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Tai Chi

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

martial secrets

Silk Reeling

Silk Reeling Energy in Chen Tai Chi, Chen Xin, Chen Zhaokui & Practice

The term "缠法" (Chán Fǎ) was proposed by Chen Xin, also known as Chen Xinyi, in his book "Illustrated Explanation of Chen-Style Taijiquan." He stated, "Taijiquan also involves 'Chán Fǎ' (Entwining Techniques)." He further emphasized, "Without understanding this, one cannot comprehend the essence of the martial art." Chen Xin affirmed the significant position of "Chán Fǎ" in the Chen-style Taijiquan routines and elaborated on its various forms: "there are 'Jin Chán' (Advancing Entwining), 'Tui Chán' (Retreating Entwining), 'Zuo Chán' (Left Entwining), 'You Chán' (Right Entwining), 'Shang Chán' (Upward Entwining), 'Xia Chán' (Downward Entwining), 'Li Chán' (Inward Entwining), 'Wai Chán' (Outward Entwining), 'Shùn Chán' (Clockwise Entwining), 'Nì Chán' (Counterclockwise Entwining), 'Dà Chán' (Large Entwining), and 'Xiǎo Chán' (Small Entwining)."

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August 7, 2023

Tai Chi

HealthMartialBenefits

Why more you practice Tai Chi, the healthier you become ?

As the saying goes, "After three years of learning boxing, you may lose your skills in just three days." "One day of practice brings one day of progress; ten days without practice result in a hundred days of emptiness." These sayings illustrate the importance of consistent practice in martial arts. Without the determination to practice diligently and view Tai Chi Chuan as a way of health preservation, not just a remedy for illness or a form of physical exercise, individuals are more likely to experience a decline in their skills. Once the skills are lost and various ailments arise, regrets will follow.

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August 6, 2023

Tai Chi

Principles

Tai Chi Principles, Wu Yuxiang’s Classical Teachings Explained

　The basic principles of traditional Tai Chi are simple to say but difficult to put into the body: calm the mind, remove unnecessary tension, distinguish empty from full, keep the body connected, let the feet and legs support the movement, use the waist to direct it, and allow the hands to express what the whole body is doing. After practicing Tai Chi and other Chinese martial arts for more than forty years, I have become less interested in how beautifully someone can repeat these principles and much more interested in whether they can actually show them when they move. The current ChenStyle author biography records more than four decades of hands-on martial arts experience, including training, competition, judging and exchanges with senior practitioners. 　Many of these ideas appear in what we now call the Tai Chi Classics, especially the writings associated with Wu Yuxiang (武禹襄) and the Wu-Li tradition. The old texts are short. Sometimes a single sentence contains enough material to keep a serious student busy for years. That is one reason I think reading them as a list of inspirational quotations misses their real value. They were meant to guide practice.

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August 4, 2023

Tai Chi

Principles

Why Tai Chi Moves in Circles: Roundness, Neutralizing & Power

In Tai Chi Quan, defense is also an attack, and an attack is also a defense. One cannot apply Tai Chi Quan's methods to attack without being able to use those same methods to defend. Since every movement involves circles, the more profound the skill, the smaller the circles become. Sometimes the movements are imperceptibly circular, encompassing both defense and attack. Therefore, in push hands exercises, one must be attentive to "listening to energy," which means practicing sensitivity and touch to feel the opponent's force. By sensing the direction of the incoming force, one can use half a circle to defend and the other half to attack. This is what is meant by "stickiness" in Tai Chi, which is the same as "adherence" or "following."

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August 3, 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

martial secrets

Fa Jin

How Tai Chi Fa Jin – Release Energy ?

The explosive power of being relaxed, flexible, and bouncing is the essence of Chen-style Tai Chi Quan, and it is one of the main differences between Chen-style Tai Chi Quan and other Tai Chi Quan styles. Many Tai Chi enthusiasts admire the ability to emit force, but after years of diligent practice, only a few can fully grasp and freely control it with their intention, Qi, and power in perfect harmony. The reason behind this scarcity is the lack of proper guidance and understanding. However, if one truly comprehends the principles of emitting force in Chen-style Tai Chi Quan, mastering it becomes an achievable task.

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August 2, 2023