Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

I have heard that he died of syphilis.

Re: Discussion last month Audi: There are several issues that I see in questions raisied in your post. A few comments on the following topics first: A. preventing the weight of an incoming push from landing on your body B. pushing against the ground C. friction against a contact surface A. preventin...

Hi Louis, "take steps as if approaching the edge of a cliff." (mai4 bu4 ru2 lin2 yuan1) occurs in Wu Yuxiang's 'Taijiquan jie'. (Taijiquan pu, Renmin tiyu chubanshe, p. 45). I'll scan for "walking on thin ice" and get back to you. Interesing, but not surprising that the locus cla...

Hi Audi, Thanks for the response, *Shifting weight and taking steps.* I don't push against the ground when shifting weight or taking steps. There are phrases in the Classics that illustrate this: "walk as if on ice" and "take steps as if approaching the edge of a cliff." It feels...

Here is a link to another push hands demonstration. This one is on the H. WON TAI CHI INSTITUTE webpage. Are there any discussion board members associated with this school? http://www.nytaichi.com/pushhand.htm Here is the link previously posted to a push hands demo by one of Li Yaxuan's students. ht...

Audi: I haven't met any students of Li Yaxuan, so can't say anything authoratitively about those particular postures you asked about. My feeling is that these photos of Li Yaxuan are a good example of what 'large frame' practice should emulate. The stances are not necessarily low, but are definitely...

A note on practice. The most proficient masters whom I have met all describe having gone through a period of -several- years of -very- intense practice where they basically practice all day long and also have a group or several groups to practice with. Once I acquired a Fu Zhongwen video and was vie...

Here is a link to an old video of a fight between two Taiji masters. Unfortunately, there are not many Taiji applications evidenced by their technique.


http://www.chinafufa.com/biwu.wmv

I am not familiar with the terms Anderzander uses:

rolling, releasing, rise, float, sink, compress, release.


What are the Chinese equivalents? Are these terms that originated in translation of Cheng Man Ching's teaching?

Jeff

response to Audi's 8/17 post Audi's post repeated: "Your post leaves two questions for me that I would appreciate your comment on. First, let me say that all you presented seems quite accurate and reasonable, and I will assume for the moment that this is how I should understand my own practice....

Wushuer, I often feel that in trying to zhan1, I am exposing my center when probing for the partner's center. Taking the partner's strength out through the elbows seems to really open up the waist, help in hiding your center, in distinguishing left and right, and in taking his strength off your body...

Another quote from Wang Yongquan that touches on this topic: Diffusing jin4 is manifest primarily in adhering, connecting, sticking, and following (zhan1, lian2, nian2, sui2) and loose, sinking jin4. If you want to get a handle on your partner's movements, you must first influence his center and ind...

Here is a link to a short on-line intro to Wei Shuren's book and a short translation.

http://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/taiji/weishuren1.html


Jeff

A comment on falling and being "thrown." My Yang and Wu style training experience is that when "thrown" it is completely different from Judo. With most Judo players you know exactly where their strength and leverage are. They push against the ground and when being thrown you alwa...

Wang Yongquan's Yang Style Taijiquan as well as Wei Shuren's more recent book and booklets (5), do contain diagrams of a bell imposed upon the Taiji practitioner; The diagram shows the top of the bell at the base of the neck and the mouth of the bell at the hips.


Jeff