Thoughts On Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan

Thoughts on Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan

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 calisthenic 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 interanl 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, waterdowned, marshmellow 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, then counter them, with 'slow motion' speed. Better get your head examined if you beleve 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 eatablish 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 transmision 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 fugured 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...strking 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, purificattion of super-energy.

Whether is it done for a martial art, health, or self-cultivation/enlightenment, the training is the same. Regadless 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 trainined 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 kow 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 tryng 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 boldy 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!

Posh!...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°...not 60°...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 conciousness...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 Clasical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan form?...it is becasue 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 ...elimnate as much running, random thoughts as poosible...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 fanthom 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 unbelieable...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 ashamelessly 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 scepticism 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 backfist 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 and effortless 'fa kieng'...contradicting yourselves with 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 immeasureable, 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 much stronger than himself, 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 Clasical 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...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 muscluar 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 protocal? Now, I've just heard even crazier rumor about you...lets hope it is just a misguided rumor...

The 5th generations understood the protocal 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 dimunitive 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 somethiing...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 perpeturated.

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 stlll 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 sceptical 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 discipleshp.

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 dimentional 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 familar 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° to the the fingers...having the thumb 45° 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° 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 trifectas!

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 disciple

Perhaps, 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 undersood 'peng' as a posture and not as a souce 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.

Amazingy 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 tenacioust 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! Incidently, 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 couse, 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 certian 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 allleged [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 occassion 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 "天下無敵 - 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. Pehaps, 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 privilage of the possesion 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 - 太極拳內功拳法

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 undestand 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 them slam 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. 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 detremental effect in the knee. The effects can be from a slight to a severely damage. 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 detremental to the knees

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° 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 understaning 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, marshmellow 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 Famly 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 imtations?

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 learnings 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, intellegence, and dedication; thus earning a certain privilage 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 calisthenic exercise, a marshmellow 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 discusson 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 unconfimed, regurgitated stories, they would all reign supreme.

The more imitation and marshmellow 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 baggages 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 attitutes 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 neturalize an oponent, 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 edurance 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 bersion) 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, marshmellow tai chi copists.

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.

It's easy to promise in words, but time will tell which camp speaks of the truth.

Battle of two Tai Chi camps for the legitamacy .

One camp promotes the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan by a specific way of doing the form, with a certain exotic name. The other promotes the internal power of Tai Chi Chuan through the understanding of a specific power training, called 'Dynamic' power push hand and how it subsequently complements the forms.

The first camp speaks of cultivating 'chi', and the latter emphasizes the enrichment of 'peng kieng'.

The first camp lists its curriculum that is, more or less, average...nothing the second camp doesn't already know about, other than its fanciful name given to itself. The second camp has a list of an extensive curriculum, such as different forms, different levels of 'cham jong', 'dynamic' push hand and variety of other push hands, an array of solo exercises and drills, and how all fit into the internal principles (vise versa).

The first camp speaks of the principles of the body mechanics, rooting, and core muscle training, promising that, one day, it will reward its practitioners the famous internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. However, the second camp presents the strengthening of the ligaments and tendons to develop the 'nine pearls' throughout the forms, by applying the internal power principle that is developed through 'dynamic' push hand; speaks of the internal connection of 'chun kieng' and 'peng kieng'; teaches the principle of 'stillness in motion' and how it applies to the movements of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan forms, etc.

The first camp's way of teaching is typically seen as a very external and mechanical (of course, 'external' should not to be confused with a hard style), with its use of body contractions and expansions, which claims, eventually, to become internalized. The second camp stresses the importance of minimizing the movements that are designed as an internal exercises, which help the practitioners, eventually, to understand the principle of 'motion in stillness' based on the super energy.

In the end, after all the saber-rattling of the words, claiming the alleged superiority of one camp over the other, when it is all done, each camp has to provide its result, that is, the attainment of the explosive internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. As for when that end is, it could be anytime: after one year of training, a practitioner should be able to show something of its system, for his one year worth of training; after five years...no problem...should be able to show the five years' worth; ten years...twenty years...so on and so forth.

In the course of many years, Tai Chi Chuan has suffered greatly from its renown reputation that it once enjoyed. Many dubious tai chi instructors have marketed their questionable systems, with the promises of mind-boggling super power and the Tao enlightenment. When and how a practitioner will obtain this power, one is constantly reminded and conditioned to believe that many years of training is necessary. Thus, a practitioner continues with his limp-noodle forms and the marshmellow push hand, for twenty years or maybe more (I don't care, pick a number), hoping and waiting for their tai chi Godot.

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 generatons 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 obsecure 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 beneft 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 anomolies.

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 braodcast 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! Sceptical 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 sceptics 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 gentlemenly 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 collaberating 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 credibilities can effectively coup d'etat the system without any resistence? 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'. Jubilent 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 privilage. 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 discple, 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 accompish 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 vehemantly disgrees 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 accomodate. 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 backpeddle 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 curriculm or the internal principles. It is too often that many practitoners 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.

Dimension

Beast Length - 6'

Diameter - 1.875"

Weigth - 57.02 lb.

Hal 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 abudant 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 sceptical of it, I absolutely understand where you are coming from and of your scepticism. 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 sceptical ciriticism? If someone were to ask you of your scepticism 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 scepticism? 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 renoun 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; incidently, 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... Incidently, 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 ridicuously 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 intellegent and sensible for that. Then, what make you think that Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners are less intellegent or sensible than you? A lot of my guys have many years of martial art bckground, 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, especailly 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 intellegent 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? Becuase 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 marshmellow 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 marshmellow taichi practitioners, to coverup 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 marshmellow 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 marshmellow tai chi practitioners.

Then, there are those who desperately hang on to their marshmellow 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 monsterous, tenacious strength that is accumulated within the body through 'dynamic' power push hand, a specific power training method of Clasical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. Do not confuse this monsterous 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 assitance 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!