Why stretching is extremely important for Tai Chi 

Every morning, in the park or by the lake, you can always see many morning exercisers bending and stretching to stretch their ligaments. This type of exercise method is well known to everyone. As long as someone wants to exercise, even without a teacher's guidance, they will instinctively and naturally perform leg stretches and waist bends. Similarly, professional gymnasts, acrobats, dancers, etc., also consider leg stretches and waist bends as fundamental training. The purpose of this training method is to stretch the overall ligaments. The benefits include improving the flow of qi and blood in the body, achieving fitness effects, and making body movements more flexible and aesthetically pleasing. For example, gymnasts and dancers' movements present a gentle, coordinated, and graceful visual beauty to the audience.

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How to Hundred Days Mastery of Iron Palm Technique ?

As the name suggests, Iron Sand Palm is a type of palm technique trained using iron sand and falls within the category of hard internal martial arts. Among the numerous martial arts schools that exist throughout China, most have their own version of Iron Sand Palm techniques. Although the names may vary, the training methods share similarities and follow certain patterns. In essence, Iron Sand Palm is a hard internal martial art developed by using iron sand and herbal materials as training aids. It is a striking, defensive, and performative palm technique that, with prolonged practice, can break bricks and split stones.

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What is Tai Chi Dantian Internal Rotation ?

The earliest reference to Dantian can be found in the "Huangting Jing," an important Taoist scripture comprising the "Inner View" and "Outer View" sections. It is believed to have been transmitted by the famous female Taoist practitioner Wei Huacun during the Western Jin Dynasty. The "Huangting Jing" first introduces the concept of "three Dantian": "Breathe into the Dantian between the hut and the palace," "Within the Dantian, the essence and qi are subtle," "Stand in the Ming Hall and look at the Dantian to open the gate of life." The text emphasizes the significance of the Lower Dantian, stating, "With essence or fetus, handle both sides, core and child combine to extend life and brilliance."

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Read more about the article The Practice and Principles of Shaking Long Pole  in Internal Martial Arts
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The Practice and Principles of Shaking Long Pole  in Internal Martial Arts

The practice of shaking the Long  pole (Dǒu Gǎn) in internal martial arts has its origins in ancient spear techniques. During the era of cold weapons, long spears were generally over eight feet long. In martial arts families, when teaching their disciples, they would first learn the techniques of the medium-sized and circular spears. In the north, white waxwood poles were used, while in the south, they used rattan poles. Only after achieving a certain level of skill were they allowed to use the big spear. Before the Ming Dynasty, the Sha Family Pole and Yang Family Big Spear were both very demanding in terms of skill. Often, when their spear skills were accomplished, they would also have developed the whole-body coordinated power, making it easier to practice techniques like hand strikes.

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Read more about the article How to Change Force in Internal Martial Arts ?
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How to Change Force in Internal Martial Arts ?

To transition from External Martial Arts to Internal Martial Arts, one needs to change the way force is utilized. As Huang Baijia said: "Zhang Sanfeng excelled in Shaolin and then transformed to Internal Martial Arts. This is known as Internal Martial Arts. If you grasp either of these, it is enough to surpass Shaolin." The phrase "transform to Internal Martial Arts" means converting the external muscular strength to internal power. However, even in different stages of training in Internal Martial Arts, there is still a need to change the way force is used.

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Read more about the article How is the force of a punch generated?
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How is the force of a punch generated?

There are various methods to obtain force in martial arts, but they can be summarized into three main types: static force, dynamic force, and a combination of both static and dynamic force. For example, Muay Thai and boxing belong to the dynamic force type, while Tai Chi, Xingyi Quan, and Baguazhang belong to the static force type and the combination of static and dynamic force. Of course, the distinction between dynamic and static force is not absolute; it simply refers to the emphasis on either dynamic or static aspects in the pursuit of force, resulting in distinct training styles and technical characteristics.

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Read more about the article The Essentials of Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan explained by Tai Chi Master Wang Yongquan
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The Essentials of Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan explained by Tai Chi Master Wang Yongquan

The fundamental characteristics of Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan are natural, gentle, and graceful, making the practitioner feel comfortable during the movements. When practicing Tai Chi, one should focus on demonstrating the features of relaxation, stability, slowness, and evenness. On this basis, gradually learn to use internal energy, achieving a state of relaxation, expansiveness, connectivity, and emptiness.

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