tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30191225212426545472024-03-14T05:24:05.316-04:00Kung Fu & Tai ChiYang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-89006036418239859302012-05-20T10:41:00.001-04:002012-05-20T16:10:03.110-04:00My Trip to 2012 World Tai Chi Day in New York City!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mp-T7JlHpQI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>It's been a few years now that I've heard about this "so called" World Tai Chi & Chi Gong Day, that takes place on the last Saturday every April. This year (2012), my curiosity finally got the best of me, and began serious contemplation about attending this event.</div>
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One of the more popular World Tai Chi Day events takes place in Central Park in Manhattan, NYC. I looked around on the internet to see if I could find other events that were closer, but didn't see anything other than local schools doing small events. It's great that they are, and maybe in the future we will do the same, however I wanted to see what this well known venue had to offer.</div>
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After much deliberation, I decided that I would take the trip to New York City, and through some Chinese friends of mine, found the cheapest bus routes, and the cheapest Hotel to stay at in NYC Chinatown. </div>
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When I told people I was going to take the Fung Wah bus from Boston to New York, they started to fear for my life, however they were quite acceptable for the most part, and I never felt they drove any worse than the busses from Nashua to Boston. Other than trying to defend an empty seat next to me (due to cramped seats), the bus rides weren't all that terrible.</div>
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When I arrived in Chinatown, NYC on Friday afternoon, I got off the bus into the shock of my life. I've never seen anything quite so busy. I fortunately only had one backpack with me, but even with that strapped over my back it was hard to squeeze through the crowded streets.</div>
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So I pulled out my directions to the hotel, and couldn't figure them out to save my life, even though I knew the hotel was nearby. I knew the hotel wasn't going to be a real nice place, but it was in Chinatown, and I wanted the experience of staying there... plus it was cheapest. Then I saw a local Chinatown cop walking the beat, and asked him if he knew where my hotel was, and he had no clue. That's when I really knew the hotel was going to be pretty shabby! Imagine... the local police don't know where a hotel less than a thousand feet from you is?</div>
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Well I finally found the hotel, if you want to call it that, and looked up these long flights of narrow stairs, and began to ascend. About half way up the various flights I saw the registration desk. I checked in and they gave me the key to the room (or should I say closet). I went to the room and tried to use the key in the door, but the lock didn't work, the room had no windows, it just had a semi made bed and it was about 90 degrees and stuffy, with about one foot of room to walk outside the bed. That's when I made the determination I was going to have to upgrade to a room with a window and a lock (imagine that).</div>
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I got into the new room, and I could see that the floors weren't really swept, and there was no drawers or closet, just a desk with dirty drawers and old insect wings hanging about. Needless to say, I just hung my clothes on some hooks on the back of the door. There's no bathroom with the room, but there's two shared restrooms and showers on each floor. That's a whole other story. Because I had my iPad with me I was nervous about leaving it in this place, as it was pretty much a flop house, with people that live there on a regular basis. I never had any theft problems though. This place makes some truck stops I've stayed at look like five star hotels.</div>
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When I sat on the bed it felt like I was sitting on plywood. I figured that was just the type of mattress that they used in Chinatown, but later realized that it wasn't a mattress at all, but rather just a box-spring. Dare I complain?.. no way! I left well enough alone, realizing that I had a room that locked and also had a window... at least I could breathe at night. When I did open the window, all I could hear was sirens, horns blowing, brakes squealing, and noise upon noise.</div>
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So I decided it was time to get out of the room and at least go walking, so I did my best to hide the iPad in the only place in the room that no one would think of looking. I headed out the door and began my walkabout in New York City. I may have quickly toured a little of Chinatown first, but really just began a trip north towards the main city. I walked, and walked, and walked, then when I finally came home, I was starting to get hungry, and decided I should eat in Chinatown.</div>
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Of all the things I thought would be easy that weekend, finding a place to eat was top on the list. After all, I'm staying in Chinatown, and I love Chinese food. The problem was that I was by myself, and every restaurant I peered into was either a hole in the wall that I dare not go into, or very nice places that had huge round tables for 10 plus people. I could not find any place with a bar or small tables to sit at. I finally found one place with a table for four, and even then they had to move a couple to a larger table for me to sit. A little embarrassing to say the least. Now I'm very thankful for the restaurants that accommodate eating by yourself that we have in our area.</div>
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After a very stressful Friday evening, I got up real early on Saturday morning, wondering if it would be a repeat of Friday, but even longer. After all, this was supposed to be a relaxing Tai Chi weekend? So I decided to visit Chinatown's Columbia Park, which I heard was popular for Tai Chi Chuan (pronounced Tai ji Chuen) and other similar types of Chinese culture. To my pleasant surprise, I walked into the park to see groups of people warming up with some Chi Gong exercises and people practicing Tai Chi forms. I sat and relaxed, breathing in the cool air, and finally started enjoying the culture of New York City's Chinatown.</div>
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After that it was a thrill to find a McDonalds and enjoy a coffee and breakfast sandwich. Then I returned to Columbia Park and practiced my Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan form on the huge Pavilion overlooking the park. It was so relaxing. We need a park like that in NH, dedicated to Martial Art's practice.</div>
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Well, it was time to figure out how to get to Central Park for the World Tai Chi Day event, and by asking numerous people, I managed to figure out the subway system enough to get close. One thing I found about NY is that the people there are very friendly and helpful if you are lost. I asked, and received help from some guys that most people would cross the street to avoid for fear of their life... but they were quite helpful.</div>
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When I got off the subway near to central park (I believe Park Ave.)... I thought it would just be a walk through the park to get to the location of the event. It was, but I had no idea how big Central Park was. I ran into another Tai Chi player named Jim, and we both somehow trekked through and found the area, even though we separated for a time. After asking people, and getting sent left and right, I finally plugged "East Meadow" into my cell phone GPS and just navigated there.</div>
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I got to the event and although it wasn't as big as I thought it would be, there were quite a number of Tai Chi players and schools there and I was able to capture some <a href="http://youtu.be/mp-T7JlHpQI" target="_blank">photos and videos</a> with my iPad. I originally thought it would be more spontaneous Tai Chi like in our <a href="http://www.newenglandtaichi.com/" target="_blank">New England Tai Chi Retreats</a>, with people practicing all around the park, but it turned out to be mostly constant demos. It was great, but it was a little different than I expected.</div>
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When it was getting close to the end of the event, I began my trip back to Chinatown via 5th Avenue and thought I'd grab a bite to eat, but this time even pizza shops were so small that there weren't enough seats to sit down. Oh well back to Chinatown.</div>
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When I returned to Chinatown, I pretty much headed to Columbia Park again, but this time to find a completely different environment than the peacefulness of the morning. The park was crowded with almost every bench space taken, Chinese musical instruments, singers and dancers filled the walks of the park, and every table had a Mahjong game going. Although quite a bit different than the quiet scene of the morning, it was still quite enjoyable watching Chinese culture, as though it were China.</div>
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The highlight of the evening was sitting and watching a Tai Chi Chuan Class on the same pavilion where I practiced my Tai Chi form in the morning. The teacher was very friendly, and didn't seem to mind me looking on. Though it was a different form than ours, it was still quite informative watching students taught their movements in such a pleasant environment.</div>
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I really enjoyed Columbia Park, and I recommend it to any that attend World Tai Chi Day in NYC in the future. It's a great way to begin and end the day in a very authentic Chinese cultural way.</div>
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Other than the hotel (flop house) with dirt, bug wings, and box springs... I really enjoyed the weekend, it was certainly a new experience. When I returned to Boston, I was also pleasantly surprised by a Tai Chi Chuan event in Boston's Chinatown during my bus layover.</div>
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Home at last... I just wanted to share my story with those that might care to hear!</div>
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<a href="http://www.yangstyle.com/" target="_blank">www.yangstyle.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.newenglandtaichi.com/" target="_blank">www.newenglandtaichi.com</a></div>
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</div>Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-61900224792238460422010-05-27T07:52:00.000-04:002010-05-27T07:52:23.089-04:00David West - Tai Chi Video<object style="background-image:url(http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/gRK3no5O8JA/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gRK3no5O8JA&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gRK3no5O8JA&hl=en_US&fs=1" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-24115555794209852552008-03-11T08:23:00.009-04:002008-03-11T08:33:29.915-04:00Seminar with 6th Generation Yang Family Taijiquan Master, Yang Jun<em><a href="http://www.yangstyle.com/sharedfiles/yang_jun_certificate_frame_.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.yangstyle.com/sharedfiles/yang_jun_certificate_frame_.jpg" border="0" /></a>Article by David West</em><br /><br />I was recently invited by one of my past instructors (Sifu Michael Coulon) to attend a two day seminar with Master Yang Jun.<br /><br />At first I was hesitant, due to time constraints, etc, however after not too much contemplation, I made the decision to attend... <a href="http://www.yangstyle.com/articles.htm#seminar"><em>Read More</em></a>Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-58525637250025205012008-02-07T08:10:00.000-05:002008-02-07T08:12:57.722-05:00Tui Shou (Push Hands of Taijiquan)Tui Shou (Push Hands) is one of Taijiquan's way of working applications and using the energies cultivated in the learning of the internal kung fu (taiji) form. This practice is something that develops over years. I believe it is why the best of the best in displaying this portion of the art are usually very old. Tui Shou must take place effortlessly. Do not use external force. Take a look at these masters applying their skills in the art of Taijiquan Tui Show.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.yangstyle.com/tui_shou.htm">Various Masters Demonstrate Tui Shou (Push Hands)</a>Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-19774816459984305132008-01-23T14:18:00.000-05:002008-01-23T14:29:03.125-05:00Developing a Stretching RoutineHappy New Year!<br /><br />As we approach the new year, we should begin to focus on getting into a good workout routine to make further developments in our martial arts skill.<br /><br />As part of the workout, we should develop a consistent warm-up and stretching routine that works for you. I have put together a collection of stretching and warm-up videos from various styles. Take the warm-ups and stretches that you wish from each video, and put together a routine that you can follow daily or at least every other day.<br /><br />Here is the link to the videos:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.yangstyle.com/stretching_warmup.htm">http://www.yangstyle.com/stretching_warmup.htm</a><br /><br />Be careful to use caution and realize that not all of the stretches and warm-ups shown are healthy for knees and shoulders, etc. Use discernment!Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-83482011310506850172007-11-29T10:14:00.000-05:002007-11-29T10:44:56.624-05:00Tai Chi & Kung Fu Movies<strong>On the lighter side!</strong> We are coming up on Christmas 2007. It is time to enjoy the season, and I thought that I would suggest a few martial art's movies... for those who enjoy them (not everyone does). I have only seen parts of these movies, however they all had pretty good ratings... as far as subtitled martial art's movies go. I am going to order all three. The reason I picked these is that there are aspects in these movies related to the martial arts you are studying. Don't make too much of the movies, but just use them for some enjoyment while you enjoy a pizza or some Chinese food.<br /><br /><strong>1. The Tai Chi Master (2003) Starring: Billy Chow, Jacky Wu</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000929VRC/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000929VRC/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance</span></a><br /><br /><strong>2. Tai Chi II (1996) Starring: Jacky Wu, Christy Chung</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6305034419/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6305034419/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance</span></a><br /><br /><strong>3. Five Shaolin Masters (1974) Starring: Gordon Liu, Ti Lung</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000F9WF86/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000F9WF86/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance</span></a><br /><br /><strong>Enjoy!</strong>Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-13088768773331136192007-11-08T08:53:00.000-05:002007-11-08T10:00:30.787-05:00Wisdom and the Martial ArtsAs many of you know, I have been teaching the martial arts for many years now. I have taught children as young as four years old and adults as old as ninety. As a teacher I see that those students who approach their studies with an open mind, sincere heart and enthusiasm will always do the best.<br /><br />Understanding the importance of what you are studying is key! You must realize that you are not just learning a dance step and moving on to the next thing. This transient mentality has become <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">prevalent</span> due to many parents trying different things with their children. We must realize that we are not just trying out a hobby or some other fly by night class. In order to be a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">success</span> in the martial arts, we must identify ourselves with it as an important part of our lives. Because I teach and run classes, this is easier for me... however as a student you must strive to continually make your martial arts training another part of who you are.<br /><br />The concept of "I take martial art's lessons" or "I am a martial artist" are just descriptive of something you do or some title. Rather it would be better to realize that you in training for life and that your martial arts training is an integral part of that training!<br /><br />I believe that all martial artists should have a teacher mentality... wanting to transfer their knowledge and train others. If you think like a teacher, you will improve your learning and your general life skills, such as communication and modesty. Consider your martial arts training an investment into all of your life skills.<br /><br />If you are taking the time as an adult to learn the martial arts, it must be very important to you. Don't diminish the importance by turning it into some type of hobby, which it was never meant to be. Rather... think of your training as something that is special and fit it into your whole life.<br /><br />© Copyright 2007 David WestYang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-70180067777932455022007-10-25T10:50:00.001-04:002007-10-25T10:55:05.937-04:00Martial Art's AnimalsI have added some links on our <a href="http://www.yangstyle.com/articles.htm">Articles Page</a> that have information on Martial Art's Animal techniques, forms and styles... that are prominent in most martial arts. Please use discernment when viewing these pages, articles, videos as I have not 100% verified them. Use them for reference only. I also welcome your comments on these blogs!Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-5374058430662959882007-10-18T06:42:00.000-04:002008-12-09T22:32:40.793-05:00Rooting in Taijiquan (Tai Chi)<strong>Rooting</strong> is the process of making a good connection to the ground in stances and during transitions.<br /><br /><div>We were talking about rooting in class the other day. I thought that this would be a good forum for discussing this in more detail. In one of our recent blogs, I discussed the <strong>333 principles</strong> consisting of 3 bows, 3 internal unities, and 3 external unities. We must <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">maintain</span> these three principles and an upright posture to achieve proper rooting. Mainly speaking, we need to maintain a stretched and bowed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kua</span> and an upright stretched and bowed posture. When we refer to rooting we are talking about rooting the legs (and thus the entire body) of the completed postures as well as the legs during the transitions as well.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fRffj1VRob_PSObt-7nbX3vkxFSpIbZJ8j4QviVfLh0Q6QVFiOLISKCQ6T9bWLmYRZfRzBqE3YHt-IaXCRSRy04SemJSz2TkjF0hJ3KUdipo4_TU4B3VZXZiHyuBSnm96ANY3bMKZw/s1600-h/bubbling_well.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqwRZ4AWwNvYfPtKw_7Mul0mHJSs1IeeAS2t6qG_xkg-hkmGiyfb4ueNutggqmzAAVa-EazJULu3zYhw6GHSIACpQcXWd_cZkeBLjOlCg5BXylBCsL4dzjt5Gpv2T2IlvrISNYSuRyw/s1600-h/bubbling_well_150.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122699253302350834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqwRZ4AWwNvYfPtKw_7Mul0mHJSs1IeeAS2t6qG_xkg-hkmGiyfb4ueNutggqmzAAVa-EazJULu3zYhw6GHSIACpQcXWd_cZkeBLjOlCg5BXylBCsL4dzjt5Gpv2T2IlvrISNYSuRyw/s320/bubbling_well_150.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Yong <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Quan</span>:</strong> When we are trying to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">achieve</span> rooting in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Taijiquan</span>, we should visualize below the surface of the floor or ground... much like the roots of a tree. The "Bubbling Well" an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">acupoint</span> called Yong <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Quan</span> (KI-1) located on the bottom of the foot <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">should</span> be used as the point from which this imaginary root extends into the ground from which to draw strength. Rooting in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Taijiquan</span> will transfer from foot to foot, but never stays equally rooted on the right and the left. The weight should remain on the outer edges of the feet and remain a slight gripping feel with the toes, the ball of the foot, and the heel. Although the Yong <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Quan</span> never touches the floor, you should still focus on this area as the root of each movement. Techniques to build this skill vary from person to person. I recommend using different visualizations and thoughts to see what works best for each person.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Posture to be maintained to achieve proper rooting:</strong> The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Bai</span> Hui (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">GV</span>-20) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">acupoint</span>, located at the top & slight-rear of the head lines up vertically with the Hui Yin (C0-1), located at the exact center underneath the groin area. This is done by turning the hips upward... thus opening the Ming Men (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">GV</span>-4) located at the small of the back... and also tucking the chin in slightly but keeping the head upright.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Rooting is an essential part of our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Taijiquan</span> training and often takes years to develop good <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">consistent</span> skills... so be patient and thankful for making incremental gains.</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>© Copyright 2007 David West</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-67754330692844006892007-10-04T07:44:00.000-04:002007-10-04T07:50:21.655-04:00Internal vs. ExternalTaijiquan (Tai Chi) is an internal marital arts form. Shaolin 5 Animal Kung Fu is considered mostly an external martial arts form. I found this article on the web contrasting internal and external martial arts. I agree with most of the article and have posted it on our articles page for you to link to... I hope it is helpful to you.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shenwu.com/Internal_VS_External.htm">http://www.shenwu.com/Internal_VS_External.htm</a><br /><br />I will be traveling to Virginia this weekend starting Friday. I can still be contacted via our regular phone number on our contact page.Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-18930219843798064442007-09-27T09:45:00.000-04:002007-09-27T10:48:32.873-04:00333 For Internal Martial Arts: Three Internal Unities, Three External Unities and the Three BowsThese are some important internal martial art's principles taught to me by Sifu Mathews. I have found them to be the most valuable concepts to observe if you wish to develop a strong and graceful form.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Three Internal Unities: Xing/Yi --> Chi --> Li</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Mind/Intention (Xing/Yi) moves Energy (Chi).... Chi moves the Body (Li). Each movement should start with an intention, then allow the mind to distribute the energy with maximum efficiency to accomplish the intention... then allow the body to move according to your trained skills by means of maximum energy transfer.<br /><br /><strong>Three External Unities: Shoulders/Hips - Elbows/Knees - Wrists/Ankles</strong><br /><br />The shoulders and hips should traverse in the same general directions and should not oppose each other's movement. The Elbows and knees should also move in the same general direction with out opposition. And finally the wrists and ankles should be considered as to their general direction of travel. All of these principles tie together and are really the same concept of maintaining proper alignment. The first two external unities are the ones to pay most attention to.<br /><br /><strong>Three Bows: Torso with Legs - Arms with Torso - Legs with Kua (Groin Area) Open</strong><br /><br />All of the postures and transitions should maintain a bowing of the torso arms and legs. A proper examination of the still Yang Cheng Fu postures would reveal this bowing. Another consideration is to make sure as you transition from one posture to another, that these bows are maintained to the best of your ability. The torso should always remain rounded with the upper/lower back straight and the pelvis tilted upward. Elbows should always stay low, but not collapsed to the body... arms are rounded with the relaxed shoulders and sunken chest. The knees should always strive to bow outwards, but do not over bow and put too much weight on the outer edge of the foot. Really watch the leg bows during transitions. Again, these principles all rely on each other for continuity. If you loose one bow, you will probably compromise another.<br /><br />I welcome your responses on these important concepts.Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-6638048160354405912007-09-20T11:57:00.001-04:002007-09-20T12:00:57.583-04:00More Fu Zhongwen VideosI have just posted links to a couple of additional performances of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fu</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Zhongwen</span> Form of Yang Style <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Taijiquan</span>. These are excellent sources for reference. I welcome your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">responses</span> and questions.Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-80350320701550604712007-09-13T06:32:00.000-04:002007-09-13T08:33:13.399-04:00From Teacher to Teacher!As I surf the web for articles, videos and other information that would add to our Kung Fu and Tai Chi interests... I find that the various forums are filled with "experts" that know a lot about various martial arts forms and teachers. Even ones they have not themselves studied.<br /><br />It struck me when I came to a response that renowned instructor Doc Fai Wong had to write to defend his material and the origins of his teaching. He even went to the extreme of having to explain past nicknames that people called him... i.e. the "Five Animal Kid".<br /><br />Now... I wish I had the kind of background that Doc Fai Wong has. He has studied with some very respectable teachers and has developed an amazing school of his own. I can just imagine having to explain where I learned things if I were under such scrutiny.<br /><br />I have learned my forms from many different instructors. Sometimes I would start a form with one instructor and due to their moving or other reasons, I would have to find another instructor to finish the form and develop it. I also relied on books and videos to fill in gaps and maintain a standard. This is one reason that I now teach only a handful of forms, all of which are very documented and standardized.<br /><br />I understand why the "expert" critics in the martial art's forums do what they do... and many times it is very helpful to view their input. However, when it comes to doubting another persons teachings, as to whether they are unchanged, etc... one has to wonder how stable even the originators of particular Kung Fu and Tai Chi forms were. After all, we see various forms of Taijiquan evolving from Chen style, etc. I wonder if Yang Lu Chan were to read a martial arts forum about the imense changes that were made as he developed the Yang Style. I can also imagine the outrage toward Yang Chen Fu as he changed from old style to new.<br /><br />Martial arts are usually taught to someone by a teacher, and then become influenced by that persons' background, style, ideas and beliefs. Sometimes a martial art can pass from instructor to instructor with very little change. Other times they can undergo major modifications... for better or worse. Inevitably I believe that a student must investigate the movements they are taught and make them work... with the teachers guidance if available.<br /><br />The main form that I teach is the Yang Style Taijiquan Long Form. This form has many variations and also has a few variations even among it's best known standards. I have been taught the Yang Style form, and portions of the form by quite a few different instructors with varying influences. The information I took from each instructor was of immense importance in understanding the movements. Even though there are many variations... there are standards available in books and videos that now help maintain the art more effectively.<br /><br />Unfortunately for the purist, there is no way to go back to the originator of each martial art's style. As time goes on... we loose masters each year... so we must now rely on successive generations. The further in time we go from the original masters, the more difficult it is to maintain the purity of the art. Sometimes this is to the detriment of the art, and other times the art evolves into something even more effective.<br /><br />Fortunately we now have documentation via books and videos that at least keep the postures and movements more standardized. Therefore, I commend instructors that take the initiative to develop such documentation, even though they open themselves to possible scrutiny from the critics.Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-29589442373415998982007-09-06T11:22:00.000-04:002007-09-06T11:26:59.054-04:00Martial Applications of TaijiquanI have uploaded some links to our Articles Page, that somewhat visually represent the martial applications of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Taijiquan</span>. Let me know your thoughts and questions relating to this subject. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Taijiquan</span> applications are extremely important in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">developing</span> the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Taiji</span> form movements. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Taijiquan</span> applications are present, even in very small sections of each movement/transition.Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-38119424370082646812007-08-31T13:49:00.001-04:002007-08-31T13:54:25.097-04:00Your thoughts on the Taijiquan Videos?<span style="font-size:85%;">Let me know your thoughts on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Taijiquan</span> videos just posted on our articles page. Remember to only use them as reference!</span>Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019122521242654547.post-10997914157116388552007-08-30T13:19:00.000-04:002007-08-30T13:35:49.375-04:00Welcome to Our Kung Fu & Tai Chi Blog Page<span style="font-size:85%;">Feel free to comment on blogs posted here. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">In addition, please contact us if you wish us to open a blog related to a specific issue you want addressed.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">We look forward to interacting with you, so please return often to view new postings.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Sincerely,</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Instructor David West</span>Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Institutehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02519130437336607591noreply@blogger.com0