Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Tai chi chuan from Taiwan

  1. #1
    WCK Guest

    Tai chi chuan from Taiwan

    Hi everybody, recently a met a guy who showed me his tai chi and it was really strange.

    He moved around very slowly and the arm movements are never raised above shoulder height. The style is based in Southern Taiwan.
    This tai chi isnt from popular chen, wu, yang styles. He said his tai chi has been branched off from Chen and Yang.

    Anybody, give any background or website in Taiwan or US.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Kempo Guy Guest

    Orthodox Tai Ji?

    Hi,

    I wonder if what you are referring to is the Orthodox Tai Ji of Chen Pan Ling?

    Chen Pan Ling did not reside in Southern Taiwan though, I believe he lived in Taichung, which is located in central Taiwan.

    The version of Orthodox Tai Ji I was taught, which is from the Wang Shu Jin lineage, was similar in that you do not raise the hands above the shoulders.

    Of course this is only a speculation on my part.

    Just my $0.02.

    KG

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Taiwan protest

    I know exactly where this school is. It's near a restaurant that I used to frequent. I do not know the instructor however.

    Tai Ji Men Has Been Persecuted by Taiwan Government for 24 Years
    "24 years are way too long!" "We cannot stand it anymore!" Tai Ji Men dizi protested against Taiwan's persecution of Tai Ji Men
    By Effie Chen, Community Contributor
    Aug 16, 2020 3:40 am PT
    |
    Updated Aug 16, 2020 11:20 am PT


    Tai Ji Men dizi hold a banner that reads, “TAIWAN MUST END ITS 24-YEAR ILLEGAL TAX PERSECUTION OF TAI JI MEN,” in front of the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in Cupertino, California on August 15, 2020.

    "Taiwan Must End Its 24-year Tax Persecution of Tai Ji Men Now" read a banner held by Tai Ji Men dizi Jason Lu and Jennifer Hung in Cupertino, California on August 15. Tai Ji Men dizi (similar to students) in California, Australia, and Singapore accused the Taiwanese government of abusing Tai Ji Men through unjust taxation for over two decades, following the outrageous attempted auction of Tai Ji Men's property in Taiwan on July 31.
    In protest of the Taiwanese government's abuses of their human rights, Tai Ji Men dizi also held various signs to express their outrage such as those that read "Taiwan Must Stop Abusing Taxpayer's Human Rights Now," "Taiwan Must Abolish Unjust Tax Bills and Illegal Auctions Now," and "Taiwan Must End 24-year Abuses of Tai Ji Men Dizi's Human Rights Now."
    Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, grandmaster of Tai Ji Men, has led his dizi to promote love and peace through cultural exchanges since 1999. To date, they have self funded their trips to 101 nations and conducted over 3,000 cultural performances. It was praised as an international goodwill peace ambassador. In Taiwan, incumbent and former presidents, high-ranking government officials, 290 legislators, and other leaders have highly praised Tai Ji Men. On the one hand, the Taiwanese government has commended Tai Ji Men's contributions to Taiwan, but on the other hand, it has continued to persecute Tai Ji Men through unjust taxation for 24 years!
    Established in 1966 in Taiwan, Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy is a cultural organization that carries forward the ancient Taoist philosophy, martial arts, and qigong. Its objective is to promote love, peace and a culture of conscience as well as improve people's physical, mental, and spiritual health. Its peace endeavors have won international recognition and high acclaim from world leaders, including heads of state, governors of California and Rhode Island, former Congressman Ed Royce, former California State Senator Bob Huff, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates. It was invited by the governor of Washington State in 1999 to take part in the SeaFair in Seattle. A delegation of 1,200 Tai Ji Men members participated in the parade. At the invitation of Senator Jesse Helms, the then Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Tai Ji Men organized a cultural program on Capitol Hill in 2000. That day was proclaimed by the mayor of Washington D.C. as Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy Day.
    Sometimes a little entertainment can go a long way. That’s why Angela and her husband of Henderson, Nevada like to play dress up and give their neighbors something to laugh about.
    Watch Now
    The Tai Ji Men tax case was a false case fabricated by prosecutor Kuan-ren Hou in Taiwan with false evidence and false witnesses in 1996. Without any sort of verification, Taiwan's National Taxation Bureau (the NTB) issued false tax bills based on the prosecutor's untrue indictment. Back in 2007, Taiwan's Supreme Court already ruled that Tai Ji Men was not guilty of tax evasion or violation of tax codes and stated that the red envelopes given to the grandmaster of Tai Ji Men were gifts, and thus tax-free income. In addition, the group ordering of uniforms and other items by Tai Ji Men members had nothing to do with the grandmaster of Tai Ji Men and his wife and that was not for profit, and thus tax-free as well. The NTB should have revoked the illegal tax bills to Tai Ji Men 13 years ago, but the NTB has ignored the Supreme Court decision and illegally taxed Tai Ji Men to this day.
    For 24 years, Tai Ji Men has won its case against the NTB 18 times in the Petitions and Appeals Committee of Taiwan's Ministry of Finance and Administrative Courts. However, an illegal auction of Tai Ji Men's property was conducted on July 31. Because there was no valid bid, a second auction is scheduled for August 21.
    Although Taiwan is hailed as a beacon of democracy in Asia, its tax system is very backward. Its continued violations of human rights and disregard for the rule of law have outraged not only Tai Ji Men dizi but other champions of justice around the world. Dr. Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist of religion, said that "Now, this case involving Tai Ji Men, is a residual of the past, it dates back to a different year in Taiwan's history, that was 1996. Now we are in 2020, and if Taiwan, as I am sure it does, wants to perpetuate its image of a free country, a democratic country, a country friendly to human rights and religious liberty, and even a regional example, I believe it is great time that this ghost of a different past is laid to rest, and justice is done for taxpayers and for Tai Ji Men." Kenneth Jacobsen, a professor of law at Temple University and advisor to former President Bill Clinton, said that "In the Tai Ji Men case, it's been determined that the taxes that have attempted to be collected are improper. And this is disturbing because the continuation and perpetuation of injustice is as bad as the commitment of that injustice in the first place. And that is what's happening here, in the Tai Ji Men tax case."
    This case of injustice not only severely affects the rights of Tai Ji Men members and the people of Taiwan, but also negatively impacts the trade and business cooperation between Taiwan and other nations. Therefore, Tai Ji Men dizi around the world will continue to express their voices of protest and invite other conscionable people to pay attention to this case, hoping that the heightened awareness of this gross injustice will push the Taiwanese government to correct its mistakes and make justice prevail!
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Location
    Beijing
    Posts
    1
    Yes, the Southern Taiwan style is very amazing and interesting to practice!
    Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.
    Find Inner Peace with Yin Yang Philosophy

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Still persecuted?

    Religious Persecution Against Tai Ji Men
    Action Alliance to Redress 1219
    Crystal Wang, Community Contributor
    Posted Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 3:01 am ET|Updated Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 3:04 am ET


    Members of Tai Ji Men display traditional Tai Ji Men lanterns, which symbolize that conscience lights up people's hearts and guides them to make the right decision, respect and tolerate one another, and create a world of love and peace with conscience. (AP)
    Despite 24 years of ongoing violations of their human rights and religious freedom, Tai Ji Men continues to Promote Love, Peace, and Conscience Around the World

    Action Alliance to Redress 1219 is a partner of International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2021

    WASHINGTON, July 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2021 held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C. on July 13–15 is the largest and most important religious freedom event of the year, with over 1,000 people participating, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Congressman Frank Wolf, USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel, and other advocates to raise awareness of religious liberty in all corners of the world.

    In addition to plenary and breakout sessions, there is an exhibition hall where representatives of every major religion and many organizations have set up booths to showcase their missions to attendees seeking to learn more. Hundreds of people came by the exhibition hall, drawn in by the colorful costumes of the Action Alliance to Redress 1219 booth to learn about Tai Ji Men, which has self-funded trips to 101 nations to promote love, peace, and conscience under the guidance of its leader Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze. At the booth today, members of Tai Ji Men displayed traditional Tai Ji Men lanterns, which symbolize brightness and pointing people in the right direction. The lanterns also symbolize conscience, which guides people to make the right decision, respect and tolerate one another, and apply their conscience to create a world of love and peace where human rights prevail.

    Tai Ji Men is an organization rooted in esoteric Taoism and has 15 chapters in the United States and Taiwan. It has tens of thousands of members from all around the world, who benefit from practicing Tai Ji Men Qigong. Since it was formally chartered in 1966, the nature of Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy has remained unchanged. The deeper history of the organization that emphasizes wisdom and martial arts has been passed down from Shifu (master) to his dizi (disciples) from generation to generation. The organization has been dedicated to promoting a culture of love and peace, as well as improving global citizens' physical, mental, and spiritual health.

    In 2001, during the 54th Annual DPI/NGO Conference, the 9/11 attacks occurred, the deadliest attacks on US soil. After that, many people were anxious to leave New York. Dr. Hong and his dizi (disciples), who had gone to New York for the Conference, chose to stay there to host the "Ceremony of Ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love" to calm people's hearts and pray for the United States and the world, with UN ambassadors, leaders of NGOs from various countries, and many peace promoters in attendance.

    Tai Ji Men's chapters in California have been actively involved in their respective communities for over two decades and have been highly praised by visionaries in various fields.

    At the invitation of Senator Jesse Helms, the then Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Tai Ji Men organized a cultural program on Capitol Hill in 2000. Mayor Anthony A. Williams of the District of Columbia proclaimed March 22, 2000 as the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy Day in Washington, D.C. and praised Tai Ji Men as International Ambassadors of Goodwill and Peace.

    Mayor Jeremy Harris of the City and County of Honolulu proclaimed September 16, 2001 as Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy and Dr. Hong Tao-Tze Day, in recognition of Dr. Hong and Tai Ji Men's contributions to advancing cultural exchanges and harmony among nations.

    Additionally, Mayor Tom Bates of the City of Berkeley proclaimed August 5, 2005, as the Federation of World Peace and Love Day in the city of Berkeley, in recognition of Dr. Hong's dedication to leading FOWPAL to promote peace and love for all humanity. (Dr. Hong is the president of the Federation of World Peace and Love).

    Tragically, despite praise from presidents of Taiwan and international acclaim, Tai Ji Men has been persecuted in Taiwan, with its leader's and members' human rights and religious freedom being violated for over 24 years! In 1996, the Taiwanese government conducted a political purge targeting religious organizations. A prosecutor named Hou Kuan-jen falsely accused Tai Ji Men and Dr. Hong of fraud, tax evasion, and raising goblins, with fake witnesses and fabricated evidence. It took Tai Ji Men more than a decade to be found innocent of tax evasion and all other charges by the criminal division of the Supreme Court in 2007, confirming that Tai Ji Men did not owe any tax. However, the case did not end there. Taiwan's National Taxation Bureau ignored the Supreme Court's final decision and continued to issue unjustified tax bills to Tai Ji Men, resulting in the unlawful seizure and confiscation of its sacred land for self-cultivation last year, generating massive peaceful protests on the streets and drawing the attention and igniting discussions from international scholars and experts in the areas of human rights, religion, and law.

    Tai Ji Men members from across the United States actively participated in the 2021 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit, speaking out to the world and urging the Taiwanese government to resolve this case of injustice as soon as possible, return to Tai Ji Men its sacred land for self-cultivation, and protect people's freedom of religion or belief, which is a fundamental right.

    Over the past 24 years, under the leadership of Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, worldwide members of Tai Ji Men have never given up hope and have insisted on doing the right thing, even though they have been persecuted for 24 years. During this time, they have visited 101 nations to promote love, peace, and conscience through cultural exchange. Tai Ji Men's shifu (master) and dizi (disciples) hope to use their own experience to encourage others suffering similar plights to continue seeking justice and working together for a world where people follow their conscience and enjoy human rights, religious freedom, and equality.

    About Action Alliance to Redress 1219: Action Alliance to Redress 1219 is a group of international and Taiwanese legal, religious, and human rights specialists working to restore the truth about the ongoing persecution of Tai Ji Men in Taiwan by a small group of bureaucrats that has lasted for 24 years, as well as their misuse of authority and violations of the law. In addition to rectifying the Tai Ji Men case and revealing the truth, it is also committed to defending religious freedom and calling on those in power not to infringe on people's human rights.

    Source: AP
    Tai Ji Men may need its own indie thread next.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    DC protest

    Time for an indie Tai Ji Men thread, distinct from the Tai-chi-chuan-from-Taiwan thread.

    24-Year Violation of Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Taiwan
    Members from Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in LA and San Jose Protest Against Taiwan's Religious Persecution of Tai Ji Men in Washington, D.C.
    Crystal Wang, Community Contributor
    Posted Tue, Aug 3, 2021 at 10:47 am ET


    Representatives of Action Alliance to Redress 1219 and Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in LA and San Jose peacefully protest against religious persecution in front of the U.S. Capitol building. (ACT1219)
    Twenty-one years ago, Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy presented a cultural performance on Capitol Hill and was praised as International Ambassadors of Peace and Goodwill. Twenty-one years later, they have returned to Washington, D.C. to seek justice and publicize their own experience of being religiously persecuted.

    Recently, over 30 representatives of Action Alliance to Redress 1219 and Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy peacefully protested in D.C., including the Capitol Hill, after participating in the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2021. The protest signs they held read, "Stop the 24-Year Violation of Human Rights and Religious Freedom," "Revealing the Truth of the Tai Ji Men Case," "Return Our Sacred Land," and "Fighting for Human Rights."

    Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy is a cultural and spiritual organization, with various chapters in Taiwan and the U.S. On March 22, 2000, at the invitation of Senator Jesse Helms, the then Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and witnessed by senators and House Representatives, Tai Ji Men presented a cultural performance in front of the Capitol building. D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams proclaimed March 22, 2000 as the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy Day in Washington, D.C. and praised Tai Ji Men as International Ambassadors of Goodwill and Peace.

    Over the past 20 plus years, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the Grand Master of Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy, and his disciples have self-funded trips to over 300 cities in 101 nations and presented over 3,000 cultural performances to promote love, peace, and conscience. Tai Ji Men and Dr. Hong have received international recognition and acclaim for their peace efforts.

    It is hard to imagine that such an organization has been persecuted in Taiwan for 24 years. In 1996, after the first direct presidential election, the Taiwanese government launched a political purge, targeting religious and spiritual groups that did not show support for the president in power during the election. Although Tai Ji Men took no political stance, it was caught in the crossfire and was persecuted through both legal and taxation measures.

    To express their respect and gratitude to their master, the disciples of Tai Ji Men would give monetary gifts to their master in the form of red envelopes, which is a traditional custom. In Taiwan, several thousand religious and spiritual groups have also kept the same tradition and culture, and none of their masters has been taxed for receiving monetary gifts from their disciples. However, Tai Ji Men were discriminated against as the red envelopes given by Tai Ji Men members to their master were illegally taxed.

    This group of protesters also demonstrated in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Ann Chen, a dual licensed attorney in California and Taiwan, stated, "In 2007, Taiwan's Supreme Court found Dr. Hong and his co-defendants not guilty of tax evasion or any other charges and ruled that the red envelopes were gifts, and thus were tax-exempt income and not subject to business tax. However, the taxation bureau disregarded the court decision and continued to issue unjustified tax bills to Dr. Hong." "Here in front of the Supreme Court, the final arbitrator of the law, we are revealing something absurd and tragic: The Taiwanese taxation bureau disregarded the final decision of its country's Supreme Court," said Ann Chen with a heavy heart.

    During a 2010 public hearing in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's Ministry of Finance openly agreed to end the unjust Tai Ji Men case within two months. In 2012, per the resolution of an inter-ministerial meeting held by the Executive Yuan, a public survey was conducted by the taxation bureau, and 7401 respondents all issued written statements indicating that their red envelopes to Dr. Hong were gifts, which was consistent with the Supreme Court's decision, and proved once again that Dr. Hong and Tai Ji Men did not owe any tax.

    However, the taxation bureau broke its promise, disregarded the evidence, ignored the resolution of the inter-ministerial meeting, disobeyed the Supreme Court's decision, and continued to impose unlawful taxes on Dr. Hong. Based on an unjustified tax bill for the year 1992, Tai Ji Men's sacred land was illegally auctioned and nationalized by the Taiwanese government on August 21, 2020. This has violated the religious freedom of Tai Ji Men's master and disciples, forcing thousands of people to protest on the streets.

    In response to the injustices against Tai Ji Men, many scholars and tax experts have voiced their support for Tai Ji Men. Kenneth Jacobsen, professor of law at Temple University and former advisor to President Bill Clinton, said, "It is the most gross deprivation of due process, the most gross violation of fairness, the most gross intrusion on religious liberty."

    "Tax weapons have been often used to discriminate against religious and spiritual minorities. This is becoming a global problem, and one the human rights community should be aware of," warned CAP-LC (Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience), an NGO with special consultative status at United Nations' ECOSOC that filed a written statement about the Tai Ji Men case and other unjust cases with the 47th Session of the UN's Human Rights Council, published on June 21, 2021.

    "Our demands are simple: The Taiwanese government should return the confiscated land to Tai Ji Men and clear its name," said Duncan Lee, chairperson of Action Alliance to Redress 1219 and a certified public accountant in California.

    The right to freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right. Former U.S. Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, co-chair of the IRF Summit 2021, emphasized during Action Alliance to Redress 1219's side event of the IRF Summit, "We believe governments' role is to protect that innate right of a person to select their own course of future for their soul." Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, the other co-chair of the IRF Summit 2021 and president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, when interviewed by members of Action Alliance to Redress 1219 about the Tai Ji Men case during the Summit, said, "It's a case I'm still in the process of educating myself about. But I understand a growing consensus among people who have looked at it that an injustice has occurred. And we need to look at it and we need to address it."

    About Action Alliance to Redress 1219: Action Alliance to Redress 1219 is a group of international and Taiwanese legal, religious, and human rights specialists working to restore the truth about the ongoing persecution of Tai Ji Men in Taiwan by a small group of bureaucrats that has lasted for 24 years, as well as their misuse of authority and violations of the law. In addition to rectifying the Tai Ji Men case and revealing the truth, it is also committed to defending religious freedom, speaking out for related injustices in Taiwan. The Alliance calls on those in power not to ignore people's fundamental human rights and demands that perpetrators be held accountable to protect democracy, the rule of law, and justice.

    Source: AP
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •