In 2016, two Practical Method workshops were held in Toronto in January and September, with over 20 participants coming from Toronto and its surrounding cities, Ottawa, Montreal, New York, Michigan and as far away as California.
Make the body like steel of constant power, but at the same time the joint can turn
This video is available on the chinese site with more chinese explanation. http://www.shiyongquanfa.cn/index.php?p=34521
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 5 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:2/5 At:Hong Kong
It’s amazing – to me – how long I’m into Taijiquan. This photo was shot in Turkey where I spent Christmas with my family. Even then, shortly over a year into Taijiquan an Yilu or two daily were mandatory to me. I’ve been to China once already and to me it was clear that I want to give Taijiquan much more time. Back in 2010 it was the old frame I practiced. Since March 2014 it’s Practical Method. It still and much more fills my life. I practice on my way to work, while carrying my kids nopen doors, … always. I had so many insights, new experiences, I met many new people from all over the world and spent more then 7 month in China to study this martial art.
Travel
Trains and flights within China can be booked via internet on these platforms. They also have apps for mobile devices:
http://www.ctrip.com
http://www.qunar.com
Places from where our drivers can pick you up are following. The prices are for one car going, it might be shared with others.
– Qingdao airport pick up is US$100.00
– Rizhao airport pickup US$40.00
– Weifang train station pick up is US$70.00
– Wulian train or bus station pick up is US$10.00.
Visa
Usually the procedure is always the same: You need our invitation letter plus the hotel reservation, with this you go to the China Visa Center, and a few days later you can pick up the visa. Common maximum is 3 month study-visa, this may be extended for 1 more month when you are in China.
But sometimes also longer periods may be issued. The longest is 1 year, when you have a job in China.
Next year with the opening of the school in Wulian we will have several job opportunities. For details get in touch with me via: mail (at) practicalmethod (dot) de.
Shopping
Hey Guys, actually you can buy nearly everything in China. We first came here with three packages of diaper and then found out, that you can buy them in every supermarket to nearly the same price like in our country (Germany) 🙂
Hard to get is coffee and cheese. But if you really need something for your “survival”, you can get really everything online on www.taobao.com. This is pretty much like amazon in the west. Somethings are more expensive then in our home countries, because they have to be imported (chocolate, bio-baby food etc.).
A hint for using the search field of taobao: try to translate to Chinese first, then enter the Chinese characters. Taobao also can deal with lot’s of English terms, but the price range is quite large and very likely you get much better deals when entering Chinese.
Video in Chinese: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjkwODU2OTE2.html
Notes:
- Master Chen when answering the question focused on Practical Method itself, and left it to the audience to do the comparison, as he couldn’t represent the other art.
- Practical Method’s core is rotation. Spiral and silk reeling is rotation plus distance.
- We can never do true rotation. It’s impossible for us to do 360 degree rotation. We can perform a lever action. A lever action is a part of a rotation.
- Form training is to create levers in our bodies.
- Grandmaster Hong Junsheng has the 10-word saying “Out with hand no elbow, in with elbow no hand”. Lin Ketong calls it 10-word mantra.
- This mantra actually describes the lever action.
Bruce Robinson Notes:
Exercise to lock Knee whilst doing 1st move of cloud hands
• In Single whip posture advised by Kelvin Ho to stretch out both arms as far as possible & elbows are to face down, front hand stretched out (to vermillion palm) fingers extended & rear hand forms beak
Do you want to live in tune with nature, surrounded by people striving for similiar goals, raising your children (if you have or want to have a family) in a harmonious community, rather than give them to the kindergarten?
Or do you have some money at the bank, but no idea what to do with it, how to invest AND would you like to spend some years on our mountain?
Then Daqinshan is the place for you! “Daqinshan” (大青山), literally “big green mountain” is a remote area in Shandong Province. Read more
Tim Duhring on Daqingshan
Foundation Introduction, Master Chen 13 Move demo. Two videos
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 9 + 9 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5
Perth, Sydney, Gold Coast
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?
Fetch water detail, Twist towel detail. Two videos
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 11 + 7 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Prague
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTg1ODk2ODUyOA==.html
Arm Torso separation training, foundation practice
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 12 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Prague
The instruction is very simple elbow in turn the waist out with hand
I found that I had bent my wrist in Block touching coat and that I repeated this wrist turn in the positive circle. Kelvin helped me understand what I had done, after correction suggested I use a mirror at home to reinforce the elbow rotation without moving my wrist independently. I took this advice and found that It really helped.
So now I bring my elbow in, it rotates more easily by turning the waist and then the straighter arm always the hand to extend better
The instruction is very simple sink kwa rotate elbow and open without using force. I found that I could sink the kwa easily but then turned to force to open the grip.
Kelvin helped me first by holding my arms but then changed the grip to using a single finger against my arm instead of holding the arm. He indicated that I should warp around the finger. This helped, I found that after I sank by stretching my fingers and wrist open it allowed me to get a better movement in my elbow which in turn allowed me to better wrap around the finger.
1. Yilu tips on “Lower Cloud Hands”
– Lower Cloud Hands on first 4 movements:
a. the left hand movement should be clear and accurate – either positive circle or negative circle;
b. ensure the movement is complete without short cut.
Master Chen Zhonghua Practical Method Yilu First 13 Moves at Sydney UTS Open House on 9th Dec 2016 i
RSVP to Ping Wei, 602-373-3457, ping@northmountaintaichi.com
New Year’s Day Practical Method Open Practice
8:30 to 9:30am, North Mountain Park, Phoenix, AZ
Ping Wei will teach a full day Practical Method workshop in Irvine, California on January 16, 2017 (Monday, MLK Day).
This is mostly audio instruction for a class on Daqingshan. For student not familiar with the form, please get Hunyuan Qigong Online Video
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Daqingshan
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 5 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Ottawa
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 8 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Ottawa
This is the first time I attended the Ottawa Workshop. Great group! Thanks Rachelle, James, and Daniel for organizing the workshop, and Rachelle for my stay at her place. Here are my notes:
- Move the feet. When we train, we fix the feet. When you push hands, we move the feet. Our feet are often not mobile enough, we must force ourselves to move them, e.g. getting in changes the pivot.
- The only way to connect is not to connect. Connection means moving and non-moving parts have a relationship. Read more
