You can also see a few pictures here.
Testimonials : Workshop Reviews
Today I said goodbye to my Shifu Chen Zhonghua in Gdynia. I just arrived in Vienna, Austria after one month traveling with Shifu, Gerry Gebhart, Chen Ronghua (Curry) and Song Zhenhua (Leo) through 7 European countries.
I met lots of old and new friends. It was great and it’s sad, it has to end. But even the best things in live end…. only to make place for new things.
In the picture below you see Shifu, Chen Xu, Ling Zili and me on my very first Workshop with Shifu in Wuxi, China. And below a picture taken exactly 9 years later in Vicenza Italy with Shifu, Leo, Gerry, Curry and me. With lots of Workshops in between.
There were many highlights along the tour of various nature, like cultural, touristic, culinary, personal and of course Taijiquan Practical Method-ic.
I hope I’ll find the time to render my notes into some articles about those highlights.
To answer one special request by Kevin Chen from Nantes, France briefly: I ate the worst but also the best Hamburger in Italy 😉
By the way:
If you want to practice Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method in Austria, contact me. I’m living close to Vienna and we have a group here. As a disciple it’s my duty and an honor to propagate this rare art. I can show you the special characteristics of Practical Method. It must be experienced, so I invite you to have a look.
I’m also the coordinator for Practical Method in Europe, so if you want to know if there’s somebody close to you doing Practical Method, just text me.
Speaking of coordination: Thanks to all the host on the tour for the great workshops. And also a big “Thank you!” to their helping hands. It was a great time!
Raymond Dickey from London, England
Pavel Codl from Prag, Czech Republic
Sven Gusowski from Berlin, Germany
Thomas Poitreau from Bordeaux, France
Giuseppe Bon from Vicenza, Italy
Damian Jagosz from Żywiec, Poland
and last but not least
Tomek Raganowicz from Gdynia, Poland
Special thanks for helping me out organizing the Workshop in Vienna, Austria goes to
Fabian Kassing and Ewald Artacker
And a special thanks for retrieving my laptop which I forgot on the plane in Bordeaux goes to Thomas’ wife: Claire
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 1 mins Difficulty: 3/5 Language: English
Year: 2022 Location: Sydney Practical Method
This is a video record of Master Chen Zhonghua's 2022 Sydney Practical Method Workshop.
If you like this video, there is an even greater value in purchasing one of the packages below.
Purchase Sydney Practical Method Seminar Video Package 20220902
NOTE:
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Edmonton Workshop: September 17, 2022
Part 1: Lead into Emptiness
Grandmaster Chen Zhonghua said that in Taiji, you “lead into emptiness.” This idea is central to the practice of Taiji. It means that when you “act” in Taiji, you don’t do something, but do something. When you prevail against an opponent, you are not “doing” something to your opponent. You never react with force against force. In Taiji, you are fighting yourself, not the other person. These seeming contradictions really mean something when you experience them, as I did in the Edmonton workshop on September 17, 2022. I felt them; Grandmaster Chen “did” them to us, without “doing them.” Read more
More photos of Chen Xu’s Jimo Practical Method Seminar on May 30, 2021
– just after Roy’s 2nd private lesson with GM, it was suggested that I record his impressions about his experiences in this learning process
– I’m no journalist so bear with me here Read more
– I am beginning to understand some of the challenges in trying to describe, discuss, even think about PM in ways that pass along that information, in digestible bites to other people Read more
twisting towel
This is a post I found drafted but had not published. I thought I would finally share what I had written two years ago in 2018. It’s now March 2020.
……….
The value that you get from Master Chen Zhonghua’s Practical Method workshop is immeasurable. This is was my fourth workshop and I cannot explain just how much was packed into the two days.
Last week we concluded another great workshop/training camp in Iowa with Master Chen. There was a good turnout with around 50 attendees. The vibes were good and the lessons were clear and concise.
You can also see a few pictures here.
I would like to give some impressions of the PM-Taiji-Training camp that took place in Italy this September.
From the 17th till the 22nd September 2018 we have had the joyful experience to live and train together in a beautiful Villa at the Bolsena lake in Italy. It is a place which is located around 100km north of the city of Rome.
Read more
On a Tuesday morning in Shanghai, I woke up only expecting to learn and practice some basic Tai Chi, so I went to EF Headquarter not knowing the marvels after the lesson. This was my second time taking Tai Chi at EF Wellness Center where the master is Nicholas who is the 70th Indoor Disciple of Master Chen Zhonghua.
Read more
Note at 0:42 how Master Chen do the 47. Part the Wild Horse’s Mane on Both Sides (Yie Ma Fen Zong) move
You can also see a few pictures here.
Master Chen Zhonghua gave a two-day workshop in Beijing at the Zizhen Taiji Academy from June 17-18 immediately after his European tour. He arrived at 6 am at the Beijing International Airport from Brussels and directly went to the workshop that started at 9 am. Read more
The 4th Poland Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Workshop was held from May 28-30, 2018 in Gdynia. It was hosted by Tomek Raganowicz of Poland. Pawel Muller of Austria came to assist me in video-taping, etc. The workshop was attended by 21 people from Poland, Austria, Germany, and Lithuania. Read more
more photos on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.1783023181716986&type=3
Address for September workshop: 33735 Essendene Ave Abbotsford BC at the Two Dragons Tai Chi Academy (Abbotsford Downtown)
For the people coming from the Vancouver area, take the Freeway over the Port Mann. No more tolls.
You can also see a few pictures here.
Like one drink sets an alcoholic back after 50 years of abstaining – so it is if we add a move (like move the hand)
Bigger from the kua
If you need to move the knee, fix the hip. If you need to move the hip, fix the knee.
Read more
Two ends fixed, move the middle
Dinner at Mike’s (Disciple #3) in Abbotsford with Zhang YanPing who moved to Abbotsford from Jinan.
Three new student attended, so Master Chen went over foundation and application of Yilu first move.
Fetch water application is getting in for a strike with shoulder, that’s the purpose of moving the arm down.
After many corrections, I am starting to understand that power should not come from the shoulder, but treat shoulder as a pivot
At the moment Master Chen is giving the 21th Practical Method Seminar on Daqinshan. More then 80 peoples are participating and there are both advanced (beneath them many disciples) and beginners.
I want to give you a brief insight of this event.
Notes by Brian Chung on day 1 of the workshop with Master Chen Zhonghua and Chen Xu.
Notes 2016-12-10 Sydney Workshop Day 1
1. Practical Method consists of Gongfa (jibengong), Quanfa (yilu, erlu, jian, dao, waxwood pole), Yongfa (tui shou, san shou).
2. We start with only the physical. In the end, there is nothing physical.
3. 3 things we don’t work with. Breathing, Fingers, Eating. We were born with these abilities.
4. The middle must come out.
5. Did you see the middle? Did you see the red?
Disciples Rachelle B., James T. and Daniel M. once again organized a great Practical Method seminar in Ottawa. Participants from Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal and Petawawa gathered to train in the ancient act of Taijiquan under the personal attention of Master Joseph Chen. James have already posted a summary of this event. Over the course of three days, we covered all aspects of the Practical Method including theory, philosophy and history as well as the Foundations, forms and applications. The following are my personal observations.
We did a lot 13 Yilu repetition with counting. The idea is to be clear in each step of each move. Master Chen mentioned once student learn the choreography, it is helpful to break down each move to understand it better, then latter perform it together again.
This sequence of breaking and putting it back should be repeated several times as student progresses in practice.
More photos below Read more
All actions are rigid (yang); all adaptations are soft. (yin)
Qi gong and 3 levels of taiji progression: “The truth is naked”, People can’t take the truth because they are not naked. We are always covering up.
When all moves arise from the biting and catching of the gears, there will be proportionality.
Saturday:
1. Gear box / Bite: Don’t add extra moves. With twisting of towel you need to grind elbows on ribs. Everything is proportional and nothing is loose or it will break at higher speeds (like an engine). In this way, nothing leaks out.
2. A rock cannot have a relationship with itself; it needs to split and then one part can move around in relation to the other.
Read more
Maple Ridge Workshop With Chen Zhonghua October15/16, 2016
It was windy and raining in Maple Ridge last weekend, but in our cozy hall, Master Chen was telling us once again what he has been telling us for sixteen years: elbow in, hand out, move one thing at a time, observe your opponent, where his energy is located, see his lines.
