Thoughts on Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan
Grandmaster Gin Soon Chu is the rightful 5th generation lineage Successor/Gatekeeper/Zhong Moon Yen of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan!!!
No one has his absolute understanding of the knowledge and the skill, of the entire curriculum of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan
No one can compare and has accomplished the tireless work of promoting Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan
He is the only person to inherit the Tai Chi Geek (halberd) of the weapon of the greatest revered Yang Lu-Chan
He is the only person to possess Yang SIGONG's one of a kind heirloom
He is the only person to receive Yang SIGONG's blessing to teach Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan
He is the only person to understand the martial ethics and the protocol of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan
www.facebook.com/ClassicalYangStyleTaiChi
I have felt the awesome power (tenacious strength - 'gong li') of my Sifu. His power was scientifically and logically unimaginable. In comparing the internal power to the muscular force, the latter doesn't even come close...is dwarfed.
Again, the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan is attained through the understanding of the refinement of Chi -> Jing -> Neng -> Sok -> etc...higher and deeper into the realm of the utter inexplicability of the unified energy.
Thus, the transcendence of the unified being of the body, the energy, and the mind...
***
Streaming flowing streaming flowing...
April 9, 2019
I'm forever thankful of Chu Sifu
For sharing his 60 years of his Tai Chi Chuan,
Valuable experience and wisdom - indeed priceless
Though I never met him, Yang Sigong,
His presence is always felt within Chu SIfu nevertheless.
The spirit of Chu Sifu lives within
And the internal power totally able,
The legacy of Yang Sigong endures
In Chu Sifu's teaching, the presence formidable.
To follow the path of these giants...to even ponder,
Makes me beget with humility...
36 years of my experience, lacking the wisdom, I falter...*****
RIP
April 8, 2019
Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan will become extinct if YML has her ways. Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan
will cease to exist after her generation of teaching. Someone people have actually accepted this ludicrous idea, however non-sensical as it might sound...the idea being that only people who can call themselves a Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioner, have to be taught by YML. What happens after then...after she is gone? Utterly selfish and detrimental...
Jan. 17, 2019
5 years of probation period for the newly honored disciple, in Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan? Someone suggested this absurdity exist and that because Chu King Hong SISOU never completed his 5 years while Yang SIGONG alive, he can't be a legitimate disciple of Yang SIGONG. There is no such thing...ludicrous. There is no such thing as 5 years of probation period, period! This is an absolute fabrication. Someone is lying! I don't know who, but one of them is definitely lying.
Dec. 27, 2018
In your Tai Chi Fast (Chang) Form, do the strikes and punches have the POWER to drive a 16kg (35lbs) steel pole with one hand?
How about doing a spear thrust with a 57lb steel pole?
Practice the forms and train for POWER...POWER...MORE POWER!!!
Dec. 26, 2018
There can only be ONE lineage successor. He who has the most understanding of the knowledge and the skill: he who has done the most work in promoting Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan throughout the world; he who has in-depth perception of the future and the protocol of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan; he who has the complete curriculum and the understanding of its applications...only he can represent!
Dec. 21, 2018
In order to maintain the integrity and the honor of Classical Yang family Tai Chi Chuan, all the members of our system, regardless who you are and who you might have trained under, should do his/her part, without any egoistical objective, in promoting Tai Chi Chuan. It is absolutely essential that we must, as one entity, by putting aside the egotistical differences, present the greatest attributes of ourselves to the world and strive forward. Otherwise, in a generation or two, I fear that our system will suffer greatly beyond recovery
So, how do we do this...?
Dec 19, 2018
If you want a piece of the recognition
Like in all famous artistic and literary monsters,
There must exist within the beast of absolute ferocity,
To rip apart all weakness and laziness of pretenders.
Dec. 15, 2018
You are NOT the 5th generation successor. I will not accept your usurpation of this honorary position. I cannot bear the fact that if this continues much longer, much of the integrity and the honor of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan will suffer greatly. We cannot let the future of our system shrouded in this bleakness. I don't know what your agenda is, but it's neither healthy nor promising. As I have said before, my concern is the integrity and the honor of our system, that was handed down to us by SIGONG. Thus, all of our training, promotions, and any actions thereof should be solely dedicated to evangelizing the world on what the truth of Tai Chi Chuan is. There is no room for any selfish objective(s). Your ego matters very little to me. As for your accomplishments, I cannot seem to perceive much:
1) What have you done in order to promote Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan? My SIFU has taught Tai Chi Chuan and established its reputation in the martial art world, for near a half century, throughout the world. You came along a decade(?) ago to reap (commandeer) the benefits of his work. The Internet is great, isn't it, to promote the truth or the falsehood?
2) What has happened to your Tai Chi Chuan form? From the very first move, I am disgusted with the wriggles. Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is NOT Chen style, another phony tai chi system. Wriggling of the body, what Chen stylists purports, doesn't serve any purpose of attaining the stillness of the body, which ascends to the stillness the energy, thus the internal power. Yes, I have begun to question your entire curriculum spectrum...for over a decade now. The worst Fast Form I have seen, by the way, was from UK. Also, I am convinced that you don't know the Tai Chi halberd or Tai Chi Dim Mak. As I wonder about what you truly know of the curriculum, I doubt that you truly understand any of the profound principles, and how the forms, the push hands, the chi gongs, and solo exercises are inter-connected to weave a sophisticated functions of the internal energy and the internal power energy; otherwise, you would know that it can not be executed in the manner of wriggles.
3) I know what your skill is like. Much information of your skill has been relayed to me by some people who have interacted (push hand) with you. Understanding the knowledge and the skill is essential, thus the internal power. If the explosive internal power is lacking because of the lack of understanding, then what is the purpose of your training? Then, why bother to promote Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan? So, what is the purpose of your promotion?
I am indeed fed up with a lot of misrepresentations from the very people who ought to be selflessly promoting our system. It is about time to straighten up and fly right. Do not become the villain of your own legacy that you have put forth...of your selfish greed and the warped, detrimental agenda.
Dec. 11 2018
Came upon some troubling information, regarding the lineage/history of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, specifically, on the rightful 4th generation successor, on Wikipedia...
As I have expressed somewhere in one of my articles, Yang Zhen Duo (YZD) is NOT the 4th generation successor of Classical (Traditional) Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. The rightful 4th generation successor is Yang Sau Chung (YSC) SIGONG, who is the oldest brother of YZD.
When Yang Cheng Fu TAI SIGONG passed away, YSC SIGONG was nearly in his mid 20's, and YZD was barely passed 10 years old, not even in the teens. When their father was alive, it was YSC SIGONG who accompanied their father to teach Tai Chi Chuan in different, major cities throughout China, mainly to teach Kuomingtang high level political officials. YZD was 10 year old child who preferred to play with the other kids of his age.
There was another brother, Yang Zhen Zi (YZZ), who was a couple of years older than YZD, and he took the learning of Tai Chi Chuan a bit more seriously, of their family treasure, and incidentally, YZZ was the last son to be taught by their father. YZD was never taught by their father, but rather, his teaching came from YSC SIGONG.
There can only be ONE successor per generation, and the 4th generation successor of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is Yang Sau Chung SIGONG. YZD is NOT!
Now...about that 5th generation successor...
*****
Lastly, some insignificant name, such as CMC, who cannot even remotely represent the knowledge and the skill of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan should be permanently removed from the family history...though he can be credited for his NYC antics.
Dec. 10, 2018
My Thoughts On The Next Successor (Gatekeeper)
Feel free to disagree...I'm all ears...but please present yourself with a well-thought-out argument.
Dec. 10, 2018
Dec. 7, 2018
FAKE, FAKE, FAKE!!!
That's considerably very humorous, when such an ignorant accusation is coming from the very people who are the ones actually doing and promoting the FAKE tai chi. Fake tai chi so bad that they are embarrassing themselves all over the world; fake tai chi so weak that they have to import Hsing Yi's strength; fake tai chi so lacking in martial skill that they have added the western boxing punching techniques or the external style Chin Na; fake tai chi so lacking in the internal principles that they have ignorantly blended with the external chi gong principles.
You fake tai chi folks are all guilty of promoting many, different erroneous versions of fake tai chi! To think that you can develop the unheard of tenacious strength of Yang Lu-Chan or Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG, without breaking any sweat, waltzing through your forms with soft and flaccid dance routines, this bogus promotion by the fake tai chi practitioners has to be the biggest scam in all martial arts.
Slowly, many people are realizing what the real, authentic Tai Chi Chuan is all about. Many people, in North America , in Europe, in Asia, etc, are realizing what the Power Push Hand is all about, and how this methodology converts the internal energy 'Chi' into the internal (tenacious; natural) strength 'Gong Li', hence, the explosive internal power energy 'Peng Jing'.
You don't believe it is real...? That's ok because, at present, there are a plenty of people who do believe that this explosive, powerful internal power energy is real. Moreover, as the time passes, as we are absolutely dedicated in correcting this gross misrepresentation by you knuckleheads, fake tai chi people, and through our endeavor, more people will come to realize the truth of the Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan.
As to those diehard skeptics...? Ask me if I care...
Dec. 3, 2018
A wooden stick and a rock were walking together, and soon they came upon a field where two magnets were playing some sort of game of pull and push.
The rock wondered and asked the wooden stick if he knew what they were doing. The wooden stick answered, "blah, they are faking, whatever they are doing!" To that the rock replied, "but, you don't know what they are doing, do you?" The wooden stick answered, "it doesn't matter: it's a fake!" So, they kept on walking without much interest.
Later on, the magnets were asked if what the wooden stick said was true. The magnets replied...
"How could the wood possibly know what we were doing?"
"We can do these things of pulling and pushing because we have this particular energy, a magnetic property."
"How can a piece of wood possibly understand the concept of this magnet energy?"
"If we were to try to pull or push on the wood, will it work like the magnets...of course not!"
"Thus, with his ignorance, the wood accuse us of fakery."
"Moreover, we don't have to prove to any other woods, of how our energy works, but if they insist, to prove a point for them, we would just smash him with our density and hardness because that will be the only thing that would work...a wood not having the magnetic energy!"
It is about the protocol. It is about the tradition. It is about the blessing. It is about who has received the permission to teach and to propagate the Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, in behalf of Yang SIGONG, while he was alive.
In Yang SIGONG's lifetime, among all of his students, there was only one person who received his blessing to teach the Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, whereas all other students started to teach after Yang SIGONG had passed away. No one expected Yang SIGONG to pass away so suddenly in 1985. While Yang SIGONG was alive in Hong Kong, who would dare to teach the Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan in his great presence in Hong Kong: NO ONE! The only one who was given a permission to teach the Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan was abroad, in USA. Sure, there were other styles of Tai Chi in Hong Kong, but they were irrelevant.
It is unfortunate that Yang SIGONG passed away so suddenly, and with his passing, he did not leave any will: a bit of misfortune for our system, creating a sort of confusion as to who will be the next, rightful successor (Cheong Moon Yen.) As to who ought to be the 5th generation successor, I have already spoken about it elsewhere. If you understand the protocol, then you ought to be well aware of what the criteria are.
The first disciple did not receive the blessing to teach, neither did the third disciple! Of course, just because the blessing isn't there, that doesn't mean that they are not capable of teaching -- anyone can teach! But, I am talking about the blessing, the permission, the authorization...a specific directive by Yang SIGONG!
Again, do not let the mainland fake tai chi, or any other lame tai chi, fool you.
It is simply amazing that so many people throughout the world continuously fall for this misleading, though sometimes quite pretty, set of exercises. For many, it is natural to become victims of false tai chi because they cannot tell the difference from the real and the fakes...it is understandably a sad scenario. Then again, there are groups of people, all over the world, who promote the fake tai chi, for a number of dubious reasons...a totally unacceptable sham.
To think that the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan can be attained through training only in a set of soft, and often in a limped manner, movements...is the biggest con of all cons, considering much money they have raked in.
To develop the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan is no magic: to require it takes the correct principles, the proper teaching, and a arduous training. What is magical, questionably, is to think that by training in soft and limped manner you will one day produce this super-power that you can use it effortlessly...if you can do that, it is definitely a magic.
Tai Chi Chuan is an internal style. Do not confuse it with a a soft style. To accomplish the former, in the beginning, you have to learn the proper postures and the proper execution of the movements, incorporating the body through the principles of 'Centering, Alignment, Balance, and Relaxation.' Having learned the proper Tai Chi Chuan form, you must then internalize the body and the energy 'Chi' through the principles of the 'Power Push Hand.' Again, the principles of Centering, Alignment, Balance, & Relaxation are applied, along with the principle of 'Borrowing Energy', as you refine and nurture the energy into the internal power energy 'Peng Jing.', in a forward posture, holding the body like a small, immovable mountain. And It is this process, which was the secret training of Yang family members, that give the formidable power of Tai Chi Chuan.
At present, they are many Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan stylists through the world, and because many are training properly, there shouldn't be any confusion as what I am trying to express in my thoughts.
If any Tai Chi Chuan system lacks the Power Push Hand training, thus the internal power, can you really call it Tai Chi Chuan? Without it, like it or not, you cannot develop the internal power of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. If so, whether you like it to admit or not, it is not Tai Chi Chuan. Perhaps, you can call it a modified version...to add to already many existing versions.
Condition and strengthen the tendons and the ligaments, resulting in the enlargements of them, for they are the keys to understanding of the 'Nine Pearls.' As for the softening of the joints...softening will increase the coordination and help with the fluidity of the external movements, especially if the movements are done in a certain, exaggerated wriggles, such as in Chen* style. In Tai Chi Chuan, some of the objectives of the form is to eliminate as much unnecessary movements and the muscular tension as possible: that is, to understand the body mechanics by the movements of the joints, thus the principle of the Nine Pearls - of the tendons and the ligaments. Minimize the external movements to maximize the internal power...hence, striving to understand the principle of 'Stillness in Motion.'
*Whatever you do, do not imitate the movements of Chen style, for it is not Tai Chi Chuan, as much as they claim to be such. It is a fabrication. As Feng ZhiQiang have said, it is a combination of 18 different external style and Taoism, I-Ching, and TCM.
A blip in the reading of the brain activity: a blip that a neuro-physiologist has no idea what is. 40 milliseconds later, Duncan is flying back. 40 milliseconds is the duration that takes a human brain to instruct your eyelids to blink, mind you. Can you anticipate a blink of an eyelid? Can you anticipate whatever in 40 milliseconds? Not a chance! And, you call it a fake...hahaha!!!
As the Man is told, with madness of training comes the success,
A journey for the few and the impossibly (in)sane,
Answer perched on the edge of impossible precipice,
Like alone crooked and weathered pine.
Like a heavenly pair, such madness is accompanied
By Cheung Kwoon, the Fast form,
Roaring thunderous power, like a massive typhoon,
Ripping throughout the form, tearing up the air molecules.
For the Fast form is the true Tai Chi Chuan.
Tai Chi Slow form, readily shared with public though;
But no, not thy precious gem, Tai Chi Fast form...
Is reserved for the Yang Family.
Shone its radiance, the full moon,
Reflecting the fiery energy of Sun,
Counted each month for the Man,
Accumulating the Internal Power,
Layer upon layers,
Thickening the density of bones,
Entwining the fibers of muscles, tendons, and ligaments,
Enriching the blood, mixing with Chi.
Once formidable martial art in China, Tai Chi Chuan has suffered great dearly, of its reputation. People these days practice it simply as a health exercise. Some tries to practice it as a martial art, but how can they do so when they have no clue what they are doing? Tai Chi Chuan has a profound internal principles, with which Yang family did not shared with anyone outside of their immediate family, developing mind-boggling power, of which the neuro-physiologist of Brussels University even has difficulty explaining, after having had an experiment with yours truly; a power so fast that it takes an astounding 40 milliseconds to transfer through from one body to another. With more experiments to come...
Practicing softly to cultivate chi is what most people think of Tai Chi Chuan, as a martial art, and that one day, magically, a tremendously effortless power will somehow emerge. Till this day, these totally misconceived people, imitation Yang stylists mind you, still exist in China, teaching and promoting this totally bogus principles and taking your money for this BS.
Through the internal power training of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, and if you can become 10 times stronger than your average healthy and fit male adult...no no...how about 20 times stronger, but wait, what if you can become 30 times stronger without having the physical appearance of a gym-rat, and be as healthy as you so desire, would you do it? Why would you not want to?
Ask Kirk, aka Bigga Demmas, who is 6'5" and weighs 320 lbs, in shape, and who played a defense tackle at San Diego State University and a teammate to the late middle-linebacker of San Diego Chargers, Junior Seau, who was the strongest person he has ever met.
Curriculum, to a certain degree, learn it with the analytical intelligence; then process it with the intuitive intelligence; then attain the knowledge; then understand the skill; then, propell the combination of the knowledge and the skill to the epic-genetical, altered state of super-energy.
In doing push hand with the imitation taichi knuckleheads....If they complain that you are using too much force, then simply reply with "overcome my force with your softness" since that's what they believe and were taught to do, and politely tell them to stop whining.
Be great at what you do, and you shall not be denied. After all those corrections and if you still don't get it, then don't blame anyone else for the lack thereof. You are told many different ways to improve your understanding. You are told to observe how the feet and the hands chart the directions and the corners; you are told the functions of the arms and the legs as they execute a certain tempo of an energetic movements, graceful and powerful, that are not recogniable in any other athletic movements; you are told to be mindful of the stillneas and the motion of the body and the energy; you are told to borrow the abundant energy through your perception and understanding of the concept of centering, alignment, balance and relaxation; You are told...told...and told. If I'm great at what I do, then no one shall denied me!
Words are not needed and don't mean a crap if you train with a half-ass attitude. Seriously train, train, and then some... The only way that you will get my recognition is through the training. Moreover, if anyone knows whether you are sincerely training or not, will be me.
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 - Leonard Bernstein
https://youtu.be/1lHOYvIhLxo
OK. I'm fired up again with my foot feeling much much better, and when I am in such a raw state of the excited animalistic mind, I'm lured into a realm that hungers for this kind of musical compositions, the 5th being one of the finest music that ever...keeps me pumping!
Beethoven the rock star...the man! Bring on the 4th movement of the 5th, and let it rock to the inner beats of Tai Chi fast form rhythm. Forget the new-age taichi wind chimes, the flutes, and the water tricklers, find your own inner Beethoven's raw passion to motivate and fire you up...feel the swelling of the internal power that's within, ready to explode on a nano second command, with a ferocity of an absolute power of category 6 hurricane or any other nature's monstrosities. Tai Chi power is a nature's monstrosity.
Power, more power, then some more slamming power!
Ascension of the power to the super power, and then, to the superlative power and beyond to the absolute and mystical power.
Are you understanding me? Or is this too much for you to comprehend?
Work on utilizing the joints in your arms and legs; the reason being quite obvious.
And, if you don't know the reasons, then you have not been listening to me.
Condition the body and cultivate the energy, by doing TaiChiChuan form, followed by more form, then some more form... discover for yourself the reason why this grueling training is critical and necessary.
............A pine,
Rock-rooted, stretched athwart the vacancy
Its swinging boughs, to each inconstant blast
Yielding one only response at each pause
In most familiar cadence, with the howl,
The thunder and the hiss of homeless streams
Mingling its solemn song, whilst the broad river
Foaming and hurrying o'er its rugged path,
Fell into that immeasurable void,
Scattering its waters to the passing winds.
From "Alastor (the Spirit of Solitude)", by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Tai Chi Chuan is done slowly because we want to fine tune the body. However, what is more important is the understanding of certain physical tempo. The slow movements without that particular tempo will certainly provide the calisthenics, with enough of a energy circulation; however, that is not the objective. The objective is to understand the principle of the power push hand while doing Tai Chi Chuan form, and to understand this profound concept, you must realize how that tempo is done.
In doing Tai Chi Chuan, there are parts that are absolutely still, and parts that are moving. Distingush what they are and when and where they happened. Understand what it means to maintain stillness while moving. Understand the different depth of the stillness. What is the physical stillness? What is the internal stillness? How do they combine to harmonize? In Tai Chi Chuan, you are in a state of movements and, at the same time, you are absolutely in a state of stillness.
Train the shoulders, arms, and hands; train the torso and the waist; and, train the legs and the feet. It is the power push hand that brings them all together, by way of the internal power energy (peng jing).
Commentary on Tai Chi fist...
The fist should be solid, with the forearm completely relaxed. If the forearm isn't relaxed, then you have a clenched fist. Moreover, do not have a loose fist, which many of you do. A loose fist is not a relaxed fist. Do not confuse the loose with the relaxed. Do not confuse the solid fist with the clenched fist. Making the proper fist is like doing the power push hand, keeping the arms solid without muscular tension, preventing the arms from collapsing. The fist is like having the entire 9 pearls in a single hand.
Fold and point the fingers to 'lao kung', while keeping the thumb relaxed. The fingers are Yang, and the thumb, Yin. This is the proper intermediate fist.
If you are still confused on how to make the proper fist, then look at Vincent's fist in the photo and do your best to imitate.
Wondering how to use the fist? Whether the strike is straight on, circular, or upper cut, strike the target like a Thor's hammer! The fist is not like the palm. When you strike with the fist, it is with your absolute intention to cause the maximum devastation: shattering the bones, rupturing the organs, knocking the opponent's senses into the next week, etc. There is no such thing as a gentle fist strike: absolute destruction or nothing...like the freckin bighorn sheeps ramming at each other (go see them ramming on youtube).
Driving my A8L, listening to 70's R&B Funk and 70's Hard Rock, and some Brothers Johnson, got me all fired up. All most misinformed tai chi people think that Yang Cheng-Fu was a gentle soul who wouldn't hurt a fly. Look into the man's eyes and try to perceive his firepower and what he might had to conceal in his soul, and having lived in China, in the early 20th century. So, you want to be a bad-ass Tai Chi practitioner? Do think you have the killer instinct and the power of the wild beasts?
This message was sent to my friend who trains in muay thai.
"Training like a beast...that's our motto."
It's the middle linebacker mentality...
The Middle Linebacker takes on the orc linemen, chases the gazelle & zebra-like running backs, hits any suckers who come in your zones to receive the passes: tightends, wide receivers, running backs, all are fair game, as long as I can get away with the hits... [thus] train like a beast. That's the mentality that I have brought into the tai chi training. Love shocking a 6' 5" 320 lb ex defensive tackle for San Diego state [with raw power]. He was so humbled before me.
Wondering if there is limit as to how much one can attain the internal power super-energy?
Is there limit as to how much the universe can expand?
Can you measuren my love and dedication for Tai Chi Chuan?
In the words of one of the greats, Chu Sifu: 'tis immeasurable.
Do not be bounded by your ego.
What is a speck of ego when compared
To the universe of energy?
(I've decided to turn the mediocre prose into a completely unforgivable verse, all the while ignoring all rules of well-thought-out poetry with rhymes, metaphors, stanzas, etc...a relentless iconclastic hack!)
Today I spoke briefly with a Russian scientist (a material engineer) whose daughter was competiting at the US National Ice Dance Figure Skating competition in Colorado Springs, CO. His initial impression was that I did tae kwon do or something; so, when he found out that I did tai chi chuan, he asked how it could be a martial art. He made an innocent reference to the slow motion and the old people, which made me smile. Also, there was a look of perplexity in his face since I did not fit the stereotypical image of tai chi practitioners. Perhaps, I should have started off by saying that our style is also known as a gangster style. I proceeded to explain some basic things about the centering, the alignment, the balance, & the relaxation of the body, followed by the enrichment of the energy to the power energy. He was genuinely interested, not so much as a person with martial interest, but as a scientist, as if willing to put himself through the experience. I gave him my business card and suggested that he visit my website. Accordingly, since he lives in DC area, I mentioned about Sammy with whom he might be able to train, should he be interested in pursuing the training. By the way, his daughter is a very good skater who actually has been competing against Simone. Though the man did not recognize me at first and perhaps because I was doing one of those figure skating leg exercises, he naturally assumed I was a figure skater, getting ready for an event, he eventually knew who I was when I mentioned Simone. He remembered me from Lake Placid last year. I did get a bit of laugh out of his daughter when she saw me doing the same exercise, for she recognize what I was doing.
Follow the method of our training properly, as instructed. For a great number of you do not know what you are doing, regardless of your years. The moment you think you know what you are doing, you have erred. Have no illusion & train as you are taught. Do not neglect anything. Be hungry...seek more, do not be content with a tinsel bit of a portion. Remember, the greater the knowledge, the greater the personal sacrifice & expense. As we say in Corean, the greater the personage, the greater the bowl. Seek the greater energy. As disappointing as it may sound, perhaps sounding cruel as well, none of you have the super-energy to be in the company of the great Yang masters...oh, how they have trained, beyond the imagination of most men. In all my years of training & teaching, I have seen many people come and go, and of all the occurances that I have witnessed, the most frequent is that of people who think they have attained the knowledge of Tai Chi Chuan. However, most of them tend to disappear shortly after their moments of grandiose delusion.
In pursuit of Knowledge, Truth, Virtue, & Internal Power, and the inevitability of their emergence. Hmmm...something is brewing.
We are the future legacy. Work it!
Never for a moment forget that what we do is the result of Chu Sifu's hard work. Without his grace, my position in Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan would cease to exist. Pay the greateat homage to him while he still with us.
Remember, Tai Chi straight sword is based on Tai Chi Chuan (form), and Tai Chi knife is based on Tai Chi Cheung Chuan (fast form). If you want to understand the straight sword form, then understand Tai Chi Chuan (form). If you want to understand the knife form, then understand the fast form; but, here is the catch for the fast form. If you want to understand the fast form, you will have to understand Tai Chi Chuan. However, for you to understand Tai Chi Chuan, you must attain 'peng jing' through Tui Sau (push hand) training. To understand tui sau, you have to be soft and have a powerful body. The softness comes from the form, and the powerful body comes from the power chigong sets. When the softness combines with the powerful body, the energy accelerates onto upper realm of 'peng jing'. Many of you do not have the softness and the powerful body, thus pay attention to these aspects. When the powerful 'peng jing' is understood, Tai Chi Chuan becomes powerful and soft like a dragon with its penetrating eyes with the gentleness, moving gracefully with all its formidable weapons. Thus, the straight sword form embraces the dragon of Tai Chi Chuan, with all its taoist's mysticism - artistically and dangerously darting, slicing, plucking, circling, etc. (Part 1)
There is no reason why you cannot step correctly. You are doing two things: either step or kick...nothing more. If you cannot figure out the angles of the directions and the corners, then we have problem. If you don't understand that your knee is supposed to point in the direction (or the corner) to which you are about to step, and the toes are aligned with the knee, then we have problem. Figure them out. In Tai Chi, we step exactly like the way we walk.
Number 1 Under The Heaven Chi Gong
"After the first posture, I knew I was in for a gut wrenching battle with this chi gong. The pain, followed by the aches on different parts of the body, depending on what posture I was doing, reminded me again and again, that I was learning Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. 'The gentle art of Tai Chi Chuan', whoever said this didn't have a clue what real Tai Chi Chuan was! Every time I did the chi gong postures, I chastised my mind and body for being too weak, took a deep breathe and dug in, knowing that the pain will get the better of me, and make me quit the postures, far short of the duration I want to achieve. I would often hear the inner screams that reminded me of my weakness, from somewhere deep in my mind. It was not easy, trying to soothe and encourage the feeble body and mind. Progress was painfully slow, a penny a day into the jar of internal power.
As I climb over the first step of the first posture, I was again reminded of the looming specter of pain. As my mind's war drum pounded, to face the specter, my warriors of time, energy, and effort marched, battled, and rejoiced. 'We will win these battles', the enduring battle chants went on. Deep within, I can still hear the low rumbling of the battle chants of the warriors, trodden at times, who wearily and nonetheless victoriously marched through the battles. Ominously bigger battles waited, smiling encouragingly to the warriors, promising the begotten reward of the few: Internal Power! Right to the end of the battles, the sinister specter of pain makes the warriors fight on, making every blow count for something. But, finally the demon retreats with its diabolical disgust, promising to return. The triumphant and proud warriors stand, in their moments of victory, tasting the sweat and blood, they feel, absorb, and savor the sensations of what just took place. Tired, but the structure of the physical regiments is solid and ready, the awareness of the weapons is even sharper, and the mind's tactical general is clear. As the tired warriors in constant state of readiness, their senses alert them of the approaching battles greater than before."
Again, I urge many of you to videotape yourself doing the form. No one has to see it except you. See for yourself on how well you are executing the moves, or the lack thereof. This is an important step in realizing a certain perception of your mind & body. Your mind might think that you are executing the moves properly, whereas upon seeing the video, you may realize that your body is doing them entirely diifferently. Train the mind to perceive what the body is doing. But, to have the mind perceive accurately, one has to let the eyes guide it. Waken the mind's eye through the physical eyes.
We have it so much easier than the previous generations of tai chi practitioners, thus we should be able to exceed the understanding of the knowledge and the skill to much greater levels. In the past, to understand how the form is done, they had to see their master execute the form, at best, in bits and pieces, and then run off to somewhere to imitate the moves. Moreover, because of much needed nature of one's mind and physical ability for an accurate perception, the accuracy of imitating the moves left much room to desire. In other words, most were awful at it. Use the available modern tools to raise yourselves above the past standard and achievements.
80% of your training should be focused on the form. Juice up the energy for the power push hand. Power push hand without the energy developed from the form (& chigong) will develop a low level, hard energy. Understand the principle of the push hand through the form, and understand the principle of the form through the push hand.
Wondering about the high level chigong sets? My answer, go for them, if you got the resources. You will not develop the higher understanding of the essence of Tai Chi Chuan if you ignore them. Some of you definitely have a misguided notion of what Tai Chi Chuan is, and on the development of energy and the nurturing of the super energy. I'm not quite sure where this type of mentality comes from, for I try to share as much accurate information as possible.
It never ceases to amaze me that how much people don't know anything about Tai Chi Chuan. To think that the Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners would fake any of the things that are seen in my videos is a testament that the accusers are clueless about Tai Chi Chuan. If you are to accuse us of fakery, do please provide some evidence(s) why such is the case.
After 20 years of tai chi training, if you don't have the ass whooping the internal power and the understanding of it, then you have completely wasted your time.
After 10 years of training, if you don't have much of the internal power, then your teacher has no idea what he/she doing.
After 5 years, if you don't have some clue as to what the internal power is, then you ought to start looking for a new knowledgeable and skillful teacher.
After 1 year, if your teacher knows what he/she doing, then you should be elated with the anticipation of the fantastical world of tai chi chuan.
I do not demand perfection; but, what I do want, is excellence, your excellence in Tai Chi Chuan training.
There is only ONE way of doing Tai Chi Chuan: Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG's way: Medium Frame/Tiger Form. The family way. Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan way.
Understand the 'Internal Power' or nothing...Classical (authentic, authoritative, original, traditional) or imitation.
Tai Chi Chuan without power is a mere callisthenic exercise that is good for your health, provided that one doesn't mess up one's knees. Hence, to develop Tai Chi Chuan internal power, one has to do the specific power training. Practicing soft movements will not develop the internal power. Hardness cannot magically appear from practicing softly.
No offense to Mickey Mouse...but if one trains like Mickey Mouse for 10 years, one cannot, all of sudden, become Mighty Mouse on the 11th year! Plain and simple, if one wants POWER, then one has to do the 'power training'!
Tai Chi Chuan form(s) alone cannot develop the 'internal power', whether that be the medium frame/tiger form, snake style, or other imitated, water downed, marshmallow versions. To develop the internal power, one has to properly execute and train, the time-tested and once held in secrecy of the family power training method, 'Dynamic Power Push Hand'.
35+ lb. steel staff (bar) called 'Big Bertha', and the little one, 19+ lb., called 'Little Bertha'. Those who have met them know what I'm talking about. I haven't find one that is 55 lb. yet, and I'm pondering the proper name for it when I do find one.
Without power, forget 'Big Bertha', you won't even be able to play with 'Little Bertha'.
Tai Chi 'Dragon Claw', it's a formidable weapon. Then comes Tai Chi 'Chin Na'. Then comes Tai Chi 'Dim Mak'.
Forms, Push Hands, Chi Gong, Solo Drills...repeat...again...again...
Just as 'power' comes from the power training, 'speed' needs the speed training as well. Want fast hand speed? Then, you got to do the hand speed training!
It's crazy to think that you can intercept a barrage of punches and kicks in 'slow motion' speed, then counter them, again, with the same slow motion speed. Better get your head examined if you believe that. If anyone tells you that this is possible, then walk away...far away. If your opponent moves fast, you move faster; if he doesn't move, then you don't move. Like the power training for 'power', in order to have 'speed', you got to do the speed training. Use your common sense, please.
Thoroughly understand the physical interpretations of Yin/Yang and Pa Qua in your legs and feet.
The four directions and the four corners...they are in the Pa Qua diagram...combined with the principle of the opposites...centered, aligned, balanced, and relaxed the body to understand the postures.
Do the form like the way you do 'dynamic' push hand; and do 'dynamic' push hand like the way you do the form.
Hands and feet...elbows and knees...shoulders and hips...the Six Harmony...combined with the principles of Pa Qua to understand the alignments of hands and feet...the functions of elbows and knees...squaring of shoulders and hips.
Maintain the stillness while moving...minimize the movements of the arms...keep the foot low while stepping...work the 'Nine Pearls'...then you shall understand 'Stillness In Motion'.
Learn to go back before going forward...if you have the internal connection of 'Peng Kieng', your body and energy will know...
Feel the solidness of the foot in order to establish the 'full and empty'.
Know the exact postures...for they are handed down from the fore-fathers of Tai Chi Chuan...hold and execute them exactly as they are taught, then relax them...and not the other way around...
When postures are re-created from relaxation first, then the postures will have a look of limp noodles...Limp postures are a dead give away...of the lack of knowledge of Tai Chi Chuan. It is all 'yin' and no 'yang'.
Tai Chi Snake style? Don't make me laugh!
Tai Chi Halberd...what a weapon! Powerful! Formidable! Intimidating!
Tai Chi Chuan should be understood through 'intuitive' intelligence, and not through 'analytical' intelligence.
Do not neglect the staff 'fa kieng' exercises. Observe the tip...look for the vibrations...eliminate the shakes...the staff exercises further build the internal power...
Trust between the master and a disciple...how long did it take to establish that trust? One...two...three years? How long did it take before you became a disciple? How did you earn it...or was it something else?
Do not give it away...let them earn it...let them be proud of what they've accomplished...thus, make them understand the tradition and the protocal.
Take pride in who we are...we are the legacy...Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan...let the other imitationalists hate us for what we represent.
What we represent, we do not take it lightly...correct transmission and hard training are essentials to our success.
Moving as one unit refers to the conditional presence of internal power energy, 'peng kieng', that establishes the complete connection, 'chun kieng'...
Understand the 'Nine Pearls', and you will understand 'chun kieng'.
Many of you know what the 'Nine Pearls' are...diligently train 'dynamic' push hand...relax the muscles...
'Nine Pearls' exist between strong hands and strong feet...Yang SIGONG had very powerful hands and feet...Chu SIFU has very powerful hands and feet...
Diligently invest in 'Cham Zhong'...
Forms...'Dynamic' Push Hand...Cham Zhong...Solo Drill Exercises...what's most important? All of them are equally important.
Tui Sao and Ta Sao...it's simply amazing that someone actually figured out these profound concepts...they are such a high-tech principles of utilizing the energy...the compression of the energy and the molecular striking of the energy....pressurizing the energy to enrich into a much superior energy...striking the energy to excite the already enriched energy, to generate even more powerful energy...Simply amazing!
Ultimately, Tai Chi Chuan is a taoist internal alchemy...based on cultivation, enrichment, purification of super-energy.
Whether is it done for a martial art, health, or self-cultivation/enlightenment, the training is the same. Regardless of the focus of one's goal, the training is identically parallel.
How can we explain the phenomena of Tai Chi Chuan in scientific manner?...if two of my students who are doctors in physics, one has Ph D in String Theory Physics, and the other one, Ph D in Nuclear Physics, cannot explain, having trained with me near 10 years...also a student who has Ph D in Electrical Engineering...then, how can you who have an average understanding of physics can actually understand the depth of Tai Chi Chuan knowledge? As my students have said, the science is still a bit too young to know what goes on in Tai Chi Chuan...
I have a classmate, LS, who is a top research scientist in Plasma Physics, at MIT, has indicated to me of the difficulties in explaining the phenomena of Tai Chi Chuan...so, how can you expect to understand what goes on in Tai Chi Chuan? I advise you to give up your average scientific mind, in trying to understand...you will never understand without having directly experienced the actual training...still doubtful?...Cest la vie...We are neither obligated nor interested in convincing any of the unbelievers or the outsiders...we only care about the one who are with us, training and carrying on the legacy of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan.
It is an art...understand Tai Chi Chuan through your own experience...metaphors...
Internal power...tenacious strength...natural strength...how many of the imitation tai chi people can boldly claim that they are strong than a person who is 6'5'', 325 lb, in shape, going head to head? If a man is twice smaller than this behemoth, and yet twice, thrice, or more stronger than the monstrous latter...now, that's impressive...that's power!
Rubbish!...anyone can neturalize..what is the big deal about the neutralizing technique...any common sensical person knows how to step out of the way of a large person who is about to attack you...but, it is another to simply knock out the behemoth who is twice of your size...Power!...Big Bertha would be very proud.
Women can become as strong as men...Elaine who has been training with me for 11+ years can handle 'Little Bertha'...a man twice as heavy as her was humbled by 'Little Bertha'...am I not right, Eddie?
The character 'Tui' is not about shoving...it is absolutely ridiculous how so many have grossly misinterpreted 'tui' as shoving...push is not shove...any time you shove, it becomes physical...absence of internal power causes you to move from one point to another with muscular effort...you know very well that you aren't suppose to use muscular force...so stop shoving!
Remember to keep the back foot at 45¡Æ...not 60¡Æ..not whatever...always point the front foot straight to the direction you are facing...the knees always point to the directions of their feet...it is about Pa Qua.
Before the intent and the energy can be focused straight, you have to keep the body focused straight...if the body goes all over the place, then, so shall the intent and the energy.
Keep all the postures 'hips' width apart...to understand 'centering, alignment, balance, and relaxation'.
Wisdom is for those who understand heaven, man, and earth...understand the mind, the energy, and the body to attain the wisdom of being...in the body, understand the alignment of shoulders, hips, and feet...in the energy, understand chi, peng kieng, and neung...in the mind, understand the intent, the spirit, and the consciousness...three treasures within three treasures...
If you want to do the forms correctly, then you must receive the proper corrections...why do the lesser tai chi forms look so different from Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan form?...it is because they did not receive the proper corrections...thus, get as many corrections as possible...each time a correction is given, you are also being taught of the internal principles, which you may not be aware of...the correction is the way your teacher is showing you the different levels of understanding....through corrections, the body absorbs the internal principles....get as much corrections as possible until your mind and body understand how to correct yourself...
For god sake, stop doing tai chi in mainland Chinese manner! Mainland Chinese tai chi people don't have any clue what Tai Chi Chuan is, nor do they know how to execute the movements of Tai Chi Chuan properly. Stop waving those arms and taking the ridiculous long steps, looking all elegant and pretty. That's not the way Tai Chi Chuan is done...have some ideas and stop falling for the mainland Chinese counterfeited tai chi misinformation!
The mind becomes aware of every little mistake you make while doing the form...prevent the mind from wandering ...eliminate as much running, random thoughts as possible...first focus on the movements...focus on the stillness of the body...focus on 'chun kieng'...focus on the stillness of the body, the energy, and the mind...seek absolute stillness......
Body moves...energy is still...arm moves, arm doesn't move...foot moves, hands don't move...leg moves, body doesn't move...move, don't move...motion, stillness...intertwined in yin/yang...motion and stillness become one...ultimate stillness...
Fa kieng...body is kept still, but peng kieng explodes forward...striking the back foot...two thngs happen...either it bounces off to the rear or comes back forward...this happens when the body and the energy is well connected...so fast that one cannot notice...the mind cannot fathom what just went on...
You would have never believed me if I told you a couple of weeks ago that your reactions from 'dynamic' push hand will be like the ones from the videos...perhaps, even more unbelievable...now, what do you think? If I have you on the video and post it on Internet, people would never believe it...that you are shamelessly faking it. By aligning your energy and correctly executing the push, you have now actually experienced what 'dynamic' push hand is all about. It wasn't very hard for me to tweak you because you already have some degree of internal energy, except you didn't know what to do with it because no one has shown you the proper principles. It still has a long ways to go, but now, you are at least on the right track.
How do you like them pain?...slowest one minute ever...two minutes of eternity...did someone say, the gentle art of tai chi chuan...you got to be kidding!
How do you explain your reactions while you are being 'dynamic' power pushed? You tell me...you are the one who just got pushed...you should have seen the look in your eyes when I just pushed you...absolutely bewildered...what can I say, you bring me a smile to my face as I witness your skepticism quickly disappearing, only to be replaced by absolute bewilderment...and I've never met you until this occasion...
Stand like a small mountain, and do not let anyone move you...relax the body and let 'peng kieng' connect from your hands to the feet...look straight ahead and let the intent extend...
Slam that concrete wall with the back fist of 'ban lan chui'...got to love that sound when the fist and the concrete wall interact...the wall spares no mercy...until tomorrow...
No one will be able to perceive your power...move slowly and let them underestimate you...you can afford to move slowly and quietly because you have the internal power...
Yang TAI SIGONG's power seems effortless to many uninitiated tai chi people, and many foolishly imitated, trained, and tried to generate the power effortlessly. Do you really believe that you can generate power by moving effortlessly like a limp noodle? Yang TAI SIGONG's movements appeared to be effortless because he was tremendously powerful...when you are that unimaginably powerful, all your martial movements will appear to be effortless...tossing people left and right...thus, the misconceived notion of the effortless power by the clueless, lesser tai chi practitioners...keep on endeavoring your meaningless shovings...contradicting yourselves with your limpness and stiffness...without the internal power, your will not be able to push properly or strike effortlessly...
Many years ago, I asked my SIFU how many times I should do Tai Chi Chuan form in a day. My SIFU did not tell me the ideal number of times a day, but rather he told me how many times Yang SIGONG used to do the form, back in the days when his father was training him: 30 TIMES A DAY!
In the beginning, do not use your hand to neutralize...coordinate forearm, waist, and full/empty principles...works best when the movement is minimized...like a spinning top.
Intercept the opponent's strike...neutralize his force...set up and prevent him from retreat...counter him with your internal power.
Intercept, neutralize, and set up the opponent as if he is Mickey Mouse, then counter back on him with the power of Mighty Mouse.
Difference between Mickey Mouse and Mighty Mouse is power. Train for power...power...then more POWER!
If I'm immeasurably stronger than my opponent, do I need to neutralize him? NO! why should I? Why bother!
Because there are other martial artists who are powerful, because they are fast, because they are technically superb, Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners recognize the condition in which we need to be more powerful, much faster, and excellent in technical skills...do not underestimate your opponents under any circumstances.
If the power of 'Peng Kieng' is immeasurable, and if a person who is 6' 5'' 320 lbs, in tip-top shape, indicates that some of the Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners are the strongest people he has ever met, then how much more can we be stronger than this man if we were to continue our training for the internal power? 5 times stronger? 10X? 20X?..Let me ponder that question for a moment...What smile?
The key to success in Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is the internal power...may be, I'll name 55 lb steel bar 'Big Daddy'
Someone has said that Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is not practical...I say to you that you can't even punch straight!
Do you want to make it practical? Take the hint from the word 'practical' and practice...attain power by practicing...power makes it practical...
Excerpt from "Demise Of A Legend'...
"After the first posture, I knew I was in for a gut wrenching battle with this chi gong. The pain, followed by the aches on different parts of the body, depending on what posture I was doing, remind me again and again, that I was learning Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. 'The gentle art of Tai Chi Chuan', whoever said this didn't have a clue what real Tai Chi Chuan was! Every time I did the chi gong postures, I chastised my mind and body for being too weak, took a deep breathe and dug in, knowing that the pain will get the better of me, and make me quit the postures, far short of the duration I want to achieve. I would often hear the inner screams that reminded me of my weakness, from somewhere deep in my mind. It was not easy, trying to soothe and encourage the feeble body and mind. Progress was painfully slow, a penny a day into the jar of internal power.
As I climb over the first step of the first posture, I was again reminded of the looming specter of pain. As my mind's war drum pounded, to face the specter, my warriors of time, energy, and effort marched, battled, and rejoiced. 'We will win these battles', the enduring battle chants went on. Deep within, I can still hear the low rumbling of the battle chants of the warriors, trodden at times, who wearily and nonetheless victoriously marched through the battles. Ominously bigger battles waited, smiling encouragingly to the warriors, promising the begotten reward of the few: Internal Power! Right to the end of the battles, the sinister specter of pain makes the warriors fight on, making every blow count for something. But, finally the demon retreats with its diabolical disgust, promising to return. The triumphant and proud warriors stand, in their moments of victory, tasting the sweat and blood, they feel, absorb, and savor the sensations of what just took place. Tired, but the structure of the physical regiments is solid and ready, the awareness of the weapons is even sharper, and the mind's tactical general is clear. As the tired warriors in constant state of readiness, their senses alert them of the approaching battles greater than before."
Now, go and train!
For generations, the authentic Tai Chi Chuan has been distorted and water-downed...forget Yang Zhen-Duo...forget Yang Zhen-Ji...forget Fu Zhong-Wen...forget Cheng Man-Ching...forget the modern mainland China's...forget the rest...I recommend none of these...no true Tai Chi Chuan exists, outside of Grandmaster Yang Sau-Chung's lineage.
I have seen the book that Yang Zhen-Ji published over decades ago...the pictures were interesting, and the sequence of the postures were the same as what we do...naturally...he was taught by his father and the bulk of the training was supervised by his older brother, Grandmaster Yang Sau-Chung...disappointedly, Yang Zhen-Ji's postures were not well remembered and kept...many crucial principles were absent...indicative of the lack of understanding...left alone at the age of 14 to train on his own, it was bound to happen, a slow digression...a young man, just beginning to understand his role...he should have stayed with his father and the older brother...but, the fate was cast, and he had to go back to his hometown with mother and the younger brothers...he was the oldest of the three...to take care of his mother and his younger brothers...the responsibility of a protector of his family during the long journey back home...
Every time I look at the pictures of Yang Zhen-Ji...a look of sadness in his eyes...as if to lament his fate of missing out on his family treasure, Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan...if he stayed with his father and the older brother, he would have been the next great one, after his older brother...the misfortunes of his father's passing, the Chinese civil war, the Japanese invasion...
Someone once said 'what about Yang Zhen-Ji?' in an argument, in support of him as one of the top Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan masters...well, what about him?...I just presented my opinion of his circumstances above...I guess it is perfectly normal for someone to argue a case in support of Yang Zhen-Ji as one of the top dogs, which in turn, will legitimizes the proponent's position that the latter didn't waste his resources training with Yang Zhen-Ji or his followers...show me the power, then you shall have my recognition.
Have I mentioned that you should NOT 'shove', along with forward moving steps when doing pushing hand?...keep the hands off from your partner's upper body when executing a push...yeah, very subtle...nice try, but don't use your partner's elbows to shove your push into his body...but, what?...you say everyone is shoving in this manner...then, all of you are wrong...haven't I already said that, about you people?
It's about striking the energy...which makes the body go backward...and, not shoving the body...so, stop huffing and puffing from all those shovings...if you need to stop for a breathe, then stop and think about what you are doing...the huffing and puffing, does it make any sense to you? It's a dead giveaway.
Power, power...then more power...do I sound repetitive? Good...I cannot stress enough...to be Tai Chi Chuan, you must have power...you cannot attain the internal power by shoving, then huff and puff, wondering where your breathe has disappeared...shoving might get you to become a bit stronger; after all, shoving is a physical activity, and any physical activity will endure the muscles, making them stronger...but, it is not the muscular strength you want...doesn't matter how much you deceive yourself thinking that it is ok because the muscles are relaxed, even though in reality they are not relaxed...
If the bloodline has forgotten the knowledge and the skill, then what becomes of the bloodline? Can you perceive...look at the way Tai Chi Chuan form and Tai Chi Fast form are done...I swear, the bloodline has forgotten how to execute the movements!
What! She couldn't catch whose energy? A hand ( dragon claw) on the shoulder, and she couldn't bounce it off...if you want to represent, you had better be much better than that...
How can you serve two SIFU within the same system? That's preposterous...I say, give one up...have some dignity...you should know better with all those years of martial art training...where is your sense of the protocol? Now, I've just heard even crazier rumor about you...lets hope it is just a misguided rumor...
The 5th generations understood the protocol because of the presence of the great one...but, the 6th generations truly have made a mess of things...we have become selfish with ulterior motives...we have step-overed the boundaries of ethics...we have misinformed the general public...we have embarrassed ourselves with diminutive understanding...we have become corrupted...we have become slaves of false fame and money...we seem to care nothing of the traditional values or the pride of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan...everyone is jockeying for something...and, none seems to care much of the dedication to the greater goods of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan...
As I muse on these matters, my respect for my SIFU becomes even more great, for he stood for the value of tradition and the dignity of the system...for him, it was out of absolute respect for his sifu that he gave his utmost time, energy, and respect in propagating the system that he herited from his sifu...he didn't falter for he was strong in his convictions, though he was surrounded by many similar temptations...we are so petty in comparing to him.
Fong Tou Yiu SISOU who is in Yang SIGONG's book and Mr. Fong of Ip Tai Tak SIBAK's video are NOT the same person. With the help of some misguided people on Internet, this misinformation of the two people as being the same person has been widely perpetuated.
It doesn't matter what you think...Chu King-Hung SISOU is the 3rd diciple of Yang SIGONG. It matter very little as to how many years he trained with Yang SIGONG...he could have trained one year, and it still won't matter...he still will be considered a disciple because it was Yang SIGONG who has chosen him...in the record of the lineage of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, Chu King-Hung SISOU will always remain as such.
As for his knowledge and skill, that's entirely different matter...I totally understand with those who are skeptical of Chu King-Hung SISOU's Tai Chi Chuan skill because there is no way he could have learned very much in less than three years of training...
A few years back, there was a crazy notion of expelling him as a disciple by some ambitious people...this was an endeavor that was totally out of line and uncalled for because only Yang SIGONG has the authority to remove him from his discipleship.
Meditation in motion...poetry in motion...music in motion....nature in motion.
Perceive the horizontal and the vertical lines...the parallel lines in all directions as body moves through the Form...perceive the 3 dimensional Pa Qua....the Sphere...the Super-energy...
Your biggest enemy is your 'ego'...when I asked you to empty the cup, it doesn't mean to empty what you've learned in other styles...what I meant was to empty the cup, of your ego...better yet, go shatter the container that holds your ego.
I don't want to hear how talented you think you are... how intellegent you think you are...how accomplished you think you are...they all mean nothing to me because learning Tai Chi Chuan has nothing to do with those banalities
It is not a pushing contest, so don't push as if you are in a contest...if you cannot budge your partner, it's no big deal because you are not trying to budge your partner anyway...you and your partner are supposed to work together, helping each other to understand what it means to stay connected and to apply the proper principle of 'borrowing energy'...to enrich the internal power.
Push hand is never meant as a contest...but now, it is enjoyed as a competition venue, thanks to the people who didn't know what they were doing.
Physical strength (comes from shoving)...internal strength, 'loi lit' (comes from 'dynamic' push hand)...internal power, 'loi kieng' (comes from 'dynamic' push hand with the understanding of the internal principles).
Mind you, there is a difference between internal strength and internal power...everyone will become stronger after 10, 20 plus years of pushing...some will become very strong; however, not everyone will attain internal power...to attain the latter, you will have to understand the internal principles...seek out the true beholders, for they are the only ones who can teach and guide you.
Whether I'm in New York City, London, Zurich or Seoul, my foremost objective is always to represent my SIFU and what he stands for...Viva la Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan!
Who do you represent?
What good is a discipleship when you don't understand the internal principles of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan...what good is it when you cannot represent your SIFU properly...what good is it when you serve your own ulterior motives over your SIFU and the system?
I wonder what would have happened to me if I quit Tai Chi Chuan after 1, 5, or 10 years of training, for whatever reason. I thank my SIFU for not letting me quit...now, it's been almost 30 years since I walked into his club, not knowing a thing about Tai Chi Chuan...I'm glad I stayed...I think I'll stay for awhile longer.
There were many ups and downs during my years of training, especially the early years. Darn...I was an awful student back then...not exactly a model student...but, like a foolish, stubborn child, I stuck on...recalling upon my memory to determine what drove me on, I really can't remember...it doesn't matter now, does it?
If you want to know what the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is, then prepare yourself for years of training...whatever you have from your other lesser tai chi is not the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan
So, you feel a bit of 'chi' in your hands, do you?...well...I'm not interested in what you feel in your hand...do you want my attention? Then, tell me something about your special methodology in converting your 'chi' into something more powerful form of a superior energy...then, you will have my attention.
Any system that encourages soft movements and a concept of energy, will cultivate 'chi'; so, what's the big deal about feeling a bit of energy in your hands...do yoga, and you'll feel the same energy...so, why should I be impress with your lesser tai chi? Tell me something about your power, instead...
I cannot believe you actually teach the forms in a such distorted manner. What is that? What inspired you to teach in a manner of Chen style? Did you actually think that wriggling of the body is the correct way to execute? I have a news for you...that is not the correct way of expressing the internal principles. I cannot actually believe that you have forgotten how to do the forms correctly. I have seen the forms that you taught to a few people. How is it that they look so awful, absolutely lacking the basic internal principles? What were you thinking? You had me speechless when I saw your Tai Chi Chuan form being demonstrated...I remember seeing the old video where you were correctly executing the movements...you were so much better then...
Do you know the Tai Chi Gik (Halberd)? Among the 5th generations, only one person knows...among the 6th generations, may be, three...correct me if I'm wrong.
I wonder when those pictures with Ip Tai Tak SIBAK were taken...I wonder how they manage to arrange a training session with him, especially with a such large group...a few familiar faces...perhaps, something was being planned...was it before the creation of the association or after, I wonder...I wish I had the dates...then, I can create a better picture of what was going on...definitely, something is brewing. A few years later, unexpectedly, the snake style is born...hijacked.
A total back stabbing...first come first served, with the promise to take care of his daughter...
Imagine an old chinese woman yelling, "you are not doing tai chi; this is not tai chi", at Yang SIGONG because he was tossing his students against a roof wall, causing the building to rattle...the formidable, concrete wall training...
The concrete wall equates to the elimination of the fear factor...also, it is soothing to the body when done correctly...the body conditioning
35 years of training
With Yang SIGONG,
Focused too much on sparring
But, not enough on 'Loi Gong'.
The internal alchemy...Large Circulation Heaven...Loi Gong...the hand posture, throughout the form, is predominately in an opened-hand palm gesture...it is about opening of 'Lao Gung'...the palm part of the hand should be almost flat, with fingers slight curved...the hands imitate the body, like hollowing of the chest and rounding the back...keep all fingers and the thumb aligned together...the thumb is 45¡Æ to the the fingers...having the thumb 45¡Æ to the fingers will have the hands harmonize with the feet...thus, Pa Qua and Six Harmony interpretation...do not bend the thumb, or fold the thumb joint like the Chen style, it will close 'Lao Gung' point...keep the hands relax, so that the shoulders will relax...again, the posture before the relaxation, not the other way around...understand how to balance the hands, the feet, and the body with Yin/Yang principle.
Tips on the postures: Hold the postures as if you are holding a baby, not too hard or not too soft. Hold the baby too hard, what happens to the baby, hold too soft, what happens to the baby. Hard or soft refer to the tension in your hands...then apply the same concept to the arms, then the body, then the legs lastly, it is not about how long you can hold the baby.
Align the hand with Dan Tien, sometimes one, sometimes both, depending on the posture or the form, harmonize hands and feet, the palms and the bottom of the feet, perceive the 45¡Æ principle.
Early 19th century in China, Chen village...Anomalies
In martial art world, stealing martial art techniques, style, etc., is a severe crime, if caught, punishable by death in some cases. The Chen village people would like to have the world believe that Yang Lu Chan allegedly stole their particular family style martial art and trained it on his own. Granted that their version is the only version that seemed to have survived, but it is not necessarily the truth version. Having committed an heinous crime of stealing martial art, our hero was then pardoned after getting caught, then he was conveniently accepted as a student because of his talent. According to this Chen family tradition, their style is taught only to the family members, but perhaps, the time has come to break the tradition....thus, our hero was pardoned and accepted as a student. The strictly held hundreds of year old family tradition was shattered to smithereens because of Yang Lu Chan. While all this was going on, let us not forget that Yang Lu Chan was allegedly a servant in this particular village, which meant that he would not have the luxury of having the spare time to train a whole lot. To make a point...Yang SIGONG used to do Tai Chi Chuan form thirty times a day, just the form alone, mind you, was TEN hours. From my own Tai Chi Chuan experience, two, three hours of training a day will not be enough to gain any kind of high level understanding. Ask anyone who has seriously trained in any martial art if two to three hours are enough to become proficient in any particular style. Our hero, after a hard day of manual work, would probably prefer to rest than having to train martial art for hours afterwards. I don't know about you, but as a servant, I would probably prefer to rest in order to prepare for the next day of labor. For any 19th century servant in rural China, to rest is a bit more important than depriving himself of the precious sleep for martial training. Martial art training was definitely not a luxury a servant can readily afford, in the early 19th century China. Well, perhaps, our hero was, again, conveniently exempted from his servitude of work as well. What a stroke of luck for our hero, to able to escape from the possible capital punishment, to be accepted as the first non-family student, and to be free from the daily manual labor! A sweet trifecta!
These anomalies...just don't add up. The entire Chen village story is highly doubtful. It is so highly doubtful that I have to dismiss it as just another fabrication perpetuated by the Chen village people, along with their martial art system that is NOT Tai Chi Chuan. So, pardon me for not jumping right in with a blind belief on their bogus story.
I believe that Yang Lu Chan did go to the Chen village, but the things might not happened exactly as the Chen family allegedly claims...
Maybe, he wasn't a servant,
Maybe, he didn't learn the Chen family style,
Maybe, he didn't steal and wasn't accepted as a student, as Chen people claim,
Maybe, he went to this particular village to seek out a specific person to whom he eventually became a disciplePerhaps, time to rewrite the history?
In the 80/ 90's, as far as I can remember, Chen style never spoke of 'Peng Kieng'. They have always emphasized the principle of 'chan su jing', silk reeling jing, as their source of power. In fact, they were very clear in their understanding of 'peng'. They understood 'peng' as a posture and not as a source of power. Thus, there was no confusion of mixing up the 'peng' posture with 'Peng Kieng' energy because they didn't even know that 'Peng Kieng' existed. It is only when we, Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan stylists, have started to talk about the principle of 'Peng Kieng' that the Chen stylists started to mimic. Their explanation being something about a buoyant energy. Nice try, but not even close. But, I do give the Chen stylists some credits for excelling at counterfeit. These days, they talk about 'Peng Kieng' as if it existed all along in their system even though they still haven't got any clue what 'Peng Kieng' is, and don't understand the methodology on how to develop 'Peng Kieng'. Yet, they still perpetuate the misinformation about themselves as the original Tai Chi Chuan. But then again, they will never admit that Chen style is not Tai Chi Chuan. Of course not, it is not in their best interest.
By the way, what did Feng Zhi Qiang say about Chen style? Something about 18 different external styles combined...?
Give me a break! Yang Ban-Hou, an opium addict? Where do you get this kind of BS information? Do you actually believe in this cockamanie story? Of course, you do; your kind always do. Allow me to ask...I know you didn't actually see him do the opium, so do you know anyone who has actually seen him do it? I see, you are just regurgitating what you've heard or read from somewhere, without knowing the actual facts or checking the sources, aren't you?
Do you know what it takes to achieve Yang Ban-Hou's level of skill? Did you ever, for a moment, wonder how many hours a day he might have trained, or the pain he has endured? Let me tell you, with the kind of time and energy he had to invest to attain his level, he wouldn't have the time for the opium BS! You probably think that Tai Ch Chuan skill comes after a couple of hours a day of leisure training, don't you? You probably don't even understand the meaning of sweating because someone has said that you are not supposed to sweat when practicing Tai Chi Chuan, do you? Not to mention, your imitation tai chi.
In your pathetic world of training, you have no idea how Yang family members have trained to maintain their family legacy! Some people actually think that Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG didn't seriously train in Tai Chi Chuan until his father passed away. Where do these people get their information? These pseudo tai chi historians/practitioners never cease to amaze me...if only your tai chi is as good as your historical findings, vise versa. According to Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG's account, Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG's training was bordering on FANATICISM. For example, he would train for hours then seek a refuge on a board that was leaning slanted on a wall...for a quick sleep...only to be awaken from falling off the board, then to train again for hours until the exhaustion overcomes him, then to seek the comfort of the board again! His was a mad training...in modern terms, he trained like an ANIMAL!
Yang TAI SIGONG was forced to train for hours outside in order to keep himself warm in cold, wintery days, and was also denied food until he had completed his morning quota of Tai Chi Chuan form. This type of mentality of the brutal training made them absolutely disciplined to their family martial art. For Yang family masters, Tai Chi Chuan was a serious business; and, nothing came between Tai Chi Chuan and their training.
Hence, before you say anything idiotic as accusing Yang Ban-Hou as an opium addict, do try to perceive what kind of dedications these Yang masters had, and what it took to become one of the legendary greats. Then, based on these premises, do try to use your intellegence and imagination to conclude whether such a ludicrous rumor is plausible or not.
Do you want to be one of the Tai Chi Chuan greats? Then, be sure to inspire yourself beyond your imagination; and, don't forget why you started it.
Why do I have these thoughts that seem negative at times to other lesser tai chi practitioners? Why won't I give any respect to these lesser tai chi practitioners? I direct these negative thoughts to them (the lesser, imitation tai chi practitioners) because all of them are guilty of grossly misrepresenting Tai Chi Chuan, for the last 60 years or so. I cannot possibly have any respect to these people who have been continuously misinforming the innocent public about Tai Chi Chuan. Therefore, for their crimes against Tai Chi Chuan, I absolutely will not give them any recognition of legitimacy or kind words to their tai chi...imitations that they are.
Amazingly enough, there are still people who think that Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art is about effortlessly uprooting your opponents...perhaps, in your misguided push hand competitions, but not so in real Tai Chi Chuan. As far as Mo Gong (combat) Tai Chi Chuan is concerned, uprooting your opponent is not your objective. In a combat, the objective is to totally destroy your adversary. To accomplish this, you need to have the formidable internal power, and this tenacious power is not some mumbo-jumbo 'effortless' power. So, what is the big deal about uprooting? When the power is delivered, the whole physical structure of your adversary is destroyed; thus, the so-called the rooting will simply disappear.
In regard to the existence of the possessors of the alleged effortless power is concerned, amongst the lesser tai chi practitioners, I have seen none. All of them, when they try to manifest their power, they all seem to express a whole lot of grunts combined with ridiculous amount of physical efforts...thus, shoving, shoving, and more shoving.
[By the way, the alleged effortless power that I've been seen by the lesser tai chi practitioners is a simple technique of a take down, by stepping behind an opponent's leg and applying leverage: a hip throw, a tripping, or whatever you want to call it. Ask any judo practitioner about any of the take down throws. So why take up the lesser tai chi as a martial art when you can simply learn these techniques by learning judo? Well..so much for the dubious effortless power of the lesser tai chi! Incidentally, if you are interested in seeing how ridiculous some of them are, watch the Chen village push hand competitions.]
The ability to root comes from having strong feet. The strong feet come from having properly trained in 'Cham Jong (Zhan Zuang)' and Tai Chi Chuan posture chi gong. Of course, not all 'Cham Jong' are created equal. As overbearing as my comments might be to some people, Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan chi gong sets are very different from other systems. Of course, for those who have trained with yours truly know what I am talking about.
Sometimes a reminder is necessary...Cham Jong and other Chi Gong set trainings are an advanced level training in Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. Traditionally, they were once guarded with utmost secrecy, and to a certain extent, they still are. Some are so difficult that they are only taught to the selected advanced students. Many beginners erroneously think that they can handle a particular chi gong posture, only to find out that, after several attempts, they find themselves shying away from the chi gong training because of their difficulties. Thus, to teach an advanced chi gong set to the beginners is waste of knowledge and time. You are taught what you are capable of handling.
For your advise...if you wish to learn the advanced chi gong sets, perhaps, in the future, then, take your training much more seriously and train like an ANIMAL!
I find myself reiterating about the effortless power...the effortless power doesn't derive from training effortlessly, or pushing effortlessly...it is a huge misconception to think so. Where there is no power, you cannot have the effortless power...in order for power to be effortlessly delivered, that power has to be tremendously powerful...when the tremendous power is present and whatever technique you apply, the result of it will seem effortless...again, the reason Yang Cheng Fu TAI SIGONG's power seemed effortless is because he was unimaginably powerful...for example, how much effort do you really need to knock down a four year old child? Not much...the reason you can knock down a child effortlessly is because you are that much more powerful than a child...there is a huge difference between your power and the child's. Therefore, the objective of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is to become as powerful as possible, so that your power can dwarf your opponent's, as if he is a four year child, thus, creating the ability to deliver the difference of the power effortlessly.
A few words on the alleged [Tai Chi] Snake Style...from VT.
There is NO such style called 'Snake' style in Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan system. There are three forms and three frames. In my opinion, the alleged 'Snake' style was created by either Ip Tai Tak SIBAK, his second disciple [VT], or in collaboration of the two.
I met Ip SIBAK and Fong SISOU in Hong Kong, in April of 1993. Meeting them was indeed an inspiration. To be in the presence of the two who have appeared in Yang SIGONG's book was awesome, and not to mention having an occasion to eat dim sum with them.
In the 90's, I did my share of the abundant Tai Chi Chuan fact findings. The result...the findings have formed my conclusions that I still adamantly believe in, today.
Understand the internal principles of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan in order to perceive any deviated versions of Tai Chi Chuan.
Some anomalies about the 'Snake' style...
- allegedly, it is reserved for the 1st disciple, but VT is the 2nd disciple.
- it [Snake] is never mentioned anywhere in the entire history of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan.
- Yang SIGONG never mentioned it.
- Ip SIBAK never mentioned it to my SIFU's son while he was visiting Ip SIBAK in all those years, in Hong Kong.
- Yang TAI SIGONG never taught it to his first disciple.
- there is no record of the previous Yang masters having taught it to any of their first disciples.
- the ONLY person who ever mentions 'Snake' style is VT, and conveniently, he is the only person who possess this suspicious secret form.
- the explanation of 'Snake' style is entirely in body mechanics, thus external and not internal.
- no emphasis on the internal principles of the enrichment of 'Peng Kieng', the establishment of 'Chun Kieng', or the ascension of 'Neung'.
- the lack of emphasis on 'Dynamic' push hand, 'Cham Jong', and Tai Chi Fast Form, most likely, due to lack of understanding of the internal principles of these curriculum.
- the breaking of the tradition of the intended transmission to the 1st disciple only (perhaps, because it was taught to the 2nd disciple that the latter doesn't need to adhere strictly to the avow of the 1st disciple transmission)...of course, there is some lame explanation about sharing it with the world*.
- the violation of the 1st disciple tradition by Ip SIBAK, and the suspicious nature of the decision on the violation of the tradition.
Rooting, core muscle training, etc, are nothing new to the 'medium' frame/tiger form'. In Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan training repertoire, the rooting, the internal muscle training, and the other inner mechanical trainings are done through 'Dynamic' Power push hand and 'Cham Jong', and not through the external body mechanics of 'Snake' style.
Read my article on Yang SIGONG's Tai Chi Chuan
*By the way, you too can represent 'Snake' style immediately, after having attended VT seminar just once! That's how much he wants to share the 'Snake' style with the world.
The innermost Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan secret form is the Tai Chi 'Halberd' form.
I have to admit that sometimes I like calling our push hand exercises 'Power' push hand, instead of 'Dynamic' push hand. The term 'Dynamic' was created in early 70s in order to differentiate from the lesse tai chi push hand. My reason for wanting to call it 'Power' push hand is because that's exactly what 'push hand' does: it builds 'POWER'.
Imagine having "
ô¸ù»ÙíîØ - Invincible" Yeung Lo-Sim (Yang Lu-Chan) as your Tai Chi Chuan teacher, then, for some reasons unknown, leaving him for some other persons to learn some erroneous tai chi style. Some people are just terribly misguided.
Have I ever mentioned Yang TAI SIGONG's 10kg metal broadsword that he used, now and then, to practice with?
So, you want to know why I bad-mouth everyone? First of all, I don't think I bad-mouth everyone. I only attacked those who claim to do Tai Chi Chuan, but who are, in fact, not doing Tai Chi Chuan. I dismiss them because they are not doing Tai Chi Chuan. Just because you are doing movements in slow motion doesn't mean that you are doing Tai Chi Chuan. Just because you are happily engrossed in what you are doing doesn't mean you are doing Tai Chi Chuan. Perhaps, you are becoming one with Tao, but that doesn't mean that you are doing the authentic Tai Chi Chuan. Just because you have an inner peace while you are doing your movements doesn't mean you are doing Tai Chi Chuan. Remember that I'm not criticizing or knocking any slow movements, being happily engrossed, and/or the inner peace; these are all wonderful things. But, wonderful things do not make up to be Tai Chi Chuan. Call them a slow, happy, inner peace system, but don't call them Tai Chi Chuan. Just because your teacher told you that what you are doing is Tai Chi Chuan doesn't mean what you are doing is Tai Chi Chuan.
How much can you possibly understand this profound system after 5 or 6 years of training? If you studied 20 years with a person, who only trained 5 years, how would you rate your skill? If you were to train with someone who only learned 50% of the system, who also learned only 50% from the previous generation, which only learned 50% from the previous generation before, so on so forth. Then, how much will you know of the system, compare to the 1st generation? If you are doing one of these water-downed versions, can you really claim that you are doing the authentic Tai Chi Chuan? Is it, then, absolutely unfair for me to call it an imitation? Each generation knows less and less...looks nothing like the original.
When Yang SIGONG left China in 1949, due to the communist take over and the subsequent political persecutions, the authentic Tai Chi Chuan left China for good. What was left in China was a massive number of students of Yang TAI SIGONG and Yang SIGONG. They were the example of 50% of 50%, of 50%, etc.
Zhang Qinglin is the only notable Tai Chi Chuan practitioner, outside of Yang family members, worth mentioning. Who is my source of information? My teacher, Chu Gin Soon SIFU. Who is the source of my teacher's information? Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG.
Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan was a family martial art system. What they knew they kept to themselves. It didn't matter how many students they had, in the course of several generations. The secret of Tai Chi Chuan wasn't taught to the non family members, period, because the secret was their family treasure, and only theirs. Even the Yang family women were not taught the secret. In-laws were not to be trusted with the family treasure. Sure, they would throw the in-laws bits and pieces here and there, but that was about it. They were never given anything more than some surface scraps. The in-laws were not to be trusted even though the in-laws might have been a genuinely good person. It didn't matter whether they were a good person or not. They just weren't the bloodline, of Yang family.
The secret of Tai Chi Chuan was the bread and butter for the Yang family, in the late 19th and the early 20th century, and the less people knew the knowledge and skill, the better it was for the Yang family legacy. They were not obligated to share the secret with anyone, and for that matter, it has got nothing to do with the martial ethics. They didn't care about what you or others might have thought about them or their moral characters. They care even less about your pity. In their period in history, they've set the rules. They were the top dogs. High ranking pro Chiang Kai Shek government officials rub shoulders with them. They had a tremendous political power in China. They enjoyed their social status and reputation. This was all possible because of what they knew, Tai Chi Chuan. They weren't going to share that with anyone else.
If there is anything to be gain from the training, you had to discover them through your own arduous training, with the teacher's guidance. Some managed and most did not. Those who managed to understand and eventually attained some knowledge and skill on their own, valued them even more. If they had to do it on their own, then they couldn't understand why others couldn't. Earning the privilege of the possession of knowledge and skill made them proud, and their attitudes toward to the others were simple: train and earn them yourselves as well.
Is it then so difficult to believe that Yang family kept the inner teachings to themselves?
In road to understanding the internal principles of Classical Yang family Tai Chi Chuan...in the beginning, one has to learn the correct postures, and correctly execute the transitional moves from a posture to a posture. Correctly doing Tai Chi Chuan is obviously essential...one has to correctly understand how to 'center, align, balance, and relax (CABR)' oneself through the simple realization of 'Wu Chi'...perceive the parallel lines of the shoulders, the hips, and the feet...and, of the arms and the legs. It is from 'Wu Chi' that one learns how to apply the principles of 'CABR' in 'Tai Chi', Yin/Yang. In 'Tai Chi', where movements begin to occur, one tries to duplicate the principles of 'CABR' from 'Wu Chi", in the prearranged movements of Tai Chi Chuan.
Learn how to shift one's weight correctly, from foot to foot, absolutely centering oneself, so that one's foot, knee, hips, and shoulders are well aligned, causing the body to be balanced through the vertical, straight line, thus affording the body to relax in a specific way, over one foot. In Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, the specifically transmitted postures have to be absolutely relaxed with a realization of the specific internal structure. When the body is centered, aligned, balanced, and relaxed correctly, the principle of 'Full and Empty (FE)' is realized. In an effort to understand the principles of FE, one begins the journey with the elementary interpretation of 'Tai Chi', Yin/Yang, in Tai Chi Chuan.
The crazy notion of imitating 'Dynamic' push hand by pushing on a tree or a wall...only if it was that simple...if it was that simple, I wouldn't let anyone visit my studio and watch our push hand sessions...as if it can be learned by watching and imitating...which brings us back to the Chen village people's phony story of the great Yeung Lo-Sim (Yang Lu-Chan) watching, imitating, and learning...Chen village people just don't have any clue.
If you don't understand the correct internal principles of Tai Chi Chuan, then it doesn't matter how many years you practice...it doesn't matter with whom you practice or train under...your internal power and skill will not improve.
If you train the dynamic (power) push hand without understanding the internal principles, you will eventually become stronger with internal strength. However, what you will have is not the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan. Contrary to what you believe, without understanding the internal principles, time cannot help improve your internal skill, . With time, provided that you've awaken to an inexplicable realization, that being the result of your teacher's guidance, then you might begin to understand the internal principles, thus improving your internal skill. Otherwise, without the internal principles, you will only improve on your external skill, and not your internal skill.
Tai Chi Chuan Loi Gong Chuan Fa -
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Understand the principles, for there are two types of 'Peng Kieng: Soft peng kieng and Hard peng kieng'. The soft peng kieng is the internal power, whereas the hard peng kieng is the internal strength.
Keep your feet flat when you are shifting weight. Whether forward or backward, the empty foot stays flat, keeping as much surface contact as possible. Look for certain deficiencies in your postures when you've perceived that your foot is not staying flat.
Relax your feet. Do not grip the floor with the toes. Gripping the floor with your toes is not the correct way to strengthen your feet.
Execute Tai Chi Chuan [form] correctly in order to understand the essence of 'Full and Empty (FE)'. Correctly understanding FE strengthens the feet. Carry as much weight of your body as possible without lifting the other foot. It is essential that you understand this. Make sure your teacher understands both the internal and the external principles of FE...if he doesn't, then he cannot teach you, can he? Confirm why the principle of FE is so extremely important...if your teacher doesn't know, then find the source that does. It doesn't make any difference whether you are practicing Tai Chi Chuan for health or martial art; you have to understand the principle of FE in order to fully reap the benefits of health and martial art.
If you were not taught of this principle, then it is because your teacher did not know it. If your teacher doesn't know, then it means he wasn't taught. If his teacher's teacher did not know, then he wasn't taught either. So on and so forth. Either that, your teacher just didn't want to teach you, for whatever reason. Still think that your teacher is not at fault? Then, it might be you who just don't have what it takes to understand, but from my experience of teaching, the latter case is seldom true.
Make sure that your stance is not too long. For the average practitioners, the length of your stance should be one and a half of your hip width, and the width of the stance, a hip width apart. Do not have those mainland Chinese wushu influenced, exaggerated crouching taichi stances; they served absolutely no internal purposes!
In Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, the preferred golden ratio is 1.5 to 1, especially the medium frame/tiger form.
The legs (muscles) should be relaxed as you smoothly shift back and forth. Do not try push off the either foot when shifting.
The internal power doesn't come from using the leg muscles. When one doesn't have the internal power, one (the lesser tai chi practitioners) resorts to the muscular strength of the legs.
When stepping, do not shift your weight until the stepping foot has been completely placed on the floor. Always make sure that the foot is pointing correctly to the direction your moving into. For example, if you are facing West, then your front foot also has to face absolutely to West.
Then, along with the foot, make sure that your front knee, hips, shoulders, and gaze point to the same direction as well.
Before your intent and energy can focus in one direction, the body has to focus in one direction.
Step softly. Be sure to work the ankle when you are stepping. There are too many people [practitioners] who just don't know how to work the ankles when it comes to stepping.
First, strengthen the hands through 'Dynamic' power push hand; then, further strengthen and condition the hands through the advanced hand conditioning exercises. Be sure to protect the hands afterwards, by using a good Dit Da Jow (DDJ) formula.
Wondering which DDJ works the best? Do the simple test*: take your backhand fist to the concrete wall and let it slam into the wall, a few times. Then, apply the DDJ. If the pain in your hand disappears after a few minutes (in fact, if you forget about the pain), then the DDJ is outstanding. That's what the good DDJ is all about: eliminating the pain, healing the injuries, and preventing any future complications.
*Disclaimer: If you are afraid of getting your hand hurt, then let someone else do the test for you. Better yet, ask someone if they know any good DDJ to recommend.
Without the internal power, 'Song' doesn't mean a thing. The postures without the internal power...what you basically have is a limp noodle postures.
Protect your knees by not doing those crazy, knee circling exercises. It is a terrible way to warm up the knees. So, stop grinding your knees. The knees are not meant to be grounded like hamburgers. Physiologically, the knees are meant to bend and move in one direction. Also, do not let the knees collapse inward, especially when you are in a forward stance; this will cause the knee to twist, thus making the knee carry the weight. Any time the knee is not pointing in the same direction of the foot, then the knee becomes twisted. The knees are not meant to carry any of the body weight, even a slightest twist will cause this to happen. Making the knee carry the weight, then, causes a detrimental effect in the knee. The effects can be from a slight to a severely damaged. However, it is also very important that you strengthen the knees (tendons and ligaments) properly through the correct execution of foot/knee alignment, the weight shifting, and Tai Chi Chuan [form]. When the proper executions are understood, you will realize that it is the foot that will carry the body weight, and not the knee. In contrast, the circling knee exercises ignore the principle of the foot/knee alignment constantly by twisting the knees inward, outward, and forward. Again, the effects of these exercises will be detrimental to the knees, and it doesn't matter how strong you think your knees are. Eventually, you will mess up your 'strong' knees if these circling and grinding exercises are continued.
Carry the entire body weight in your foot and shift your weight accordingly into the other foot. Pay attention to the back knee when you in the forward stance, making sure that the back knee is pointing in the same direction of the back foot.
In Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, you do not need to do any warm-up exercises because Tai Chi Chuan [form] serves as a warm-up exercise, as well as it being the core training.
To correct another misinformation about the Youtube video of Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG, by a snake stylist:
The video is NOT a shorter set of the traditional form. The reason the form is shorter, in duration, is because he is performing the form at much faster speed. That's all. At his level of understanding of Tai Chi Chuan, it doesn't matter at which speed he executes the movements. He could have chosen at much slower speed if he wanted to, or even at faster speed. The reason for the slower speed is mainly because of his particular reason at that time when he was making this video.
Wisdom of Tai Chi Chuan:
Understand the principle of 'centering, alignment, balance, and relaxation' in 'Wu Chi'. 'Tai Chi' is derived from 'Wu Chi'. Apply the same principle in 'Tai Chi'. The absence of one aspect will eliminate all other three.
Understand the horizontal and vertical parellel lines within the arms, the legs, the hands, the feet, the shoulders and the hips to attain the 'Six Harmony'.
Understand the 45
ï¿?and understand the directions and the corners of 'Pa Qua'.Understand the 'Nine Pearls' within the 'Five Bows'.
Understand the principle of the circle and the square in all the movements.
Understand the stillness and the motion in each movements;
Understand the stillness by understanding the motion, and vice versa. Minimize the movements.
Understand the focusing of the body in one direction, so that the 'intent' and 'energy' can focus in one direction as well.
Intent, Body, and Energy. Understand 'Heaven, Man, and Earth' to gain the wisdom of Tai Chi Chuan.
It's just darn shame that after 10, 15, or 20 years of training and you have nothing to show for. How lame is that? Perhaps, it is a time for you to stop and think about what you are doing, your progress and what your teacher has been teaching you, if any.
Modern imitation, marshmallow tai chi...probably the worst system that ever existed and exploited to the max by the least qualified people, with the promises of longevity, internal martial art, tao, and/or Zhang San Feng...of the Eastern exotics.
It is not about the different methods. Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan system is about understanding the internal principles of 'Peng Kieng'.
If I had choice, I would rather call our system, simply, Tai Chi Chuan...then how you would you able to tell the difference between the original and the many imitations?
Why do you think Tai Chi Chuan doesn't get the respect that it rightfully deserve? Because of the imitations. 99.9999% of what's out there is imitation.
In Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG's days in Hong Kong, it was much different...the bad boys of Yang SIGONG commanded the utmost respect and enjoyed much different reputation. In Chu Gin-Soon SIFU's days in the 1980's, it too commanded the respect due to many successful days of full contact tournaments...thank you, Michael G.
Do I make you angry with my comments? Good, then, come see us. No, it is NOT a challenge, but rather it is about the discovery. I have often heard from many of you, claiming that you are open-minded and receptive about the higher learning of Tai Chi Chuan.
Big Bertha will be more than happy to meet your acquaintance. By the time you mustard up courage to come, maybe, Big Bertha's bigger (heavier) brother will be waiting.
Where do these people get the idea that Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG was a reformer and that he standardized the Yang family Tai Chi Chuan solo form? These people talk as if there were there when this alleged change was actually taking place.
Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG didn't change anything to Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan curriculum, in contrast to what current tai chi world seems to believe. What he simply did was to publicize the 'public (non-family)' solo form, which is much different than the family form, in a sequence of photos. Sadly, these photos have now become the standard for the imitation style tai chi practitioners. Again, the family Tai Chi Chuan was radically different from the public tai chi chuan. Unbelievable as it may seem, even Fu Zheng-Wen did not learned the family solo form; likewise, for Dong Ying-Jie and many other alleged top students...the dubious Cheng Man-Ching doesn't even come close. And, as for you and other modern tai chi people, what you are doing is imitation as well.
In the beginning of 20th century, Yang family household just wasn't ready to part with their family secrets. Only when Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG was in Hong Kong that he began slowly to teach some of the once closely guarded secrets of the Yang family treasure to his private students.
I am not my SIFU's son. Because I am a disciple and not a direct family member, I have accepted a long time ago of this inevitable, I will not be taught of everything that my SIFU knows. All is reserved for his sons. However, I am, nonetheless, very happy with my position that many people will never get to enjoy. Therefore, is it that difficult to comprehend about a situation where the top dogs of Tai Chi Chuan not wanting to part with their know-hows with others? You are not a part of the family, thus excluded.
In the course of Tai Chi Chuan history, now and then, there are few shining stars. Those who have achieved certain levels of proficiency have done so through their discipline of work ethic, intelligence, and dedication; thus earning a certain privilege to receive some of the advanced training. I have already mentioned some of the notables. So, what have you done to deserve some of the inner teachings of the family?
In early 90's, Yang Zhen-Ji published a small book on Tai Chi Chuan solo form: the sequence of the postures were identical to that of Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG's, for all the obvious reasons. Aside from SIGONG, the former is the only person that I'm aware of who knew the family form.
There is neither pre-Yang Cheng-Fu [TAI SIGONG] nor after-Yang Cheng-Fu [TAI SIGONG] Tai Chi system...there's only the Yang family system.
The reason almost all of you don't know about the existence of 'dynamic' power push hand is because your teacher and your teacher's teachers were never shown (or have seen) it.
Let me reiterate, in order to develop the 'Internal Power' of Tai Chi Chuan, you must do the power push hand. Simply put: 'dynamic' power push hand => internal power. By the way, the internal power is from the enriching of the 'energy'. Some clueless people actually think that the internal power is something different from that of energy.
If you don't know it, it is because your teacher didn't know it, and his teacher didn't know, so on and so forth. Then, how can you develop the internal power? If you think that the internal power is insignificant and decide to totally disregard it, then you have no Tai Chi Chuan. As I said earlier, Tai Chi Chuan without the internal power is not Tai Chi Chuan. Instead, it is merely a slow motion callisthenic exercise, a marshmallow style tai chi.
You cannot separate Tai Chi Chuan and the internal power.
The internal power's given name is 'Peng kieng'.
Every aspect of Tai Chi Chuan has to have 'Peng kieng'. You cannot have a discussion on Tai Chi Chuan without 'Peng' kieng principle.
So many tai chi historians, and yet, there is not a single one who understands the authentic Tai Chi Chuan, among them. Yang Cheng-Fu did this; Yang Shou-Hou did that; so and so learned from him, then went to him; Zhao did this, Tian did that; so on and so forth. If only these tai chi historians knew the authentic Tai Chi Chuan as much as their unconfirmed, regurgitated stories, they would all reign supreme.
The more imitation and marshmallow their tai chi is, the more abundant their unconfirmed, bogus history.
Of course, there are personal preferences, but what doesn't change is the core principle of Tai Chi Chuan. Even though there seems to be a slight change, it never leaves the source.
There is a reason why Yang SIGONG preferred to do the 'medium frame/tiger form', and why my SIFU did the 'medium frame/tiger form' as well, and why my preference is, of course, like that of my SIFU and SIGONG.
Understand the principle of 'Peng' kieng energy and discipline yourself by adhering to it.
When the principle is understood, then you shall realize that there is no tolerance for the imitations. When the principle is understood, it becomes clear and logical.
The principle of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan stands alone. There is no room for any excessive baggage of other imported styles.
If great Yang Ban-Hou TAIGONG didn't want to teach Tai Chi Chuan to the imperial court or the public, but he was forced to do so because of a certain circumstance, what would be the obvious course of his action? Teach something that is slightly different from the original, of course. Should he decide to teach something that is slightly different from the original Tai Chi Chuan, who would know the difference? Obviously, not the students. But his father would know, and so would his brother, and his nephews...the family would know. Will the family keep quiet about it? I would think so. Speaking out would only bring forth undesirable troubles, would it not? If Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG did the same thing to the others, again, who would know the difference? The outsiders wouldn't have a clue, especially the modern imitation tai chi stylists.
For sake of argument, lets say great Yang Ban-Hou TAIGONG taught the solo form correctly, but left out the internal principle of 'Peng' kieng, then what would become of that form? It's just a shell without any substance, is it not? Will you consider this form a real thing? Of course not. If I were to sell you a shell without any substance, will you buy it? I suppose you will not if you knew. You are smart than that, of course. But, if you did not know, how would you tell the difference ?
While all this was going on, the Yang family members were doing their family Tai Chi Chuan entirely different.
Suppose that your teacher's teacher was taught this modified version by Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG. The conclusion is pretty obvious, isn't it?
Interestingly enough Great Yang Lo-Sim SINGONG was willing to teach Tai Chi Chuan to the outsiders. His reason was thus; because he has learned his art from a non-family member, thus felt somewhat obligated to pass it on to someone who deserved it. Whereas, Yang Ban-Hou TAIGONG and Yang Kin-Hou TAIGONG were not interested in teaching Tai Chi Chuan to the outsiders because they felt that they weren't obligated since they learned it through their father, thus considered it a family system. It was what they believed in that mattered, back then, and not what you think of it, now. Hence, their reluctance to teach Tai Chi Chuan to any outsiders. Moreover, it wasn't just to the Manchu that they didn't want to teach; their attitudes applied to all people.
Tai Chi Chung Chuan (aka Tai Chi Fast Form)...quick and powerful...slow and graceful. Fast and slow, hard and soft, it expresses the internal power and cultivates the internal energy. Tai Chi Chung Chuan was the martial form that was kept secret for generations until Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG decided to teach it to few of his dedicated private students, in Hong Kong.
Some misguided person(s) has said that there is no Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chung (Fast) Chuan form. It was alleged that the Tai Chi Chung Chuan form was created by Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG's student(s). As much as this statement is somewhat correct, and of course, it has been said in the best interest of that certain individual, Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chung Chuan form does exist. The classical Tai Chi Chung Chuan exist through Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG.
The very action of the specific person who has been denying the existence of this precious family form is an absolute disrespect to the family. To deny the existence of Tai Chi Chung Chuan is to deny the very existence of Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG. But, as the world has witnessed, there was Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG, who has, while accompanying his father, dominated the Tai Chi Chuan world in China, during much of the 20th century.
It is through Yang SIGONG that my SIFU has learned Tai Chi Chung Chuan, in Hong Kong, along with other secret forms, such as Tai Chi Halberd.
I'm ecstatically pleased to announce our newest member of our family. Please come and meet, and extend your warmest welcome to the "Big Daddy (aka. the Beast)", 6' / 57lb (25.9kg) steel staff.
At first glance, it seems practical enough...but where is the power?
What I perceive in your system is that your neutralizing techniques are all too soft. They are too soft because the system lacks power; perhaps, physically strong, but lacks the internal power. If you are trying to create a system by imitating Tai Chi Chuan with your misconceived notion of softness, then your creation will be nowhere near Tai Chi Chuan martial principles. Tai Chi Chuan cannot be 100% soft. For your information, externally, it is soft, and internally, it has a certain tension that is scientifically indescribable. In your perception, you think Tai Chi Chuan is all soft; therefore, you think you can somehow incorporate Tai Chi Chuan principles with some readily perceivable, neutralizing techniques by letting the body, arms, and legs go limp, thus avoiding the attack...sort of, rolling with the punch method. If you neutralize any attack with the limp (absence of power) body or arms, you cannot counter with the sudden, explosive power. By the time, you set up the body, arm, or hand, your opponent would have detected your intention and will have escaped. Furthermore, if you opponent is extremely strong, he will trap you into your own disadvantageous posture and hold you there, thus preventing you from generating your counter force. If you are physically strong, then you can, perhaps, try to pry your way out of it. But, your strength will be no match for someone who is much stronger or internally more powerful. Perhaps, your techniques are practical enough against ordinary opponents, but against someone who is extremely powerful, I perceive the shortcomings.
Contrarily, in Tai Chi Chuan, being too soft is not practical. In Tai Chi Chuan, it is the internal power that make it practical. We want to lead the opponent by neutralizing his force; we want the opponent to think that he can trap us in our postures, so that he won't have any second thoughts about retreating. We want him to press with all of his force; we want him to underestimate us. Thus, we present the neutralizing techniques to his attack, to lure him in. By the time the setup is complete, the opponent will realize that he has made a mistake (or maybe, he won't, but that doesn't matter), it will be too late for him to retreat because we would have countered with our internal power, the power that drives 57lb (or heavier) steel staff.
Power that can drive 57lb steel bar forward and back.
In every punch or palm strike, done slowly or fast, hidden inside of it is that power. Hidden inside of every neutralizing technique, there looms the power waiting to release onto the unsuspecting opponent. Imagine how much power is needed to drive the 57lb steel staff forward and back?
Thus, when we neutralize an opponent, our intention is always to counter immediately with the devastating power. Therefore, the neutralizing technique is a setup, a trap, and not avoidance. Thus, in every technique has both soft and hard (inner tension). To think that Tai Chi Chuan is all soft, thus a soft style, is an erroneous perception...a perception that one ought to stay far away.
What make Tai Chi Chuan practical is the internal power.
Among the many power exercises that we do, one of my favorite training and its apparatus is the concrete or brick wall, for our hands and the back.
Of course, we are well aware of the importance of the body conditioning. For some people who haven't had a thorough exposure to our system, do not realize that there is a tremendous amount of physical conditioning in Tai Chi Chuan. In our methods of body conditioning, in the beginning, for the most beginners and the middle-level practitioners, they focus mainly on Tai Chi Chuan form, and eventually, for the more advanced, they focus on both Tai Chi Chuan [solo] form and Tai Chi Chung [fast] Chuan. Tai Chi Chuan form provides the conditioning of the ligaments and tendons, primarily in the legs and hips. The importance of strong ligaments and tendon is quite obvious. Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG had tendons in his legs that were the size of small tree roots. The next level of body conditioning is 'dynamic' power push hand. For those who have not trained in our system, do not know what this method I am referring to, though, thanks to Internet, some are beginning to have a vague reference to it. Those who have trained in "dynamic' power push hand, know how exhausting this method is. For example, recently an Italian tried to go full throttle for one week. The result: having completely exhausted himself, he resigned himself to his winter vacation in NYC, for the remaining days. His words were, he just simply ran out of physical effort. If the forms condition the ligaments and tendons, then 'dynamic' power push hand conditions the rest of the body. The demand that 'dynamic' power push hand puts on the feet, legs, lower and upper back, spine, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands, is beyond ordinary comprehension. "Dynamic' power push hand can exhaust a large person in matter of few minutes. Continuous training in 'dynamic' power push hand, day in day out, for years, will accumulate strength and power in the muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, and bones, and the resulting effects are beyond scientific explanation.
Then comes the isolated exercises, such as the hand conditioning drill, concrete wall, cardio-endurance drill, forearm drill, speed drill, weight drill, etc. Many of these exercises and drills are done for the purpose of increasing the physical performance and endurance, and conditioning and fortifying the particular anatomy with 'peng jing' energy. Some are done through 'dynamic' power push hand...surprise?...and some are done through using certain apparatus. Almost all imitation tai chi people are absolutely ignorant of the existence of these advanced training methods. The reason being quite obvious. As I have said before, time after time, Yang family members never taught these exercises to their students, throughout the generations, until Yang SIGONG's presence in Hong Kong, and then, only few were ever taught. Thus, many being ignorant of the advanced training methods, they assume that Tai Chi Chuan is about being soft and lacks any physical and endurance conditioning. These exercises and drills are not done in the manner of external (hard) styles. They are done strictly with the internal principles of 'peng' kieng' and 'chun kieng'. A keen observer will notice that all the exercises and drills are, in fact, done in the manner of Tai Chi Chuan, Tai Chi Chung Chuan, and 'dynamic' power push hand; thus, it is the internal principle that one looks for . Hence, there is absolutely no reason to combine Tai Chi Chuan with any other external styles, unless one doesn't have a clue what Tai Chi Chuan is..
The 'Big Daddy, aka. Beast' has arrived!
Wangchu, sorry to disillusion you, but that is not the Tai Chi staff form. See Vincent Chu's staff form (short version) on Youtube if you want to see what the real staff form looks like.
Tale of Two Tai Chis, so you think he had strong hands, do you? Then, do you know how he got those strong hands? Hint: powerful hands do not come from by just doing the forms.
Self-promotion through misinformation. It's a beautiful thing, ain't it?
Your teacher's pushing hand is somewhat lackluster...seems to lack the explosive power, don't you think, in those video? Do you know why? It's because he focused too much on 'sparring' and not enough on 'power training'.
I have a news for you. He wasn't as powerful as you claim him to be. There are a few people, whom I know personally, who have actually interacted with him a few years before his death. No, it wasn't because he started to loose some of his energy before his impending death a few years later; it was because he didn't have the powerful 'peng kieng' energy from the start. If you think that what you see in those video is examples of 'internal power' of Tai Chi Chuan, then you don't know what the real 'internal power' of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is.
If you continuously promote the attainment of 'internal power' of Tai Chi Chuan through your revised forms, then you are no different than those modern, marshmallow tai chi copyists.
One day, I'd like to see the video of you doing your teacher's push hand...if you learned any...better yet, any push hand.
When Tai Chi Chuan forms are done correctly, you can perceive the power in the postures and movements. There are only a few people who have the power visible in their forms.
Just had a memorable first meeting with 'Big Daddy, aka the Beast'. What a beautiful piece of steel! Welcome to the family!
You are considered Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioner if you are doing the forms, 'dynamic' power push hands, 'cham jong' chi gong sets, and other solo drills and exercises. As long as you correctly understand the principle of 'stillness in motion' by applying the principle of 'moving as one unit' of 'chun kieng', as long as you understand that 'chun kieng' is a connection of 'peng kieng' energy that is developed through 'dynamic' power push hand, as long as you understand that 'peng kieng' energy is the result of an enrichment of 'chi' that is physically cultivated through the correct set of movements that were handed down from the previous generations of Yang family members and other authority, as long as you understand how to cross-apply the internal principles among the curriculum, as long as you devote yourself in these principles of the internal power training and are able to represent yourself, then you are a Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioner.
Remember who you are and what you represent.
This man truly doesn't know anything about Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan medium frame/tiger form, that Yang SIGONG taught to all of his students, including this man's teacher, in Hong Kong. Instead of blaming himself of his shortcomings, his inability to understand what was being taught to him, when he was learning the medium frame/tiger form, he blames on the system that got him where he is. Plus, I don't think he has a clue what the medium frame is. How can he not know what Medium frame is; surely, his teacher must have told him what it is? If he doesn't know what the frames represent, then how can he possibly know what the circles are? The medium frame and tiger form go hand in hand. Doesn't he know that you cannot have a form without a frame? By the way, don't try to explain the frame principle with a body size and a picture frame concept because that is not what the Tai Chi Chuan frames represent; you'll give yourself away more, by talking about principles that you don't have a clue; thus, giving me further ammo to attack you. I know what kind of man you are. I know what you did. Whoops...I'm sidetracked by an extreme desire to use ad hominem fallacy to discredit you...shame on me, I shan't do that.
You actually think you have the goods, the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, don't you? You sure sounds like it from the way you talk about your newly discovered system, that alleges itself to be 'the family secret form', that was only taught to you and nobody else, so obscure that not a single word was ever mentioned about it anywhere in the history of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan system. It's a huge and a bold claim that dismisses all the rest of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan system as a water-downed version. I'm now accused of practicing and propagating an inferior tai chi system; according to you, it is not the real thing. Indeed! I'm flabbergasted. This is so big that I find it comical. Your claim ought to be dismiss as a joke, and that you are the center-staged clown, but we shan't be so quick to dismiss without examining some of your outrageous claims. So, shall we? I will give you a benefit of the doubt to a certain extent of your claims. Let us see how well your claims stand against extreme scrutiny...time to iron out a few wrinkles of anomalies.
Now...about your internal power, where is it? I've seen a few of your video of self-promotion, especially the one that tells of the tale of two tai chis...slick, very slick, done well in using Youtube as a medium to broadcast your intention...a lot of well-adorned words for him, her and yourself...it's a very novelistic, indeed, the unfolding of your fiction as a tai chi savior who comes from the foreign land of far beyond... Well, with that kind of presentation, how can I not be interested in the content of your sermons...after all, as you have self-proclaimed, you are now the top-dog of Tai Chi Chuan, aren't you? Your ability is now superior than all of us...I feel humbled. But now, I must ask your benevolent generosity to show us of your exceptional skill that you have inherited from your teacher. I'm not being unreasonable, am I? After all, I too have devoted nearly 30 years in our system and thought that I was on the right track, but now, you have made me realized that I might be on a misconceived path.
Let us please see this exceptional internal power of yours, I humbly ask. As I'm a loud-mouth, I cannot think of a better way to keep my mouth shut, for good, than have your understanding of the internal power shove into my face...that would keep me quiet, at your service. Surely, your teacher must have shown you something to exhibit in case there are suspicious, lets say a slightly doubtful, people like myself who refuses to believe in what you say. It seems there are a lot of people who have accepted your claims and joined in on your federation, association, or whatever, but I can't just jump in. However, by some crazy behavior unknown to me, if I do jump in, will you be willing to accept me? Just kidding! Skeptical as I am, without witnessing your internal skill or two, I cannot swallow your sale's pitch wholesale. You see, when I first open my school in NYC and in order to prove to people about the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, I had to show them the power, in number of different ways. Can you do that for me? Of course, you are not obligated to do so since I or any one of my pupils do not have any intention of becoming a part of your scheme. Who knows you might end up recruiting some; that's a good bargain, isn't it? Nonetheless, don't you want to convince us that you have the real goods, the skeptics that we are? Of course, I'm not asking you to levitate or anything unreasonable...just show me something that makes you uniquely different and superior from the rest of us, who have also pledged ourselves to Yang SIGONG's system, show me what your teacher has taught you. Convince me and you shall have my allegiance, and that's not a bad thing. If you cannot think of what to exhibit, then may I suggest some things for you to do. Don't worry, they won't be too hard, considering what you are claiming to represent and capable of. Perhaps, I'll have you play with 'the Beast' for a few seconds? Too tough...how about tossing some of my top students around? I'll promise you that they will behave in their best gentlemanly manner possible.
What's with these people who have decided to embrace your system? How are they convinced? You must have shown them something of your internal power, haven't you? How else could they have accepted your system? Or, did they just take your words for it? If you have shown them of your internal power, it is one thing, but if they accepted your sale's pitch wholesale without any evidence of your internal power, then these people are just as unethical as you are, for they are collaborating on the same scheme that you are promoting: misinformation to profit. You want to be placed on the throne of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan realm, undermine the rest of us, and monopolize and exploit the system without having shown any of your understanding of the internal principles of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. Indeed...legitimacy is a bitch. You can try to take it if you so greed for it, but as far as I'm around, I'll be circling you like a vulture on a dead carcass. Perhaps, you did not anticipate such unreasonable person like myself who just refuses to accept your words of how you are the next torch bearer of our system. Yes, I will orate my garbles until I am convinced of your gibberish. You will deserve every bit of mud I shall be slinging, for I'm terribly offended, of which you probably don't give a damn...ditto. Exhibit to all of us who have dedicated to Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan that you have what it takes. I have been doing my share of showing what the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan for a decade and a half now, and I will continuously do so, though, according to you, mine is a water-downed version, thus misleading the people. Surely, if I can do it with the alleged water-downed version, then you can far outperform me with your superior skill, couldn't you? So, let us see what you have.
Did you actually think that hijacking the throne would be as easy as you've schemed? Did you actually think that your words that lack any solid credibility can effectively coup d'etat the system without any resistance? Understanding Tai Chi Chuan requires knowledge, time and energy, of which an individual has to 'EARN' it. In the other hand, you seem to lack all the conditions that require it. Do you want the throne, then earn it! I saw your the video of 'tale of two tai chis'; now, let us see something of your actual knowledge and skill, along side of this terribly misinforming piece of junk, on Youtube. You have allow your greed to get the better of you, and now you have to deal with me. I will not rest until your devious scheme and your lack of skill have been exposed completely.
You have offended many people, including your former teacher. 'Expect the unexpected', you've heard the expression before, haven't you?
I see now what Ip SIBAK has taught you. It's those exercises in your video. He didn't actually teach you the 'snake style' form, did he? It is your invention, isn't it? Ip SIBAK taught you those exercises of torso turns and stretches. I know those exercises because Vincent taught them to me when he came back from Hong Kong, on his occasional trips, having learned them from Ip SIBAK. They are good exercises because they help to stretch the torso joints and work the midriff muscles, which improve the flexibility of the torso and hips. Of course, with all those intricate inner muscles that connect through the pelvis and vertebrate, they offer a decent body conditioning. I see why you would think that these exercises work the core muscles. Moreover, having no understanding of how the internal power is developed, you must have assumed that these muscles generate the internal power. To a certain extent, your body probably did get a bit stronger than others who have not done these exercises, and being impressed with yourself with your misconceived progress, you went bonkers, thinking that you are on the inner, secretive track of the internal power, all by yourself, thus, the fanfare of the 'secret family snake style'. Jubilant with your emotion and these exercises, you've applied the concept of these exercises to Tai Chi Chuan form. That's why you were trying to tuck and stretching of your neck while doing the form. Ip SIBAK couldn't have taught you all the principles and finer aspects of it because he didn't have enough time, and lastly, what he left out in his teaching was his specialty: sparring. For Ip SIBAK's sparring method, you would have needed much higher level of training and longer training sessions. There is no way you could have learned any of this true skill, the sparring push hand. He, therefore, must have told you to do those exercises diligently, for they will greatly improve your 'internal' strength. It's too bad that Ip SIBAK didn't understand the internal power, as strong as he was, and that's what he has passed onto you: how to develop the internal strength, and not the internal power. And for you, you have hopelessly confused your internal strength with the internal power! Then again, you have never felt the true internal power, so you wouldn't know how to recognize it; thus, you've obliviously settled for the next best thing, thinking you have discovered Tai Chi Shangri La...
It seems I have made a few more enemies. I just don't know how to keep my mouth shut.
A fictitious first person narrative:
"[I] should have known myself better than to announce a new system without any concrete evidences: to promote the system with a new name, the qualification of my understanding and skill, and the scheme to undermine others and their skills. I just took it for granted that my teacher's reputation gave me this privilege. But, with his name, what's there to prove? The world doesn't actually want me to prove my skill, does it? It doesn't mater how many years I trained with him or how I became his disciple, does it? The fact of the matter is that I'm on the top of the Tai Chi Chuan world because of his name. It's quite simple, isn't it? Come on, you too can become just like me. It doesn't matter that I just met you because, remember, I too became my teacher's disciple over a weekend. I just used my dashing charm on his daughter, and she decided to help me convince him. Hmmm...do I have any daughters whom you can charm? Beautiful, isn't it? This is the way to do the things these days if you want to accomplish anything in Tai Chi Chuan. The old school way of earning and proving yourself is so archaic and boring, don't you think? Let your charm and money do the talking. These people are so jealous of me because I managed to do it and they couldn't. Gather around, and I'll show you how it is done.
Sometimes, I do have to admit that there is a complication or two. I did not anticipate that there might be a person(s) who vehemently disagrees with me and my way of doing things. I've tried to keep it quiet about my affair, but this person seems know a few things that I'm not even aware of. I've been trying to promote my teacher and his skill, but he stubbornly keeps saying that I ought to prove myself. But why? I thought that my teacher's name had a good enough credential. If he was the top-dog of Tai Chi Chuan, then I must be as well, don't you agree? His skill will eventually become mine, though I hardly spent any quality time with him in training. But, no matter. I know some of my teacher's exercises that got me stronger, and being strong is the indication of the Tai Chi Chuan internal power. I shall incorporate these exercises to the form and call it with a unique name; and, no one will be able to dispute against me because of my teacher's reputation. If I could only get rid of this one person; he is such a pain in the a$$. Now, he has slander me and even against my teacher. What should I do? Maybe, I'll produce more video for Youtube. Youtube, what a splendid, propaganda medium. I'll talk more about myself, my teacher, and my wonderful system. Then, perhaps, no one will remember about this person's insistence, and bother to ask about my internal power.
By the way, I wonder what this 'peng kieng' that this person talks about all the time? No matter, my teacher never mentioned it to me, so I don't need to know these things called 'peng kieng', 'chun kieng', 'nine pearls', etc. What's with the hard 'peng kieng' and the soft 'peng kieng'? He's probably making them up. I've never heard of the internal strength of the hard 'peng kieng' and the internal power of the soft 'peng kieng'. Again, my teacher never talked about them. I'll just ignore his garbles, for I have my teacher's reputation which is more important than anything else that concerns Tai Chi Chuan. People wouldn't know the difference anyway."
An excellent weekend of training, guys. I thank those who have attended the recent London workshop. C, it was nice seeing you again; I hope you enjoyed a bit of pushing session we had. There is much more where that came from.
Prove it! Ask me to prove it, and I will do my best to accommodate. How about you? I don't see why you can't, considering you are supposedly the next great one, allegedly having handpicked by the your 'great' predecessor.
Unless you've been exposed to what the real internal power of Tai Chi Chuan is, you will have no idea what it is. You can only speculate what it might be, and from what I've seen, all of your speculations are wrong. There is a small group who have actually experienced it, and for them, they had to train properly in order to get to a certain level of their understanding to feel it. As for who has the arsenal of the internal fire-power, the number is even less.
Just because your teacher shoved you away, just because you felt a certain momentum of moving back, and if you think that this is the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan, then you are making a grave mistake. When your energy is struck, the sensation is not like getting shoved away. Anyone can shove you and have you back peddle if he is strong enough to do so. The idea is not to shove. Push is about minimizing the motion of physical push. When the striking of 'peng kieng' is executed properly by the greater 'peng kieng', the motion is hardly noticeable; in fact, it is almost invisible. For many casual observers, it is hard to believe that this can actually happen because the law of physics says that in order to have a force, you need the mass and the acceleration. But, in Tai Chi Chuan, this law of physics is readily defied. Force...distance...acceleration...mass...they all matter very little. When you can do this pure, super-energy push, then you will impress me, and will deserve my recognition because this is the true manifestation of internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan.
The super energy that I talk about is the same energy that can generate the power to thrust 57+ lb steel bar forward and back, repeatedly; it is the same power that makes an individual who is 6' 5", 320 lb humbly admit that a certain Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners are stronger than him; it is the same energy that baffles the physicists.
This super-energy is call 'peng kieng': the internal power energy of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan.
You are who you are because of the dedicated works of Yang TAI SIGONG and Chu SIGONG.
Chu SIFU absolutely dedicated himself to the teachings of Yang SIGONG and kept his teachings in its purest, absolute form, without ever personalizing or altering anything of the curriculum or the internal principles. It is too often that many practitioners alter the curriculum and the principles to their tastes or beliefs, without having understood the inner knowledge and internal skill. Chu SIFU never had to personalize or alter anything of the system because his understanding of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is impeccable. There is no doubt to his understanding because of his awesome manifestations of the internal power; I was often at the back end of his manifestations of power. Unless you have felt his power, you will have no idea what kind of power he possesses.
Chu SIFU would talked about the awesome power Yang SIGONG possessed, and was always humble when speaking about Yang SIGONG's internal skill, but I believe that Chu SIFU's power is up in par with Yang SIGONG, though he would never admit to this, out of pure respect for his teacher. Chu SIFU would tell me things that Yang SIGONG was capable of, and I have seen what Chu SIFU is capable of. When their skills are compared, I'm in a state of awe. Their internal skills are the standard to which I measure everyone else's.
Am I suppose to be impressed because you trained with Tian Zhao Lin's son, Tian Yin Jia? You want to impress me? Show me your understanding of the internal skills by demonstrating your internal power of Tai Chi Chuan.
I have seen Tian Yin Jia's form. I hate to disappoint you, but it's not even close, though very elegant, just like many of the typical mainland chinese styles of tai ji quan...all very elegant and misinformative, and no internal power.
If you want to represent your teacher, then represent him correctly. Your understanding of the internal skill will be the representation of your teacher. What good is your discipleship if you cannot manifest anything that your teacher once allegedly possessed?.
The Awesome brothers , Beast and Hal.
Name: Beast Length: 6' Diameter: 1.875" Weight: 57.02 lb. Comment: Nasty
From the day one, you are training in Tai Chi Chuan 'loi gong'. There is nothing mystical about Tai Chi Chuan 'loi gong'. It starts with the fine tuning of the body. Conditioning of the tendons, ligaments, and muscles, learning to relax the muscles to release any unnecessary muscular tension, and staying focus on the proper postures, for they are the keys to your 'loi gong' training. The postures are designed in a such way that they help cultivate 'chi'. However, for the beginners, you need not worry about feeling 'chi', for it is minuscule and runs in the background. When you strictly adhere to the proper execution of the postures and Yang SIGONG's 13 principles, the body will become strong and healthy, and 'chi' abundant.
'Dynamic' power push hand further enrich 'chi' in Tai Chi Chuan 'loi gong'. For those who are cultivating 'chi' for the internal martial art of Tai Chi Chuan, the body needs to release any excessive energy, from the intensive form and 'chi gong' training.
The nature desires to be in balance. Too much Tai Chi Chuan form training can have an adverse effect, if not careful, especially when it is complemented with more advanced 'chi gong' training. Thus, the internal energy needs to be balanced. Dynamic power push hand helps to release this excessive energy, but it doesn't merely release to waste it. As it is released, it enriches 'chi' to 'kieng'. For Tai Chi Chuan to be an effective 'loi gong' martial art, 'kieng' needs to be abundant and present at all time. 'Loi kieng' which Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan calls it 'peng kieng', the internal power energy of Tai Chi Chuan, is thus cultivated throughout the entire curriculum.
The postures are the constant variables; then the constant becomes repetition; then the repetition becomes variation; finally, the variation becomes transformation.
In regard to the sparring video, and for those who are skeptical of it, I absolutely understand where you are coming from and of your skepticism. Since you have not had the pleasure of doing power push hand with any one of us, your opinion is obvious and totally expected. But, wouldn't you rather have much more solid opinion of what we do, after having a direct experience with 'dynamic' power push hand? Wouldn't that add a certain credibility to your skeptical criticism? If someone were to ask you of your skepticism and based on what evidence(s), how will you answer it? Because what? Because of what you happen to perceive...? What logical explanation do you have for your skepticism? What...because what we do doesn't seem to jive with the law of physics? How do you know? Do you think you are more scientifically knowledgeable than my students who have Ph. D. in nuclear physics and string theory physics? You find it ridiculous because of the nonsensical bouncing of the person getting pushed? What makes you think that you won't bounce as ridiculously as well? A rather prominent English martial artist who has an extensive martial art background said that he was never a hoppy (a British slang for someone who bounces, I guess) when he was pushed by a renown Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioner years ago; but, when I pushed him recently in London, to his surprise, I had him ridiculously hopping (bouncing) back several meters; incidentally, he was neither told to bounce back nor asked to make me look good, prior to the push. As strong as he was, he was tossed rather silly, I might add; moreover, if there wasn't a person to catch him, he would have gone back even further, hopping... Incidentally, there were a few others who got tossed as well, on that same evening. I highly doubt that you are of any match for this person, in martial art and strength.
Nobody will ask you to hop or bounce, and nobody will ask you to make me look ridiculously super-extraordinarily powerful. For a sake of an argument, lets just say if someone does ask you to do so, will you cooperate? Of course, not...because you are far too intelligent and sensible for that. Then, what make you think that Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners are less intelligent or sensible than you? A lot of my guys have many years of martial art background, and having had years of Kyokuhsin Karate, Wing Chun, Ishin Karate, Shaolin Kung Fu, western boxing, etc., you would think that they know the difference between the genuine from the bogus, don't you think? Then, what make you think that my students would volunteer to put on a performance, as you call it, and for whose benefit? Getting tossed ridiculously surely doesn't make them look any good, does it, especially with all those years of martial art training, unless their past martial art trainings were bogus as well? So, do you think that they do this on purpose in order to make me look good? Would you voluntarily do this for me? No, you wouldn't...because, again, you are too intelligent and sensible. Do you think that I've asked them to do so? If so, do you think that everyone will agree to do it? Probably not...at least, you wouldn't. Unless I'm superslick in being able to convince all the people to do this bogus act, as you call it, there must be those who have refused, don't you think? If I'm bogus, then those who have refused probably won't stay, will they? You would most definitely leave, won't you? Guess what...so shall others. Now, go and find them, and have them tell the world that I've been asking people to participate in a bogus push hand sessions where they are purposely make themselves ridiculous, and at the same time, making me superextraordinary. This would be your solid evidence to support your allegation with absolute credibility, and you will be credited in debunking me.
You and your other small-minded people who know nothing about Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan have made your groundless, petty accusatory opinions countless times about our power pushing training, and yet, none of you has managed to come up with any solid evidence to prove what we are doing is a bogus or a parlor trick. In fact, most of you don't even have enough courage to come and check for yourselves. Do you know why you won't come? Because you would then have to show me your power, which most of you probably don't have much anyway, as I will show you my internal power. Discovering how weak you are is a bitch, if not embarrassing.
I like you to meet 'little Bertha, big Bertha, and the Beast". Now, show me what you got!
I dislike these parlor tricks of 'chi' power as much as the next guy.
There is a difference between 'chi' power (whatever that may be) and the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. You might not perceive the difference...well, then, that's your problem. The people who claim to have 'chi' power cannot and will not dare to fraternize with any member of the Steel family: little Bertha, big Bertha, and the Beast.
The parlor tricks of 'chi' power is not the true internal power.
Don't you think that it's about time someone has strong opinions about Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan? I kind of like the idea.
Understand the physical interpretations of Pa Qua in your hands, arms, torso, legs, and feet...understand the constant and changes of the body...Yin/Yang within Pa Qua...Pa Qua within Yin/Yang...transforming of the body, energy, and mind.
Most marshmallow taichi people think that to understand Tai Chi Chuan is to be aware of the concept of Yin and Yang. They think in this manner because Yin is considered to be the soft, feminine principle and Yang the hard, masculine principle. They also believe that they can greet oncoming force with Yin or softness thereby neutralizing the opponent's strike, then followed by, applying Yang force. Moreover, to understand this complex martial application, the practitioner constantly changes the postures from Yin to Yang aspect; by training slowly, thus they believe, that the body becomes familiar with this constantly changing energy. They finally believe that training over a long period of time, they can develop these reactions to become instinctive in a combat situation.
Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? As fantastic as it may sound, there is a fallacy in their belief. Nowhere, is there any mention of 'internal power'.
There is currently a slow, subtle trend among the marshmallow taichi practitioners, to cover-up the erroneous path they were on. There is less and less suggestions, talk or discussions about the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan among them. The reason probably being that, after few decades of training in their pseudo versions, most have realized that their systems don't offer anything remotely close to the original Tai Chi Chuan. You hear more and more about the health aspects, achievement of inner tranquility, etc., and of course, the feeble sound of the claim of how it is a supreme martial art. You are told that it is a soft martial art that can effortlessly overcome your adversaries by uprooting them. However, beyond the uprooting, the martial art principle(s) of marshmallow taichi becomes clouded in ambiguity. After the uprooting, you are left to your imagination of being a supreme martial artists of yester-years. If the uprooting is your main martial purpose, then why would you need the internal power? Thus, the internal power, that is the most critical aspect of Tai Chi Chuan, is slowly taken out of the equation by the the marshmallow tai chi practitioners.
Then, there are those who desperately hang on to their marshmallow tai chi, believing it as an internal martial art, doing their power shoving...sweating...huffing and puffing.
***
What is the 'internal power' of Tai Chi Chuan? The internal power of Tai Chi Chuan is this monstrous, tenacious strength that is accumulated within the body through 'dynamic' power push hand, a specific power training method of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. Do not confuse this monstrous strength with the muscular strength that you develop from weight lifting, isometric, or other trainings that cause to enlarge or harden the muscles, therefore, resulting in the muscular strength. The internal power of Tai Chi Chuan does not generate its power by contracting the muscles, applying the leveraging, and more often, combining with the acceleration. The 'internal power' of Tai Chi Chuan is a state of energy in its purest, physical form that doesn't require any assistance from the mass, the techniques, or acceleration.
China is planning to build a Tai Chi theme park in Wudang mountains region. Xinhua
I'm thinking of buy the lifetime membership for the park. Un-freakin-believable!
You can always counter speed with speed and techniques with techniques, but what about power? Counter power with more power.
More often than not, the people who put less importance on power are the ones who don't have much power.
You have no idea what the 'internal power' of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is. Only if you knew...
Who says we, Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners, don't practice getting struck or absorbing greater impacts? Those who say such things don't have a clue as to how we train. On some of my past thoughts, I have mentioned about the concrete wall, haven't I? What do you think we do with the wall, write graffiti?
You want to do Tai Chi Chuan as an internal martial art, do you? And, you want to be superb, do you? Now that you have learn the entire Tai Chi Chuan form, go and do the form 5 straight times without a rest; that's 1 hour and 40 minutes. Do this on a daily basis. How many times did I say Yang SIGONG did the form, on a given day? That's six sessions a day!
ï¿?Now, go and train like the animals!
Hei (Chi) -> Kieng (Jing) -> Neng -> Ching Ding
ï¿?/p>
Neng is an ability that can bring forth Kieng in the other practitioners and assist the realization of Kieng possible for the latter.
How Many Years Did You Train With Your Teacher? And How Often?
In Chinese martial art, the first thing we ask is 'who is your teacher?' The second question is 'how many year did you train with him?'
For me, it took 15 years before I was given a permission to teach in NYC, and then it took another 13 years before I was accepted as my teacher's second disciple. My older disciple brother, John Conroy, started training with my teacher in 1972, and became my teacher's first disciple in 1999. When combined, these are many years of dedicated, hard training in which we had to earn our teacher's trust.
We, as Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners, take pride in having put those many years with one teacher, week after week, year after year, experiencing the pain of progress and the joy of discoveries. There were days when I (and I know John did too) did Tai Chi Chuan [form] over 20 times a day, and trained 10 or more hours a day. In the end, it was all worth it because I have something that others do not have, 'the understanding'. The result of my time, energy, and effort of extreme training was this reward. I did not visit my teacher a few days at a time, once a year, for a few years (few = less than 3 years). Consistently, as a private student, I trained with my teacher 3 days a week, for years. So did John.
We did not have to fly across Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, or any continent to see our teacher, once a year. We were always there, where our teacher lived. I stay as late as possible, the last person to leave the club, to give my teacher ride home after training. We didn't have to deal with the jetlag. There was no need to have elaborate dinners to please the teacher on an annual visit. A cup of coffee and a french cruller will do just fine; may be, now and then, a cannoli. I didn't have to cram my lessons, and my teacher took his time teaching me the finer aspects of Tai Chi Chuan. I had time to train and absorb what he taught me slowly. There is no need to rush; I wasn't limited by a number of days in a foreign land. But, those who had to travel to a foreign land to train were limited by a distance to travel, a duration of visit, possibly a lack of communication, and an urgency to cram. In a rush, one becomes sloppy. In the end, what one has is a meaningless shell with no substance. No understanding, only the hype.
A truly dedicated Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioner would do his best to avoid such training circumstances. How much can one possibly learn on once a year visit? What would be the depth of understanding? How can any truly dedicated practitioner underestimate the profound aspects of Tai Chi Chuan [system], thinking that an understanding can be achieved by this one visit a year, for a few days? It's virtually impossible for most people! For my students in Zurich and Corea, I made it very clear that once a year workshop is a waste time for all of us. For any serious training that would resemble the training of my private students in NYC, an individual practitioner has to visit a minimum of 4 times a year. Possibly a high price to pay, but does one have a choice? A choice would be to move near your teacher. So, either move near or travel often to receive the transmission. However, I highly doubt that this particular person who traveled abroad to train was there no more than once a year. Then, what can he possibly learn? No much.
To understand Tai Chi Chuan [system], one has to incorporate correctly the forms, 'dynamic' power push hand, chi gong, and solo drill exercises, and under the constant supervision of a knowledgeable and skillful teacher. If not careful, one's training can easily sidetrack. Thus, for this very reason, a student of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan would want constant corrections of the forms, interactions of power training of 'dynamic' push hand, perseverance of chi gong sets, countless hours of the solo drill exercises, and teacher's supervision. These are of the utmost essences to the understanding of Tai Chi Chuan [system].
Underneath the hype, any knowledgeable and skillful practitioner can perceive the distorted understanding and the propagation of this distortion. There is no true understanding of an internal martial art. The essence of Tai Chi Chuan is utterly absent. What's present is mere explanations of superficial body mechanics and muscular efforts. There is no understanding of the strengthening of body, energy and mind (intent), and how these aspects combine to supercede onto the higher aspects of more profound energy. There is no understanding of the physical interpretations of Yin/Yang, Pa Qua, Six Harmonies, Five Elements, etc. There is no understanding of 'Nine Pearls', 'Five Bows', 'Complete Jing Connection', 'Stillness In Motion', etc. There is no understanding of the usage of the wall for body conditioning, the 'Dan Tian' conditioning, 'Dragon Claws' and hand conditioning, etc. What is there is some hype of a fanciful name of a style that lures the unsuspected.
Obviously, years of training would have provided some of those listed trainings. But, how can anyone receive such transmission of knowledge and skill in a such short time? How can this individual, then, claim what he is teaching is remotely close to the authentic Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan?
Then, there is the issue of 'trust'. It takes years to establish the trust between a teacher and a student. Many students have known to betray their teacher after many years, for one reason or other. How does the teacher and the student establish the 'trust'? It is done through years of observing the student's work ethics, respectability, and loyalty. Time is the key that would tell. If a teacher has not spent the time observing an individual student, how would the former know the latter is capable and worthy?
In the course of years, there is, now and then, an exceptional genius. Show him one thing, and he figures out ten things. Because of his solid foundation, the distance matters very little to him, neither was the frequency of the visits. But then, how do we recognize this genius? It manifests in the genius' achievement of the understanding of the system. He understands all aspects of internal art. He manages to surpass his fellow classmates in understanding of Tai Chi Chuan [system]. He smiles as other classmates quizzically wonder how he managed to achieve the understanding.
�I know of only one person who was genius enough to overcome the obstacles and managed to attain the superlative skill of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan.�I humbly and respectfully salute you, my SIFU.��How many years did you say you've trained with your teacher? And, how often?
Proper Method On How To Do Tai Chi Chuan Form...
There is only one proper way of doing Tai Chi Chuan form, and that's Yang SIGONG's way. In my other articles, I have already specifically indicated what those methods & the principles are, but sometimes, I find it necessary to repeat some of the methods and the principles.
Tai Chi Chuan postures are handed down to us, by way of his disciples, for the purpose of understanding the specific internalization of the body, the energy, andthe mind (intent), so that the combination of these three aspects can enrich Chi (internal energy) into 'Peng Kieng' (internal power energy), for the martial understanding, followed by a more profound level of the unification of 'body, energy, andmind'
ï¿?i>Six Harmonies, Five Bows, Nine Pearls, Chun Kieng, Stillness in Motion, Stillness in Power, Power in Motion, Nengï¿?/i>Six External Harmonies: Hands and Feet, Elbows and Knees, and Shoulder and Hip Joints.The hands, where the energy is expressed, are critical in understanding the how the energy, the intent, and the mind are harmonized in different depths. The feet, where the energy and the body becomes one with the earth, are critical in understanding the beginning of the softness of the movements.The elbows guide us to understand the coordination of the hands and the arms and their functions in the movements; the hands and the elbows are the first line of defense against the oncoming force.The knees teach how to shift the body, from foot to foot; they are the indicators of directional alignment of the knee and the foot; they are the center in which the postures are controlled for the height of the stances.The shoulder and the hip joints coordinate the directions of the squareness and the function of the roundness of the torso, by guiding the body, the energy, and the intent to a specific direction of Pa Qua.It is through the understanding ofthe hands, the feet, the elbows, the knees, the shoulder and hip joints that we correctly interpret the physical manifestations of taoist Yin/Yang and Pa Qua philosophy, and the harmonic state of the parallel lines throughout the entire body.Out of the awareness of Six Harmonies comes the understanding of the principles of Five Bows and Nine Pearls.
Five Bows: the arms, the legs and the trunk.The bow of the trunk is made up of the torso, the spine, and the pelvis.The bow of the arms is made up of the wrist, the elbows, and the shoulder joint.The bow of the leg is made up of the ankle, the knee, and the hip joint.The trunk is one of the most important bows because it needs to be held most correctly in order to be efficient in relaxation.Because the trunk contains the vital organs, it needs to be properly posturized.Because the trunk contains most of the inner muscles, the delicate tendons and ligaments, which verticalize and stabilize the body, it has to be harmonized by the proper alignment of the torso with the pelvis, by the correct usage of the spine as a connector.For the torso to be properly posturized, it has to have the roundness of the upper back, which causes the chest to have a soft hollowness.For the pelvis to have its roundness, the sacrum has to be gently tucked.It is then the spine that connects the two anatomical parts.When the torso and the pelvis are gently rounded, the spine straightens and elongates, thus opening the vertebrates.Then, the torso takes on the appearance of an enlarged back, without the unnecessary straining of the muscles in the upper and the lower back, thus the gentle roundness of the trunk embraces the vital internal organs, causing them to reach the ultimate state of relaxation.When the bow of the trunk is established, the power in the hands and the feet are internally connected.As the perception of Five Bows is realized, the awareness of the internal connection, Chun Kieng, is realized through the understanding of Nine Pearls of Five Bows.
These are the principles of Tai Chi Chuan and the energy...
Physical interpretations of Yin/Yang
ï¿?
Physical interpretations of Pa Qua (of the directions and the corners, the parallel lines, and the concept of 45
Six External Harmonies: Hands and Feet; Elbows and Knees: Shoulder and Hip joints
Six Internal Harmonies: Mind and Intent; Intent and Chi; Chi and Power.
Five bows (of the arms, the legs, and the trunk)
Nine Pearls, the internal connectors.
Peng Kieng, the internal power energy
Chun Kieng, the internal connection; one unit of Peng Kieng energy.
Ascension and Emergence of Super Energy
Energetic interpretation of Tao Te Ching (of soft energy overwhelming hard energy)
Stillness In Motion of Form and Energy.
Motion In Stillness of Mind and Power.
Realm of Neng.
State of the Stillness of Mind, Energy, and Body
Movement In Accordance To Principle
If you don't know the Principles,
How will you know the movements?
If movements are not taught correctly,
How will you understand the Principles?Learn the postures and the movements correctly,
Condition and strengthen the tendons and the ligaments,
Relax the body and soften the movements,
And let Chi cultivate in the background in silence.Power push hand refines Chi to Peng Kieng,
Mind, Intent, Chi, and Power,
Changing the energy structure.
Understand how to eliminate the physical strength,
Becoming strong is not the objective.
Let Internal Power energy slowly accumulate.
Understand Six Internal Harmonies.
Hands, feet, elbows, knees, shoulders, and hips,
Move with Six External Harmonies,
Body well-coordinated in movements.Movements are relaxed and minimized,
Peng Kieng occupies inner space,
Thus, physical strength replaced.
Peng Kieng exacts the postures in their movements,
Nine Pearls strings Peng Kieng,
Peng Jing establishes Chun Kieng,
Moving as one unit internally and externally.
Not exerting physical force, with Idea in constant presence.Five bows, Nine Pearls, Peng Kieng, and Chun Kieng,
Establish the impregnable internal and external structure.
Power becomes visible to the trained eyes,
Mind observes stillness of Chun Kieng,
And body follows the tranquility of Peng Kieng.
Energy is kept still,
Further enrich with Tui Sau and Ta Sau,
And the body understands the liveliness of Sheng Lit.
Body and energy, energy and mind, mind and body,
Action and idea are in harmony, moving as one unit.Understand Yin/Yang, Pa Qua, and Five elements,
Mind and Intent interpret every movement,
Intent and Chi perceive Six External harmonies.
Five bows, Nine pearls,
The postures solid and relax.
Chi and Power emerge,
Embrace Peng Kieng, Chun Kieng, and Fa Kieng
Idea and energy harmonize.Learn to minimize the motion,
By understanding the details of the postures and the movements.
Understand the super-energy,
For they are handed down to us by the Great ones.
Seek stillness of the internal power,
By applying the principle of Chun Kieng.
Minimize the movement and maximize the power.
Action is included in inactionStillness in motion,
Motion in stillness,
Both principles are within the Great Ultimate.
Action and inaction are well-coupled.(Prose disclaimer: I have no clue on the proper style of prose writing; thus I lack any decent sense to follow the conventions of rhyme, rhythm, cadence, stanza structure, etc. Indeed...for I am, a confirmed, prose hack.)
The knuckle pushups, the crawling drills, the weight-lifting, the isometrics, the nautilus, the heavy bag, the running, etc.
I'm quite familiar with those external exercises.
Having done them in my teens and in early twenties, I was in a pretty darn good shape. In fact, I was the strongest player in my high school football team and was selected as an All-Middlesex League player by the league coaches, in my senior year, and was good enough to play as a starting JV middle linebacker as a freshman at Northeastern University, in 1975, as an Asian, at least for one year (I quit as a football player after my first year, having lost the interest in playing in an environment of the racist NU football team.I remember very clearly when I pushed some of my Sifu's students for the very first time.
I could not move a single person as much as I tried. Some, whom I pushed, were in fact an intermediate students who have only developed some internal strength, and not much of the internal power. When I pushed my Sifu, he tossed my like a rag doll, believe it or not, and I used to take on blocks from 240+ lb linemen during my football days...gee...so don't tell me about your exceptional physical condition and how strong you are, and that you won't be tossed. Tossed, I was...for a moment, try to perceive an Asian, in 1975, who was 5'10", weighing 195 lb training like a madman to be in shape, so that I can compete against these college players who were a lot larger and stronger than I was. That's right...when I played, I had to play like a gangster. I would unleash my forearms onto my opponents, sometimes even onto my own teammates as well, and struck with much greater force whenever I could...I wasn't going to let them get the better of me under any given situation...in fact, there were a lot at stake. I played with a beastly ferocity because such style of playing was the only way I was going to survive as a player in a sport that was dominated by whites and blacks, and I had prove to all of them that I can play with the best of them...and I have to admit that I brought some of this mentality with me to Tai Chi Chuan...and yet, in Tai Chi Chuan...I was easily tossed by my Sifu.Then, I realized that all the training that I went through in my younger days was useless in Tai Chi Chuan...I wrote somewhere that if you are sincere about learning Tai Chi Chuan, I recommended to give up in weight-lifting and other external exercises, such as push-ups, and I truly meant it.
All these training builds the muscular strength, which is useless in developing the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan. In Tai Chi Chuan, as far as the physical conditioning is concerned, it is about the conditioning and the strengthening of the tendons and the ligaments. The above-mentioned physical conditionings, which I dismissed, do not help to condition and strengthen the tendons and ligaments. To condition and strengthen the tendons and the ligaments, one has to exercise them slowly and repetitively in a relaxed manner, without straining or contracting the muscles. It is the Tai Chi Chuan form that serves this very purpose. It is designed in a such way that the tendons and the ligaments can become unimaginably strong and physically enlarged.Then, of course, comes the internal power training.
We endeavor to understand the taoist philosophy of 'stillness in motion' by a way of 'minimizing the motion' in tai chi chuan form.
By understanding the concept of 'stillness of motion', it offers the Tai Chi Chuan practitioner an opportunity to attain the formidable internal power, by experiencing and understanding the presence of the super-energy called 'peng kieng'.The nature of 'peng kieng' prefers to be in a state of stillness, so that it can be well-connected throughout the
body, by a way of the connection of the joints (the nine pearls). This connection of the joints is established by their inner strength of the tendons and ligaments. When the joints are strong, then the muscles can relaxed so that 'peng kieng' can flow unimpeded, metaphorically speaking. Of course, to understand how any of these methods can be done correctly, a practitioner must train properly under a knowledgeable and skillful instructors, as you are already well aware. Thus, the perception of the internal principles is of the utmost importance. Only a few possess the internal principles and their applications. Without them, any practitioner will struggle against the overwhelming odds of arduous training, thus unnecessarily wasting the valuable resources. Though the past Yang family masters have put in their shares of a hard training, for they had to sustain their family legacy, they also knew the specific methods of efficiency, the means to attaining an immediate result without any wastefulness of resources. There are the family form and the public form, there are also the specific family method of internal power training and the regular internal strength training. Thus, understanding the 'dynamic' power push hand is extremely important. As I have said elsewhere, training the 'dynamic' push hand without the understanding of the principles will assist the practitioner with the internal strength, and conversely, training the 'dynamic' push hand with the understanding of the principle will accelerate the attainment of the internal power. Thus, Tai Chi Chuan becomes practical when there is the presence of the internal power. Who, when, and how much the internal power the practitioner will have depends totally upon the relationship and the interaction of the practitioner and the master.Back to Boyd's snake style...from what I can gather of the available information, the snake style was created by
Boyd. His concept of the body wriggling is implemented by his effort to get the most out of the interior muscles, such as iliopsoas, longissimus, etc. What he doesn't understand about these muscles is that they are not as voluntary as he thinks. These muscles obviously have to be strong in order to maintain the structure of the postures, connecting the upper limbs to the lower limbs; thus, the trunk becomes the fifth bow. And in Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, the ways these muscles are conditioned are done through the proper executions of Tai Chi Chuan form and 'dynamic' power push hand. When the form is done correctly, a beginner practitioner will experience a certain degree of lower back aches, a condition which is normal. This is the signal of the interior muscles, that were once weak, going through the transformation, of the growth pain. 'Dynamic' power push hand then further takes care of the upper back muscles, vertebrate joints, and the posterior rib joints. As for Boyd, however a shyster as he may be, he has nonetheless introduced a few exercises that are helpful in conditioning and strengthening the interior muscles, one can see the glimpses of these exercises in his youtube videos. Incidentally, I know some of these exercises because Vincent Chu has shown them to me when he returned from Hong Kong, having visited and learned them from Ip SIBAK, on many occasions, (back then, as Vincent was learning them, there wasn't any reference to the snake style, either by Ip SIBAK or Vincent.) They are good exercises, but they are only supplemental and by no means only conditioning exercises. However, in his book, Boyd puts forth his beliefs in these muscles as the source of the internal power. For him, the attainment of the internal power is strictly bio-mechanics. If a such argument is absolutely valid, then all the superbly conditioned, world class athletes of the world should all have the internal power...hmmmm. As an example, my daughter who is a junior level figure skater goes through one of the most rigorous, physical conditioning, including the core muscle conditioning and strengthening training I have ever witnessed, and sometimes, of which I now and then supervised, is not an internal artist. She understands how to use these core muscles to execute her triple jumps, spins, and other elements, but she doesn't have the internal power that we the Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners constantly allude to. For my part, in my younger days, before the days of Tai Chi Chuan, as I have indicated in one of my thoughts, I was quite fit; even though I have done all sorts of external conditional training, can hardly call myself as an internal stylist. If an internal power can be only attain through the superior conditioning of the exterior and the interior muscles, then why don't the world-class athletes, my daughter, or my younger self have internal power, and then again, what makes Boyd's snake style's training so internally special that they have the internal power? According to Boyd's argument, when the core muscles are conditioned, then all the world class athletes and others should then be classified as the internal artists, should it not? I think not. Then, why call the snake style an internal martial art if it is all bio-mechanics? Other martial art systems have similar conditioning and strengthening training, but they don't call themselves as internal martial artists. Then, why should Boyd call his style an internal art when it is not much different from the external style training? Are his method so radically different, though very external in nature, that he can classify his style as an internal style? Again, I think not, having personally done some of Ip SIBAK's exercises.Boyd
readily dismisses the very power training methods that develop the internal power? For Boyd, he thinks that 'dynamic' power push hand is misnomer, and in my opinion, he has completely went off his rocker, and totally missed his mark. This is an indicative of his total lack of the knowledge and the skill of Tai Chi Chuan. He must have been an awful student when he was training with his former tai chi teacher, not to have even a morsel of an understanding, which is, by the way, rather quite pathetic, and then, he comes forth with the presentation of the "cultivation of spinal force, twisting, and coiling so that [a snake stylist] can utilize the core[?] of the body and a subtle working[?] of the ligament connection...," thus, introducing his suspicious snake style. In fact, Boyd's explanation of bio-mechanics reeks the suspiciousness of plagiarism, from a particular Chen stylist's explanation of the bio-mechanics of a cheetah running at a full speed, of Chen style body-mechanics. Which brings me to another interesting speculation, that Boyd might have secretly sought out the Chen style principles in order to customize it to his dubiously misleading style.Any serious student of Tai Chi Chuan cannot and should not take Boyd's slick packages seriously.
If you scrutinize his claims of how and what he possess, a keen observer will quickly realize that he and his presentation are riddled with far too many fallacies, thus becoming laughable at best.*****
As for your inquiry of the hardcore training...can a young person become a world class, classical concert solo pianist, by practicing by
him/herself, for an hour or two a day, two/three times a week, without a knowledgeable and skillful teacher? Highly unlikely...but, in Tai Chi Chuan, never!In true Tai Chi Chuan, there is no such thing as weak people!
Power comes from having done the power training.
Perhaps, you can call it 'horizontal strength'.
The reason that you call it the 'horizontal strength' is because you've understood, rather attained, a certain degree of the internal strength (i.e., the rooting and the resisting) and not the internal power. You see, the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan is actually 'spherical' Puzzled? Naturally.If you are bounded either by the horizontal or the vertical strength, then you are pertained to only one aspect; thus, your capability is limited.
But, if your energy is spherical, then your potential is limitless and power immeasurable.
There is nothing wrong in doing Tai Chi Chuan as a holistic discipline; for that matter, there is nothing wrong in doing Tai Chi Chuan as a health exercise. If you can attain some positive results in such endeavors, more power to you. But, never disregard the fact that Tai Chi Chuan originally became famous, and popularized by many, in the 19th century China, because of its kick-ass martial art with its phenomenal internal power.
When Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG's great-grandfather, Yang Lo-Sim (Lu-Chan), first introduced Tai Chi Chuan, in Bei Jing, no one recognized this particular style. In time, upon the recognition of this great martial art, a hoard of hopefuls approached our hero, bearing gifts, to hopefully get a glimpse of his transmission of the knowledge and the skill. Hundreds upon hundreds came. The prospects were many, but the inheritors were few...by then, Tai Chi Chuan has become the Yang family system.
Nearly a hundred and fifty years have past...the beginning of the 21th century. Tai Chi Chuan is now, more or less, revered as a holistic and health exercise. The medical community recommends highly of Tai Chi Chuan as a preventive health exercise, and the gurus chant their versions of Tai Chi Chuan as a form of yoga...the discoveries are well-documented and widely available. But, what about Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art? What has become of it?
What became of it? It never left its original source or the founding internal principles. It is still live and well, except with all those modified versions, the original, authentic Tai Chi Chuan has become shrouded in misrepresentations, by many. Though there are many truly sincere practitioners, in wanting to learn the authentic Tai Chi Chuan, many just weren't exposed to the real Tai Chi Chuan. Thus, the perpetuation of misrepresentations continues to plague the modern Tai Chi Chuan community.
How many can truly claim to have the true internal power of Tai Chi Chuan? What does it mean to have that power? How does one recognize the manifestations of it?
If you are ten times, maybe 20 times...I don't care, pick a number, stronger than one of those NFL lineman specimen, and yet you are a half of the size of the latter, would you say you are internally powerful? You, darn right...I would consider that individual as an internally powerful person. But, is it physically possible for a person who is a half the size can be 10 times stronger than one of those behemoths? Can someone who is 5' 10", 190 lb. become powerful through Tai Chi Chuan training so that that individual is stronger than someone who is 6' 5", weighing 325 lb., in shape, going head to head in a contest of a pure, raw strength? Moreover, if the 190 pounder is 10, 15, or 20 times stronger than the 325 pounder, do you think he'll have any problem relaxing while demonstrating his true strength during the contest? The answer is 'yes' to these questions.
Why do most people fear a very large, villainous person in a violent confrontation? People are fearful of him because of his size that can generate a greater strength that can cause bodily harm. A very large, violent man can generate a considerable amount of power that can cause serious damages, especially if he well-versed in the art of fighting, with speed and the techniques. If woman is 10 times physically stronger than the violent man, that's not to say some women aren't strong, will she be physically afraid of the violent man? Since a person of larger physical stature can generate much more power than those (men and women) who are lesser, so we are lead to believe in the laws of physics, how can our 190 pounder Tai Chi Chuan practitioner is more stronger than 325 pounder? Is it then possible a person to achieve this ability that defy the laws of physics? Plus, if our 190 pounder has become 10 times stronger than the 325 pounder through his training, is it then possible for our hero to become even stronger than the behemoth? So, how did our 190 pounder become stronger than the 325 pounder? In Tai Chi Chuan, it is accomplished through the understanding of curriculum of the 'forms, power push hand, chi gong, and solo drills', with the guidance of a knowledgeable and skillful master.
Steel wrap in cotton. The steel is thus represented by this true strength (the internal power: peng kieng), so that the more internally stronger you are the more powerful your steel. Then, the power is deftly disguised by the soft and gentleness of Tai Chi Chuan, waiting to be released on an unsuspecting opponent, in a variety of manners. Moreover, this internal power is always present within the body, as the 325 pounder will always have his physical strength in his body, you will too have the internal power. Tai Chi Chuan internal power doesn't suddenly come as a result of some technical execution, as in some 'fa jing' techniques, for example, of the Chen style. In Tai Chi Chuan, fa jing is a delivery method that brings forth the power that is already exist within the body. Therefore, in Tai Chi Chuan, the objective is to have a greater concentration of the internal power energy, so much so that this power will dwarf the physical strength of any behemoth. Once you have understood the principle of the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan, you will never lose or have it become diminished. The internal power is immesurable.
It is this power that the countless number of Tai Chi Chuan practitioners throughout the world, for over 150 years, have been aspiring the attain...with or without success.
The very fact that you have combined Tai Chi Chuan with some other style(s) tells me that you don't understand the real Tai Chi Chuan.
My SIFU never had to combined with other styles to achieve his level of understanding. Yang SIGONG never combined with another style; neither did his father, Yang Ching-Po (Cheng-Fu) TAISIGONG; so on and so forth to the rest of the Yang family forefathers, all the way up to the greatest Grandmaster Yang Lo-Sim (Lu-Chan).
What make you so uniquely special that you can purposely combined with another style? Do you thnk that your understanding is any better as a result of it?
Having done (teaching, researching, and training) Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan over 30 years, there is one thing that I am absolutely sure of, that is, you cannot combined with Tai Chi Chuan with any other martial art style(s).
The Functions Of Tai Chi Chuan form
- It serves as a warmup.
- It serves as a physical training method that conditions and strengthens the tendons and the ligaments of the joints in the legs. Thus, more one does the form, the stronger the tendons and the ligaments. Having a strong tendons and ligaments afford to depend less on the muscles, thus eliminating the muscular tension.
- The execution of the proper postures conditions and strengthens the lower back muscle. Thus, providing the critical (anatomical) connection of the upper and the lower body.
- It teaches the practitioners how to relax the entire body.
- It is designed in a such a way that it serves to cultivate the internal energy (Chi, Hei, Ki, Gi or Life Force - take a pick) that is needed to fuel the internal power (Peng King). Thus, more energy the practitiner has, the more opportunity to convert that particular energy, through a specific training methods, to the much higher and powerful (super) energy that is used for the martial techniques and applications.
- It is designed in a such way that it demands an absolute focus of the mind. Thus, it is often referred to as a 'chigong in motion'.
- It is designed in a such way to comprehend how the human body works with the nature. This understanding is done through the physically interpretations of the taoist philosophies of 'Ba Qua', 'Yin/Yang', 'Six Harmonies', 'Five Elements', etc. Thus, the practitioner perceives and understands how to center with earth; hence, the alignment and the balance of the body; accordingly, the improvement of the health and awareness.
- It serves as an important apparatus to offer the practitioner the understanding on how the authentic [power] push hand is done. Thus, execute the [power] push hand like the way the form is executed, and execute the form like the way the [power] push hand is executed.
- It teaches the practitioner the most critical principle on how to keep the internal power energy (Peng Kieng) as one unit while in motion (slow or fast). Thus, without the principle of one unit of Peng Kieng, any Tai Chi Chuan ceases to exist as an internal martial discipline.
- When the practitioner finally understands the union of the form and the push hand, the form serves to preserves and further progresses the internal power energy to, believe it or not, even higher super energy.
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Do not neglect the form!
People who dismiss Tai Chi Chuan form as something unproductive or useless, do not have any clue what they are talking about. However, the form to be productive in the elevation of the internal power (Peng Kieng) and the super energy (Neng), the practitioner MUST train and understand the authentic [power] push hand and other advanced curriculum.
The tai chi knuckleheads are at it again, making idiotic statements, such as how excellent the 1st and the 2nd generation Yang masters were and that the 3rd and the 4th generation were mere mediocre. These tai chi clowns never cease to amaze me as I wonder where and how they have possibly gotten such information? Predicably, as they are completely without any competent knowledge and skill of the authentic Tai Chi Chuan, it's no wonder that these clowns would make a totally unfounded comments, lacking any creditable historical evidences, thus groundless premises on their marshmallo tai chi mumbo jumbo...tai chi misinfo regurgitators that they are. If these clowns only knew and done the kind of the intensive-extensive training of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners, they would not flap their tongues so quickly on making the ludicrous comments.
Show [me] what you can do with a 57+ lb steel staff, then I will consider your comments meritorious. Better yet, show [me] what you can do with a 35+lb steel staff (as one prominent UK gentleman has unsuccessfully attempted to thrust it.)
If the 35+lb steel staff a bit winny too heavy, then show [me] what you can do with 10+ kg metal sword, then I will consider your comments meritorious.
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If a person is ten times stronger than you are, then what can you possibly do to him? But, wait...did I mention that the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is immeasurable? Suppose, that person is fifty times stronger than you are, then what?
If that person can generate his power that is fifty times stronger than your strength, into a single focal point of a strike, what kind of damage can he inflict upon you?
If that person who is a hundred times stronger decide to grapple with you, how will you manage? If you choose to argue that you have the superior techniques, and I hope you are right in your assessment because the former will know how to grapple as well. By the way, Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan has 'grappling/wrestling' techniques if you didn't know. You looked surprised...why, no one has ever informed you before? Whatever gave you the idea that Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan didn't have such curriculum, and why wouldn't we?
In my conservative estimate, Yang Cheng-Fu TAI SIGONG and Yang Sau-Chung SIGONG was probably 100 times stronger than you are. Picture yourself, helpless, in their grasp, or better yet, at the receiving end of their punches.
