I have been thinking we could express the value of tai chi chuan by saying something like “15 minutes of tai chi is like X minutes of <something else>”. Other exercises are great–in fact, asl long as we are up and moving it is better than sitting on the couch–but can we brag about a … Read more
…and the “kung” in “kung fu”. They both mean work. In full, qi gong translates to energy work, and kung fu refers to skill developed through hard work. Is all this talk about work depressing? OK, let us talk about yoga. One of the coolest rules I ever heard was, “Skip one day of practice, … Read more
Maria asked a great question in class today, “great” because she is new to tai chi and I am surprised she focused on this issue that is indeed a solid question for tai chi practitioners, and one highlighted by Master Chen: how low should we go with our bent knee stances held throughout the form? … Read more
Today Kathy and I invented a new exercise for developing a fundamental skill, the namesake empty step. For fun, I call this exercise “The Counting Step”. The counting step incorporates three fundamentals of Master Chen’s teaching: How it happened For a change, I decided to just watch my student perform. As Kathy executed Ward Off … Read more
OK, that title is click bait. Kinda. Here is what happened. Somehow I worked out that the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata was a great accompaniment while practicing the Yang-style tai chi chuan form. No, we do not need an accompaniment for tai chi, but if I am having trouble getting motivated for solo … Read more
Hey, all! I have not been talking up World Tai Chi Day, but it is coming up next Saturday and I had scheduled an event, so let’s see what’s going on! Here is the web site for World Tai Chi Day. Here is the Empty Step event. Please sign up if you plan on attending. … Read more
Our new student Maria blessed us with some beautifully composed shots of our practice. But they brought me up short. Can you say xū líng dǐng jìn (虚灵顶劲)? Maybe “Empty Lively Crown Jin”? Okay, most texts say something like “hold the head as if suspended from a silk thread”. And I need to work on … Read more
Today under the gazebo at 50°F I was wondering how on earth we comfortably did tai chi at 22°F! The problem may have been that there was a solid offshore NNE wind so there was no place to hide, and there was certainly no sun, just a steady light rain. I lasted only thirty minutes, … Read more
Had the boardwalk almost to myself today, with just one or two joggers braving the rain. Under the gazebo things were nice and dry for my exciting day of practice. Exciting? Today I was going to explore conforming more closely to Master Chen’s form, the taller stance, and also explore his approach to stepping. I … Read more
Just found some fellow winter practitioners! In fact, that is just one of a series called Tai Chi Through the Seasons. And these gents really get out there in the weather, doing the Yang-style 108 movement long form. That is the blizzard episode, filmed up in Bangor, Maine. The narration is some of the best … Read more