Knowing the origins and original purpose of taijiquan (tai chi) and the internal martial arts will help you to walk a straight path in your practice.
Entering the Door: Understanding and Training the Learned Power of the Chinese Martial Arts – Introduction Part II
Part II of the introduction to the training series “Entering the Door: Understanding and Training the Learned Power of the Chinese Martial Arts.”
Entering the Door: Understanding and Training the Learned Power of the Chinese Martial Arts – Introduction Part I
Part I of the introduction to the video series “Entering the Door: Understanding and Training the Learned Power of the Chinese Martial Arts.”
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…
What’s the difference? Part I: comparing internal arts
So what makes taiji taiji? I mean, what is unique to taijiquan, what makes it different from anything else? My 30+ year journey through taiji has paralleled my spiritual journey (and certainly not coincidentally so, as daily meditation is a…
More on internal power mechanisms: understanding the elastic force
Background – Summary/Review of Internal Power As detailed in a previous two-part article series, internal power has two components – yin and yang aspects. The yang component is primarily core strength – learning to utilize core musculature to maximize power…
Top 12 list – words to describe taiji
We’ve been posting some rather long and, in some cases, technical articles. I thought here we would strive for brevity while still attempting to convey the essence of taiji (tai chi) practice. What better format, then, than the ‘ole tried…
From similar in appearance to similar in spirit: understanding energy and the wisdom of Kung Fu Panda
There is a famous traditional saying describing the process of learning taiji (tai chi): from similar in appearance to similar in spirit The taiji classics also say: “no excess, no deficiency.” When we start to learn taiji movement, we try…