Wind River Tai Chi Chuan

Regarding Free Tai Chi

2009-12-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

Recently, the subject of free Taiji perhaps not usually being the best place to learn and gain a deep understanding of the art was brought up in discussion and some differing opinions were presented. As a result I asked a senior student how he might address the other view. From Joshua Graff:

In today's world, many of us are not able to appreciate sacrifice. We do not pay the teacher for his skill or to be taught Tai Chi. We give a donation based on our respect for him, for his commitment to us as students, and as a sacrifice in our lives as a symbol of our commitment. While many students are motivated to help and heal others, there are just as many if not more students who are interested solely in skill and developing their personal technique. For many students, without a sacrifice, without tasking themselves and challenging themselves to commit financially to their own education, they will always hold part of themselves back. A student who holds himself apart from Tai Chi will not get the same benefit as someone who fully embraces Tai Chi. Also the money that a student gives to his teacher (if the teacher is upright) will go back 100% into the education of the student, more opportunities, more hands on and personal time with their Grandmaster, etc.

The opposing opinion writes "If one does need remuneration, and if Tai Chi makes peoples' lives better, why charge?"

On the other side, if getting the best Tai Chi available incurs a cost, and it improves your life immeasurably, why not pay? What is your health worth to you? Your happiness? That's not saying there can't be good Tai Chi in this world for free, but we take the opportunities that are given to us; the path that feels the most correct. I would not feel upright if I did not donate to my teacher and show my appreciation for his time, his skill, and his attention. His relationship with me is not about the finances; it is merely a part that I recognize, a gift to a friend, father, and teacher. Like most students I would have had a much harder time finding the income for my studies when I was younger. So I took the opportunities I could find, paid for what training I could, and made the absolute most out of each second because I had even less flexibility in my spending. I feel that this has benefited me, my students, and their students as they move forward in our family.

Sinking the Chi

2006-04-20T23:16:00.001-07:00

At almost every workshop someone always asks Sifu. What is sinking the Chi? I can't remember the replies, except that he is always demonstrating it and showing it. This is because sinking the chi is in a way like riding a bycycle. I can tell you how to do it, i.e. feet on peddles, get a little momentum and peddle like crazy. I can even get on the bike and show you how it is done, but until you actually practice and work at riding the bike nothing will happen. After the first time you get that feeling of balance it becomes easier to repeat.

Sinking the chi is not much different, first you need to have a feeling of chi and then learn how to recreate the feeling more easily. This is another reason our zhan zhuang standing is so important. While standing still we begin to learn what the chi feels like and eventually we learn how to move that sensation through sinking, expanding or lifting. I believe from my experience that it isn't too dissimilar from any other type of muscle building, i.e. Repitition and practice make it stronger and more responsive to the Yi, or intent.

Learning to feel, develop and move qi is also why we practice the Qi Gong sets as they are very powerful and they assists us in developing and building qi.

Sifu Tam uses the analogy of money to illustrate how chi plays out in our martial art and life. Most of us go through life spending our reserves of chi daily and, like most of our bank accounts, there isn't much in reserve for opportunities or investments. By seriously practicing the standing, the tai chi form, and the qi gong we begin to develop a large reserve of chi in our bank account so that when we need a reserve for opportunities or emergencies we can easily draw on it without stress.

Sinking the qi is much like relaxing, but more than that. Relaxing in this case is only a symptom of sinking the chi, but first one has to learn to release and relax the external and internal parts of the body in order to allow the chi to flow.

One thing for sure. Sinking the Chi, at least in Sifu Tam's application produces dramatic and visible results on the recipient.

Sinking the Chi

2006-04-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

At almost every workshop someone always asks Sifu. What is sinking the Chi? I can't remember the replies, except that he is always demonstrating it and showing it. This is because sinking the chi is in a way like riding a bycycle. I can tell you how to do it, i.e. feet on peddles, get a little momentum and peddle like crazy. I can even get on the bike and show you how it is done, but until you actually practice and work at riding the bike nothing will happen. The first time though that you get that feeling of balance it becomes easier to repeat.

Sinking the chi is not much difference, first you need to have a feeling of chi and then learn how to create the feeling more and more easily. This is another reason our zhan zhuang standing is so important. While standing still we begin to learn what the chi feels like and eventurally we learn how to move that sensation through sinking, expanding or lifting. I believe from my experience that it isn't too dissimilar from any other type of muscle building. Repitition and practice make it stronger and more responsive to the Yi, or intent.

This is also why we practice the Qi Gong set we do as it is very powerful and assists us in developing and building chi.

Sifu Tam uses the analogy of money to illustrate how chi plays out in our martial art and life. Most of us go through life spending daily our chi and like most of our bank accounts there isn't much in reserve for opportunities or investments. By seriously practicing the standing, the tai chi form, and the qi gong we begin to develop a large reserve of chi in our bank account. Then when we need a reserve for opportunities or emergencies we can easily draw on it without stress.

Sinking the qi is much like relaxing, but more than that. Relaxing in this case is only a symptom of sinking the chi, but first one has to learn to release and relax the external and internal parts of the body in order to allow the chi to flow.

One thing for sure. Sinking the Chi, at least in Sifu Tam's application produces dramatic and visible results on the recipient.

Yielding and Sinking the Chi in Tai Chi Chuan

2006-04-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

These are two principles that are talked about by almost everyone who practices Tai Chi. How do we put these into practice. Lets talk about yielding first, sinking later.

Yielding goes against our very nature and sinking the Chi is just plain mysterious. Yet both are essential to acheiving any real mastery of Tai Chi in form and in application. It has been my privilage to be taught by a Master of both of these aspects so that I can gain a real hands on feel of what these principles are in action. Without being able to touch the master's hands or a student that is catching the concept it is difficult to learn these feelings. I use the word feeling because that is how it has to be learned. To think about it becomes like one of the blind men trying to describe an elephant. These concepts require the whole body to be involved and the mind to be moved out of the way. Thus the mind has to yield to the body knowledge and feeling because these two principles go against what the mind wants to do as these are intellectually difficult to grasp.

In Tai Chi we talk about yielding and most westerners think, giving way.... letting something go by.... letting something happen to us.... many more I'm sure. Then in Tai Chi we talk about relax and yield then most westerners let themselves collapse, or fold, or become like wet dishrags ...... These of course are aspects of yielding in our terms, but not in Tai Chi. In Tai Chi, yielding takes on a whole new and wonderful concept.

The basic concept of yielding in Tai Chi is simply moving to a better position by assisting (taking/moving) your opponent in going the direction he/she wants to go. This is what makes Tai Chi both very deadly and very very difficult to learn correctly. When I yield to better position through yielding my opponent loses their center of equilibrium, their position, their structure and their ability to effectively fight back. I effectively place them with one foot on the bank and one on the boat unable to get on solid ground.

The concept is understandable, but putting it into application and practice is very difficult. However, before any real progress can be made in Tai Chi for application or health this principle must be physically understood, learned and ingrained. Because you can't truly utilize the offensive (yang) nature of Tai Chi until you have some mastery of its yielding (yin) side.

True it is more exciting to push and bounce people rather than yield, but until yielding is learned you will never be able to push or bounce people without force (substitute method as Sifu Tam calls it). As long as force exists in your tai chi it is not adhering to principle for effectiveness, but rather substitute methods of muscle and force.

The yin and yang of yielding and power delivery exist in the form but herein lies another issue for most practitioners. Practicing the form with an integrated body. Without integration there is mostly force and little real yielding, with integration yielding and power delivery are done without force.

Free Tai Chi Chuan?

2006-04-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

I find it interesting that in tai chi, more so than other martial arts I have been involved in, there seems to be many people that seek out free tai chi. By free tai chi I'm referring to those little groups that form where people share what they know with each other in hopes of gaining one or two tidbits of information. Unfortunately for them they get what they pay for and typically pick up one or two bad habits that in reality do not further their goal of learning real tai chi.

Tai Chi Chuan seems so simple to learn, after all there are a whole bunch of videos out there to get instruction from. There are all kinds of teachers out there that spent 3 months to a year learning a tai chi form and now teach it at the local gym, etc. Why should someone pay good money to learn Tai Chi, when so many want to share their knowledge and give it away? I mean heck I can learn the form in a couple of months, whats with push hands, so simple...... :)

If Tai Chi was so simple why did it take the masters of the art sooo many years to truly learn it and be able to apply it? The answer is that Tai Chi Chuan ain't that simple! AND chances are if you meetup with a group of people to pick up one or two things you will pick up one or two bad habits that won't further your Tai Chi but in reality work against it.

The reality of Tai Chi Chuan is that it is actually really difficult to find a real master of the art to learn from and as a result most learn from seminars and workshops by traveling from tai chi teacher to tai chi teacher in hopes of getting it. I have to admit that when I moved from my native art of Wing Chun I was headed towards I Chuan and ended up loving and practicing Tai Chi. I was really lucky in that I found a true master of I Chuan and Tai Chi to learn from along with one of his best students (Grandmaster Sam Tam and Ilia Pak). I have spent countless hours of private instruction with both of my teachers and lots and lots of money on instruction, workshops and retreats with Sifu Tam and Ilia. Why have I done this when, Gee - tai chi should be so easy to learn and heck I can find a group of people in the park to hang out with.

True, applicable tai chi that extends into your very being cannot be learned from a tape/dvd or some joe or jane at the park. You have to seek it out and be patient because those that truly have learned from a good teacher also paid dearly for their knowledge in both money and sweat so they aren't going to give away the good stuff at a meetup or in a park.

As Lee Scheele mentioned over dinner one evening in CA, with Sifu Tam present, Lee knew less than a handful of people in the world with Sifu Tam's skill. Sifu quickly pointed out that this wasn't the case, there are many, its just that they aren't well known and not very public with their knowledge.

So the next time you figure you're going to go pick up a few tips from your local "free group" get together give it a little more thought. Swallow your ego, spend some good money and go learn real tai chi from someone that has also paid the price of admission in sweat and coin of the realm.

Best wishes,
Jordan

Tai Chi Chuan - Daily - Wind River Tai Chi

2006-04-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

What are some of the key principles that set tai chi apart from other martial arts and what is important in our practice of the art?

Our practice evolves from a core principle of body integration. Many martial arts and artists espouse this principle but few actually follow or accomplish it. By whole body integration we mean that if the little finger moves it is moved by the whole body not just the muscles in the hand or forearm. When we step the whole body is involved not just the muscles of the legs, hips, and torsoe.

How do we acheive this integration?

The core of our practice revolves around zhan zhuang standing meditation. Through this practice we learn to stand using our whole body rather than just the external muscles of the legs, etc. The muscles that stabilize us and propel us become an integrated whole, and we begin to obtain concious control. We are also learning to sink our chi and gain control over the concept that yi leads chi. Through standing we learn to exercise, develop, store, sink, raise and use our chi. Standing in stillness makes this development easier and more concious.

How do we know we are acheiving integration?

The guideposts for this are fairly recognizable. Initially standing is a chore that requires effort to hold the arms up, hold the posture, relax the body, etc. The more we stand the more we begin to recognize a feeling of ease and fullness, usually beginning with the hands and then arms. Eventually, there should be no effort in the standing, no one muscle should be tense and the standing should feel like the chi is doing everything. In other words I am no longer holding myself with effort, my muscles are completely relaxed and my chi is holding me in the posture.

How long should I stand?

As my Sifu told me, it is more important how correctly you stand. One minute of correct standing is enough. In my case it usually takes 15 minutes or so to get a good correct minute of standing. An easy way to determine your time is to stand until you are uncomfortable, then see if you can relax through that. If you can't stop, if you can then stand until you become uncomfortable again and then stop. 5 minutes at a shot a few times a day is plenty.

What about forms, after all it is a tai chi school?

We practice the yang style form. Our form is similar to the cheng man ching form, but different and that is because our lineage does not come through cheng man ching, but rather one of his senior brothers under yang cheng fu. Sifu Tam's first teacher was a senior student of Yang Cheng Fu. Standing meditaion is about learning integration, which we then proceed to utilize in our tai chi form. It is one thing to acheive integration in stillness, another to bring that into the movement.

What else is unique about tai chi as practice by Wind River Tai Chi?

Our tai chi is taught with a goal of application. Many do the form for health only, however the greatest health benefits from the form can only be found when it is learned as an applicable martial art. This is because each movement of the body requires full integration of movement. We also do other drills and practice that allows us to test our body integration and develop it further.

That's all for now. more later. Jordan