In tai chi no part of your body moves on it’s own. Every part is supported by the whole. Most of the movements you do in life only involve a small part of your body. It’s very rare that any movement involves all of your body unless you’re trying to lift or move a heavy object. Even then the body is uncoordinated and the parts don’t work together very well. […]
As with the first section work on each movement individually first. Then put them together. You’ll notice that the moves after embrace tiger, return to mountain are the same as for the first section – rollback and press, push and single whip. You should already be becoming familiar with these important moves. Both the videos below begin with single whip which was the last move of the first section. Sorry […]
This video shows you the first section of the form up to the first single whip from two different angles. Once you’ve learned each of the movements separately use this video to see how to join them together. Then work on incorporating the 4 key qualities of movement and breathing. Sorry but to view this post you will need a subscription to the relevant part of the site. Click here […]
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 […]
You are born full of life and energy but it is blocked inside you. So you grow old depleted of your vitality In the early morning and parks and woodland across China you will see people of all ages exercising. Many of them are doing the slow, rhythmic movements of tai chi but others don’t seem to be moving at all. They are as still as the trees around them. […]
Many people turn up to my classes worrying that they won’t be fit enough or flexible enough. Within a very short space of time they realise those things don’t really matter. The biggest problem they have, that everyone has, is with coordination. Coordination means getting your arms and legs to do what you want them to do. Almost every movement I teach is a whole body movement. That means you […]
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. Sorry but to view this post you will need a subscription to the relevant part of the site. […]
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 […]
Now you understand the concept of yin and yang better you’ll realise that in tai chi we aim to create movement and energy by making different parts of the body yin or yang. Yin and yang arms mostly refers to the position of your elbow. A yin elbow is sunk down, It feels heavy and this pulls your shoulder down and helps root you more firmly onto the earth. It […]