Very Important Methods of Relaxing the Waist

In Yang-style Tai Chi, relaxing the waist is emphasized as a crucial point: "The waist is the master of the whole body. Only when the waist is relaxed, then the feet are powerful, and the lower stance is stable. Changes between solidity and emptiness all come from the turning of the waist, thus it's said that the source of command is in the space of the waist. Any lack of strength must be sought in the waist and legs."

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Must Read Notes from Yang Style Master Yang Chengfu

       Yang Chengfu summarized the practice of Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan into ten essentials: "Empty the mind and top up the energy, contain the chest and pull up the back, relax the waist, distinguish between solid and empty, sink the shoulders and drop the elbows, use intent not force, coordinate the upper and lower body, harmonize the inside and outside, continue movements without interruption, and find stillness in motion.

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Three Stage of Tai CHi standing

Because Yin and Yang depend on each other (each exists as a precondition for the other), pure Yin does not last, and pure Yang does not endure. Hence, in martial arts, there is no absolute relaxation or tension. Complete relaxation is slackness, and complete tension is stiffness. There is relaxation within tension, and tension within relaxation, the transformations of Yin and Yang are infinitely profound.

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Tai Chi fighting basic knows Four Characters Secret

The postscript explains that to understand the Four Characters Secret, one must first understand the energy; without this understanding and reaching a highly refined level of practice, it's impossible to fully grasp it. This might sound mysterious, but practicing push hands involves a process of 'gradually understanding the energy from familiarity and progressing to a divine level of understanding.' Only after passing the initial stage can one gradually understand the "Four Characters Secret." Of course, due to individual differences in insight, even with the same effort, comprehension can vary in timing.

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Why Tai Chi tendons stretch so Important

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes Qi and blood but seldom mentions tendons, which are secrets kept within Taoist or martial arts communities. The human body has twelve major meridians and also twelve major tendon channels. Qi moves the blood, and where there are meridians, there are blood vessels, and I must add: where there are blood vessels, there are tendons, and where there are tendons, there are meridians. Because tendons nourish Qi, Qi nourishes blood, and blood nourishes tendons. If tendons grow an inch, life expectancy increases by ten years. Whether for martial arts or health cultivation, training tendons is crucial.

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Why Pan jia is traditional Tai Chi comprehensive training way

   In Tai Chi pan jia, every posture and even every small movement is permeated with Tai Chi Yin Yang philosophy. Otherwise, even practice for decades, just stay in physical fitness stage, cannot reach martial arts high level. For martial artists, not only know how it works but also why it works, then can keep improving. Purpose of pan jia must be clear: only through pan jia, can really grasp the whole body movement rules, achieve coordination of hand, eye, body, method, step; spirit, energy, intention, strength, mind, whole body as one family.

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the Ultimate goal for high level Tai chi practice

        In advanced stages of practicing Tai Chi, the focus is on cultivating the vital energy within the Dantian. To practice Tai Chi, one must understand its principles thoroughly and apply the correct methods to truly master the skills and be able to apply them in push hands. Tai Chi is not only a profound theoretical martial art but also applicable in actual combat; without this application, theory and practice are disconnected. However, in real life, many practice Tai Chi without integrating its philosophy and techniques, often resulting in purely theoretical discussions that are too abstract, or purely technical practices that are too concrete. This results in a failure to fully grasp and pass on the complete essence of Tai Chi.

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Why can standing post (Zhan Zhuang) enrich the marrow and strengthen the body ?

Why standing post (Zhan Zhuang) can make bone marrow full and body strong? Secret is in stretching tendons and pulling bones! Post deep in ground, very stable, no matter wind or rain, it not move! Big sky and universe, stand alone, look down on everything! Stand between heaven and earth, fill the gaps of universe! Standing post is way to make body's qi channels fully stretch. It let essence, energy, spirit go back into marrow. People who do standing post often have strong bones and tendons. One sign of this strength is person look not fat, but weight is not light, this show body healthy. Some people look fat, but is soft fat, lots of flesh, when weigh, very light, this actually show essence not stay in bones.

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