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| These are notes from previous sessions
Push Hands Single arm fixed step - Horizontal Circles Single arm fixed step / Horizontal Circles is fairly quick to grasp bits of and is similar to Cloud Hands with a partner for those who know the Form.
Form The first Four Essential Principles all relate to your body shape and alignment. The next five all relate to understanding energy and how you move
5. Solid and Empty Stance (As you shift the weight on your body from the left leg to the right, the leg taking the weight is towards Solid or full, the right towards empty.) Try not to let your front knee go over your toe. Try to ensure your back leg knee is also in line with your toes as much as possible.
18 Postures
Form The first Four Essential Principles all relate to your body shape and alignment. 1. Straighten (lift up) the Head "Xu ling ding jin" (Look straight ahead, naturally erect not bending side to side. Raise your spirits.) 2. Sinking of Shoulders and Elbows (Keep you shoulders and elbows down and a small space under
your armpits.) 3. Correct Position of Chest and Back (Keep your your chest slightly inward and imagine your Qi sinks to the Dan Tien. Also try to keep your back naturally rounded and open.) 4. Relaxation of Waist (Waist relaxed to lead the movement. Sightly tuck under the tail bone. Relax the Kua / pelvic girdle area (like sitting on a barrel if you where in a wider stance.) The next five all relate to understanding energy and how you move Body Shape & Allignment in Red Click here for other Principles
Empty / Full Stance Brief Overview on heel and ball of foot 70% - 30% On completion of Postures (as a guide). Back leg follows toe pointing always at 45 degrees. Knee bent as much as comfortable only. If ball of foot touching - Leg towards bent. (Application supporting) Implied kick. If heel of foot touching - Leg towards straight (Application rooting) Implied sweep.
We are going through Preparation, Beginning, Grasp The Sparrow's Tail (Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press, Push), Single Whip, Raise Hands & Step Forward, White Crane Spreads its Wings. Left Brush Knee & Push and Hand Strums the Lute.
Form Tenth Principle 10. Tranquillity in Movement Keep the mind calmed. Try not to let your mind wander or think about other things. In practising the Form the slower the movements the better the results. This is because when the movements are slow, one can breathe deeply and try sink to the breath to the dan tien. Slowness in movement also has a soothing effect on the body and mind. People new to Tai Chi find the slowness difficult at first because they have little to work with. But if one is applying consideration to footwork, body, hand, gaze, application and any one of the ten Essential Principles you soon find there doesn't seem enough time. Later in Push Hands you also don't want to be thinking "My partner
is doing what next?" Only when your partner starts to do something..then
you try to naturally respond. You don't want you guessing., your mind is not
calm enough and then, probably, you are will be late. Move late, arrive first. Click here for other Principles
We are going through Preparation, Beginning, Grasp The Sparrow's Tail (Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press, Push), Single Whip, Raise Hands & Step Forward, White Crane Spreads its Wings. Left Brush Knee & Push and Hand Strums the Lute. Images of Yang Jun produced by permission of Fang, Hong. Secretary / Department of Membership Services. The International Yang Family Tai Chi Association. White Crane Spreads Its Wings  
Brush Left Knee & Push  
For more info look at the form section or
take a look at the video. Also I've added a Ten Essential Principles list and the Ten Postures and Thirteen Postures Qi Gong. Form Ninth Principle 9. Use the Mind Instead of
Force
Start from soft to hard. Not hard to hard. Don't use too much force. Use your mind. Too much force
creates tightness. You have to be relaxed but not limp. It's seems the Qi (energy) follows your mind. So if you flick a whip, but hold the energy in and are stiff, it's difficult to get a crack. But if you stay relaxed and place your intention on flicking the end of the whip, you achieve a crack. This, from a Tai Chi perspective is a significant difference between Hard and Soft styles Further Info. Click here for other Principles
We are going through Preparation, Beginning, Grasp The Sparrow's Tail (Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press, Push), Single Whip, Raise Hands & Step Forward, White Crane Spreads its Wings and adding Left Brush Knee & Push.
Form Eigth Principle 8. Harmony Between the Internal and External Parts Understanding the meaning of the movement. What is the application? Your internal imaginations and external movements should be co-ordinated together. From the inside (internally) thinking about what your imagined partner is doing, and reacting (externally) to that situation. Then your internal can be co-ordinated together with your external movement. Your Form has meaning and you place your energies at the appropriate areas. This control then opens the way to controlling your Qi (energies) for other uses such as for health and self healing. Click here for other Principles
Empty / Full Stance Brief Overview on heel and ball of foot 70% - 30% On completion of Postures (as a guide). Back leg follows toe pointing always at 45 degrees. Knee bent as much as comfortable only. If ball of foot touching - Leg towards bent. (Application supporting) Implied kick. If heel of foot touching - Leg towards straight (Application rooting) Implied sweep.
We are going through Preparation, Beginning, Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press, Push, Single Whip, Raise Hands &Step Forward and adding White Crane Spreads its Wings
For more info look at the form section or take a look at the video. Also I've added a Ten Essential Principles list and the Ten Postures
Form Seventh Principle 7. Importance of Continuity This means you try to keep your movements and energies
flowing. You make a circle from one move to the next. You aim to keep your energies and movements flowing, like a waters wave. The first wave almost comes to the end asthe next wave begins to swell up. That is why we have a lot of circular movements. We try to avoid straight lines or stopping. You make a circle from one move to the next but sometimes these circles are very subtle, take different directions and are not openly easy to spot. For example your arm may be travelling forward, but rotating.anti-clockwise. In real life it's an aim, everybody stutters and stops occasionally but it's important to keep trying. Click here for other Principles
We are going through Preparation, Beginning, Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press, Push, Single Whip and adding Raise Hands and Step Forward.
Form Sixth Principle 6. Co-ordination of Upper and Lower Parts Upper and lower body connect together. Tai Chi Chuan is a whole body movement.
Connected. If you swim the ideal is to use all parts of your body. It's similar with Tai Chi. You try not to just move bits of your body independantly. So for example as you turn your waist from Beginning to Ward Off Left although you only initially transfer weight and turn your waist, this also turns your right leg and foot on the heel and your torso, arms, hands, head and gaze to your right corner. It is a whole body movement (on this occasion) controlled by your waist. The energy comes from your feet (in the above, your left foot), is propelled by your legs, controlled by your waist and shown by your hands (or other parts of your body). From Yin to Yang. NB: Yin = Insubstancial / Empty / Soft Yang = Sunstantial / Full / Hard Click here for other Principles
Yang Family Hand Shape 2. Hook 1 Yang Family 2 Chen Style  
2. Hook. (1) Wrist bends down. Thumb, little finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger, tips close together with thumb. Thumb sits to middle finger and index finger. Your fingers are towards straight but not stiff.
Don't make a small curved finger hook (2). That is towards Chen Style hook.
Energy point is (in general) the in back of palm
We are going through Preparation, Beginning, Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press, Push and adding Single Whip Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press and Push are known as 'Grasp The Sparrows Tail' NB: When doing the majority of 'Grasp The Sparrows Tail' the idea of showing the meanings such as grabbing and use of the middle forearm guides you to the ideal hand positions. For more info look at the form section or take a look at the video. Also I've added a Ten Essential Principles list. We went through Preparation, Beginning, Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back and adding Press and Push Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press and Push are known as 'Grasp The Sparrows Tail' NB: When doing the majority of 'Grasp The Sparrows Tail' the idea of showing the meanings such as grabbing and use of the middle forearm guides you to the ideal hand positions. For more info look at the form section or take a look at the video. Also I've added a Ten Essential Principles list.
Form Fifth Principle 5. Solid and Empty Stance As you shift your weight from the left leg to the right, the leg taking the weight is towards full (Solid), the right towards empty. This is how you move gracefully and remain balanced. Imagine you are walking on ice which might not take your weight (but where you are standing is safe). You keeep your weight on your back leg. You step forward, first on the heel, then the ball, then the toes of your front foot, then you transfer your weight forward (knee follows toe). If at any point the ice was to break, you need to be able to transfer your weight back to your rear leg and try again. Once you are sure the front foot could take all your weight you transfer it to that foot. The ice doesn't break so now you can transfer it back to your rear leg to allow you to move your front foot (turning on the heel) to a better position . You know know you can transfer the weight back again to that front foot (because you've already tested the ice) to allow you to pick up your rear leg and begin all over again. To stress the point. In real life if you fell into water from ice, the most likely way out is to go back, because at some point you know the ice previously took your weight. if you carried on forward you have no way of knowing from the water if the ice would take your weight from any other point because you haven't walked on it. So the leg that contains more of your weight is Solid / Full. The leg that you are lifting up is considered Empty. NB: Yin = Insubstancial / Empty Click here for other Principles
Form Fourth Principle 4. Relaxation of Waist (Waist relaxed to lead the movement. Sightly tuck under the tail bone. Relax the Kua / pelvic girdle area like sitting on a barrel if you where in a wider stance) . This is said to again encourage your Qi to sink down towards the Dan Tien (centre point). If you puff your chest up you will feel top heavy. Tucking in your tailbone also slightly rounds your back which stretches / opens up your spine. Click here for other Principles
We are going through Preparation, Beginning, Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back and adding Press and Push Ward Off left Ward Off Right, Roll Back, Press and Push are known as "Grasp The Sparrows Tail" For more info look at the form section or take a look at the video. Also I've added a Ten Essential Principles list. Many thanks to all who came tonight. Also thanks to Rob and Mark this week and Simon and Sarah last week for helping demonstrate the meaning of the moves. I intended to mention how you hold your hand again, there is a picture at the bottom of this page and I'll cover it again next week Neil. Warm Up Head To Toe Routine Including Kua Meaning Pron: "Q Wha" Your hipbones stretch a little outwardly and the Inner thigh is adjusted towards the round. Paying careful attention to your knees bending. (Knee follows the toe).
Chinese Exercises Meridian Tapping Qi Gong
10 Postures Reverse Breathing Small Circulation Dantian (Generally) Draw a line from the head to the toe and navel to the spine. Then imagine 3 cm below that point towards the middle of your body.
Form Third Principle Correct Position of Chest & Back Allow your chest to sink in. Slightly tuck in your tailbone. This is said to again encourage your Qi to sink down towards the Dan Tien (centre point). If you puff your chest up you will feel top heavy. Tucking in your tailbone also slightly rounds your back which stretches / opens up your spine.
Yang Family Hand Shape 1. Palm  
Palm: Extend your fingers towards the straight, but bent slightly and slightly spaced between each fingers, the thumb is more open (Tiger Mouth). The palm remains the same shape throughout. Turning the forearm and wrist changes the direction and meaning. Internally one also changes the meaning. (Grabbing, Pulling, Pressing, Sitting, Striking.)
We went through Preparation, Beginning, Ward Off left Ward Off Right and added Roll Back. For more info look at the form section or take a look at the video. Warm Up Head To Toe Routine Including Kua Meaning Pron: "Q Wha" Your hipbones stretch a little outwardly and the Inner thigh is adjusted towards the round. Paying careful attention to fine-tuning your knees bending. (Knee follows the toe) Chinese Exercises Meridian Tapping Qi Gong
10 Postures Reverse Breathing Small Circulation 
Dantian (Generally) Draw a line from the head to the toe and navel to the spine. Then imagine 3 cm below that point towards the middle of your body. Form Second Principle Shoulders Down / Elbows Down Keep you shoulders and elbows down and a small space under your armpits. This is said to encourage your Qi to sink down towards the Dan Tien (the yellow dot). It helps to make our lower body feel heavy and upper body (in comparison) feel light and agile. We practised Preparation, Beginning, Ward Off left and added Ward Off Right. For more info look at the form section or take a look at the video.
One question asked was "Is the Tai Chi Form like a Pattern or Kata?" Yes.. in that all three are set movements. No.. in that Kata's and Patterns in general contain set meanings (this is a block, this is a grab) whereas the Tai Chi Form contains not one meaning but a set of 13 Principles. Similar to dancing, once you have learnt the steps (Principles) to a style, you can do that style of dancing in a unending variety of ways. Though in the Form the changes of meaning are in the mind. The form looks the same to anybody watching. | |
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