Taiji training is a way of living

[ShaolinWood]

To learn taiji one must change your way of living, it starts small.
Like when you put on socks, stand up with back straight in good posture and bring foot towards you.
Or when you take a step to get something from the cubbord, step and move all weight to the other leg, keep it there to feel your center of gravety, now step to the other leg.

All small things in life can become training techniques.
We all have these small excercizes to better our technique.

I would like to hear some,
Train and be well!!

[Liokault]

In a way your right.

I used to try to make every second of my life tai chi, but every thing took waaay to long. like this short post would have taken me like 10 mins to type out if I did it in a tai chi manner!:D

[ShaolinWood]

Taiji principle is to trin slow to get the movements and principles right, if you start understanding the principles you can start implimenting it in real-time. But good point, only train more to get past the point of slowness and into peed

[jon]

"Like when you put on socks, stand up with back straight in good posture and bring foot towards you."
* Sounds external to me, i dont think you know the real Taijiquan:p


Seriously i practice at work sometimes by just walking around the store and being mindfull of my posture and weight transfer.

[ShaolinWood]

It's about finding your center of gravity, when you stand on one leg while doing something else you learn to get used to where your weight should be. And in the same time stretching very important muscles. When you don't stretch your muscles in your body you might injure yourself doing movements like ground sparrow dragon or snake creeps down.

Taiji is still a martial art you must remember that, in traditional training like Chen village Style, you actually train a fighting style.

Don't get stuck on "what's internal and what's external". The problem with Chinese MA is people are too busy trying to make someone else's style look bad that they miss the essense of the age old saying: "If you want more tea, first empty your cup."

Learn from other people, then deside if you want to add to your knowledge or not, but if you don't want to see what someone else wants to teach you, how can he teach you?

(I am happy with my Taiji style, I know my liniage is proper and I am very happy with the results.)

Just getting something off my chest, let's all get along and benefit
Enjoy

[bodhitree]

Tai Chi
When a bus is so crowded that you have to stand, use small tai ji footwork to keep your balance, thats what I do.

[BAI HE]

Hsing-I's half step beng and drill, rise, fall, overturn
really helped me shovel snow this year without
back pain.
One storm alone produced 31 inches.

[ShaolinWood]

BAI HE

Can you, if you don't mind, explain the stepping principals, I'm really quite interested in Hsing-I, though in my country it's not well known.

[BAI HE]

This site explains so much. Enjoy.

http://www.emptyflower.com/xingyiquan/index.html

[No_Know]

When you have it There is no preparing for stretches. Having Taiji from taijiquan one theoretically would be very limber in control.

Doing Taijiquan furthers the process of increased flexibility. But stretching is only for classes/lessons level people. -ish


I use side stepping of Cloud Hands to keep steady pace while sweeping. Cloud Hands stepping allows solid base while my upper parts can move at different faster paces.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

It's all Tai Chi.. including, but not exclusively, combat.. Life in real time can be Tai Chi (it can also be combat).. when we move as a single fluid unit, we approach Tai Chi.. when we see the path of least resistance and use it, we approach Tai Chi.. when we learn to control a situation rather than dominate it, we approach Tai Chi..

Every movement can be an exercise in Tai Chi, if our intention is so inclined.. Tai Chi principles are present in every aspect of living (and dying).. each act is an opportunity to learn/experience.. except when we choose otherwise.. to assert that this is not so conflicts with the basic Taoist principles that are foundational to the art..

Be well..

[jon]

ShaolinWood

I was actualy making a feeble attempt at poking a bit of humour at your post.

The external internal comment was nothing but a silly joke.

[ShaolinWood]

Hey I love it when people challenge my statements, it's the only way to learn and question oneself.
jon keep em coming.

Thanks TaichiBob, very well stated! Taiji should be a mindset, or even not a mindset(It should be natural) and how we practice our different styles of martial arts we can all imply Taiji principals.

What I would like to hear from someone is ways to sharpen up your reflexes, I had many talks with various people on this, and it's something that everyone would like to do.

Here's one of the excercises I like to do: Stand relaxed infront of a tree (with fair foilage), with one hand holded like a cup infront of your belly(facing up) then the other hand in ready position next to your hip. Then as fast as posible shoot it out and pick a leaf from the tree, try to get precision right and not wild plucking. Start slof and then speed up. place the leaf in the cup -hand. Do this a couple of times with both hands.

Like to hear from you-all!
Have a great day!

[jon]

"Hey I love it when people challenge my statements, it's the only way to learn and question oneself.
jon keep em coming."

* Errr what challenge to your statements?
Do you normaly feel challenged when someone makes a joke at your expense?

Im not to sure how many times im going to have to say this but i WAS KIDDING!!!
It was *not* a serious statement and i dont have any 'challenge' to your statements.


Gawd im exhausted, i cant believe im even writing this, especialy this part now :p

All the best
Jon

[ShaolinWood]

I didn't mean like a challenge and I know you were kidding,
Anyway, thanx for stating a comment then, if its refrained a bit better.

Just casual conversation, I don't mean any disrespect.
Enjoy

[jon]

ShaolinWood

Its actualy a cool topic im looking forward to seeing if anyone else does any of the same sorts of things.
My money says we all do things like this time to time.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

For sharpening reflexes and so many other aspects, try pushing-hands with your eyes closed.. or blindfolded if the urge to peek is too great.. Another drill that is remarkable is standing on one foot with your eyes closed (really closed).. my teacher says that to be able to do this for one minute you will find your center (30 seconds is a challenge for me).. If you're really into the fighting aspects, have two training partners stand at 90° to your position with long staffs (blunt ended) and jab at you, your only response being deflections or dodging.. Then again, the old high school standby of hand-slapping games is good, too..

Just some suggestions, Be well..

[ShaolinWood]

Cool that's the kind of stuff I want to know. I was experimenting with doing form with my eyes closed, tricky!!
I'll try standing on one leg.

Thanx for the helpful info.
Have a great one~:D

[Laughing Cow]

Shaolinwood.

One thing I have done and also been recommended by other people.

Do the form in mirror fashion, tough in the beginning but great fun after some time.