Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

I was taught 2 ways by a former teacher-the first way where the palm is at about a 45% angle but never flat (as in a 90% endpoint. The other way it is almost flat (maybe 10-15% angle) and alert. Palms when facing front are preceded by knife palm formation where edge of hand is forward (little finger...

dd, It seems to depend on who is teaching the form, their age and how they internalize its principles. Sorry for being vague in this regard. I learnt Chengfu/Zhenduo frame and have done so for over 25 years. One of my teachers (Prof. Hou Chi Kwang) who studied with Shao-hou had a different expressio...

Audi,

It is difficult to do tuishou by oneself because there is no one to 'test' the frame and mechanics of ba fa (peng lu ji an etc).
One may pretend all is good when doing the form as in grasp birds tail but it isn't the same.

Pamela, As I am not literate in Mandarin, I cannot go any futher on the "root" meaning. The words ding shi, though, does fit what I know as taijizhuang (it may be a modern expression, I guess-I have no idea) since one holds the ending posture in all circumstances. Therefore taijizhuang is ...

Pamela, That is exactly what taijizhuang is (ding shi), to wit, holding the end posture, as it were. For holding pi'pa (lute/guitar, etc) one stays in the postuer for 2 min (example) then switch to opposite side for another 2 minutes. Same applies to other end postures. Cloud hands (yun shou) as a m...

It seems the present Yang family do not pay much attention to 'ding shi' now generically called taijizhuang or more generic 'zhanzhuang', at least in public, as I gather. No 16, Spring of International Yang Syyle tai chi chuan newsletter, pg 3 Foundation training states that 'horse stance, bow stanc...

It is stated that Wu and Yang shared their taijiquan experiences up to a point. Wu thought Yang may have been holding back so he went to Chen Qingping (I think) to learn the essence (stuff he though Yang was not teaching) of taijiquan from the source. Keeping in mind Zhaobao and Jiagou(chen) had dif...

HengYu, My teacher once said that when practicing the form, pretend there is an egg or tennis ball under the armpits and a beach ball between the legs so as to not 'impinge' the qi. Constriction decreases qi so best be open, relax the shoulders downward and be like a cloud! If elbows touch the ribs ...

Yang style has always had this problem and the 'correct' process is rarely taught. if even it were, amongst tai chi people (in general, everyone seem to think they are learning the real (whatever that is) taijiquan and others are not! With that attitudional background, everybody is obviosuly suspoec...

qishen, I am not in Montreal now but while there (visiting relatives) I met some people in Chinatown not far from the Holiday Inn area! You will probably have to walk the area a few times (Chinatown) and observe/inquire to those you see practicing taijiquan. Remember that the better teachers (usuall...

Audi, I think the tempo of wushutaijiquan has done alot to misinform regarding the 'slow' tempo of taijiquan in general. 'Even' speed does mean mean 'same speed' through out the form! It seems that each person develop that rhythm while I also state it depends on how your teacher taught. The only sty...

Louis,

Thanks for the correction.
I am not skilled in Chinese language and its tones so I defer to you.

Thanks again

My understanding is that 'hua2' may contain neutralizing (my kanji is way off) while still maintaining peng but diminishing the other's pushing in a 'secret' manner. I am recalling one of my teacher's maintaining my push and still diminishing/preventing me from gaining further ground and still preve...

The 'cage' comaprison is apropos because it gives a standard as to how taijiquan or yiquan handles itself or not. This is not say the cage fighter should go against a taijiquan or yiquan person trained at the same level. Again as comparison, the average person may train at 15-30 min a day, if that m...

mls_72, Wang Xianzhai, based on anecdotal references was very realistic in vision and he is right only because what he speaks is truth. 'Modern' taijiquan has truly lost alot of its essence and even the individual character that taijiquan (in general) is supposed to develop, is also lost based on ho...