Method. The following are some starter instructions for a right-side positive circle:
- The right side is considered the front side, and the left side is consider the rear side.
- Find a line that is parallel to your chest on the ground.
- Put your right foot at 45 degrees to the line with the heel touch the line.
- Put your left foot at 90 degrees to the line with the toes touch the line.
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Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Toronto |
When I first studied practical method in Nov. 2009, there were a few things that made a long lasting impression. They were:
- In with elbow no hand, out with hand no elbow.
- Don’t move
- Yilu, which is made up of only positive and negative circles.
Many beginners including myself usually ask the following questions:
- How did you (Master Chen) know to do that?
- How can I not move?
- What can I do that myself?
- How do I train that?
We had 19 people attending the Toronto workshop this time. 5 of them were first timers. We started off with Master Chen talking about the positive circle, and continuously focusing on its various aspects.
Here are my notes:
- Only move your foot forward towards the opponent, everything else does not go towards the opponent. Read more
Kewei Sun has started learning Practical Method since May 23, 2015.
Read more
I attended the Practical Method Iowa Workshop 2015. Officially, the workshop was on Sep 12-13, 2015. I spent a total of 6 days there from Sep 10-15, 2015. It was the best workshop I had ever attended. We had a lot of dedicated Practical Method people there. Thanks to Levi and Christina who let a number of us stay at their place the whole time, and gave us the opportunity to immerse in taiji with Master Chen Zhonghua. Thanks to Levi and John for taking care and arranging food, as well as driving us around. We woke up early at 4:20 am to start doing yilus before breakfast, and we often pushed hands till 10:30 pm at night. It was just wonderful being around my taiji brothers.
The following are the notes I took:
Day 1
– Keeping the back straight at all times
– Always have an aim at the centre, every movement should result back to the centre (don’t deviate from it)
– Keep the movement small, otherwise it is wasteful, and there won’t be any left.
-Separation: When the hands have power, move in the waist. Have power in the waist, the hands can become free. Nudge in bit by bit.
Read more
This following diagram explains what is demonstrated in the video:
Read more
Bruce started learning Practical Method on Jan 5, 2015.
Master Chen Zhonghua gave a challenge to perform 20 yilus a day from end of Nov 2014 to May 8, 2015, which amounted to 3200+ yilus in total. Congratulations to Aaron Bartholomew, Charlie Wishon and Kelvin Ho, who have successfully completed the challenge. Patrick Dickson has also completed 80% of the days despite of his injury and surgery. Thanks to all who have participated in the challenge. It has been great fun.
From left to right: Chuck, Kelvin, Peggy Simone, Ted Sparr, Dave Cedarholm, Claire Gauthier, Rita, Ben Low, Dianne Ramey
I visited the Practical Method group in New Hampshire in the evening on April 28, 2015. Dianne Ramey organized the gathering. It was great meeting everyone. We had a lot of fun. We covered basic requirements for positive circle, negative circle, fetch water, and six sealing four closing. We also emphasized the need to have one part not moving in each action of the form. Thanks to everyone for coming out.
1) Shovel out the front heel
2) Land the front toes and knee together
3) Extend the hands out
Note: Don’t push the opponent in step 1 and 2.
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Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Toronto |
1) Foundations and 5 Yilus
2) 2-Person Drill: Find the dot on the opponent, add one to break the dot
3) 2-Person Drill: Step in to get closer to the opponent without him knowing (no change in pressure on the contact point)
4) 1-Person Drill: Similar to 3), but use the column or corner wall as the opponent. Push with one hand against the column, step to the side of the column without changing the pressure on the hand.
Video on Adding One:
Read more
Practical Method in Toronto is expanding as Steve Man, Master Chen’s Disciple, introduced Practical Method to the Toronto Oriental Centre Taiji Group. In the opening weekend, the 20 new students learned positive circle and the first move of yilu, and there was a lot of excitement as they were exposed to the Steve’s detailed step-by-step instructions.
For more information, please visit http://taijinuts.wordpress.com/ or contact Steve Man at taijinuts@gmail.com.
More pictures can be found here.
