Tai Chi Training 13.10.10

Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan First Section

I n our tai chi training,we began to work on the 8 basic strikes found with the Yangjia Michuan First Section. For revision and extra information, follow this link to Richard White's summary of these strikes, then use the back arrow on your browser to come back to this page:

• Zhou (elbow)
• Kao (shoulder)
• Lu (rollback)
• Peng (ward off)
• Cai (draw down)
• Lie (split)
• An (push)
• Jie (press)

Five Main principles To Work On

Follow the links to each one and you will assimilate more of the information from our training day. Remember that in taijiquan everything applies to everything else. Basic exercises, form, empty hand martial arts techniques and taiji sword, all use the same principles. Once you understand a principle in one part of your tai chi training, you will be able to apply it to another part. There are many other priciples but these are the five Cheng ManChing thought were most important.

2. Waist is the Commander
   
3. Verticality
   
4. Fangsong
   
5. Fair Lady's Wrist
   
6. Separation of Weight
   

Body Conditioning

This training is good for people who want to do San Shou, the empty hand style of taiji free fighting, later on. Since I don't know who is going to decide to to this, I teach it to everyone.

David, your Aikido rolling training is very useful. Keep it for taijiquan. Victoria, ask David to teach you as much of the rolling skills as you can learn, slowly and gently. There is no hurry.

When you do the bangarms training we practised, be springy and don't forget to rub down the outside of the arms and up the inside, from fingers to heart, when you have finished. Practise the old tiger's back exercise for bouncing off walls. It can also be used to break a fall if you are thrown to your back with an arm held, making it difficult to roll out.

Tai Chi Training in Form

• In the first push movements to each diagonal, remember the arms both move forward. The more active hand pulls up from the hip like drawing a gun from a holster, and pushes over the top of the less active hand. It moves forward further so the less active hand ends in a position to protect the elbow. All of this is done from the waist, not the arms.
  

• When you spiral up into the single arm sweep, followed by the neck stretch, turn your waist left as you spiral up half way into the sweep and right as you spiral up the other half into the stretch.

• When you turn into the railway tracks movement, there are three distinct parts. Peng is weighted 100% 0n the right leg. Then the waist turn is still weighted on the right leg. Weigh transfers to the left leg as you step to the ankle and jab for the ribs, still turning the waist.

• Leave enough get-away room for an easy turn on the ball of the right foot as you prepare for the peng to the right rear diagonal. Remember to sink too.

• As you move from the small ball, drawing a figure of eight around two large balls and back to the small ball with opposite hands on top and bottom, in Grasp Sparrow's Tail, turn your waist right while spiralling down and left while spiralling further down. The waist direction changes at the other midline of the large balls.  Here's that take-down.
  

• Press is not the same as push.

• Practise your instant weight change exercises to get the transfer correct for the move from ready to push.

• Don't forget this is all on video on the learn tai chi online main page.

Questions and Answers

If you are unclear on a movement or the martial applications, please use the form on the main learn tai chi online page to ask about it. The questions will come to me, be answered within a few days, and appear underneath the form, as links to their own page. These questions will then be visible to others. Others will be able to make comments and be included in the discussion.

I'll put up the sword part of our tai chi training day, in the next few days. Look for it from the main Online page
 
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