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After Practicing for a While, How to Further Improve Your Tai Chi Level?

After a period of training, the body becomes appropriately supple, the central Qi (energy) increases internal strength, and the mind gains clear awareness. Subsequently, a natural sense of relaxed heaviness emerges, along with intuitive sensitivity and a soft yet resilient power. The effect of these conditions, in terms of Tai Chi terminology, is called "Jin" (force). Experiencing this force and then learning various pushing hands techniques and further studying the skill of "understanding Jin" can lead to sudden enlightenment.

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March 17, 2024

Tai Chi

BeginnerGuide

How Every part of the human body embodies Tai Chi ?

The phrase "人体处处皆太极" originates from Chen Xin, a Tai Chi theorist from the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. This theory resonates with the famous Tai Chi master Gu Liuxin's saying "太极浑身都是手" (Every part of the body in Tai Chi is a hand). Gu's statement sharply highlights the offensive and defensive functions in Tai Chi. On the other hand, Chen Xin's phrase not only embodies the Yin-Yang theory of the human body but also aligns with the Tai Chi principles of circular movement and offense-defense. What does "Every Part of the Human Body is Tai Chi" mean?Wang Zongyue's Tai Chi proverb states, "Tai Chi is born from the limitless, the mother of Yin and Yang." This means only when there's a balance of Yin and Yang can the essence of Tai Chi be realized. A body…

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August 30, 2023

Tai Chi

BeginnerGuide

How Tai Chi Relax your shoulders; a hundred explanations

In the words of Grandmaster Yang Chengfu in "Ten Essentials of Taijiquan": "Sink the shoulders and drop the elbows. To sink the shoulders means to relax and allow them to hang down. If they cannot be relaxed and allowed to hang down, then the two shoulders will lift up, and the qi will also rise, causing the entire body to lose strength. To drop the elbows means to let the elbows hang down loosely. If the elbows are raised, the shoulders cannot sink, and the opponent can easily break your structure, similar to the external martial arts' concept of breaking power."

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August 23, 2023

Tai Chi

BeginnerGuide

The basic principles of practicing Tai Chi Chuan’s upper, middle, and lower body coordination. – Hong Jun Sheng

Upper Body From the top of the head to the neck area, the upper body includes the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, and facial region. The upper body serves as the guiding mechanism for the overall body movement, as explained below: Neck The Baihui acupoint at the center of the head's top is the center of "ding jin" (upward force). It should be slightly raised, as if suspended. Properly managing "ding jin" results in a light and agile body, embodying the concept of "full body lightness."

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August 23, 2023

Tai Chi

BeginnerGuide

The basic principles of practicing Tai Chi Chuan for the shoulders, elbows, hands, wrists, and fingers. – Hong Junsheng

Shoulders: Should be relaxed, resembling the arms hanging from the shoulders like ropes. This not only keeps the arms and hands flexible but also maintains the body's balance even when the arms are moved or pressed by external forces. Elbows: Elbows should frequently sink with the relaxation of the shoulders. The extension and contraction of the arms should shift direction from the movement of relaxed shoulders and sinking elbows. This ensures that the body's power reaches the hands appropriately and can adapt to changes when facing an opponent.

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August 22, 2023

Tai Chi

BeginnerGuide

Tai Chi Before or After Eating? Food, Water & Meal Timing

　If you ask me whether it is better to practice Tai Chi before or after eating, my answer is simple: I don't like practicing when I am either very hungry or very full. For morning practice, I usually drink warm water first, eat only a light amount if I need food, practice Tai Chi, then give my body some time to settle before having a larger meal. 　After more than four decades around traditional Chinese martial arts, I've found that complicated diet rules are rarely necessary for ordinary Tai Chi practice. What matters more is comfort. When my stomach is too full, turning the waist, sinking, stepping and breathing simply don't feel right. When I'm extremely hungry, concentration can suffer too.

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August 3, 2023

Tai Chi

BeginnerGuide

7 Tips to loose up when practice Tai Chi

Warm-up preparation According to the sequence of practicing boxing, warm-up is essential for relaxation. Before punching, stretch your muscles, move your joints, and gently move your whole body, which helps to relax both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, many practitioners neglect these simple warm-up exercises because they don't value their importance. Even if they do warm up, it's often done half-heartedly. Little do they know that without proper warm-up, the effectiveness of boxing will be compromised, and it may even lead to injuries. Cultivate a tranquil mind A calm mind leads to a relaxed body, and a relaxed body facilitates a tranquil mind. They are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, forming a dialectical relationship. If you talk while practicing boxing, it will not only disrupt your movements and disperse your internal energy ("qi") but also make it challenging to relax your…

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August 3, 2023

Tai Chi

BeginnerGuide

How to prevent knee injury when practicing Tai Chi ?

As Tai Chi, an outstanding martial art of Chinese Wushu, has gained recognition for its health benefits with the development of society, an increasing number of people now participate in learning and practicing Tai Chi. However, among those who practice Tai Chi, some individuals often experience varying degrees of knee joint pain and, in some cases, even long-term knee joint injuries. So, how can one avoid injuring the knee joints while practicing Tai Chi?

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July 29, 2023