Search: chen xu

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At the moment Master Chen is giving the 21th Practical Method Seminar on Daqinshan. More then 80 peoples are participating and there are both advanced (beneath them many disciples) and beginners.

I want to give you a brief insight of this event.

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Daqinghan on 2017-01-27 / 28

We had the honor to spend the last days together with Master Chen Zhonghua and a small group of other dedicated students. Chinese New Year, people also call it “The Spring Festival”,  is the most important Chinese festival. Usually people spend it with the closest members of their families. But as our Masters family is Canadian we had the great opportunity to be together with him for this special day. Read more

Hello everybody,

It’s the first time now that I am on Daqingshan in January, and I have to say that it is really enjoyable. Read more

Is Taiji logical? 6

by Sarah on 2017/01/12

Today I realised, why I like (our) Taiji that much. We had class (Patrick, John and me), Chén Xù was teaching. He showed us twisting the towel. Push the left foot and then don`t move (one point on the right side of the body), push the right foot, don`t move (one point on the left side of the body). This is the same principle Chen Laoshi explained in this video . When I heard Chén Xù`s explanation, I thought, that this is so illogical. Because, if you lock the right side and turn the left, and then lock the left side – there where you are – and turn the right, in the end you are moving forward. Although I saw Chén Xù doing it, believing his explanation, my mind said: How??? That`s not logical.

Just for joking I asked him about my worries and he said, don`t care about it!

This for me is the challenge and attraction. I always loved maths but practical method is more complicate! It seems to be so logical and scientific, but then very often, for me it makes no sense at all 🙂

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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?

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20160823_162906-1024x576Background: I’m Harshil Meraiya, age 32, from Pune, India. I learnt Yang style Taichi from August 2011 to Jan 2014. I had no other Martial Art background. I was introduced to Practical Method by Sandeep Desai in Jan 2014.

During next 6 months I learned choreography and basic foundations from Videos and Skype sessions with Kelvin Ho and John Upshaw. I started accumulating lots of PM brothers as friends on Facebook providing me feedback, guidance etc on my yilu videos I posted…

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  • notesMost 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
  • Read more

Private lesson focusing on Push Hand application. With Chen Xu helping as a sparring partner
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua   Length: 39 min.   In: English   Year: 2015  Difficulty:1/5  At:Perth

Tim Private (Perth 2015)
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A summary of our extended stay 2015

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After beeing in Daqingshan, Shandong Province in China for 4 month we are on our way back to Berlin now. We, that is me, my wife Sarah and little son Lukas, 2 1/2 years old. The first time I have been on the mountain in 2010, in 2012 Sarah did join and in 2014 the three of us have been here already once all together.

So here´s my summary from this stay: Read more

Our first DaQingShan micro-movie production.

Director : Michael Koh

Action Director : Ray Guan

Photography : David Koh

Costume Sponsor : 苏州舞桐树艺术培训有限公司, 曹爱英 : 13771868866

Cast : Chen Xu, Janet Ho, Ling ZiLi, Cao Ai Ying

Video clips below
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Chen Xu in blue, 2nd round, video by Gawain Siu

LaiQingwenWhat they are

is simple: challenges!  This information is for the few who don’t know.

The case of study used is the challenges that happened in Yishui, Shandong, China on Feb. 1, 2015. The two videos are included below for references. There are lots of comments at the youtube site where the videos are. Read more

沂水15-2On the invitation of Mr. Lai Qingwen, two instructors from Daqingshan, Chen Xu and Li Xiaohui, went to Yishui, Shandong province to teach Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method as taught by Master Chen Zhonghua. They will be in Yishui from January 30, to February 3, 2015. Read more

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  • Chen Xu won gold on Adult 65 kg push hands
  • Ling Zili won gold on Adult 60 kg push hands
  • Han Rui won gold on Adult 80 kg push hands
  • Hugo Ramiro won silver on Adult 65 kg push hands
  • Michael Winkler won gold on traditional taiji form (8.46)
  • Tim Duehring won gold on taiji broad sword (8.65), and gold on Hunyuan 24.

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The Yilu Challenge 1

by Kelvin Ho on 2014/07/01

Serious students of the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method are asked to do as many Yilus as possible for a single day. This practice started in 2001 by Master Chen Zhonghua and is known today as the Yilu Challenge.  The 100 Yilu Challenge tests the students courage, endurance and power level. Read more

10341779_10201683679483367_4819963420475456974_nBy Marjorie C

It was cold, wet and grey when I arrived on Daqingshan in May. Under my cold, cold breath I cussed Singapore friends who told me to pack short-sleeve tees. And oh, the stairs! Stairs to Wangting hotel, stairs to Changxing training hall, and more stairs to the condo. Surely the three weeks of training ahead would drag on. Read more

Rachel, Daniel and James did an excellent job organizing an Open House and Workshop for the Weekend of April 05-06, 2014. On a fine spring morning, more then 50 people showed up for an introduction to Chen Style Practical Method and to meet one of the system’s outstanding proponents, Master Joseph Chen Zhonghua. Read more

This is my first trip to Wuxi. I came with Chen Xu, Zili and Pavel. We came via Jinan yesterday. Read more

Chen Xu of Daqingshan is the new 2013 First Annual Global Health Care Cup Hong Junsheng Taijiquan Exchange Competition held in Jinan, Shandong, China from Oct. 1-2, 2013.

Zili Ling of Daqingshan won second place. Both of them won the push hands division.

陈旭赢 Jinanbisai

a4Rick is on the right with yellow shirt.I just spent 11 or so days on DQS for a short trip as a prelude to full time training in 2014.  I live in Beijing and train with the Beijing group under Master Sun Zhonghua’s direction, via Master Chen putting us together this year.  I am an international student of PM, arriving in Beijing as of May of 2013. I wanted to offer some insights and review for those thinking of coming to DQS for the first time, I write this for you. Read more

Learning Practical Method on Daqingshan (3)

My Fourth Visit to Daqingshan

If you want to be strong, do Taiji! If you want to be healthy, do Taiji!If you want to be smart, do Taiji!

–         From ancient Greek adage

How to Practice Read more

Steve Chan, Chen Xu and Ling Ziming from the Daqingshan International Taiji Training Center participated at the 2012 Beijing Chen Style Taijiquan Competition from August 17 to 19, 2012. Steve won gold in the 75-79 kg category; Chen Xu gold in the 60 kg category; Ling Ziming won silver in the 65 kg category.


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  1. Read more

Below are the students authorized by Master Chen to teach Practical Method
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Wu Shaozhi of Linyi and Chen Xu of Zibo came to visit. They stayed for two days. Watched Wu’s form, made corrections and comments. He made progress again. Chen Xu came to Daqingshan through the Zibo Taijiquan Competition held in Yiyuan that the Daqingshan team attended. His push hands was quite good. He noticed that the feeling of push hands is not what he expected from observing my students at the competition.

Posted via email from Zhonghua’s posterous

適逢師父生辰獻上多年前在香港創下的三字經(獻醜了):


To celebrate Sifu’s birthday, here is a Triplet Scripture I started writing while I was still in Hong Kong:

 

真不動
手不動
指腕伸
肘内收
肩下沉
勁頂頭
背拔起
胸要含
脚爪地
手脚瞄
綫對準
分陰陽
靠旋轉
端合離
勁不短
管在腰
發於端
轉腰時
身有軸
上下定
中間動
跨要開
真不動
力我來
空去封
師兄弟
一起學
進步快
齊齊度
師父話
聼又聼
日日練
方提升
瑜珈塊
頂住膝
跌落地
定點不
橡皮筋
練手肘
對得準
勁不漏
一二三
要分清
上邊身
別亂傾
打套路
要記得
基本功
不能失
練推手
互餵招
淡淡定
感巧妙
練内功
無拉筋
骨與肉
陰陽分

不要掉

不要頂

像弓箭

發人飛

 

理精密

變無窮

歸一法

如齒輪

 

洪馮陳

皆恩師

承我派

來珍惜

 

 

以下的廣東話、普通話拼音、英文翻譯幫助各位欣賞:



Below are Cantonese and Putonghua pronunciation, translations for better appreciation:

Cantonese rhymes better:

Cantonese 廣東話 Putonghua Mandarin
真不動
zanbatdung 
zhenbudong 
True No Move
Tenacious Taiji
手不動
saaubatdung
shoubudong
Hand no move
There is no movements with the hands
指腕伸
ziwunfen
zhiwanshen
Fingers wrists stretch
Fingers and wrists must stretch
肘内收
zaunosau
zhouneishou
Elbow inside put away
Elbows tucked in
肩下沉
ginhaacam
jianxiachen
Shoulders down sink
Shoulders down
勁頂頭
gingdingtau
jindintou
Force protrude head
The head jams upwards
背拔起
buibathei
beibaqi
Back yanked up
The back is round
胸要含
hungyiuham
xiongyaohan
Chest must contain
The Chest caves in
脚爪地
geokzaiudei
jiaozhuadi
Feet claws ground
The toes grips the ground
手脚瞄
saygeokmiu
shoujiaomiao
Hands feet aim
The alignment of hands and fee
綫對準
sindeoizoen
xianduizhun
Line align accurate
Must be accurate
分陰陽
fanjamjeong
fenyinyang
Separate Ying Yang
The Separation of Ying and Yang
靠旋轉
kaasynzyun
kaoshuanzhuan
Depends “spinturn”
Stems from rotation
端合離
dyunhaplei
duanheli
Extremes together depart
When two ends separate
勁不短
ginbatdung
jinbuduan
Force not short
The force isn’t short
管在腰
gunzoijiu
guanzaiyao
Governed in waist
Yet it is contained in the waist
發於端
fatjyudyun
fayuduan
Issued at ends
Issued through the extremities
轉腰時
zyunjiusi
zhuanyaoshi
Turn waist time
When turning the waist
身有軸
sanjauzuk
shenyouzhou
Body has axis
The body must have an axis
上下定
seonghaading
shangxiading
Top bottom fixed
Top and bottom are fixed
中間動
zunggaandung
zhongjiandong
“Middlebetween” move
While the movement is in the middle
跨要開
kwaajiuhoi
kuayaokai
Kua must open
The Kua must open
真不動
zanbatdung
zhenbudong
Real no move
In order to achieve no movement
力我來
likngoloi
liwolai
Power me come
When force comes towards me
空去封
hungheoifung
kongqufeng
Emptiness go seal
Ambush/contain it with emptiness
師兄弟
sihingdai
shixiongdi
Teacher elder brothers, junior brothers
Taiji brothers
一起學
jatheihok
yiqixue
“Onerise” learn
Get up and learn, (together we learn)
進步快
zoenboufaai
jinbukuai
“Advancestep” quickly
Improve quickly
齊齊度
caicaixdok
qiqidu
“Togethertogether” measure
Through exploration
師父話
sifuwaa
shifuhua
“Teacherfather” talks
Sifu’s words
聼又聼
tengjauting
tingyouting
Listen again listen
Listen to them over and over
日日練
jatjatlin
ririlian
Day day practice
Daily practice
方提升
fongttaising
fangtisheng
Then “lifthoist”
Results in improvement
瑜珈塊
jyugaafaai
rujiakuai
Yoga piece
Use a Yoga block
頂住膝
dingzyucat
dingzhuxi
Jammed against knee
To ensure a fixed knee
跌落地
ditlokdei
dieluodi
Falls down gro
If it falls to the ground
定點不
dingdimbat
dingdianbu
It indicates that the fixed point is gone
橡皮筋
zoengpeigan
xiangpijin
Rubber skin tendon
Used a Rubber cord
練手肘
linsauzau
lianshouzhou
Practice hand elbow
To practicing hands and elbows
對得準
deoidakzeon
duidezhun
Alignment gained accurac
When the alignment is accurate
勁不漏
gingbatlau
jinbulou
Force no spill
Force is not spilled/It is contained
一二三
jatjisaam
yiersan
One, two, three
One, Two, Three
要分清
jiufencing
yaofenqing
Must distinguish clearly
Must be distinct
上邊身
seongbinsan
shanbianshen
Upper side body
The Upper body
別亂傾
bitlyunking
bieluanqing
Don’t messily tilt
Must not move for no reason
打套路
daatoulou
dataolu
Hit “setroad”
When practicing routines
要記得
yiugeidak
yaojide
Must “remembergain”
Keep in mind that
基本功
geibyungung
jibengong
“Baseorigin” work
The fundamentals
不能失
batnangsat
bunengshi
No can miss
Can’t be missed
練推手
linteoisau
liantuishou
Practice Push Hand
When practicing Push Hand
互餵招
wuwaiziu
huwaizhao
Mutually feed moves
Help each other by moves-feeding
淡淡定
daamdaamding
dandanding
“Mildmildfixed”
Attentively
感巧妙
gamhabumiu
ganqiaomiao
Feel clever skill
We sense the clever maneuverings
練内功
linnoigung
lianneigong
Practicing “innerwork”
When practicing internal Kung Fu
無拉筋
moulaaigan
wuliajin
No pull tendons
It isn’t a matter of stretching
骨與肉
gwatjyujuk
guyurou
Bones and flesh
But bones and flesh
陰陽分
jamjeongfan
yinyangfen
Ying Yang separate
Separate in the Yin Yang manner

不要掉

batjiudiu

buyaodiu

No have tossing

No tossing

不要頂

batjiuding

buyading

No have protrusing

No forcing

像弓箭

zeonggungzin

xianggongjian

Like bow arrow

Like a bow and arrow

發人飛

fatjanfei

farenfei

Issue person flying

Send a person flying

理精密

leijingmat

lijingmi

Principles refine closely

The principles are intricate

變無窮

binmoukung

bianwuqiong

combinations without limitations

The combinations are limitless

歸一法

gwaijatfat

guiyifa

Returns one method

But they all stems from one principle

如齒輪

jyucileon

rucilun

Like teeth wheel

Like the gears

洪馮陳

hungfungcan

hongfengchen

Hong Feng Chen

Hong Feng Chen

皆恩師

gaijansi

jiaensi

All graceful masters

Are all graceful Masters

承我派

jaujyunwui

chengwopai

Pass on my lineage

Passing on our lineage

來珍惜

loizansik

laizhenxi

Come precious cherish

Is the way to cherish it.


Presenter: Chen Zhonghua   Length: 10 min.   In: English   Year: 2019  Difficulty:1/5

Dot and Thread Bali 19 (28)
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Ben Phillips of Toronto became Chen Zhonghua’s 379th disciple in a brief ceremony at the Annual Toronto Practical Method Seminar

This is the first Toronto Practical Method workshop by Master Chen Zhonghua since covid-19 started.  We had a very good turnout, 25 people attended over the 4 days of the workshop.  Participants came from Toronto, Markham, Aurora, Newmarket, Oakville, Georgetown, Ottawa, Michigan, Iowa, Arizona, California.  One of the participants commented:

“Everyone here expressed and interacted freely and deeply, just like a big family.”

In this workshop, we focussed on training with drills, solo and partnered. The drills allowed us to develop gong, and techniques that would be useful in push hands. Many of the drills were video-recorded and will be available for purchase.  We also included one lesson of Hunyuan Qi Gong, and Master Chen said he would begin to integrate more energy work into Practical Method through some Hunyuan Qi Gong training.

The following were intended to remind myself of what happened at the workshop, and they were not to be instructional. However, if you have any questions and need clarification for any part, please feel free to make a comment below.

Day 0
Power or No power? Read more

2022.09.01 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Airport Drive
  1. We will be entering into a new era.
  2. We are retro fitting new technology into our old systems. A change requires something totally new.
  3. Do you understand money?
Breakfast at Laneway Cafe
  1. Master noticed the foot of a bird was damaged.
  2. Students are making vast progress with online classes. Consistency.
  3. What was your enlightenment?
  4. Write it down and publish it. Other people will read it and may learn.
  5. Did you try it? Your next step is the physically try it.
At home
  1. Master’s elbow is open. I held onto his bicep. It did not move.
  2. Fix the front, move backwards.
  3. Size of the stance for training vs fighting. In training we go from a perfect position and stretch out. In fighting we adopt a smaller position to go into the perfect position.
  4. Hand to elbow.
  5. Foot on the wall.
  6. Rear kua down, rear knee up.
  7. Pivot on middle of the thigh. Rear kua goes lower.
  8. Actualise a dot in space.
  9. Pulling two ends of Marcus’s fluffy vest.
Apartment
  1. There are no moves. Only rotation.
  2. No space.
  3. Hong. Rotation and a stretch.
  4. Back on wall. I could not push. No direction.
  5. Master showed how to go through. Chest sound. Finger of steel.
  6. Empty space.
  7. Forearm lever. Positive and negative. Entice into emptiness.
  8. One piece to pull and push.
  9. Sinto repeats one move.
  10. The reality is, I am stronger than you. Structure (distance), angles, timing. I use my efforts to make myself strong, not fight with you.
Dinner
  1. Procedure of learning. Do not use your own body.
  2. Hand attach to phone. Elbow. Kua.
Evening Online Class
  1. Forearm on chair, no move. Move the rest of the body. Worry about the relationship later.
  2. Master demonstrated turn with waist in Six Sealing Four Closing. I was touching his elbow and wrist. There was no movement.
  3. Master used his fingers to go through a dot on on my left chest. I took two photos of the position.

_____

2022.09.02 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Morning Session
  1. Whatever you I do to my body, you will feel.
  2. Push hands exercise. Stretch out front hand, rear elbow. Rotate shoulder. Turn Waist. Legs.
  3. Peng is to stretch out your opponent. Five points stick figure. Five points struggle out. This is full. Wu Dian Wai Zheng.
  4. Three ring spiral. Shoulder (small) kua (mid) foot (large).
  5. Peng exercise. The waist reverses the mid.
  6. Bie is a pair of scissors. Gap, paper will fold. On is stuck.
  7. The flip. Cannot engage muscles. Emptiness.
  8. Bie with a gap on my elbow and wrist. Two actions locked onto the middle.
  9. Master showed multiple variations of bie locking onto a dot on my forearm, elbow, bicep, rear shoulder, rear foot.
  10. I held Master’s rear kua and knee while he pushed Rory. There was a stretch from the knee going out and around. The toe was lifted.
  11. When two two ends are equal, the result is balanced.
  12. Balanced is not moving. Not moving is the physical property.
  13. In learning, the original cannot be lost. We have to go deeper without changing.
  14. Song is everything in its original state.
  15. Han xiong ba bei. This is lock the two ends and move the middle.
  16. Example of lock middle move two ends (A) is a lever. Example of lock two ends move the middle (B) is a bow and arrow.
  17. Both are bie.
  18. We must fit everything into our logic. Is this example that worked (A) or (B)? It must be one or the other, you just can’t see it. Do not allow others to change your logic.
  19. To be precise is clear. The opposite is muddy.
  20. Cai is plucking. To yank grass.
  21. Lie is to break the middle.
  22. Zhou is to twist. Twist to break the structure.
  23. Template for training the front hand on a dot. (1) Hold onto something. (2) Star on the mirror. (3) Laser pointer.
  24. Hong’s Taiji is the original Taiji. Something that is right cannot be improved.
Lunch
  1. Elbow on the table. Match the elbow with grip. Match with muscles in forearm.
  2. Exercise to bend the wrist. Use the elbow to shoot power to the finger. This is stretching the two ends of a rubber cord to make the middle strong.
Afternoon
  1. When you are stuck in a problem, the solution must come from someone else (outside).
  2. To know something, continue without, advancing, without changing. No deviation from the original design. E.g. Rotation is a continuous lever.
  3. Hong said distance is fake. When two dots line up there is no distance. How to line up? Small.
  4. Story about Hong speaking French.
  5. Three dimensions. Front and back (elbow), left and right (waist), up and down (knee).
Evening
  1. No confrontation. Reverse and go over. We went through different variations on this. Master was holding my right forearm. My rear shoulder had to go back towards the fridge.
  2. Master showed the connection to his elbow, front shoulder, rear shoulder and rear elbow. Used my push to follow and reconnect.
Evening Online Class
  1. Waist and knee separation. I held onto the knees and the waist turned. I held onto the waist and the knees turned.
  2. Knee pump.
  3. Knee can only move backwards. Forwards will cause injury. Master showed this is still the case in stepping.
  4. I held Master’s front ankle and front knee. It inflated like a strong rubber tube.

_____

2022.09.03 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Workshop Day 1 Morning Session
  1. (1) Kai kua (open kua). (2) xuan zhuan (rotate). (3) budong (not moving).
  2. One fixed dot controlling everything.
  3. Quan. Hong said Authority is the counterweight on a scale.
  4. We must touch something solid. Facts are solid.
  5. Fix Hand Exercise. (1) Fix one hand hold onto a non moving pole. (2) Let the rest of the body go. (3) Whatever you let partner does to push and pull, do not respond.
  6. Activity on the rear shoulder vs front hand.
  7. Active vs passive usage of the dot.
  8. Back on Wall Exercise.  (1) Place the back of your front shoulder on the wall with one dot touching. (2) Partner pushes into front hand. (3) Compress the two ends. (4) Switch the dot on the rear end that is touching the wall to a dot closer to the middle of your back. (4) Continue this nine times until the dot on the rear end is on your rear shoulder.
  9. Yao dang zhuan huan (switch). There is a Lid on the waist. Master showed the transfer of energy.
  10. Xia ta wai nian (lever). The original is a mudslide.
  11. Master showed an exercise to hit the back on the wall.
  12. Everything comes out of nothing.
Workshop Day 1 Afternoon Session
  1. I had my finger on the bar. Master said to isolate one dot on the rear knee against the middle finger. Eventually the foot. Only one, let the rest go. He demonstrated this with a pull while I held his wrist – isolating one at at time the elbow, shoulder, kua, knee.
  2. Exercise. (1) Place a elbow against the wall. (2) Partner pushes into it. Pretend to fight. (3) Align elbow against push. Forearm solid.  (4) Use your finger to cross over their centre.
  3. Finger Reverses Push Exercise. (1) Partner pushes your arms. (2) Do not respond with upper body. (3) Align the rear foot. (4) Use fingers to aim back at their centre.
  4. Switching Exercise.
  5. There are three directions. (1) Forward backward. (2) Left right. (3) Up down.
  6. Space and no space. Both are the same. Master made a huge ball. There was no space for me.
  7. Ba Chang. Telescopic rod of a tripod. To attach yourself. To pull yourself open.
  8. Yilu with Power. Kenny corrections. My corrections.
Post Workshop
  1. I was working on the move after initial closing. Fix the left kua and thigh. Turn the waist to the left. Stretch the rear heel out. This causes the tension to be not lost.
Evening Session
  1. Master adjusted a student’s feet.
  2. Master corrected my stance smaller.
  3. Zhuo. We do not know how to contact.
  4. To line up without deviation, use two perpendicular straight lines at each end. Master used a book as an example. A secondary example was a cup.
  5. Fix the contact, move the feet. Master said this is winding a clock. There is a delayed build up of tension. I felt there was no push.
  6. Lid on the kua, use the knee to open backward. I must practice this. Secondary example was Master pushing my back down from a bent over position. This is the same thing.
  7. Rick Pietila story of hummer gun. The machine gunner is locked into one piece.
  8. Open into an arch. Back must open up, buttocks must go down.
  9. Push chest exercise into foot.

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2022.09.04 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Breakfast
  1. Boiling point. At 98 degrees, the water is still water. We have to go past the threshold.
  2. Learning is breaking the pattern. This is very rare.
  3. Look for the pattern in human behaviour and make notes.
  4. In promotion, the order is photos, videos, writing.
Workshop Day 2 Morning Session
  1. We never lose power. We only change structure.
  2. The curvature never existed (Six Sealing Four Closing).
  3. Two sticks on a rail. Everything is stiff. The setup makes it look smooth.
  4. Master held my forearm and touched a dot on my chest in Six Sealing Four Closing. Stretch back against the front hand.
  5. Six Sealing Four Closing with power. Master said power was on my chest. He pointed to use the dantian.
  6. I held Master’s thigh. It did not move.
  7. Hong’s number one characteristic is a half pipe with the back on the wall.
  8. Pushing Exercise. (1) Touch the chest. (2) Fix the elbows. Stretch the fingers. Forearm is 45 degrees forward. (3) Rear foot in. Opponent is on the edge. (4) Then move the feet. This is a snow plow (blade 45 degrees, vehicle is straight). The trajectory of the contact is an arch. Continue the track the opponent with your hands (Example is of a tiger tracking prey jumping up and landing down on it).
  9. Snow plow. Master asked me to explain the main points. Do not change the structure. Do not deviate. Our human nature is to deviate on what we see.
  10. We must find a method to motivate us.
  11. Step up exercise. Action of the front foot. The front pulls the rear. Every push is a pull.
  12. Intention is fine tuning the angles to adjust longer.
  13. Exercise. Pinch forearm. Master showed how to catch the entire body, allowing him to walk in.
Lunch
  1. Master showed his forearm while I held onto his wrist. He said he is actually pulling the ligaments inside.
  2. Inside of the glass cup. Hong told Master Chen he was wrong as he was touching the outside. The inside eventually relates to the core. The outside is unrelated. The inside is about the restriction.
Workshop Day 2 Afternoon Session
  1. Exercise. Line up front hand and rear elbow touching the the wall.
  2. Exercise. Rear foot line up with dantian. Hold the compression. Step forwards.
  3. Block Touching Coat application. (1) Intercept punch (2) Pull to your left side (3) Seven inch knife on throat (4) Catch neck (5) Stay on neck and push out.
  4. Four Corners Exercise. Get stuck. Turn the waist.
  5. Hand elbow exercise. Touch the wrist and elbow. Hand must always touch the elbow. We have to reverse our normal habit. Line up and pull the elbows in.
  6. Horizontal Rod exercise with James Strider pushing us. The rod is the point of reference. This allows the body to be very calm. Without it we always stumble.
  7. Five flowers. Four circles intersecting one middle. Watch the video again on Hunyuan.
  8. Bu liu shui. Not moving water. Master demonstrated this. The fist stopped on my chest. Power went through. I tried it, Master said I am too stiff.
  9. Talk about Jing Qi Shen.
Dinner
  1. Story of Liu Yang challenge.
  2. Story of Sun Yang challenge.
  3. Normal power is based on movement. We create power without moving. To fight someone strong, do not allow them to move.
  4. Pieces of information can be taught. Do not try to combine them. It will happen automatically.
  5. We need new ideas to conduct real Taiji research. Example, photo analysis from western science practitioners.
  6. Story of Hong’s photos.

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2022.09.05 悉尼笔记锺百豪 (英文) Sydney Notes by Brian Chung (English)

Privates Morning Session
  1. Bicycle chain. We all have one extra piece.
  2. Normally our shoulder is out. We have to totally change the body until it all fits.
  3. There is only one move. It is so tight, it only moves as a conveyor belt.
  4. Bie. Knee, calf, toes. Toes grip, knee back. Calf erect. I need to work on this.
  5. Exercise. Touch the wall.
  6. My rear foot was moving. Master put his foot against mine. Only hand on the wall and rear foot are solid. Middle is empty.
  7. Touching the wall timing exercise. Horizontal and vertical.
  8. I was pushing the wall with my left palm and rear foot. Shifu touched my left ribs and left thigh and stretched them out.
  9. The unbendable arm. This is Peng. Exercise. Partner pulls down on your elbow. Stretch the two ends (front hand and shoulder).
  10. Going over exercise. Long stick on the two arms. Lock the body as one piece. Stretch the two ends. Fix a dot on your chest in the middle. Go over it.
  11. Master let me feel what stretching the rear is. This is a rotation. Not a push.
Lunch
  1. Vertical is length. Horizontal is width.
  2. Power is on the vertical.
  3. Story about Zhang Lian En.
  4. I asked Master how to bie the knife, I need three dots. If I draw a diagram, there are only two. Where is the third? He said write an article about this.
  5. The third is created. It is very elusive. The action is two separate trajectories meeting at the middle.
Privates Afternoon Session
  1. Master was holding my wrist. Pull the elbow in. Crunch dantian. Connect elbow to dantian. Connect both to front heel. Get this feeling. Only work on the three dots.
  2. Pulling exercise after fist draping over body. Engage. Squeeze down to waist. Connect R arm to L kua. Here must be there. Lift L heel. Open L knee straight to L foot and L kua. L kua has a total vertical restriction. This causes a rotation and the L heel to grind out.
Privates Corrections
  1. There is a switch of side on the fingers in closing the first move.
  2. No Chou. No pulling (to pull the shoulder up).
  3. Six Sealing Four Closing. Front elbow and front kua can open or close. It must be one or the other.
  4. Turn Left to Pound Mortar. Kick from the right heel to cause the waist to turn. It must spin like a top.
  5. Brush the Knee. Turn over a dot in the middle of the chest. We must continue to expand.
  6. Master showed the rotation on brush the knee. Slide. As you rotate, the chest goes down. The correct feeling is nothing to hold onto.
  7. When I rotate, there is no surface.
Evening Online Session
  1. We repeated the learnings at the Chinese online class.
  2. Use a stick to go over. Forward backward, left right, up down.
  3. Unbendable arm.
  4. Pie Shen Chui.
  5. Discussion with Kelvin. He is very clear.
I guess it’s a bit weird that I consider myself lucky. I am a 67-year-old that has been struggling with the disability known as Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS, spinal arthritis) for several decades. AS all but robbed me of my life. Pain became the main focus of my life. I had to go on disability and became extremely socially isolated, which BTW was great prep for the Covid shutdowns. Rx medications and their side effects, as well as other western medical interventions only made things worse. Then about 5 yrs ago I hobbled into the Practical Method Taiji studio in Edmonton and my world began to change. That one act began a change process which continues today. I started to actually heal the damage AS does to my body through the diligent daily practice of Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method (PM) as taught to me by Master Allan Belsheim and GM Zhonghua Chen.
This Mondays Musing is also a review of the second workshop given by GM Zhonghua Chen in Edmonton since the re-opening of the studio post-Covid shutdowns. I often say to friends that I learned to love learning. If I won the lottery I used to think I’d go back to Uni to finish my Masters and do a Ph.D. GM Chen’s workshop on Saturday helped me to re-frame that attitude. It turns out I am already attending an institution of higher learning and my meagre pension is all I need. The workshop’s content helped me to see that my daily study of PM is the only advanced degree I am interested in. My AS forced me to swallow my ego and become a beginner in the study of this complex and devastating martial art.
GM Chen took us through, what was for me, a very advanced seminar in Taoist theory as it applies to Taijiquan. The beauty of PM is that it offers opportunities for growth and change of my substantial/physical and insubstantial/intellectual self. The workshop began with physical exercises focused on helping the body begin to rotate around a single point such as the dantien or the centre of the breastbone. You can catch GM Chen’s stick drill on the PM website or a teaser on YouTube.
I learned more about the cultural differences between the west and China as it applies to understanding martial arts and life. GM Chen exposed us to many new concepts and Mandarin words/phrases that are central to the study of PM Taijiquan. One of them was Xun-Miao or the Secrets of the Heavens. Please excuse me as I am likely going to make some errors in my explanations due to my beginner-level understanding of PM, Mandarin and of Taoist thought.
The upshot of the entire day is that to seriously study and advance in the art of PM we need to exercise our bodies and our minds. One of the embodied learnings for myself came after I had received multiple corrections of Yilu from GM Chen. He mentioned that I had improved my PM ability significantly and that my AS had and continues to make progress challenging. It helped me re-frame my daily struggles in my practice where I get frustrated as my spinal adhesions/fusions make it impossible to complete certain movements correctly.
He guided us through some very interesting history of PM and taught me about knowledge transmission within internal martial arts in China; fascinating all on its own. My takeaway is that although I will never get to the ‘shirt’ level I am so lucky that GM Chen allows us to touch his body to feel or get ‘fed’ biofeedback as a reference guide. His ability to only use the amount of internal force necessary without breaking my poor old arthritic spine is amazing. If you get a chance to ‘feel’ his body when he does a move you ought to grab it.
I always feel inadequate in the task of reviewing GM Chen’s workshops. I often think that I only ‘get’ a small portion of what he offers us at each workshop. My metaphor for receiving instruction from him is that it’s like trying to take a sip of water from an opened fire hydrant. However, this struggle is central to what he tried to tell us on Saturday. Daily practice is so necessary as some of the things he told me in my first workshop years ago are just starting to make sense. This in part is because my body and mind were not ready yet. A lot of being a beginner in PM is prep, getting ready. I am working to get ready for the next workshop which he says will likely be in September or October this year; can hardly wait. Thank you to Master Allan Belsheim and GM Zhonghua Chen for this past Saturday, revelatory for this old man.
I am, as always, learning to live, a breath at a time. Read more

Notes from 2022 training camp

July 14
Touch the forearm
The dot has to line up to the dot on your chest
You cannot deviate from the line
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Push hands is an exercise that examines your understanding of the Taiji principle: Separation of Yin and Yang. While form training transforms your body, push hands provides an opportunity for you to apply your Taiji knowledge and skill. It has also become a popular sporting event both in China and abroad. This workshop is suitable for beginners as well as people at different levels of their training. If you have never tried it before, this is a great opportunity for you to do it in a friendly and safe environment.

推手是一种让人检查对太极原理(分阴阳)理解的练习。 套路训练可以改变人的身体结构,而推手则提供了运用太极拳知识和技能的机会。 它已成为国内外流行的体育赛事。 这训练班适合推手初学者及不同程度培训的太极爱好者。 如果您以前从未尝试过推手,那么这是个让你在友好与安全的环境中初次尝试的绝佳机会。

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This Thursday in the Zoom class, Master Chen talked about two Taoist ideas 玄关 xuan guan and 设窍 she qiao.  We translated xuan guan as mysterious location, where 关 historically meant a fortress, like a strategic control point; and she qiao as an empty spot/hole/orifice.

These seem like pretty abstract ideas, so I wanted to relate these two ideas to a physical example: a torus.  The hole in the middle of the torus is the she qiao.  The axis of revolution (i.e. the center of the ring) is the xuan guan.

(https://www.horntorus.com/)

If you cut a cross section of it down the middle, in 2D it is indistinguishable from the cross section of two cylinders (or two of any complementary, intermeshed rotations).  This might call to mind some other examples that Master Chen often uses, such as two water bottles or two meshed gears.

You might also notice this phenomenon in other places, such as in magnetic fields, turbulent water, hurricanes, and more!

Chen Zhonghua teaches how to kick in Practical Method. Presenter: Chen Zhonghua   Length: 2 min.   In: English   Year: 2020  Difficulty:1/5  At:Edmonton Chen Zhonghua Taiji Academy

How To Kick 2020.07.21
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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.

Analysis of “Sink the Waist to Press the Elbow and Whip”

October 26, 2019 Day 1 Training

Chen Style Taijiquan Seminar

Practical Method Basics & Sabre

Notes prepared by Chan Jadoonath

Introduction

Learning from Master Chen is a unique experience. One of the most striking things he said during our first day was I give you instructions and you don’t follow it. I didn’t take notes. I made no recording. I took no photos. I cannot describe the form or the details of the foundation drills that we practised. Would I remember anything from the workshop far less follow it? At the end as we were saying goodbye I asked his advice. He said write about the workshop.

 I am a complete beginner. I know nothing about tai chi, the culture, the history … so attempting to write is difficult. Whatever I say will be my memory, my interpretation and may not be what Master Chen actually taught. But he knew all that when he said it. Even if writing felt illogical and impractical to me I decided to still follow his suggestion. There is no point asking for advice and not following it.

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Push Hands Only Version
 


Full Version
 

On Dec. 8, 2019, a Practical Method Taiji Push Hands Workshop was held in Toronto. We had 10 participants, and 4 of them were new to Practical Method. Bert Desjardins drove 4.5 hours from Windsor to Toronto to attended this workshop. We also had the pleasure of having Master Liu Xuwei, who teaches Chen Style Taijiquan Small Frame, in attendance. We covered foundations:

  1. Twisting the TowelDon’t move the hand, and only use the foot the squeeze out the hand.
  2. Fetch Water – Don’t move anything, only focus on opening the kua
  3. Six Sealing Four Closing – Lock the front hand and rear shoulder, push the front shoulder into the line formed by the front hand and rear shoulder.
  4. Positive CircleIn with elbow, turn with waist, out with hand. No other body part should be moving except the specific leader.
  5. Negative CircleIn with elbow, drop the hand on the outside, out with hand.

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During her 7 day stay on Daqingshan during July, 2019, Disciple Applicant Yu Xin gave this 8minute interview with International Liaison Officer and Instructor James Strider. In it they discuss meeting Master Chen and the daily regime you will find on Daqingshan when you come to stay….