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
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
Quite a wild sequence today, with the whole class dedicated to sorting out Step Up, Deflect, Intercept, and Punch, then spontaneously deciding to make the closing round our first ever exploration of a newer idea from Master Chen: the Four Butts. Yes, the Four Butts. Master Chen loves to have fun, part of why he … Read more
Perhaps this comes as no surprise to most of you, but my budding little tai chi group includes not one but three ballerinas! One of them, the most experienced (decades!) is also a modern dancer (decades!) and she is having fun but really struggling with the form. ChatGPT offers: That said, the big challenge is … Read more
Got to play solo today with the rain and onshore wind discouraging our stalwarts. Worked on balance, so much harder outside the kitchen. Balance in Golden Pheasant Stands On Left Leg During our last practice, I was reminded that the human head is quite heavy, ten or twelve pounds. Same as a small to medium … Read more