TAIJI SWORD LINKS (PHOTOS AND VIDEOS) LIANG SHOU YU / YANG TAIJI SWORD FORM PHOTOS OF YANG SIMPLIFIED SWORD SET FIRST 14 MOVEMENTS   TAIJIQUAN FORM LINKS (PHOTOS AND VIDEOS) YANG TAIJIQUAN PHOTOS VIDEO OF FIRST SECTION OF YANG STYLE TAIJIQUAN	Great video of Jet Li and Wu Tunan, a 96 year old Taijiquan Master who demonstrates single whip to Jet Li.   Click on Wu Tunan's picture.
Short video of me demonstrating the wonderful art of Qin Na to Diego "The Nightmare" Sanchez and Joe "Hybrid" Duarte. Click on either Joe's or Diego's photo. Diego's site is www.diegonightmare.com	Joe's site is www.joeduartemma.com

Spend at least a few minutes in the WUSHI posture that precedes the form.  

Ideally spend an hour or more in this position.    

Many people start their Taijiquan practice with only a second or two in the beginning position, which is too short a time.  

It is very difficult to get into the right mindset and have your body and mind ready to begin Taijiquan if you spend only a few seconds in preparation. 

If you spend a minimum of five minutes in this position, while evaluating the important points, then you will receive noticeable benefits.

Focus on the following points while standing in the beginning posture:

• Foot position

• Balance point on the feet (should be centered, not towards the balls of the feet, not towards the heels. However, realize that the heel and balls of the feet play an important role in being centered.   Now if one gently lets the balance shift in the following pattern:

    a.    center of the feet

    b.   a little towards the balls of the feet

    c.    center of the feet

    d.    a little towards the heels of the feet

    e.    center of the feet

In other words, gently shift the weight forward and backward while being aware of the central neutral position.    If you do this for five or ten minutes while spending at least ten seconds at each stage, like a slow motion rocking of the body, you will learn a lot about your balance as well as experience some excellent Qi flow in the lower extremities.   Now, back to the points that you should focus on while standing in the beginning posture

• The head should feel as if it is rising without using your muscles.    Relax your neck muscles and imagine that your head is filled with helium.    You will feel the top of the spine gently straighten out as you become more adept at this adjustment.

• Tuck the pelvis

• Root with the lower half of the body

• Rise to the heavens with the upper half

• Let your skeletal structure be lined up in such a way that you require the least amount of muscle to maintain this posture and position

• If/when you feel stress in any part of your body, then visualize your breathing to be flushing and cleansing this area.

• Breathe from your lower Dan Tien

• Do not let your breathing rise up in the chest

• Relax your body and mind

• Use mirrors or glass to see your reflection, or film yourself to see how your posture is

• Be aware of the Qi coming from the earth as well as the Qi falling from heaven

October 24, 2005

1. Beginning of Taijiquan (prior to beginning the form spend a few minutes in the beginning standing posture to allow your body and mind to relax / make the transition from WUSHI (emptiness) to Taiji to yin and yang)

2. Ward off left

3. Ward off right

4. Roll-back

5. Press

6. Push

7. Single Whip

Single Whip Posture (Tan Pien)

While practicing these movements focus on

• relaxing the mind and body/correct the posture/strengthen the intent and spirit

• proper alignment

• correct balance

• step lightly like a cat

• only step as far as you can sink (in other words don't fall onto each new step)

• if you can only sink a little, then take small steps

• balance and being centered is more important than how far you can step

• root to the ground and stretch to the heavens

• let the body move the hands

• root with the legs and feet/direct with the waist/manifest through the hands

• thinking leads to feeling

• be able to use left and right side of brain (analyze it then feel it)

• make the move yours (feel what is happening / be conscious of what is real)

• take the toughest movement and embrace it until it becomes your favorite technique

• tuck the pelvis / stretch the head upwards like a string pulling up the head from the center

• hollow the chest and pluck the back

• keep the six main bows alive and strong (legs, arms and torso/back)

Focus on the first seven movements of the form, with emphasis on the four directions:

• Peng (Ward off)

• Lu (Roll back)

• Ji (Press)

• An (Push)

These movements are often referred to as "The circle within the square". The circle intersects with the square at the four cardinal directions, north south east and west.

On a later lesson we will cover the four diagonals:

• Tsai (Pull down)

• Lieh (Split)

• Chao (Elbow strike)

• Kao (Shoulder strike)

These four movements are often referred to as "The square within the circle".   The square intersects with the circle at the four diagonals, north east, south east, north west and south west.

Within all of these 8 movements exists the property of PENG.   This quality one can see in nature as in the springiness of a branch on a tree.     PENG is not rigid, but is rather like a spring that becomes loaded when intersecting with the energy of others, and can expand outwards with great power once released.

The five bows of the body, arms, legs and trunk/back use the quality of PENG.

The 13 original Taijiquan Postures is a very old form that represented the following postures and concepts:

The four primary postures:

• Peng (Ward off)

• Lu (Roll back)

• Ji (Press)

• An (Push)

The four corner postures:

• Tsai (Pull down)

• Lieh (Split)

• Chao (Elbow strike)

• Kao (Shoulder strike)

The five directions:

• Forward (Advance)

• Backwards (Retreat)

• Look left

• Beware of the right

• Center (Equilibrium)

The majority of Taijiquan postures use the concepts and postures of the original thirteen postures.    Understanding the original thirteen postures can help lead to mastery of Taijiquan.

__________________________________________________________

FIRST SECTION

LONG FORM

YANG FAMILY TAIJIQUAN

1. Beginning of Tai-Chi (prior to beginning the form spend a few minutes in the beginning standing posture to allow your body and mind to relax)

2. Ward off left

3. Ward off right

4. Roll-back

5. Press

6. Push

7. Single Whip

8. Lift hand

9. White crane spreads wings

10. Brush knee and twist step, right

11. Playing guitar

12. Brush knee and twist step, right

13. Brush knee and twist step, left

14. Brush knee and twist step, right

15. Playing guitar

16. Brush knee and twist step, right

17. Step forward, deflect downward, intercept and punch

18. Withdraw and push

19. Cross hands

Corrections were covered on the first two postures.    

• Remember to keep in mind the main ten points of Taijiquan as you practice the form.

• Relax the breathing and breathe in your lower belly, do not worry about when to breath in or out.

• Be aware of your stepping, do not fall forward to the next step, but rather step softly and gently transfer the weight from one foot to the other.    It's like sticking your foot out to test the temperature of the swimming pool.    It is also similar to the type of movement a cat makes as it moves slowly towards its prey.

• When stepping, only step out as far as you can sink.   If you only sink a little bit, then your step should be correspondingly small.    Never fall onto your step, which can lead to injury, poor posture, ineffectiveness in applying the techniques.

• Keep the six bows alive (arms, legs and back/front).

• Take one posture and practice it repeatedly.

To good practice and a healthy life

Patrick