Regimen..

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Although much has been discussed in the "Exposed" threads.. i am hoping to gain some insight into how my peers train.. how much emphasis do you place on the various aspects of Tai Chi.. like foundation work, chi cultivation, meditation, diet, QiGong, physical development, forms, fighting, pushing, weapons, etc.. There seems to be a wide variation of opinions on this subject, but a subtle consensus that fighting is the stage where the culmination of one's training is judged.. Do you feel that the best fighter is evidence of the highest attainment of Tai Chi?..

I hope we can express our own opinions frankly without disrespecting the opinions of others. Personally, i find that respect is one of Tai Chi's finer qualities. If you feel so inclined, please describe the qualities you find to best define a Tai Chi player..

Thanks, be well..

[Stacey]

I do stances and low tai chi in the morning, then I do tai chi throughout the day, on breaks at work, meditate as I work,

Maintain good posture. Then I do application training on the weekend and do the sets as much as possible. Meditation for rooting.

Every day is different, weather changes, sex, food. All affect what you can do and how often, just ebb with it.

Diet...right now I'm eating crab meat with olive oil. My diet changes with the seasons. read the health and healing section of www.8step.com

but mostly now its intuitive. If I crave fat, I go for olive oil and walnuts. Carbs? Sushi, chicken noodle soup. Rice w/ fishballs. Vegitables, veggies fried in olive oil with a little rice in there. Its all good., just balance the yin and yang.


Most important is attitude and serenity. Or course tai chi builds that, but even cleaning your house will affect your tai chi. Feng Shui it,

Save your jin, do chi kung and pray and open your heart to develope shen.

It is very simple really

[wiz cool c]

I have been training about 50 minets a day. I start with standing meditation then warm up exersise then the forms. I go to class one a week and go to two push hands groups every week and lift light weights three times a week.

[eulerfan]

Refining, refining, refining.

It's been six months and I'm still learning this little ten minute form. The minutia is overwhelming. Just last class we got into rocking. When you go forward, your back foot should have so much weight on the ball, your heel should be just about to come off the floor but it shouldn't actually come off.

I convinced a girl from kung fu class to come to tai chi. After, she said, man, you've been coming here all these months and you're still learning the first few moves. "Well, I *know the whole form. But, yeah, I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm still learning the first few moves."

She hasn't been back.

[HuangKaiVun]

repetition, TESTING . . . repetition, TESTING . . . repetition, TESTING. . .

Regardless of the technique - or its purpose - a completed move had better meet the standard one sets for it.

For example, those who have set harmony and relaxation as their goals ought to be doing their tai chi in a way that accomplishes that.

A move has to WORK, even if it's not for combat.

[Hobbs the vagus]

I will address what I think defines a Taijiquan player. Things that I am striving for.

Calmness in stressful situations. Not just combat situations, but included. Ability to focus concisely on the issue, block out peripheral static, and solve the problem.

Recognition of the big picture. I think details are important, but you must not get hung up on them so that it prevents you from see the purpose or reason for what is happening. Frankly that sounds vague, but I have notice that my ability to do this has dramatically increased since beginning taijiquan.

Martial ability. I think knowing you can react to physical confrontations gives a confidence that allows you to be more open and receptive to people around you. Knowing you can react and with overwhelming force if necessary is very liberating.

It is hard to describe, but obvious when you see it. My shifu is calm, happy, patient, but you can see in his eyes or when he demonstrates an application, that if you force him, he would hurt you without prejudice. Without being hokey, Clark Kent/Superman like.

And finally, like so many, I have way to many things going on in my life. Taijiquan helps me focus on what I am doing at the moment. Not worry about everything I am not doing. Training my mind to be where I am.

These are the reasons I train.

Hope this stokes this thread, would love to hear from others.

Hobbs.

[scotty1]

This is an excellent thread and makes me want to start my study NOW!

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Nice post Hobbs.. it seems that you have a clarity about your purpose.. (too many don't, they train because it just seems "cool")..

Tai Chi is about self-mastery, for me.. Hobbs said it well, "Knowing you can react and with overwhelming force if necessary is very liberating". It is the liberation that frees the spirit to experience life fully.. It is also the "knowing" that relieves us from having to prove something, to ourselves or anyone else.. I've seen the situation several times and been there myself, where a perfectly capable fighter smiles and walks away from a potential fight.. without just cause, no need to display skills.. Tai Chi skills (or any martial skills) are most effective when unannounced, unexpected..big talk and aggressive behavior only alert an opponent to be prepared..

Tai Chi is about open-mindedness.. a willingness to train in a variety of skills that defy conventional sensibilities.. "Chi, Intention, soft overcoming hard"? these are concepts that most either scoff at or dismiss completely.. the Tai Chi novice is at least open to trial by evidence.. The Tai Chi vetern is skilled at ignoring boundaries of prejudice..

My personal goals..
1) experience the vast treasures of Tai Chi with an open mind
a) internal power, chi cultivation, technique
b) medicine
c) meditation
d)QiGong
e) more.....
2) develop the synchronous rythmn of body, mind and spirit
3) test and apply the principles of "Internal Arts"
4) experience the Taoist philosophies of natural living
4a) simplify my life
5) contribute to the society/community in which i live
6) DO NO HARM, unless absolutely necessary.. then, do it well and with compassion and mercy
7) train and teach diligently, accepting Tai Chi and Taoist philosophy as a lifestyle, share the knowledge..
8) respect my fellow humans and their right to exist
9) defend the defenseless, uphold those principles we each inherently know to be just and honorable
10) and, vote early and vote often..
:D

[guohuen]

Very well said.
P.S. You are a bit of a rogue. If you're not carefull you'll become a monk.:D

[Walter Joyce]

For me, the thing that makes taiji internal, and thereby a special practice, is the same as what makes bagua and xing I: the requirement of fa sung, the use of the dan tien as the originator of power and movement, and the requirements of the six harmonies.

This effects my training by leading me to focus on standing daily, neigong and jiben gong exercises (I alternate between ba gua and taiji in this area), strong focus on breathing, intention and alignment as outlined in the six harmonies.

I do the Yang long form as a form of qigong, and train push hands with a focus on developing a relaxed root and ground path, as well as a means of confronting agression from my training partner, and within myself: facing my fear, so to speak.

While fighting may be a test of taiji ability, (here is where I may loose some of you, but oh well) for me it would have to be figting in accordance with the principles discussed above that would count. I can fight fairly well already (I have trained for over two decades, the first 10 in a figting/self-defense oriented soft external system) so just figting well isn't enough, if it is atest of taiji skill, then the fighting must adhere to the principles. (Before I had a different approach to judging fighting skill, if it worked, it was good. Things change.)

What do I expect from taiji training?

Balance, in myself and with my environment. Harmony, if you will.
A strong and stable center, a relaxed and happy approach to life, longevity, good health, superior fighting ability and a lifelong pursuit through the taiji of these things, as its not the goals so much as it is the actual practice that is most important.

While I will continue to practice the Yang form, as there is much I have yet to discover in it, I already have begun chen training with chan su jin and the 18 essential movement form.

Hope that covers it.

[TaiChiBob]

Respectful bows to your last post.. thanks for a well stated "intent".. Thanks to ALL willing to share their vision..

Be well..