Three examples of Master Chen`s clarity of hands on explanation of certain types of dealing with energy taught me invaluable lessons. If the students follow instructions then all will be able to do things that will be amazing to themselves. By practice you build up not only martial skill but also health. From the beginning when we start to learn Practical Method we are trying to apply the most fundamental principle of taiji in partner exercises and push hands: the separation of yin and yang. Taijiquan is in my words in this context an effect on the opponent or partner by using taiji principles that spring from our understanding of the exact teachings of Master Chen Zhonghua and is defined by the stage of our practice.
– Positive Circle.
There are three sections. In each section, the lead needs to be clear. 1. In with elbow. Once the arm is in position, it does not move anymore. 2. Turn with the kua/waist. Only rotate the shoulder-kua line, do not move the arm on its own. Shoulder need stay in position without any displacement, no popping, no swaying sideways. 3. Out with hand. The power is on the back foot/kua. The kicking of the back foot into the ground propels the rest part of the body to go forward. Get onto your tippy toes to push, there will be a stretch through the inner thigh. The torso opens up. Read more
Through the years, in Practical Method I‘ve heard the word power associated, as different aspects of the same power, to words like: Structure, length, space, accuracy, rhythm.
The Lesson today was about Rhythm or Sequence of movements: there are very few people who cannot remember the choreography. But we all are at different levels of managing the rhythm. When your movement are totally disconnected, you will be very efficient in applications and push hands Read more
Suppose you have only a 4 liter container and a 9 liter container. The containers have no measurement lines on either of them. How could you measure exactly 6 liters of water using only those containers assuming you can have as much extra water as you need?
After I solved the above puzzle, I had a realization on the statement “taiji is 3”. Read more
– Front trick and rear trick.
When you have movement, you have no power. Fight without movements. Arms are placed in position and locked. The waist causes horizontal movements and the knees cause up and down movements. Power from the waist and the feet.
The middle does not move, so the arms are powered by (react with) the back foot kicking into the ground. Same as the power points of White Crane Spreads Its Wings. Read more
Shifu: You need to get the rhythm/counting of the form.
After you learn it, then it becomes music. But this cannot be thought. Everyone „hears“ his/her own music. And this is only after a long time of learning the correct rhythm. Read more
The Daqingshan Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy teaches Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method of GM Hong Junsheng and Hunyuan Taiji of GM Feng Zhiqiang. The Academy was original established in 2006 as Daqingshan International Taiji Training Center. In 2017 it was re-named Daqingshan Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy (DCTA). Read more
Do it in a way that the arm triangle does not change shape externally.
Focus on the opening of the shoulder and the elbow
Think of the forearm and the upperarm rotating longitudinally and independently.
When doing elbow in, make sure that the shoulder is down. This is like instead of getting the elbow to go over on its own, make the shoulder contribute half the effort by going down, so that the elbow can go over by completing the other half. Read more
The Daqingshan Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy teaches Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method of GM Hong Junsheng and Hunyuan Taiji of GM Feng Zhiqiang. The Academy was original established in 2006 as Daqingshan International Taiji Training Center. In 2017 it was re-named Daqingshan Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy (DCTA). Read more
– Clarity. At the beginning we learn the moves like following a printed instructional book. So we only learn the fixed posture, and the transition does not matter. This is called to trace the movements. No flow and as big as possible. Each move we pause like someone is taking a picture of your posture. Through years of practice the flow comes, without losing the frame.
Flash the back- the left hand cannot move.
Once you know the choreography, you will be corrected in terms of applications. The applications will help you with the choreography.
Step forward to hand covering punch – imagine as if your hands while you are punching are tearing something. The left hand holds hard and the right hand tears it. It is not like what we normally understand as a punch.
These are some photos of Kelvin Ho performing the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method Sword and Broadsword form in Marham, Ontario, Canada in Nov. 2020. Read more
Being asked a question during this class, Master Chen pointed out that he seems to be giving contradictive information from time to time, e.g. to inviting us to ask questions and then saying: ‘You shouldn’t ask that kind of question’.