Exercise 1: Use the left hand to grab the right wrist, stretch the right fingers. This is not just a demonstration, it is the method to train. People often ask Master Chen how to train, in fact, he just showed us. We only need to do it 60 times in each session. Doing it 60 times means to not use too much power, or using the right amount such that you can do it 60 times. When you use the left hand to grab the right, squeeze the armpit to lock the left hand, so that the left hand itself does not move. In order to stretch, we must lock something.
Read more
Knowledge
View posts in sub-category:
Application Articles Body and Posture Class (Workshop) Notes Common Errors Glossary and terms Hunyuan Knowledge-Movement Explanations Learning Method Principle-Concept Principle-List Principle-Rule Principle-Technical Push Hands Quotations Routine Names Routines Videos Stories Student Evaluations (Private) Taiji Apparatus Taiji FAQ Taiji Sword Thoughts and Understanding Workshop and Class Notes
When the body action is correct, the energy is wrong.
When the energy is correct, the body action is wrong.
Read more
Maintain two lines (This exercise came from Twisting the towel.)
- Head to foot
- Front finger tip to the central vertical line on the back
We want to first stretch things out, and then add something in the middle to further stretch a little bit. We must constantly add that little bit of stretch in our training. This is neigong training.
Read more
Corrections of Negative Circle: 1st count: Elbow in, must come in over the shoulder, hand pointed outward (throughout entire Negative Circle, hand is always pointed outward.)
Read more
Presenter: Kelvin Ho Length: 30 min. In: English Year: 2021 Difficulty:2/5 At:Toronto Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy
Fetch Water
Application: Shoulder strike (kao), power comes from dantian
Read more
For my yilu correction, after my front foot goes out during Lan Zha Yi (Block Touching Coat), as my foot settles on the ground, my front foot and knee needs to significantly close more. After this, or during later on in my training, the knees and below doesn’t move and my waist moves forward into position through the action of the kuas making an adjustment, which moves the waist forward without disturbing what is underneath. This then becomes a scale, lower body as the rod and elbow as the counterbalance.
On Mar 12, 2021, Master Chen was instructing on an exercise, in which, I put up my left forearm in front of and parallel to my chest. I need to push the elbow downwards with a pivot in the middle of my forearm, with the load on the hand. The desired outcome requires me to create an independent setup of a lever, and then press down on one side of the lever (elbow). This is separation of yin and yang because the downward force is independent of the lever setup. The lever setup cannot break or change its integrity when the downward force is applied. The outcome of the lever action is predetermined by the setup. The downward force when applied in a specific way simply makes it happen. If the downward force is not applied correctly or the lever setup breaks down, the desired outcome will not happen.
Read more
Today in class, Master Chen commented that there was new flow, clarity, and sharpness in my form. He said this day was a small milestone for me, and he wanted me to document it. He asked: Did I feel something different? Read more
What is success? It’s to never give up.
Why would one give up? He had a change of heart.
中文两字词语是阴阳的。信念 – 信往外，念往内。
Read more
Kelvin corrected my Upper Cloudy Hands starting from previous pose, Single Whip.
Corrections of my Single Whip pose: arms must extend further on either side, and hands are about shoulder height; elbows facing down; left palm facing down; sit the wrist; tips of thumb and middle finger of right hand touching, so right hand resembles the beak of a bird; sit the wrist. Hands must be tile hands (curved roof tiles on traditional Chinese building), fingers stretched tight outwards. Read more
Presenter: Kelvin Ho 何家伟 Length: 32 min. In: Cantonese 广东话 Year: 2021 Difficulty:1/5 At:Toronton Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy
Think about the rods/bars that link the old kind of train’s wheels together. Those rods only ever go forward even those each wheel only rotates. This is yin-yang reversal. There is a joint in the middle of the wheel, there is another joint at the place where the rod is attached to the wheel. If there is no such joint and the rod is totally glued to the wheel, as the wheel rotates, the rod will also turn around with the wheel.
Read more
Put the elbow on the table.
Shoulders goes down to the elbow.
Read more
https://youtu.be/FncBsswHZXI
Yilu count:3460
Foundations: https://youtu.be/DfRUeyU4xVY
During the class I was training the following exercise. I stopped now and then to write down what Master Chen was saying.
Read more
Importance of practicing yilu diligently – only then will you understand what Master Chen is saying – and your yilu will improve.
One principle 分陰陽 (Splitting Yin Yang). Example: Left vs Right. You need a vertical central axis to distinguish L from R. (You need 3.) Same with top and bottom.
六字真言: 不動 旋轉 開胯 (Don’t Move; Rotate; Open Kua)
Read more
_2021-03-07.jpg)
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2018 Difficulty:1/5
Presenter: Kelvin Ho Length: 30 min. In: English Year: 2021 Difficulty:2/5 At:Toronto Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy
_2021-03-06.jpg)
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2020 Difficulty:1/5
Hold a rod not by grabing it with the whole palm, but split the span into two dots. One dot on the index finger underneath the rod acts as the pivot, and another one at the root of the palm placed above the rod acts as the balancing arm. We can tilt the rod the other end of the rod this way without lifting the rod itself.
This is what allows the power to go along the rod to the other end, and it is said to go over.
Read more
_2021-03-05.jpg)
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2020 Difficulty:1/5
– Today we worked on Pole Shaking (Positive and Negative Circle).
_2021-03-04.jpg)
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2020 Difficulty:1/5
_2021-03-03.jpg)
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2020 Difficulty:1/5
During training (when we are not yet successful), we use extra effort and focus to get it. It is tiring.
Once you are successful, the body gets used to it and will not be tiring anymore. The hair has been combed. The effort has gone through a filter. Read more
This lesson is about staying on topic, and then categorization within a topic.
There are only 3 types of movements in Practical Method:
- Elbow-in (Pull)
- Hand-out (Push)
- Rotate Read more
The axis in real usage exists only functionally. 滚珠轴承 Ball Bearing.
We create a shell (restriction) on the outside, then the axis inside must exist, but you can’t touch it unlike a real rod in a globe.
Read more
Key things, e.g.
- Forward is to push.
- Backward is to pull.
- Middle is to rotate.
- Separation of yin and yang
We must remember the key things even if we don’t understand it. Read more
Presenter: Kelvin Ho Length: 67 min. In: English Year: 2021 Difficulty:3/5
The Taijiquan Practical Method instructor team in Berlin, Germany, organised an online workshop on 6 December 2020, marking their 10th anniversary. The workshop took place under the lead of the head instructor, Sven Gusowski, in cooperation with the instructors Carlotta Viviani, Kerstin Kummle and Lutz Liese. The workshop focused on basic Taiji Principles and their application in the foundational exercises and the Yilu Form. Read more
I’m humbly posting here my practice.
3 month into the online classes with Master chen and I feel that finally, maybe? some small shift is happening….
please feel free to criticise
When we do the correct taiji actions, your opponent will always feel your actions are awkward to him. We just do what we train to do.
对手对不上。
Negative Circle
- First adjust, lock the middle finger tip, elbow-in over the top
- 3-way split
- right elbow-in to the left rear
- shoulder down
- right kua and knee point forward but not moving Read more
Dear All,
we’d like to announce the 2nd Online Workshop in German language, taking place on 28 Feb 2021, 2pm – 5pm GMT +1.
Please spread the word to everyone who might be interested. We will cover basics as well as some details, so it will suit beginners as well as advanced students.
The admission is free 🙂 Thanks a lot, c u soon!
Please sign up here: https://practicalmethod.de/kontakt/
Best,
Sven & the Berlin Taiji PM Team
My impressions of the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Online Workshop
Germany, 06.12.2020
The Taijiquan Practical Method Group in Berlin, Germany, organised an online workshop on 6 December 2020, marking their 10 years anniversary. The workshop took place under the lead of the head coach, Sven Carl Gusowski, in cooperation with the instructors Carlotta Viviani, Kerstin Kummle and Lutz Liese. The workshop focussed on basic Taiji Principles and their application in the foundational exercises and the Yilu Form. Read more
