Workshop Practical Method Chen Style Taichi Quan push hands by Grandmaster Joseph Chen Zhonghua
De Glind 26-27april 2014, Netherlands
These notes are partly chronological and based on how I percieved them. I kept as close as I could to Master Chen’s exact words.
Day one
The workshop started with an introduction. Underlying the art of Practical Method Taiji Chen Style are thirteen dimensions. These thirteen dimensions are divided in two levels. Eight dimensions are related to the air; five are related to the floor.
Demonstration and practice for developing vertical stretch in the body
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 18 min. In: English Year: 2014 Difficulty:1/5 At:Perth
Most Important: Nobody can see, what Chen Laoshi is doing (except Chen Xu), when he is throwing a stone in the water and waves are appearing, everyone is asking, how to make such waves (form of the waves, etc.), but he just throws the stone
first 13 moves: shovel out, waist cannot go forward, has to be zero, only can go down, to push out
shovel out means to bypass
your opponent is strong in different dimensions, you always wrapping around him
all forward moves you have to lock yourself down
movements must be led by the piece were I and you don`t touch, move as one piece, like one wall going at you, which part is leading is very different
Here is a little review of the workshop with Master Chen Zhonghua. I’m not in a position to explain anything so I’m just going to share my feelings and experience.
Great experience! Zhonghua Chen is a kind and humble person. He often shares but not too much either. His approach goes straight to the point. He makes you understand principles and concepts with clear words and demonstrations. There is always a bit of Dao in everything, which I really appreciate, it keeps your mind open. Great bunch of people from different countries, good atmosphere and workshop in English.
Master Chen’s disciple Ping Wei will teach a full day workshop in Irvine, California on June 19, 2016 (Sunday).
The workshop will cover foundations and Yilu. For location and other details, please contact Al Yu, mralyu@yahoo.com, (949) 331-2735; or Ping Wei, peace_defender2003@yahoo.com, (602) 373-3457.
Master Chen Zhonghua has demonstrated numerous times of having a fixed point (dot) for rotation in his action. Recently, I start to understand the pair of contacting points which can be used to create a stick/lever. I have been able to rotate an opponent using a dot in the middle of the stick. Today, I realize this dot can, in fact, be in space, and not necessarily in the opponent’s body. It depends on how I contact the opponent, e.g. which body parts I use to create the stick. This kind of rotation is vertical, and can take the bottom support out from the opponent.
Click to play the video
