Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

What is the difference between Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung? I've heard that question at least a thousand times. The answer is not simple, in fact I'd say it's quite complex. Both, by the by, can and are used in a martial manner, so that old saw is a bit worn out by harsh reality. I am constantly shoc...

I knew I didn't have the ideal Tai Chi Body. None of those guys are pear shaped!

Yes, CD, I am aware of the requirements for the two stances. But thanks. What I was going for is WHY do we call the "empty stance" empty stance? The above is my theory. Again, it is only a theory. Still, what is empty that causes us distinguish the stance as such? Other than where the body...

Everyone knows about the "spiraling potential" of the legs as Dpasek has described above; legs "spiraling" outwards towards the little toes. It also goes back the other way as well, but I think we all know that. This "rounded" crotch/spiraling legs feeling is ubiquitous...

The "land speed..." is a Monty Python thing. I was attempting to inject some humor about asking so many questions... guess it fell flat. Also trying to inject some humor by asking questions about a "Tai Chi body" as if hearing about it from an infomercial. "You can get a bea...

I've seen all kinds of bodies doing Tai Chi. I've even seen a couple doing T'ai Chi Ch'uan, though that's rare nowadays. But I have never seen a standard "Tai Chi body". Do we have pictures of the "Tai Chi body"? If we could see it, that might help us to know what to shoot for. D...

I honestly have no horse in the "grip in empty stance" or "don't grip in empty stance" race. I know how I do it and what I do works for me. Up to each person to make their own decision based on their own best practices. I recommend trying this both ways and see which one works fo...

You say "make strong through conditioning", I say "sung". It really is nothing more than a battle of semantics. On my end, I do not consider "sung" to be the same as "strong" but "sung" is not something that can be cleanly translated into English. &q...

Actually, I think Yang Laoshi is pretty clear: "You have to settle your weight in the feet and grab the floor and then move the body forward with the feet rooted. When you have your root in your feet and the legs, your fundamental roots and foundation, are in your feet ." I believe it shou...

I'm in shape... "Pear" is a shape!

I do not see "grabbing the floor with the toes" as a trivial anything; question, statement, etc. It is far from trivial, it is quite important. Why grabbing the ground with the feet is so important? Your feet are your "foundation" (most of the time, but we'll leave any discussion...

Street fighter? Um... In my misspent youth, yes. Can't say I wasn't, because I was. I grew up in a "street fighter" atmosphere, in a place where fighting in the streets was part and parcel of the neighborhood. That, however, was a LONG time ago in a state far, far away. And long before I e...

OK... I want to clear something up here... Pluck is not Push. It's as simple as that. They are not even remotely the same energy. It simply boggles my mind that anyone would seriously imply that they are. Also... Push is not just expressed "down". It can be applied up, down, or even flat. ...

Parkallen, My wife asks me this question ALL THE TIME! She is confused as to why I would put myself through the rigors of teaching. Especially something like TCC, which will sometimes have me buried under a sea of students, other times I have only one person who shows up for weeks on end. It can get...

Audi, Thanks for trying and letting me know how that works for you. Like I said, everyone feels and does things differently so some people have to do things one way and others do it differently. The important thing is to find what works for you and then do that. For instance... Some folks have breat...