I have recently received some more interesting questions from beginnning Tai Chi students. I hope they help you in your practice! In the next blogpost, I will describe the larger picture of Tai Chi health practices--what is meant by "Total Tai Chi (tm)."
I don’t seem to FEEL much when I do Tai Chi. I have heard that Tai Chi develops QI, but I am not really sure what QI is. Am I supposed to feel the QI when I do my Tai Chi form?
There can be a lot of mystique surrounding the training of QI. But, simply put, QI is a kind of bio-electricity in your body which animates all vital processes. In short, if you are alive, you have QI!
By practicing Tai Chi, Qigong, Meditation, and other methods, you can refine, strengthen, and harmonize your flow of QI. That is, you can cultivate MORE QI-- a higher “voltage” of bio-electricity. You can learn to store your QI in the lower abdomen, so it is not dissipated needlessly. And, especially with Tai Chi, you can harmonize your flow of QI, so it circulates through every part of your body in the right proportions.
When you do your Tai Chi Solo Form, as long as it is a correct form, and you are doing it with reasonable accuracy, in time you will feel a flow of QI. Usually, you first feel your hands get warm and tingly; later you might feel your abdomen having a warm and “full” feeling. The critical requirement is to relax, maintain a perfect alignment of your “frame” or bone structure, concentrate fully on the movements, and let the Tai Chi process do its work.
Being concerned or worried about whether or not you are developing QI is almost certain to hinder the process.
At some point, your teacher may recommend Standing Meditation (“Holding the Post”) or other specific techniques to further develop your QI. But in the beginning, just relax, focus your intention on the movements, allow your breath to be unstrained, and to “sink” to the lower abdomen, and enjoy the Form.
Absolutely avoid any kind of forcing the “sinking” process or the breath.
Is Tai Chi supposed to be a martial art? If so, how in the world can Tai Chi be used in fighting if all we practice are the sloooooow movements?
Many beginning students think that the slow-motion “Solo Form” is the entirety of Tai Chi. But Tai Chi is in realty an entire System of practice. You start with some preliminary exercises and the Solo Form, and then go on to two-person work, such as Push Hands and San Shou (a kind of pre-arranged “sparring” which illustrates the defensive applications of each movement). After that, you study Tai Chi weapons (Saber, Sword, and Staff (or Spear) to fully develop your strength and ability to project energy.
The slow (Yang Style) Solo Form is the initial practice to develop strength in the legs, flexibility in the waist, good alignment of the “frame,” and begin the process of cultivating QI. Part of the reason for the slow movement is to diminish internal muscular resistance when you move. The other reason is to promote full flow of blood to the internal organs for health. Rapid vigorous external strength-based movements will bring more blood to the outer muscles and reduce blood in the internal organs (with the exception of the heart). For health and longevity, you want complete and easy blood flow in the internal organs.
Regarding Tai Chi as a martial art, you first learn Push Hands to developing sensing acuity and San Shou to learn technique. At first starting slowly, eventually those practices are speeded up to approximate combat speed. And, (only with the proper teaching from a qualified instructor) some students, go into Tai Chi “free sparring” at real-time speeds.
The actual development of martial ability of Tai Chi involves specialized training, and goes far beyond the Solo Form. It must be learned from a fully qualified teacher.
If you are interested in learning more about the entire "Tai Chi System," check out my book at:
http://www.totaltaichi.com/Taiji%20Master%20Secrets.htm
I like vigorous exercise, such as weightlifting or sports. But I also like Tai Chi. My problem is that Tai Chi doesn’t seem to be “aerobic.” Is Tai Chi really dynamic enough to create real fitness?
Again, looking at the Solo Form, Tai Chi is not necessarily “vigorous” or “aerobic” like some sports. But once a student progresses to weapons, especially the long staff, Tai Chi definitely develops breath and stamina.
In all of Tai Chi practice, the student learns to breathe in a deep and relaxed manner. But if you ever have occasion to do one hundred thrusts with a Tai Chi long staff (9 feet long), you will surely feel that you have had a vigorous workout!
I notice that there are several “styles” of Tai Chi. Is any one style the “best” style? Why are there different styles of Tai Chi anyway?
Any style of martial art develops because of specific conditions and necessities. That is, a martial art style is developed to respond to other methods of combat which are prevailing at the time, and ultimately to be able to neutralize or defeat them. Don’t forget, in old China, martial arts were a matter of life or death—to the clan, or to the civil authorities who learned and applied them.
(Yang Lu Chan, founder of the Yang Style, is said to have instructed some members of the Chinese Emperor’s elite personal bodyguards).
A style also reflects the founder’s body type and temperament. As an example, Yang Lu Chan had two sons who carried on his teaching. One of them Ban Hou, was famous for his short-range explosive power. The other Jian-Hou, was more renowned for his “soft” neutralizing style. Neither style was better; it was just a matter of what style was the best fit for the masters involved.
The same thing is true of the Styles, as they evolved through the famous Tai Chi “families”—Chen, Yang, Wu, and Sun. Each founder developed techniques which worked best for him, in accordance with his physical attributes and natural abilities. Then, these techniques and “forms” were passed down as part of a family heritage, with each generation making some improvements and modifications.
For a beginning student of Tai Chi, the style is not nearly as important as correct teaching. But overall, I recommend the Yang Style for most beginners, of any physical condition or body type. The Chen Style is excellent for younger people wanting vigorous conditioning, and the Wu Style contains many subtle and small-range techniques, which are more difficult for beginners to assimilate.
Remember that less than 80 years ago, Tai Chi instruction was available only to experienced martial artists, who ALREADY were in excellent physical shape and had substantial martial prowess. Tai Chi was a way to further refine and internalize their considerable skills. It might have been called the Ph.D. of martial arts.
With the advent of Tai Chi as a popular health exercise (in the 1930’s and 1940’s) what was once a “Ph.D. level” martial art became a form of physical culture for the masses. I believe the Yang Style is a style which is most amenable to the greatest number of beginners of all ages and physical condition levels.
But whatever Style you study, as long as you get correct instruction, will eventually work for you, if you practice with perseverance.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Questions from Tai Chi Newbies
I recently have received a number of questions from beginning Tai Chi students.
So these questions and answers are somewhat basic. If you are already an advanced Player, they may be superfluous for you. In my next post, I will feature a few more FAQ from new Tai Chi students.
I want to learn Tai Chi, but have no idea how to find a class.
First, take a look at your Yellow Pages under the heading Martial Arts.
Many Tai Chi schools are listed in that category.
Second, check out your local YMCA, or local Community College continuing education courses.
Third, go to your natural food store or co-op and look at their bulletin board. Many Tai Chi teachers post notices on these boards.
How do I know if my teacher is teaching real Tai Chi? There seem to be many “versions” of Tai Chi—and they are all different!
The most important qualifier for a teacher is that s/he can demonstrate a “lineage” that goes back to a legitimate “style” of Tai Chi. There are the Chen, Yang, Wu, and Sun Styles, and the earlier, lesser known WuDang Style. The former are named after famous Tai Chi families who developed them. You can also find modern formulations from “Sports Committees” in China. These are usually called the “24,” “48,” etc. to denominate the number of movements in each Form. Generally, these modern forms are composites, adapting movements from the earlier traditional Styles.
The critical factor is that your prospective teacher can show that the form s/he is teaching derives from one of the Family Styles mentioned above, or from a recognized modern form. They should know the “lineage” of their teachers all the way back to a Family Style founder or modern form.
I have heard that Tai Chi is a martial art, but my teacher said Tai Chi is “non-violent” and is about health and meditation. I am confused…
Tai Chi originated as a martial art. And understanding it as a martial art is ESSENTIAL to successful practice. That is, in practicing any individual movement, you must understand its use in “application,” or self-defense, even if you do not actively practice the defensive aspects.
Remember, Tai Chi, by its very definition, is based on Yin and Yang. We could say that health and meditation are its Yin aspects, and martial application is its Yang element. The art is incomplete without a fusion of these two aspects.
That said, you can get many health benefits, even if you do not engage in the specialized training of Tai Chi as martial art. But you must at least understand the martial art meaning of every movement, or your energy will not be concentrated effectively.
If your teacher has "no clue" about the martial aspects of Tai Chi, I would respectfully look elsewhere.
My teacher got very angry with me the other day. I noticed that there was a back room in our Tai Chi school where some advanced students were practicing. I went over to take a look, but my teacher quickly pulled me back, saying that those students were practicing “secret techniques”—and that I should not look in there again. What did I do wrong?
Your teacher must be very traditional. In old China, before the 20th century, martial arts such as Tai Chi were often guarded very closely as family “secrets.” That is because the entire village or clan used their martial art as their “security system” to protect the people from attacks by bands of roving robbers. With the advent of modern weaponry, most traditional teachers are more relaxed about revealing what used to be “secret techniques.” Even a mediocre user of a pistol can defeat the most advanced expert in “secret” empty hand martial arts.
My own main teacher, T.T. Liang, was very generous in teaching all of his “secrets.” He said the only real “secret” was whether or not a student would practice deeply enough to “get” the technique.
In the case you mentioned above, just be sure to respect your teacher.
Is any Style of Tai Chi the ONLY REAL style? My friend is studying a different style of Tai Chi than I am and tells me his teacher says that his style is the only genuine style and that I am wasting my time. Is this true?
Some teachers have a great deal of pride in their lineage and style. There is nothing wrong with that. However, as long as a style has a legitimate lineage, as discussed earlier, it is a correct and genuine style. A more important question is whether a given style is the best for your own body and physical type.
After all, the original Styles were created by people of different strengths, body types, and personal temperament. They were geared to specific purposes. Some used smaller movements; some larger. Some stressed fast attack; others stressed “softness” and neutralizing attacks.
As long a your style has a proper lineage and is accurately taught, it is “correct.” And you can start with any style. At some point, after getting a solid base, you might want to branch out into another style, to see if it is a better fit to your physical type and temperament.
What is the most important element in learning Tai Chi?
In answer, I will defer to Grandmaster Cheng Man Ch’ing’s reply to the same question.
The most important is correct teaching, followed by perseverance, and natural talent.
NOTE:
I use the spelling Tai Chi in this blog because it is still the most recognized spelling in English, compared to the Wade-Giles “T’ai Chi” or the pinyin “Taiji.”
You can find some more advanced questions and answers about Tai Chi practice in my book Drawing Silk.
http://www.totaltaichi.com/Taiji%20Master%20Secrets.htm
So these questions and answers are somewhat basic. If you are already an advanced Player, they may be superfluous for you. In my next post, I will feature a few more FAQ from new Tai Chi students.
I want to learn Tai Chi, but have no idea how to find a class.
First, take a look at your Yellow Pages under the heading Martial Arts.
Many Tai Chi schools are listed in that category.
Second, check out your local YMCA, or local Community College continuing education courses.
Third, go to your natural food store or co-op and look at their bulletin board. Many Tai Chi teachers post notices on these boards.
How do I know if my teacher is teaching real Tai Chi? There seem to be many “versions” of Tai Chi—and they are all different!
The most important qualifier for a teacher is that s/he can demonstrate a “lineage” that goes back to a legitimate “style” of Tai Chi. There are the Chen, Yang, Wu, and Sun Styles, and the earlier, lesser known WuDang Style. The former are named after famous Tai Chi families who developed them. You can also find modern formulations from “Sports Committees” in China. These are usually called the “24,” “48,” etc. to denominate the number of movements in each Form. Generally, these modern forms are composites, adapting movements from the earlier traditional Styles.
The critical factor is that your prospective teacher can show that the form s/he is teaching derives from one of the Family Styles mentioned above, or from a recognized modern form. They should know the “lineage” of their teachers all the way back to a Family Style founder or modern form.
I have heard that Tai Chi is a martial art, but my teacher said Tai Chi is “non-violent” and is about health and meditation. I am confused…
Tai Chi originated as a martial art. And understanding it as a martial art is ESSENTIAL to successful practice. That is, in practicing any individual movement, you must understand its use in “application,” or self-defense, even if you do not actively practice the defensive aspects.
Remember, Tai Chi, by its very definition, is based on Yin and Yang. We could say that health and meditation are its Yin aspects, and martial application is its Yang element. The art is incomplete without a fusion of these two aspects.
That said, you can get many health benefits, even if you do not engage in the specialized training of Tai Chi as martial art. But you must at least understand the martial art meaning of every movement, or your energy will not be concentrated effectively.
If your teacher has "no clue" about the martial aspects of Tai Chi, I would respectfully look elsewhere.
My teacher got very angry with me the other day. I noticed that there was a back room in our Tai Chi school where some advanced students were practicing. I went over to take a look, but my teacher quickly pulled me back, saying that those students were practicing “secret techniques”—and that I should not look in there again. What did I do wrong?
Your teacher must be very traditional. In old China, before the 20th century, martial arts such as Tai Chi were often guarded very closely as family “secrets.” That is because the entire village or clan used their martial art as their “security system” to protect the people from attacks by bands of roving robbers. With the advent of modern weaponry, most traditional teachers are more relaxed about revealing what used to be “secret techniques.” Even a mediocre user of a pistol can defeat the most advanced expert in “secret” empty hand martial arts.
My own main teacher, T.T. Liang, was very generous in teaching all of his “secrets.” He said the only real “secret” was whether or not a student would practice deeply enough to “get” the technique.
In the case you mentioned above, just be sure to respect your teacher.
Is any Style of Tai Chi the ONLY REAL style? My friend is studying a different style of Tai Chi than I am and tells me his teacher says that his style is the only genuine style and that I am wasting my time. Is this true?
Some teachers have a great deal of pride in their lineage and style. There is nothing wrong with that. However, as long as a style has a legitimate lineage, as discussed earlier, it is a correct and genuine style. A more important question is whether a given style is the best for your own body and physical type.
After all, the original Styles were created by people of different strengths, body types, and personal temperament. They were geared to specific purposes. Some used smaller movements; some larger. Some stressed fast attack; others stressed “softness” and neutralizing attacks.
As long a your style has a proper lineage and is accurately taught, it is “correct.” And you can start with any style. At some point, after getting a solid base, you might want to branch out into another style, to see if it is a better fit to your physical type and temperament.
What is the most important element in learning Tai Chi?
In answer, I will defer to Grandmaster Cheng Man Ch’ing’s reply to the same question.
The most important is correct teaching, followed by perseverance, and natural talent.
NOTE:
I use the spelling Tai Chi in this blog because it is still the most recognized spelling in English, compared to the Wade-Giles “T’ai Chi” or the pinyin “Taiji.”
You can find some more advanced questions and answers about Tai Chi practice in my book Drawing Silk.
http://www.totaltaichi.com/Taiji%20Master%20Secrets.htm
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
An Energy experiment--and FREEBIE for you
As students of Tai Chi, we are also students of QI, or students of Energy.
The vast majority of Tai Chi Players are interested in cultivating their QI for greater levels of health and vitality.
A relatively smaller number develop Qi as a means to cultivate Intrinsic Energy (Jin) to be discharged in self-defense situations or, more sportively, in Push Hands practice.
But many years ago, I began to see something very fascinating.
Although I met many people with very strong levels of QI during the time I was on my Tai Chi learning path, I was surprised (as a naïve young student) to find that they were not all “sages of the Tao.”
Indeed, some of them, not withstanding their high levels of energy, seemed to be quite unbalanced in terms of their life as a whole. Some had severe financial problems; a few others seemed dangerously aggressive; and a few more just didn’t seem happy. This came as a severe shock to me.
I had always thought that merely cultivating QI or developing proficiency in Tai Chi would automatically create a person with a balanced health, Spirit, and demeanor. This did not always seem to be true.
So I began to wonder---what HAPPENS to all the energy we cultivate in QI practices, such as Qigong and Tai Chi? The answer seemed to be that the Energy seems to shape itself to our overall Intent and outlook on life. The energy itself is neutral; it is the direction of our overall focus that determines whether the Energy ultimately brings us to our highest and best possible state, or leaves us in a condition of imbalance or dissatisfaction.
Around the time I was trying to solve this question for myself, a special friend and teacher appeared who introduced me to the Law of Attraction. At first, I was quite resistant to learning about it; it seemed to be really “out there,” some kind of product of New Age fantasy.
But I noticed my teacher seemed to be one of the most balanced, energized, and happiest people I had ever met---and she had never done ANY kind of Energy cultivation practices, or meditation whatsoever. She simply applied the Law of Attraction consistently in her life.
Everything just seemed to “appear” for her quite effortlessly. She was extremely prosperous and just seemed to be a magnet for one positive occurrence after another.
In time I myself became a serious student of the Law and have been practicing it for many years now. I think practicing Law of Attraction is an absolute natural course for Tai Chi students! We spend years developing high levels of Energy; why not learn to deploy this Energy in the most beneficial ways for our self and others?
After my own 15 years of investigating and practicing the Law, I wrote down the very best ways I have found to apply and use it practically in everyday life in a 60 page E-book. It is NOT just woooooie, wooooie, “positive thinking,” but a very scientific and precise process.
Here is my experiment:
I have shared this with various friends and gotten positive feedback from all of them. Since I am planning to sell the book, I would like honest feedback from a reliable sample of people.
If you are at all interested in finding out an eminently practical way of applying the Law of Attraction in your life, I would love to hear from you.
I will be happy to send you a FREE copy of the E-book. I only ask that within 60-90 days, you e-mail me back your comments, either positive or negative. If positive, I will ask for your testimonial; if negative, I will improve the E-book!
Just e-mail me at alltaiji@aol.com and I will send you a copy of the e-book right away.
Thanks!
Your friend in Tai Chi,
paul gallagher
The vast majority of Tai Chi Players are interested in cultivating their QI for greater levels of health and vitality.
A relatively smaller number develop Qi as a means to cultivate Intrinsic Energy (Jin) to be discharged in self-defense situations or, more sportively, in Push Hands practice.
But many years ago, I began to see something very fascinating.
Although I met many people with very strong levels of QI during the time I was on my Tai Chi learning path, I was surprised (as a naïve young student) to find that they were not all “sages of the Tao.”
Indeed, some of them, not withstanding their high levels of energy, seemed to be quite unbalanced in terms of their life as a whole. Some had severe financial problems; a few others seemed dangerously aggressive; and a few more just didn’t seem happy. This came as a severe shock to me.
I had always thought that merely cultivating QI or developing proficiency in Tai Chi would automatically create a person with a balanced health, Spirit, and demeanor. This did not always seem to be true.
So I began to wonder---what HAPPENS to all the energy we cultivate in QI practices, such as Qigong and Tai Chi? The answer seemed to be that the Energy seems to shape itself to our overall Intent and outlook on life. The energy itself is neutral; it is the direction of our overall focus that determines whether the Energy ultimately brings us to our highest and best possible state, or leaves us in a condition of imbalance or dissatisfaction.
Around the time I was trying to solve this question for myself, a special friend and teacher appeared who introduced me to the Law of Attraction. At first, I was quite resistant to learning about it; it seemed to be really “out there,” some kind of product of New Age fantasy.
But I noticed my teacher seemed to be one of the most balanced, energized, and happiest people I had ever met---and she had never done ANY kind of Energy cultivation practices, or meditation whatsoever. She simply applied the Law of Attraction consistently in her life.
Everything just seemed to “appear” for her quite effortlessly. She was extremely prosperous and just seemed to be a magnet for one positive occurrence after another.
In time I myself became a serious student of the Law and have been practicing it for many years now. I think practicing Law of Attraction is an absolute natural course for Tai Chi students! We spend years developing high levels of Energy; why not learn to deploy this Energy in the most beneficial ways for our self and others?
After my own 15 years of investigating and practicing the Law, I wrote down the very best ways I have found to apply and use it practically in everyday life in a 60 page E-book. It is NOT just woooooie, wooooie, “positive thinking,” but a very scientific and precise process.
Here is my experiment:
I have shared this with various friends and gotten positive feedback from all of them. Since I am planning to sell the book, I would like honest feedback from a reliable sample of people.
If you are at all interested in finding out an eminently practical way of applying the Law of Attraction in your life, I would love to hear from you.
I will be happy to send you a FREE copy of the E-book. I only ask that within 60-90 days, you e-mail me back your comments, either positive or negative. If positive, I will ask for your testimonial; if negative, I will improve the E-book!
Just e-mail me at alltaiji@aol.com and I will send you a copy of the e-book right away.
Thanks!
Your friend in Tai Chi,
paul gallagher
Thursday, September 3, 2009
A First Hello.....
Hello, Tai Chi Players,
This is the first of many blogs in which I will be sharing exciting and useful news and insight on Tai Chi (Taiji), Qigong, Meditation, Taoism and other "paths to Immortality."
Please visit again soon. You will be happy you did.
Till then,
all best regards,
paul gallagher
This is the first of many blogs in which I will be sharing exciting and useful news and insight on Tai Chi (Taiji), Qigong, Meditation, Taoism and other "paths to Immortality."
Please visit again soon. You will be happy you did.
Till then,
all best regards,
paul gallagher
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