Click on the picture above to go to the video. Please leave comments in the reply video section.
The important components: 1. Having 2 lines, 2. Having separation 3. Resolve through rotation (one line is the catch or lock and the rotation provides the other action for the other line). Click on the gif
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In this video, Master Chen demonstrated how dantian would rotate itself, and it would handle incoming force. This video was so important to me that I wrote two articles which main idea came from this video years later without realizing that until now. |
Intent: http://practicalmethod.com/2019/11/intent/
Clarity: http://practicalmethod.com/2018/11/clarity/
See you online at 10 am on Saturday, May 9, 2020 at http://practicalmethod.com/2014/11/dantian-and-pivoting-online-video-trailer/.
In this short video, Master Chen teaches key concepts and principles that are necessary in push hands and in the development of our taiji skills. After watching the video you will gain and understanding of what it means to “match” an opponent’s power. Additionally, you will have a clear understanding of how “adding” beyond the contact point requires yin yang separation, which is an inherent principle to Practical Method Taijiquan.
Read more
We have heard so much about the non-moving dot, and why we need to have it. Do you know how to use it? In this video, Master Chen demonstrated numerous examples on how the opponent fell out by going around the dot.
See you online at 10 am ET on Saturday, May 2, 2020 at http://practicalmethod.com/2014/12/go-around-the-centre-online-video-trailer/.
(I originally posted this on Facebook, but was asked to also post here, so here goes. Readers shouldn’t take any of this seriously, I am a total beginner in Practical Method)
I listened to the Tai Chi Day podcast interview of Master Chen, and two things struck me.
First, I find it very fascinating that Hong Junsheng’s ‘feel’ (sorry I don’t know the right technical term) is very different from master Chen’s.
Master Chen said he had 3 distinct sources of skills (1 from his specific physique, 1 from Hunyuan, 1 from ‘Hong style’) so what we feel when we get instruction is very different from master Chen is often a composite ( at least that is what I understood, I could be wrong) so for example we feel that master Chen has a strong grip – I’ve felt it, like talons of steel, – this apparently comes from his work with the Hunyuan system- , whereas Master Hong Junshen didn’t ‘grip’ and had a completely ’empty’ feel, so when you fell down you’d think it was something wrong you did, and not something he did. I find the idea of each master developing a personal ‘feel’ very intriguing. Read more
The “Dimension: 5 Points” online video builds upon the understanding and skills that were covered in the Step Up To Ji, Move Into Empty Space and Warping Energy 2 Online videos and classes. It allows Practical Method Taijiquan practitioners the opportunity to expand on ones’ understanding of how to use multiple dimensions to immobilize an opponent much like a spiderweb does to ensnare a moth helpless.
In this video, Master Chen showed us the concept of stretching through the joints, what it took to stretch from end to end in the body, what the impact was by adding a point in space. He introduced the concept of double helix, and what it could do to the opponent. He integrated all of these into our form practice.
See you at 10 am ET on Saturday, April 25, 2020 at http://practicalmethod.com/2015/01/joints-as-anchor-points-online-video-trailer/.
Thus far, the videos I have selected as curriculum have been focused on the functional aspects of using ones own bio-mechanical structure and the structure of the opponent to “take up space” for the gaining of strategic positioning and for martial purposes. The video “Step up to Ji” gave a basic procedure of how to make contact while matching power and move in other body parts that adhere to the Practical Method’s principle of separated and sequential movements. In the following video, “Move into Empty Space”, several lessons were taught by Master Chen in various ways to take up the opponents space and demonstrated a few examples of applications, such as going down and adding a dimension.
In this video, Master Chen teaches additional methods of taking up space by “whatever happens, you fill in the gaps”. It is taking out space, working with space, playing with timing, and/or playing with structure. The information from the previous video online classes come into play. Significant additions are made in this video that further advances ones’ repertoire on how to use ones’ structure and the intentional use of working with space as a means of building martial skills and abilities.
In this week’s third episode of our Positive Circle series, Master Chen covers how we create splitting of energy in the three counts of a positive circle, and how switching we learned last week is used to change direction.
See you at 10 am ET on Saturday, April 18, 2020 at http://practicalmethod.com/2014/02/changing-direction-in-positive-circle-online-video-trailer/.
Bees, Bubbles and Taiji
What’s common between all the above entities? You guessed it – Emergence!
Observing their behaviour shows how distinctly order emerges out of what looks like chaos when looked at superficially.
From work of bees in beehives and work of ants in colonies to swarming of birds or school of fish almost everything in nature display Emergent behaviour. All these earthly creatures act locally doing simple repetitive activities following a fixed rule but collectively they can overcome problems and perform complex feats.
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Move into Empty Space
Various Methods
In this video viewers get to witness Master Chen teaching various methods of how to take up empty space along with a variety of applications. This complex video requires viewers to segment each movement in a number of lessons given. In addition, with the direct examples demonstrated, key principles inherit to practical method are embedded throughout the video.
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Bhargav Khaund
I am an engineer by training, and I work in an energy and chemical company in a senior managerial role within the Supply Chain and business development function covering the Asian region.
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In this video, Master Chen covered the 3 main axes in the body, and how we could switch among them without tossing in the positive circle, and the analogy of a lever with different pivots. We discussed about the shoulder last week at Shoulder Movements in Positive Circle, we will continue this week regarding switching with the lower half of the body.
See you at 10 am ET on Saturday, April 11, 2020 at http://practicalmethod.com/2014/06/switching-in-the-positive-circle-online-video-trailer/
Ever wondered why Taiji is so magical especially at the hands of true masters?
I first experienced that magic when I met Master Zhonghua Chen in Daqingshan on a warm July evening of 2012. Ever since that moment I have developed a fixation of sort to figure out what is behind that magic – it is so ever present in everything Master Chen does, it is impossible to differentiate between the magic and the magician! Read more
Remember My Masters Hong Junsheng and Feng Zhiqiang 2020.04.04.
It’s CHINESE Qingming (Memorial Day) in China today. Thinking of my two masters: Hong Junsheng and Feng Zhiqiang.
- Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang
Chen Zhonghua with Grandmaster Hong Junsheng
Chen Zhonghua with Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang
Master Wang Zhanjun uses the video clip “Sink the Waist to Press the Elbow and Whip” to analyze taiji in his teachings. The animation at the end was created by Xu Jingpeng. Master Wang is the son of Grandmaster Wang Xi An, one of the 4 Tigers of the Chen Village. Wang Zhanjun is also. Ten-time National Push-Hands champion in China.
We will have an online class based on this video using the comment section of this video at 10:30 am Central Time, 11:30 pm Eastern Time on Saturday, April 4, 2020. On the days that I am teaching, I have selected a series of videos that will be taught in a sequential manner. The primary emphasis will be improving your understanding of how to take an opponent’s space that utilizes the principles that are inherit to Chen Style Practical Method Taijiquan. The video’s include:
Read more
In this video, Master Chen showed us how to prevent an opponent’s incoming force from penetrating into ourselves with the 3rd count of the positive circle. It is a invaluable aspect of the positive circle.
We will have an online class based on this video using the comment section of this video at 10 am Eastern Time on Saturday, April 4, 2020. Come join us!
Master Chen Zhonghua always amazes me, whether it is at the next workshop (there is always something new and amazing) or looking back — such as in this video captured during a workshop in Ottawa ten years ago… an easy, seemingly simple, and clean bounce:
What do you see in the video?
John Upshaw: Everything is on a line. He added the right leg to the line…left arm to right leg…
Lou Sacharske: Watch his right shoulder, as he adds the right leg, there is zero deviation to telegraph the execution.
James Tam: I believe the rotation axis is the one joining Shifu’s left shoulder and front foot. And, the stick (effective energy pathway) is from his back foot to Steve’s upper back.
I started learning practical method on 2005. I had a lesson once a week from one of Master Chen’s disciples. At that time I practiced maybe once per week.
Read more
Online practice groups are a way to support and motivate each other along our Practical Method journey.
Anyone learning Practical Method can conduct an online foundations practice group regardless of where you are in the world.
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.
Dear fellows,
I also want to announce it here, especially as our Taijiquan is a very central part of our life, that we are up to create a new community within the international township of Auroville, South India.
This should become a self-sustainable project, including training facilities, farming and all sort of arts, music, handcrafts etc. But more than that we want to Read more
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 9 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:1/5
Move the Middle (fix the two end and move the middle). Fixed the thigh contact; fix the hand elbow contact; use the kua movement to complete the action.
The last day of the 2020 March Zhonghua Chen Toronto Practical Method Workshop. By Chen Zhonghua and David Dahms.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 9 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:1/5
This is that (concept)
i.e. brush the knees
Step 1
Remove slack
Step 2
Train to lock angle so that
1) hand is shoulder
2) hand is kua
3) hand is foot
Translation is 1:1
Distance and angle cannot change
Distance is in perception, if opponent has no perception there you can cut through distance
Moving steps
Tower crane mounted on truck
Truck can move, tower cannot
Train to be uncomfortable on the line instead of comfortable off the line
Parterner drill
let someone push you till you are about to fall and regain balance, repeat
Train to feed
On the touch get the full, no slack
Old man catching fish – muddy move vs clear move
Rope and stick – are yon and yang, if opponent is stick become rope
Loose the energy through joint
You always use the one behind to use the one forward.
To move your hand you must use your elbow.
To move you outside of elbow, you must use inside of Shoulder.
To move your shoulder you must use your kua.
Tou can only move inside tube – hand is inside tube and can only extend
Touxh point on hand acts as lever and on contact in with elbow move flips the hand like Bird tap
Grind/spear – out with hand is grind
3 way split – hand is stretched from elbow, elbow is stretched towards shoulder and center is aiming from dantian to create vector force
Empty the bag – a heavy bag half filled, you lift and turn full side from one hand to empty it on other side hand
–I missed a good deal today, especially right after lunch, but these are the notes I took–
Foundation practice and Yilu are to warm up the body. The body must be separated into Yin and Yang, structure and action. The body has to completely lock up with the exception of one piece. Then an action has to move that one piece. The action has to be outside the body, but it’s also in the body. It’s like a hand with a powerful grip on a screwdriver. The hand is not part of the screwdriver, but it is part of the screwdriver. All the action comes from the hand, none from the screwdriver. But they move as one.
We have to learn to get a hold on a line. Ignore the arm or whatever it is and just get a hold on the line. A hold requires being on both sides of the line. Scissors are designed to get a hold, to get on both sides, of something as thin as paper.
The power used to throw a cotton ball at someone is the same as the power used to throw a stone at someone. The difference is the cotton ball absorbs that power on impact, while the stone transfers that power to the person it hits on impact.
To deal with a solid object, use a stick. To deal with an object that’s not solid, use a bow and arrow. These two structures can be seen all throughout the world. They are fundamental.
The highest level of fighting is when someone adds the third dot to a line and finishes the opponent’s move for them. Taiji is unclear in a way that is clear. The three dots are totally independent and unrelated to each other, but they must happen at the same time. It is as though a professor is teaching a large class, and everyone is listening and paying attention at the same time, but they are listening and paying attention independent from each other. Our movements are completely separate from each other, but the opponent feels one move. A qun (large mythical bird) and a gnat cannot understand each other, the qun lives for millions of years, the gnat from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. And yet, their stories are the same: birth, growth, sex, reproduction, decay, death. They cannot relate, but it’s exactly the same. Taiji is everything put together by one thing: time
Yilu and foundations are for warm up
Then one must learn, create yin yang split
Action has movement, physical structure has no movement
Hand and screwdriver analogy —
Screwdriver doesn’t work on its own but is turned by hand
i.e.
Twisting towel
Hand doesn’t move on it’s own,
Kua is responsible for action on hand
Technically
object is yin &
Action is yang –
Fixed for consistency and to avoid confusion
At higher level it doesn’t matter which one is which, just know there are two and can be switched
There has to be a trap to walk in for opponent
Trap doesn’t change shape/size
Trap is designed so that you can have the hold
Hold gives access to ligaments and not muscles, working on muscles is futile
Opponent’s arm is not sufficient to get the hold of the whole body
Body parts are irrelevant for the hold,only think of to hold the line, have a grab from both side of teh line and not just one
Drill-
Sink waist to press elbow
Hand should be complete dead no move on its own, and that is quality like a steel, otherwise it absorbs like cotton
Shoulder rotates on vertical axis and doesn’t get displaced
Two ends have to be related, timing has to be coordinated
Stretch in right shoulder has to be totally matched by stretch in left heel
_____
Only two ways to move opponent .
Lever- lock middle and move the ends (strong opponent)
Anti-lever – lock the ends and move the middle (loose opponent)
Two ends and the middle are independent of one another. However opponent thinks they all happen at same time because the difference in time is so tiny it goes unnoticed.
A nut (micro living that lives only morning to afternoon) can not fathom a qun (mythical bird that lives many years) and for qun a nut did not exist, however they both live same life cycle birth-growing-reproduction-death.
Taiji encapsulates everything – in time.
If one splits that fraction of second when action was done at two ends and middle into million parts, these three actions will be only 3 of those million parts and totally different (although sequential) and they have no relationship to one another but for opponent it feels as if they happened at same time and they have relationship.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 9 min. In: English Year: 2019 Difficulty:1/5
John Saw – My journey from a hotelier, gambler and Qigong Master to a faithful and loyal disciple of Master Chen Zhonghua 6
John Saw at Sydney Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy – 8 March 2020
John Saw – My journey from a hotelier, gambler and Qigong Master to a faithful and loyal disciple of Master Chen Zhonghua.
I was born in Burma in 1935. I lived there till I was 29, had to leave everything behind as the country was taken over by the military. I swam across the Mekong river to Thailand in 1964. Started work at the Bangkok Hilton and after 6 years, decided to migrate to Australia.
In June 1970, I arrived Sydney with my wife and infant son and started work in a motel. In no time I got involved in gambling. Life was easy and had so much fun that by the time I was 60, I suffered a stroke due to smoking, bad diet and not enough sleep. My left side of the body was affected, my speech was slurred and I lost my balance. Through Qigong, I gained back my health, and I recovered fully after years of hard work.
After 20 years traveling around the world spreading our Qigong system, I felt restless, something missing. Even though I was an International Master of Lohan Qigong, I just couldn’t figure out what’s missing in my life.
Throughout my travels, I’ve met many great Masters and practitioners in Qigong and Taiji, and became friends but nothing really impressed me.
Then in December 2014, I was invited to attend a lecture by Taiji Master Chen Zhonghua at the UTS. I went along as I was free at that time and also curious as to what’s there for me to see. The first time I saw Master Chen, I was impressed by his demeanor, he was a humble man with twinkling eyes. When he started talking about his style called Chen Style Taiji Practical Method, I was a bit hesitant. I thought another Master promoting their style. The minute he explained the technique and showed us why it’s called Practical Method, I was blown away.
Mind you, I’ve travelled a fair bit and met many skillful Masters, but what Master Chen did with one slight movement of his body was incredible, seeing is believing I should say. He let people touch him and let them feel that he didn’t move his muscle. I was very impressed and decided to join his workshop that weekend. There again, I was amazed with his skill but most importantly, it’s his willingness to share his knowledge without withholding anything, thats got me hooked.
Since then, I’ve been to Daqingshan many times and attended his seminars yearly without fail.
I was accepted as a disciple in 2017 and my number is 257.
I went to Bali last Nov 2019 to join his workshop and again in February 2020 in Sydney. Master Chen never stop to amaze me with his willingness to share and spread this wonderful system.
The last day of the workshop in Sydney was my 85th birthday. Master Chen was kind enough to join my family and friends with some disciples to celebrate this special occasion with me.
Thank you Shifu.
Your disciple,
John Saw #257
John Saw – Burma Days
John Saw – Burma Days
John Saw – Gambling Days
John Saw – Qigong Days
John Saw with Master Chen Zhonghua at Daqingshan
John Saw with Master Chen Zhonghua at Zhenbudong Rizhao Taiji Acacdemy
John Saw Discipleship Photo in Sydney with Master Chen Zhonghua
Daqingshan Taiji Flame Torch Bearer 2018
Chen Zhonghua Practical Method Workshop Sydney 2020 February
Tiger’s back and Bear’s waist (doesn’t have)
Stretch removes indentation and protrusion.
Movements create indentation and protrusion .
Exercise 1
Shoulder as reference and chest goes back or chest is reference and shoulders come forward
(Hands in forward)
Exercise 2
Tear the center of chest (i.e.single whip)
_____
Humanity point(center of the chest in front) and Vitality point (lower back) (ani.al instinct),
Harmony of both is unification of both.
Horizontal relationship and vertical relationship and their controlling mechanism is dot.
Dantian is hub but there’s no crossing (I.e. overpass on road in city)
Positive energy is seen, negative energy can not be seen. They are always pair but only positive is sensed by observer and negative is felt by opponent.
Drills
1) Create a space/hole put opponent in there
2) Bait/blunt/blurred vs. focused/sharp/crisp move
1) sequence of learning- learn Form (overall structure), stretch (no fight), and how to stretch
2) step in on moving positive circle. Elbow comes in, leg goes out in same direction no deviation
3) bypass/ turning over – there is no direct connection of 2 body parts as if there is you can not connect to ground , can not bypass,
4) How to stretch ,
Remain on track,
When you can bypass you create stretch ,
Adjacent body parts have to give a way in order to stretch
5) real learning is not about something big or important, it’s about looking at something sitting in corner so small that nobody is looking at it
6) taiji is yin yang ,
And for every yin yang ,
Create another yin yang to match
Create ,
2 set of bypass ,
That’s called yin is rooted in yang and yang is rooted in yin
7) stretch , no retreat in move, horizontal to vertical,
8) every body part move 1mm makes 10mm. It’s difficult to move 1 part 10 mm
9) pair exercise , equal vs over. Difference is Only one notch. To go over the Key is rest of body doesn’t move.
10) you need to know when you are over the other side, don’t use power unless you are already on the other side
11) change the dot without touching the dot – switching
