Instead of a typical blog entry on theory and mechanisms of taiji practice, I thought we’d just share a typical taiji class in this post. Below is a video playlist of portions of our Feb 18, 2021 virtual Zoom class…
Two poems and understanding peng/lu/ji/an/cai/lie/zhou/kao
One purpose of poetry is to communicate succinctly. My favorite songwriter John Prine was certainly a poet—he could tell an entire story in one sentence. (The day after I wrote this, John Prine was pronounced Illinois’ first poet laureate 🙂…
Variables of Form Practice— Part II: The Other Side
In Part I of this article on variables of form practice we addressed when and why one should practice faster taiji (tai chi) forms. Here we take up another variable: practicing “the other side.” I understand that practicing the mirror…
Eight characteristics of taiji (tai chi) movement
In Part I of our article “What’s the Difference?” I listed seven characteristics of taiji (tai chi) movement. Based on questions/comments received, I thought it worthwhile to expound a bit on each of these. The goal here was to make…
Self-defense theory and practices of taiji – Part I: physical strategies and skills
Having examined the mechanisms of internal force (nei jin) in the previous two-part blog entry, we can now take a look at the practice and strategies of taiji (tai chi) as a martial art. This post will be a broad-brush…