Locations : Vienna

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

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

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.
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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.
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Pawel's Notes at 30,000 feetI’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

Master Chen Zhonghua visiting Pawel Müller in Vienna, Austria.

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. 

 

 

First European Practical Method meeting

The first European Practical Method meeting took place in Vienna in late winter 2017. On 17. – 19. February, people from Göttingen, Berlin and Vienna convened in this wonderful city to practice and exchange experiences.

On Saturday and Sunday, we dedicated a lot of time to practice the Yilu. Also, we worked on basic foundations and put special emphasis on progressions in partner work. Special thanks to Rick, who instructed us in these progressions in the most precise and knowledgeable way.

Altogether, it was a great meeting. I am sure that everyone had her or his very personal insights and “aha!”-moments. I myself, being relatively new to Taiji, surely learned a mountain of things. It has been really motivating to see other people with more experience practicing Taiji.

Many of us already knew each other, having met before on workshops or at Daqingshan, now having the chance to catch up on what happen since then. But many also could get to know each other for the first time. Being able to practice with many enthusiastic and committed people made the days in Vienna an invaluable experience.

Many thanks to Carlotta, Pawel, Fabian and Rick, who made the meeting possible. Thanks to your commitment, it has been a wonderful and enriching weekend. Hope to see all of you again and many more on the next meeting, which will probably be hosted in Berlin in 2018.

Best wishes, Jann

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.

Practical Method Meetup in Vienna, Europe

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.

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165769_169026639805972_5495131_nIt’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.

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Our training spot at Augarten in beautiful Vienna

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.
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