Recent Comments

A student asked the master, “What is the essence of Tai Chi?”

The master replied, “In all things, Yin and Yang embrace. Heavy hands rest like a mountain, unmoved, though they seem weightless.”

The student, puzzled, asked, “Then how do I move my hands?”

The master said, “Do not move them; let your hands be as still as the sky, while your body flows like water beneath.”

The student persisted, “What must I avoid?”

The master smiled.
“Five ‘No’s guide you:
No hands that reach,
No waist that sways,
No hips that break,
No shoulders that rise,
No knees that stray.”

The student asked, “And what of the elbow?”

The master held up his arm. “When the elbow rests, it is both weapon and whisper. You need only feel where it points.”

The student bowed,
And in the stillness, felt movement within stillness.

This video teaches us how to send energy through the body like what happens with Newton Balls (look them up). What I mean is, with Newton Balls you pull back one of the outside balls, let it go and it hits the other balls. The balls it hits don’t move, but the energy passes through them and makes the other outside ball swing out. In the same way, we drop our back heel forcefully down onto the floor and energy bounces back through us until it reaches the front hand and makes it forcefully shoot out. The body has to be in line with the rear foot and arched (hollowed) so that the energy can pass through and not leak out. The body is like the middle Newton Balls; it can’t move, it can only transmit. I say it’s like Newton Balls, but Master Chen demonstrates the idea in the video with three coins touching each other. He holds down the middle coin and hits it with one of the outcide ones, thus making the other outside one shoot out. It’s a good lesson on how to transmit energy through yourself. I think it’s the reason he always says to NOT MOVE!

I can no longer access this file. Any suggestions.

In this lesson Master Chen predicts political problems because of cultural misunderstanding between China and the West.

Carlotta, could you share what the lesson is about?

Master Chen i have a question: Is it correct, that when students are able to do this drill of a difficulty level of 5, that then this student has reached the “Master Level” in Taiji?

I find Shifus suggestion great!!!
I already using Chinese words and concepts in my classes. I‘d love to learn more

This is like some type of “movement telepathy”. I believe, Taiji and Qi Gong originate from shamanic dance/movement. I read on Wiki, that, in China/Daoism, people who teach the way to the Tao are called “Method Man”. No wonder that Hong termed his achievement in Taiji Practical Method. And it is particularly no wonder that they kept him secret as Master Chen pointed out in one video. I suppose “they” tried to shield his truths from society in order to prevent the real teaching from reaching too many people.

Real Taiji is beyond the programming of the central nervous system´s components. It is not just about neurons firing in the correct patterns. Science and medicine as materialistic ideas are both not interested to admit that their view of life is wrong. Imagine science would tell the people, that Taiji and QiGong are real and that this is the purpose of life. Imagine that. Then lots of people would go for it and society as we know it would be shattered.

Master Chen teaches the moves from “cloud hands” to “turn left and kick with heal”. Power is generated when the skeletal structure is completely aligned. I believe that is the Gong, to be able to sense how your bones work together with the correct manipulation of the open joints. Lines, planes, circles, spirals, the geometrical Taiji Body, that is one feature of Tao. I wonder why i don´t have students with me in my little town, since i can explain and correct them at least in the foundations and Yilu. I am training since over five years publicly and i believe, they don´t want to come to me, because i am straight forward and tell them what Taiji is. People don´t want the truth in this corrupted world and live on their delusion. My old friends are all against Taiji and Master Chen, because they think he is a charlatan and Taiji is not real. Far away from the truth they are…

James, you as an engineer, how would you describe the Taiji Energy?

This video is of Master Chen Zhonghua giving instructions on how to train ingraining Zhou-Kua (elbow-kua) connectedness into your body. This is demonstrated using different postures from the first section of the bare hand routine (Yilu) of Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method. The goal is to allow proper transmission of energy in a swift and efficient manner from a solid base and origin to a target point. This video is not for beginners. It is valuable for those who have already practiced for some time and eager to advance.

Taiji learning is like a endothermic chemical reaction. You need to go over the threshold and then the reaction/transformation starts. This is meant by “the water has to boil”. There are chemicals that can lower the threshold and function as a catalyst.

This is a demonstration of the Kung Fu. Instant impuls. You cannot become faster with any training in Martial Arts. Just Taiji gives this acceleration. I had this from day one, but nowadays the system restricts my training.

UPDATE!! PLEASE NOTE THAT THE WORKSHOP LOCATION HAS CHANGED!
WORKSHOP ADDRESS:
Gierkeplatz 2
D-10585, Berlin-Charlottenburg
Thanks,
Sven

Hi John, i guess the category “Dantien” is still a level too high for you. People use this term in a very “normal” way in the Taiji World, but only few people embody it.

Please send an email to 1684987990@qq.com. Thanks.

I’m interested in coming to Da Qingshan for the October seminar. Can I get the cost? I’m coming from Beijing; I can get the train to Rizhao and then take a taxi?

Thanks,

Matt

https://practicalmethod.com/2010/08/on-learning-taijiquan-full-time/

Master Hong´s Taiji has more flow. Would you consider your Taiji on a equal level compared to him?

Great description, John..you suck!

I teach Mandarin and Cantonese through songs, that way the tones are realized right off the bat. Nicholasfung@icloud.com

Sorry, Los Angeles is not on the schedule right now. I am in Phoenix right now in a workshop. In the past many years, people from the Los Angeles area have come to Phoenix to train with me.
My email is practicalmethod@qq.com

Hi Master Chen,

Please let me know if you ever come to Los Angeles, California to teach a seminar.

Thanks,
Moe

Ketong Lin
85293201610
ketonglin@yahoo.com.hk

Good morning Shifu,
I’d like to practice Taiji Practical Method in Hong Kong City.
Please, can You tell me how to do, to contact the right person for practice Taiji in a group, in person?

With esteem I send my best regards.

Francesco Cova

When will the book be available again? It’s follow up?
Thank you

Does Practical Method teach these patterns? I need to learn push hands.

Does any practical method school teach these fixed pattern push hands forms? I am trying to learn Push Hands and I am puzzled because so few people seem to want to teach or practice any of these forms. I have searched out more than 30 practical method push hands videos and I cannot find any with these patterns. I am confused, and I have become desperate! Any advice you have is appreciated.

I am still waiting for your answer.

Kelvin, it is all about Chi!!! Either you have or you don´t. What i wrote is rediculous since you cannot explain what is going on in words. And where does it come from? Maybe from outer space. Could be that it is an open secret and only insiders know that it is real…

Practical Method Training Camp Schedule
6:30 am morning session disciple lead foundations and 1st 13
8 Breakfast
9:30 Lesson with Master Chen
Noon Lunch
2 to 4 Lesson with Master Chen
5:00 dinner
7 to 8:30 pm Disciple led sessions (push hands, applications, drills)

Who is a/the teacher? I can exactly remember DQS 2010 when Master Chen said at breakfast, that there was the Master on the mountain that night. I come to the conclusion, that there are secret Masters around who examine the students.

In Practical Method, the principle is separation of yin and yang. Think of it as splitting ourselves into two, which act in opposite ways. In terms of the foot, you may have seen videos that we turn the foot at the ball of the foot. Ultimately, it will not appear to turn because when we split ourselves into two, one of us is trying to turn the foot, the other is trying to stop the foot from turning. The fight generates a force that is orthogonal to those two. We then direct that force through our structure to another body part, e.g. to turn another joint. Each joint works like a gear within a gearbox, the gears are connected by cables, such as tendons.

The Kua Function article was also the first article I read about Master Chen, and it taught me where the kua was and its function.

Rather than answering each post individually, let me respond to all of you.
First, let me say that I am very impressed with all of you for taking the time to provide such deep and thoughtful answers. I think it is a testament to your teacher, whom I respect very much and think that he is one of the few teachers who not only knows, but can explain in detail the internal workings of tai chi. My teacher, Master Ting, Kuo-Piao (William Ting) who passed away last December taught very similarly to Master Chen.
Many of you indicated that the kua is instrumental to the movements of the dantien, and I completely agree. My teacher consistently emphasized the “opening” of the kua. It took me a while to “get it”, and once there, I realized that there is no tai chi without it. Yet, I find that it is very difficult for most people to open their kuas. I’ve even started asking my students to imagine tossing a baby in the air and catching it, because when we catch something important that we do not want to drop, we bend our knees and open our kuas; it is a very natural movement.

I think, that as important as the kua is for stabilizing and turning the dantien. there is more to it. The knees work with the kuas and have to move in very specific ways to help the kuas do what they do. The knees in turn are affected by the feet which many of you mentioned as firmly planted and interact with the unmoving ground. The way we approach it is by internally turning the feet. The feet do not move, but internally they turn. To feel this, turn your hips by turning your feet internally. The turning of the feet creates a movement in the knees that helps to direct the kuas. We say movement starts at the feet, and as some of you indicated, eventually there is no start, just a flow.

BTW, I first became aware of Master Chen from an article that was published in Tai Chi Magazine maybe 25-30 years ago called, “Q & A on how the Kua Function in Taiji’ from an interview with Master Chen. I was so impressed with that article that I copied it and gave it to many of my students to read. The description of how the kua works is probably the best I have ever read.

I look forward to Master Chen’s reply and to hear more from all of you. Thank you again.

Joe

Hello Joe Eber,

In response to your qusestion to Master Chen regarding dantain n feet, I would like to introduce myself first before I put my comments forward.

My name is John Saw, a disciple of Master Chen since 2017. Before I met Master Chen, I was a Lohan Qigong Master for over 20 years, an internal branch of Choy Lee Fut martial arts system.

About dantain n feet, like you mentioned, different system have different opinion. It’s actually the same once you get to a very high level of practice. As our feet are the first contact with the ground, everything start from there.
As for whether movements start from dantain or feet, it takes years of practice. Once you put enough time into these practice, you start to understand the internal alchemy. As our body is very smart n lazy, can compensate n move anyway we want, which can cause problems later on in life. That’s where understanding of body structure, alignment, fascia, ligaments, tendons n breathing come in. Then you can say one body, one way to move n one way to breathe.
Everything start from inside as your fascia n ligaments move together, also energy channels that connected to the organs and move like a puppet on a string.
Before that, one has to go through the process of learning like beginner, intermediate n advanced level. Only then one can activate n move from any part of the body, be it from dantain or feet.

Please note that these are my own theory n assumption as a qigong n PM Taiji practitioner, and not Master Chen’s view of your question.

Sincere regards,
John Saw #257

Hi Joe,

Dantian is commonly referring to the area near the navel. In the video, it was represented by the big exercise ball. The dantian cannot rotate by itself, something else had to cause it to rotate. Master Chen was using two hands to hold the ball. In order to move the ball, the hands needed to move. However, if the hands were in constant contact with the ball, he would not be able to complete an entire rotation due to the limits of his hands and arms, and the ball would get stuck and could not advance any further at some point or the ball would simply be turning back and forth. To allow the ball to continue the rotation, he would need to make a switch, which was to reset the positions of his hands in this case. He could not just change the hands, or the ball would drop to the floor. He needed something extra to temporarily hold the ball, so he could switch the positions of his hands. Another student therefore came to hold the ball in his demonstration. In the body, the ball represents the dantian, while the hands represents the kuas. We use the kuas to rotate the dantian. The extra thing mentioned before to keep the ball not moving must not be moving itself. In Practical Method, we talk about “Don’t Move” a lot. When one is free standing, the only thing related to our body that is not moving is the ground. Our feet are the only things making contact with the ground, which we use to keep whichever body part we want not moving. The dantian is kept not moving through our body structure making contact with the ground at our feet. Our training also guides us to create a cradle for the dantian to sit in, so that it is independent of the body part that causes the rotation. In Practical Method, there is the main concept of indirect power, even though the kuas are used to move the dantian, eventually we train to hope to achieve to make the movement of the kuas themselves indirect. The movement starts from something solid and not moving, the feet, which are in solid contact with the ground. The dantian is positioned in the middle of the entire body, and it is used to modulate the indirect upper body movement with the active lower body movement. Taiji talks about the circle, which is a loop that has no beginning or end. We start our movement from somewhere, may it be the kua or foot. The key is to start it, once it is started, the opponent should not be able to tell where it comes from. We train to have different options to start and to switch. Once the body is trained to be connected, where it is started does not matter.

Kelvin

Hi Joe, I’m Franklin from Singapore. I’m 36 years old, and have been practicing the Practical Method system since 2016. As you mentioned, I agree that the dantian does not move or rotate on its own. Similarly for the feet.

Based on my own understanding, the dantian has to be fixed in place before you can execute a move. The feeling I visualise is that both the dantian and feet are fixed on 2 opposite solid walls, and the dantian initiates the force towards the feet into the ground through the kua and knee. The force then bounces back through the feet and upwards to the knee, kua and back to the dantian. This force then keeps bouncing back and forth until one side moves, which to me is usually the dantian, since the feet is on solid ground.

An analogy I could think of is the car jack. You need to position the top of the car jack (dantian) to the bottom of the car’s body, and the base (feet) to a solid ground. Only when the car jack is properly secured on both ends, then you can lift up the car by turning the handle (the initiated force). In this case, the dantian “moved”, but it was the result of the initiated force on both ends and not because of directly moving the dantian or the feet.

All these is based on my current understanding, and I’m still learning more on how to apply it effectively through my body. Hope it makes sense.

Hello my name is Gora Nebulana from Indonesia. Im 49 yo and accepted as Master Chen Zhonghua disciple in 2018. Im a wushu coach, former wushu athlete and have been studying Taiji traditional and modern for 40 years.

Regarding to your question allow me to answer based on my limited expirience, knowledge and understanding. First of all there is many stages of level in learning Taiji. Depends on the training level once seems wrong training can be the right thing in the future, vice viersa. That is why in this stage to have a complete faith for Shifu is very important. In the beginner level the only objective is to opening the joint especially the Kua because it related directly to the Dantien. In this stage everything woble and tossing. Later on try to focus and all the movement come from Kua (everything else cannot move) which become the movement of Dantien rotation.

Next stage which I found very difficult is reverse the source of power to create indirect force which is all power come from the leg while maintaining the Dantian completly not moving. Because Dantien not moving it become the foundation of all power that generated from the legs.

Is there more stages after this? I dont know. Im still learning and always fascinated with what I learn from Shifu Chen Zhonghua, to see and feel the mesmerizing depth of Taiji Quan. One thing I always remember that Shifu told me, never ever skip level (cutting corners).

Thank you for your attention and sorry for my broken English. 🙏

https://practicalmethod.com/myfolder/1-twisting-the-towel-north-american-practical-method-camp-20230712-18-online-video/

I would recommend this video from the first day of the Iowa workshop last year. Master Chen says everything starts here. I feel the explanation is clear and an essential concept that I must train over and over again.
It does start from the dantian, but we must construct the proper structure to make it useful.

In the 5-way split, where are the pivoting points? When the dot on his right ribs is stretched against his right bicep, the right shoulder is the pivot/rivet. I would think when stretched against the knees each kua is the pivot. What about when stretched against the left shoulder? Is the right shoulder still the pivot? And what about when stretched against the head, where is the pivot there?

Is there a published book that is available?
It’d be preferable for myself!

Jason, contact Rory Trend on 0410 477 900 or rorytrend@gmail.com

Hi I’m looking for instructor’s or seminars in Brisbane, Queensland Australia.

https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.89.16.7683
James, we maybe have to ability to detect magnetic fields due to magnetite in our neurons. Even neuroscientists don´t know about this fact. They may play a role in the generation of brain functions in general. In the article the speculated about a possible health risk of strong electric and probably magnetic fields like MRI.

Sorry to see this a year late, Jennifer.

We practice in Port Alberni Sunday mornings 8-9:30 at the Beaver Creek Hall, and Wednesday evenings (not the LAST Wednesday) 6:30-7:30 at Blair Park (May-September) or Alberni Natural Health Group (October-April).

Please join us! Always welcome to watch or try, see if you like it.

Please contact me if you have any questions: portlipford@gmail.com or (250) 730-9147

James, do you believe in ghosts?

In this video Master Chen explains how to use the concept of rubbing (gyu?) your bicep against the ribs (as in part of the negative or positive circle). It is usefull when an opponent pushes your arm with two of his hands towards you causing the shoulder to pop or your arm to get stuck or your chest to move backwards.

cant hear any sound other than music

I’m looking forward to watching these when they’ve been uploaded

I’ll be arriving on the 17th. The plane lands around 11am so by noon I should be at Prariewoods.

Thanks Paddy, I’ll get your room keys.

Paddy Hanratty
Bill Cullen
Robert Xu
Milton Dixon

Arriving around supper time on the 17th

Payment is due by June 15th. Make check payable to Levi Sowers and mail to him at 2526 Neveda Ave, Iowa City Iowa, 52240.

Check is best but we can do paypal or venmo. If paypal, it needs to be sent to friends or family. Contact Levi for his account information.

Additionally, if you are arriving on the 17th, lodging is paid to Prariewoods directly that day or the day after. If you are arriving early, please write your name on this post and time you are expected to arrive.

Thank you

John Upshaw and Levi

Can you bounce any opponent out with forward Peng?

‘Nikolai’: This is the first of an excellent well-crafted multi-part piece. Your reply is vapid trite trolling. If you don’t have salient synoptic insight, then say nothing.

your life is part two. Use what you learnt… 🙂

Nice! Looking forward to part 2…

Taiji-Power is hard -> Yang-Energy. I wonder how Peng and Gong are created. Do they appear both at the same time if one has yang-energy? How this works, is apparently total alien compared to normal training.
It seems to me, that since some time now, on this website very little contributions come from the english speaking participants. In the past, there has been much more discussion and published workshop notes. Maybe this is how it is supposed to be, and i am the one not getting it.

Good questions Ming. Do i know you from the videos? I don´t know who you are. Your articles are always great. Master Chen gave some information regarding that topic last year at the Berlin Workshop. I don´t want to go into detail here, but apparently, or better, as a matter of fact, those dimensions are real. If i interpret a bit, which we are actually not supposed to do, the opening of the Kua is some kind of mechanical, dimensional shift in this joint. The point is, if you have experienced or actualized this or not. I believe, that from the scientific point of view, this is easy to prove and show.

https://chenbing.org/chen-bing
“Taiji Almighty”! Modesty is not part of their game. Well, i am just seeing a bit and i have a loose kua. But what that reveals to me in this world is just astounding…

Ahh, the kua dropping vertically. I know that ( i believe). In my own words, it is like the kua is empty, like sinking from the kua into nothingness. Sometimes it is like the Kua and the pelvis is connected by a rubber like chord thing. Is this the phenomenon of a loose Kua, as Grandmaster Hong put it in his book?

Interesting and insightful video on using kua and ye for internal switching, changing gear and turning over. And very practical explanations how to apply in different situations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1ORCu4TH4E&ab_channel=ChenBingTaijiAcademyItalia-Milano%26Lodi
Recent recording. He is trying to show power and explosiveness with his fast moves, but, well, i don´t see spiraling Peng Jin in him. He is violating many rules Grandmaster Hong passed down to us to look for: “in with elbow out with hand”, “hands must not move”, ” inside stays inside, outside stays outside”.

Still human. Stances wrong, knees move all the time due to closed Kuas.
Wonder what the other guests thought about his level.

Good (smart) vs. evil (stupid). Same old story. Life becomes a movie, after…
I prefer the Star Wars setting because of Aliens. Nice movies anyway.

it is the key! You should know. aren´t you?

It is not the door, it is the key! They show up at your training spot or on your paths, look at you and have a key in their hand.
1: Chan gun shoot and loot?
2:If it is not fitting, train to separate the spirit and the body by Qi Gong and walk through the door?
3. If two doesn´t work, repeat 1.

https://auroville.org/page/online-store
What do you mean by “contribution”? Let me guess, ahhh, money for the growing economy of Auroville!!! You need money, too. And money is support. Great insight! The all-seeing eye on the one dollar bill says “thank you”. In God we trust.

What do i read on your website:
“All classes are offered under “Divine Arts”, an Auroville Activity under the LEAD umbrella. With your contribution you are also supporting the International Township of Auroville.”
I see, you know the real deal. And you teach to bring the people out of their dark life into the light.
They call it divine arts. Well, do you believe in God? If so, then you accept the claim that God is almighty. If he is, then all the things you criticize on your website regarding society, economy, politics, etc. is God`s will, since he is almighty. So, do you think, that you and the people in this community, you know better than God?