1st Place Gold Medal

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 51 min. In: English Year: 2015 Difficulty:1/5
During the Toronto workshop today, Master Chen asked me to write about taking the group photo before we start the activities for the day from now on.
Recorded by Harshil Meraiya

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 7 min. In: English Year: 2015 Difficulty:1/5
Master Chen’s disciple Ping Wei recently wrote an article regarding how to rotate the Kua and create a stable center (pivot point). The idea is simple: the center will never be stable if you try to control it by only one Kua, you have to have good control of both Kua, and move them both at the same time.
Such a simple idea doesn’t take a genius to understand. So that I read the article, got the idea, and I thought I got it.
New 10-week course by Jean-Philippe Ranger
Starting September 29, 2016
Thursdays 5-6:30 pm
J.B. O’Keefe Centre
St. Thomas University
(Register on site)
Learn the fundamentals (jibengong), the first form ( Yilu ) and push hands (tuishou).
For more information, email: jphranger@gmail.com

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Iowa

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 8 min. In: English Year: 2014 Difficulty:2/5 At:Perth
In this short online instructional video, Master Chen teaches many essential elements that are necessary when applying Ji to an opponent and several principles inherit to Practical Method. Ji, squeezing, is a passive action that has “water like qualities”. Ji, like water “takes up all the space in all directions”.
In the beginning of the video, Master Chen has his foot on the bottom of a door with a student on the other side. There was a little space the door could open. Once he occupied that space with his foot, it became a “lock”, which is a passive action. It “jammed”, the door preventing the person on the other side from having that space again.
In the GIF below, Master Chen demonstrates the “water like quality” with the participant, Gawain Siu. He rotates and stretches his shoulder around to fill the space between Gawain’s left elbow and left side. Notice the stretch that is occurring while not moving the contact point.
In the GIF below, Master Chen points out Gawain’s Elbow took the middle, which is the Central Equilibrium. He then rotates his shoulder, taking up space and changing the central equilibrium. Master Chen then adds one, shifting the scale of balance. Master Chen says, “The middle is not a physical middle. When you are stronger, I have to be longer than you. When you are weaker, I have to be shorter than you”. Shortly after, he states, “when you change angles, I have to immediately mirror it.” This is significant as it speaks to the 3 ways of matching; length, weight and angle/direction. The 3 ways of matching was taken from my notes during a private lesson I had with Master Chen in Iowa, my note is included
In the first GIF below, Master Chen points out Jhung Siu has the space on top, then points out there is a little space on the ground between them. By taking that little amount of space between them, it is enough to “tip the scale”. Then throughout the rest of the video Master Chen demonstrates locking the top and moving the bottom, utilizing the stepping method that is instilled in all of our forms and movements in Practical Method Taijiquan. Please see the additional GIFS.
Master Chen Demonstrating Stepping
Master Chen Instructing Gawain to take space by stepping

Push Hands with Zili and some instruction
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 20 min. In: English Year: 2015 Difficulty:1/5
Here are some notes of a “Dinner-Lecture“, it was funny to re-listen 😉
- if you can rotate your shoulder, the power from your body will transmit to your hand; many people fight tough but they have no power, because power comes from the ground, by connecting soledly on to the ground → this is upper body solution
- when the qua is open, your upper body will connect to the ground, if you can not connect to the ground your power is a superficial power
- saying: a piece of wood can stand 1000 pounds but if it`s cricket, it cannot stand anything
- you need to be straight, straight basically meens there is no deviation with the incoming force
- Read more
*This article was originally published in T’ai Chi, the International Magazine of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Vol. 29, No.5, October 2005. ISSN 0730-1049, Wayfarer Publications, Los Angeles, CA 90039.

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 4 min. In: English Year: 2015 Difficulty:1/5 At:Jakarta
Students from Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, India, US

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 6 min. In: English Year: 2015 Difficulty:1/5 At:Jakarta

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 9 min. In: English & Chinese Year: 2015 Difficulty:1/5 At:Jakarta

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 9 min. In: English & Chinese Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Daqingshan

how to switch the pivot when one gets stuck and is unable to execute a technique
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 5 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Toronto

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 2 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 1 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5
Video Clip below
Read more

Setting up force like train on a track
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 5 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5
Iowa workshop participants, please comment on what you learn from this drill.
Todd Elihu : Response Drill is to train not to react locally to the opponent’s touch on your shoulder but to simultaneously move your hand in toward the opponent. Therefore the intention is on hand out and not on the opponent touching your shoulder. It also trains timing.

Changing where the power comes from without moving the body.
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 10 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5

Split YinYang Move
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 15 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:2/5

Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 1 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:ExtendTheLine-trailer.m4v
The following is my proposal for teaching Tai Chi at Paradise Valley Community College (Phoenix, AZ). It was accepted and the class will be scheduled for the Spring 2017.

Kua, Foundations
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 43 min. In: English Year: 2014 Difficulty:1/5

Demonstration and explanation of how to have a ‘down’ position
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 3 min. In: English Year: 2016 Difficulty:1/5 At:Daqingshan






























