December 11, 2023
Numerous research findings indicate that Tai Chi & Qigong is as effective as, if not more effective than, conventional exercise, physical therapy, and cognitive-behavior therapy.
November 6, 2023
When you practice Tàijíquán skills to a high level and have reached the state of “fight of no fight” (i.e., regulating without regulating), then every action is ultimately natural, comfortable, skillful, and effective. This is the stage of “fighting with enlightenment.”
August 28, 2023
In the last seven centuries many songs and poems have been composed about Tàijíquán. These have played a major role in preserving the knowledge and wisdom of the masters, although in many cases the identity of the authors and the dates of origin have been lost. From these songs and poems, Tàijíquán practitioners have had a guideline or a map which continues to lead them to the correct path of practice. Most of these documents were considered secrets in every Tàijíquán style. It was not until the last few decades that these secrets were gradually revealed to the general public. In the last twenty years, Dr. Yang has translated and made commentary on many of these documents.
September 14, 2022
Enjoy this special video excerpt from a Tai Chi Theory seminar event in which Dr. Yang, Jwìng-Mǐng (楊俊敏博士) discusses his experience of training Tai Chi Chuan with Grandmaster Kao, Tao (高濤) beginning at age 16 in Taiwan. Master Yang reunited with Kao, Tao in October 2008 and was able to talk as an adult for the first time with him about the details of their Tai Chi Chuan lineage.
April 25, 2022
Tai chi is one of the most practiced martial arts in the world today. Countless practitioners recite these time-honored movements for health, self-defense, and peace of mind all around the world. However, as tai chi continues to spread globally, how to spell it is absurdly frustrating.
Since taiji ball qigong is a combination of internal elixir (nei dan) and external elixir (wai dan) qigong practice, the health benefits of taiji ball qigong can be divided into two parts, the internal and external side. Taiji ball qigong is a soft-moving meditation. Through this meditative training, you will be able to concentrate and focus your mind at a higher level.
Over the past eight years I was given the opportunity to collaborate with Tufts School of Medicine researching the philosophy of Tai Chi and its effects on both arthritis of the knee and Fibromyalgia. I was asked by one of the researchers at Tufts School of Medicine to design and implement an intervention for both debilitating diseases.
As an instructor at the YMAA School in Boston, Mass., my students often ask, “How can my pushing hands get better?” We all want to get better. Many people spend a lot of time looking for some facet of the art that they have missed or a trick to shorten their path.
Once enrolled in my class, she was all over the place swinging her arms as if dancing to imaginary music (fine at home, perhaps, but not in Tai Chi class). This woman completely lacked structure, but more significantly, she lacked any desire for structure or willingness to consider its merits.
When the average person thinks of Tai Chi, the image that I expect most often comes to mind is one of some person or persons practicing a slow motion Tai Chi form sequence. This is quite reasonable given Tai Chi’s usual portrayal in the various media.
Thanks to a recent reunion between Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming and his first Taijiquan teacher, Grandmaster Kao, Tao, we now know the complete lineage of YMAA's Yang style Taijiquan in more detail. The most interesting discovery is that Yang, Chengfu, who is famous for teaching the health aspects of Taijiquan to the public, also had indoor disciples who trained the martial side of Taijiquan.
In order to analyze the traditional Yang Style Taijiquan sequence, it is necessary to understand how martial sequences are created and the purpose they serve. Taijiquan is not a dance or abstract movement. A proper understanding of the root of the art will help you practice more effectively.
When he was young, Yang, Lu-chan went to Chen Jia Gou in Henan province to learn taijiquan from Chen, Chang-xing. Chen realized that Yang had great potential and taught him the secrets sincerely.
It’s open house across the world, beginning in New Zealand, when World Tai Chi & Qigong Day will spread time zone by time zone across the globe through 60 countries and across six continents. There will be events in cities, towns, and villages world-wide embracing wisdom from all cultures of the world.
Once you have learned a basic Taiji form, whether you study Yang, Chen, or another style, there is still a great deal that traditional Taijiquan training can offer.
I had the chance last weekend to teach at the YMAA Boston Taiji Form Seminar. I was tapped to teach the Two Person Fighting Set. YMAA canon maintains that the Fighting Set is the last thing a person trains prior to free sparring.
After Bodhidharma (Da Mo) passed down his qigong (chi kung) theory at Shaolin Temple around 550 A.D., the Shaolin monks trained the cultivation of Qi, and realized that muscular power could be enhanced to a tremendous level, which could make martial techniques more powerful and effective.
Taijiquan was originally developed for combat in ancient times. Its fighting theory is to use the soft against the hard, and to use the round to neutralize the straight or square.
What is Tai Chi? How does Tai Chi improve health? People ask me these questions all the time. Some ask because they see so many people doing these exercises in the park. Others ask because they can hardly believe there can be any benefits from such slow body movements.
Those who practice both Taiji and Qigong as separate arts soon realize that Qigong is included among the many layers encompassed by Taiji. Knowingly doing Taiji movement as Qigong not only adds the benefits of Qigong but also improves the quality of the Taiji movements.
So how does one teach Taijiquan to seniors, rehabbers, and the generally unfit? Consult the ancients, "The best leader follows." These people are generally coming to Taiji because of a life urgency (old age, sickness, injury, etc.) which has created an opportunity for change.
Back in the day of the last millennia, I had my first venture into teaching Martial Arts to the elderly. I secured a nice gig at the local senior center. There were about twenty intrepid explorers ready for the unknown.
How old are Taijiquan and Taiji philosophy? Recent findings indicate that the basic Taiji movements and Internal Arts theory of breathing and Qi circulation pre-date Zhang and Chen significantly.
The origin of Taijiquan is a controversial issue. Some trace Taijiquan to the Chen family in the 1600's and others trace the art further back to Master Zhang, San-Feng. Both are correct. And neither of them created Taijiquan.
In the practice of Taijiquan pushing hands, Taiji circle sticking hands, and Taijiquan free fighting, etc., you must practice until you have reached a stage where there is no discrimination of the opponent.