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I do not have a local instructor. Can I really learn the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method system based on workshops alone?
So you want to attend one of Master Chen Zhonghua’s workshops! Here is a checklist to help you gain maximum bang for your buck! Read more
I will offer a list of things you need to look after before you attend a workshop to learn Taiji. Read more
Do you know the visa situation in China? I am going to stay in China for 3 months and possibly a year, but I’ve heard China stopped issuing 60 and 90 day visas. Do you know how difficult it is to get a 6 month visa? I am going to get mine in Hong Kong, hoping it might be easiest to get a visa there. Read more
Will I have any problems staying on Daqingshan as a vegetarian? Read more
Most definitely! Daqingshan Mountain Resort can accommodate your friends while you are at your studies. We can also look after them with tours and other activities. They can are able to dine with your Taiji group or have a private dining facility.
What is neutralization in Taiji?
We hear the cliche often: “when the opponent uses yang, we use yin.” In other words, when the opponent is strong, we must be weak, or yield. Nothing wrong with that. The logic is sound. It has been accepted by students, masters and grandmasters for ages. Read more
To adjust to or keep in proper measure or proportion, e.g. to modulate your force appropriately. Similar concepts include proportional movements, adjust while moving, etc.
This is a clip of single movement repetition practice led by Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang. Clip provided by Master Zhang Jiping through youtube.
2008陈式洪派培训班—李老师讲解正反旋圈要点
What does it mean by not moving the hand?
Here is my understanding:
If I would like change the location of the hand relative to my body, e.g. the current location of the right hand is at the level of my belly button, and the destination is at my eye level in front of the right shoulder, how can I achieve that without moving the hand?
- Don’t move the hand, but I can move any other part of the body to achieve the same result.
- Keep the hand at the same coordinates in this three-dimensional space, and sink my body down, which in turn causes my elbow to go from above the hand to below the hand. Then perform the 2nd half of the positive circle.
Thanks to those who posted the quoted videos on youtube.
Tossing, or body swaying, is one of the ills of taijiquan practice. Tossing is something that people naturally do. It is not a trained characteristic of taijiquan. It has the “benefit” of looking good when done in taiji routine practices.
Today, most people take pride in “tossing”. Read more
This is actually a photo-camera recording of an impromptu session with Jay Smith during a session break at a workshop in Maple Ridge in 2008.

After they finished the foundations with the last move being the mobile version of “Wild Horse Parts Its Mane”, I gathered the classes and showed students a few tips: Read more
“Withdraw is to issue” is an important concept in Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method. It is also a measurement of level of skill in this style. Here Master Chen explains a technical aspect of this skill. Read more
Use this to try to learn how to pull with elbow, not hand.
This demonstration of Yilu by Todd Elihu is the result of close to 10 years of hard work. This can be viewed as a good example of what Master Chen Zhonghua teaches.
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.
Here is a video on how to maintain your own center while pushing hands and doing the form.
This seminar was attended by three visitors/new students. Nicholas Fung, an old student of mine, is visiting from Hong Kong. Wilkin Ng is from Vancouver and he has joined us. Gino Nasato is from Victoria. He has been an active participant in my Victoria workshops and in local classes there. He is visiting this weekend also.

The main subject this weekend is on how to keep three different lines while pushing hands. This is a very difficult act to perform. I explained and experimented for students the example of how to aim at something or some place. In our push hands or applications, we often don’t push towards where we ACTUALLY intend to push!. This is a question of the mind intent not harmonized with the energy alignment. This question touches upon our basic natural disposition. It is very important for you NOT to believe that you don’t have this problem!
I have been giving this group of people seminars here for the seventh year. We started in Vancouver and moved to Fort Langley and finally settled in Maple Ridge. Currently we have three students from Seattle, one from Denver, CO who joins us occasionally, several from Victoria, and one from Nanaimo. Some have to drive more than three hours to get here; others have to take the ferry for over 5 hours. I fly here from Edmonton early in the morning. All this for Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method!
2010-1-2
1、(腰胯)拉直后,无腰、无跨,此时可以保持腰不断劲。(沉肩、坠纣、头顶、双腿与丹田形成中轴——中正?)。 Read more
As every time I receive instructions from my Shifu, Chen Zhonghua, I understand more that what he has always talked about is one principle that is applied in countless ways. Read more
1. 混淆传承和名誉的问题
传承是练拳习武的首要问题,然而给这个问题一点思考的人极少。无论国内国外,崇拜师父是最突出的表现。 Read more
Originally written by: Ian Macrae
Maple Ridge Workshop July 25th and 26th, 2009
(A loose transcription of notes, not an organized article)
This month our workshop was in Pitt Meadows Heritage Hall. Our regular use of Thornhill Hall was preempted by the Disabled Games. What a nice big clean beautiful hall this was, notwithstanding that the A/C wasn’t working and it was almost too hot to do YiLu. Well, actually, it was too hot, so we didn’t work quite as hard as we usually do. Read more
"Forget your perfect offering/There are cracks in everything/That’s how the light gets in" -Leonard i
“Forget your perfect offering/There are cracks in everything/That’s how the light gets in” -Leonard Cohen
Originally written by: Matej Velicky There are many stories about Chen Fake and Hong Junsheng and their fighting ability.
At a higher level, stretching moves are changed to arching moves. Arching is really a way of extension without stopping the energy flow.Arching is more stable than stretching. However, arching creates less distance than stretching.
Some examples:
- When moving the arm back towards your body, don’t allow your front knee to move backwards. This way, you can extend your foot hand arching length.
- When pushing the front arm out, don’t allow your rear knee to move forward. This will make your rear foot-front arm stretch longer.


