Some of the movements in tai chi have very poetic names. This one is called embrace tiger, return to mountain. Like all the other movements I teach it can be expressed in many different ways. The way shown in the video below is, perhaps, the most popular with the two arms circling out and down as if around an imaginary large ball. However, you could also use the 2 arm […]
Tai chi developed as a martial art and most of the moves still have the potential to be used in combat if you know how to use them. Most teachers don’t but I’ve trained in the Chinese martial arts for 40 years so I know them well. None of the moves of tai chi are more obviously martial than parry and punch Parry and punch does exactly what it says […]
It has been said many times that the best way to practice tai chi is to select one movement and repeat it over and over again. Don’t do this mindlessly but focus on relaxing down, finding the connections between the parts of your body, focus on your balance, breathing and the movement of energy. Any movement will do but ideally it should involve a transfer of weight, a turn of […]
While performing the form there are many elements you can focus on. Each one will bring new insights into how to perform it in the most effective ways. There are many other elements you could focus on which you’ll learn as you progress. Just focus on one or two at a time. To view this post in full you’ll need a Basic Level membership. This will give you access to […]
There is no fixed way of doing any movement in tai chi. Different schools teach different variations of them and this move is a good example. In many schools that teach this form the move we call sink weight is known as shoulder barge or shoulder strike. The body is twisted to the left and there is a strike with the right shoulder. This is equally valid but I find […]
Squeeze and pull down is a surprisingly challenging move. This is because all your weight needs to be on your back leg throughout. From a defensive perspective it is most commonly used to seize your opponent’s arms and pull them down onto your unweighted right knee. .From an energy perspective you are compressing energy in and sinking it down your weighted leg into the earth. How to do it Throughout […]
This is a lovely exercise for gently restoring mobility to most of your joints. I do this several times a day. Particularly if I’ve been sitting down for a while or am feeling tired and stressed this exercise can restore balance and vitality in under a minute. Exhaustion is almost always accompanied by greatly increase muscle tension. You’re tired because every muscle in your body is tight and are fighting […]
In kung fu and tai chi you learn to direct the force of your body through the centre. This is your waist and hip area. Yet it is often full of tension. Most people spend a lot of the lives sitting down and when they walk their walking habits are unbalanced and lack grace and aliveness. All of this creates tension in the muscles surrounding the hips. This exercise is […]
This is a classic and popular qigong exercise to loosen the shoulders, realign the spine and teach you to twist upwards through the whole body. It connects every part of you to the centre of your body and teaches you to direct power from there. This exercise is the most common first exercise I do in class to begin loosening and warming students up. This arm swing looks simple but […]
Single whip is one of the best known moves in tai chi I have seen single whip performed in many different ways. I use a variety of ways myself. Any of the four main arm circles can be used in single whip. The way I teach it here uses your full weight into your supporting leg, a turning of the waist and a wave like movement through your arm to […]
Push is a movement that looks easy but can take years to get right. It is used several times in the tai chi form but is also essential study for kung fu practitioners. The principles of push can be applied to a wide range of other techniques. Push is actually two movements. There is a drawing back move where you take all your weight plus your opponent’s energy and root […]
In tai chi we use all kinds of imagery to help us understand the movements and concepts and change the way a movement feels. To understand roll back imagine trying to push a ball under water. Unless your hand is directly on top of the ball’s centre it will sink and turn away and your hand will get wet. This is exactly what roll back does. The previous movement led […]