Tag Archives: martial arts

Roles of Body and Mind in Tai Chi

When you first start to study tai chi the body informs the mind – this is done by what you feel and see when scanning the body for tension, checking your weight differentiation and foot placements, monitoring your alignment, and coordinating the body mechanics from the vertical and horizontal axis. After a period of time […]

Read More Comments Off on Roles of Body and Mind in Tai Chi

Principles of Meditation

Meditation is a change in the “state of mind”. IMHO in meditation, sitting, standing or moving, when one experiences “non thinking” it is simply that the mind is not focused on internal dialogue. There are dimensions to what might be considered dialogue… In tai chi, the dialogue could be too much focus on what you […]

Read More Comments Off on Principles of Meditation

8 Methods – Professor Cheng Man-Ching

Believed to have been lost, the 8 Methods is a set of images and movements created by Professor Cheng Man-Ching. It was developed to add imagery to and simplify the tai chi basic principles for people who may have memory challenges, those who had suffered injury and are in rehab, and as an simple introduction […]

Read More Comments Off on 8 Methods – Professor Cheng Man-Ching

Types of Chi

There are so many different kinds of “Chi”. There is mind chi, muscle chi, family chi, spirit chi, and the chi that flows in the body. There is earth chi, universe chi and nature chi. All organic matter has chi. Of matter itself, chi will always be its essence.

Advanced Principle of Tai Chi

One advanced principle of tai chi that states – Mind arrives, eyes arrives, hands arrive (manifested posture) – this refers to the aspect of the mind that not only coordinate, but propels the form. Be aware of this current of motivation and continuity, but if you get too distant in visioning what comes next you loses the mindfulness […]

Read More Comments Off on Advanced Principle of Tai Chi

Value of Near Win: A student’s story

I just listened to the podcast for this TED talk a few days ago and it reminded me of a form progression session a couple of weeks ago. We were working on the four corners, and every time I made some mistake; a foot misplaced or an arm mis-timed. I finally did one, just one […]

Read More Comments Off on Value of Near Win: A student’s story

Changes

“Perfection is the enemy of good.” Fear of Art This is not to say that we should not strive to become better in our arts, however if we are don’t practice for fear of being wrong then we are destined to quit. On my journey for over 46 years, I still leave myself open for […]