Check out this bear performing a staff form.

I like his wrist flexibility and posture.

Not sure what style it’s practising. Probably some ancient Bear Style form.

Hmm, I must go outside and practice my form. Up to where he bites the staff.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Footnote: Discovered this clip on Al Simon’s ‘The Tai Chi and Qigong Blog’.

Is Tai Chi a miracle cure for your problems?

Is it the best fighting art?

In two words, no and no.

It’s not Tai Chi that will provide you with a miracle cure.

The miracles you are looking for may occur if you do two things.

1. Keep an open mind
2. Practice

Very simple concepts that are difficult to do because it requires discipline.

So the next time you read about the miracle of Tai Chi, ground yourself in reality and focus on the above concepts.

If you do your Tai Chi, wellbeing, and self defence skills will improve gradually.

Footnote: There are no free yum cha’s in Tai Chi. Only practice.

Forms: Before starting, stabilise yourself by breathing slow and deep for at least 30 seconds.

When you are practicing your Tai Chi form imagine you are underwater.

But make sure your head is above water!

I’ve found that using this visualisation technique slows my movements down alot. Especially if I am in a rushed mood when practicing Tai Chi.

I also get a deeper sense of Chi flowing through my body.

Here’s how to do it;

• Relax you body
• Imagine you are standing in water up to your neck
• Start your form
• Feel the slight resistance of the water as you move

If you decide to use this technique let me know how it feels.

Footnote: Source -  Tai Tips #10

Practicing weapons’ forms in a park can can attract the wrong attention. Especially if you are using metal weapons.

Once when I was practicing my sabre and sword forms in a park I had one spectator which did distract me. It was a policeman driving his van slowly through the park.

From the corner of my eye I noticed the driver stare at me.

He was probably wondering whether I was a lunatic or just a crazy ninja turtle that should be locked up.

Fortunately for me he kept driving and I avoided being disturbed.

Since then I now only use my wooden sword and sabre when I practice in a park.

I still practice with my metal weapons at home or use them at official demonstrations.

Sabre Form

Sword Form

Who is that lunatic?

This is the Wu Style Tai Chi form I practice.

It’s the traditional long form as demonstrated by Wu Yinghua (1907-1997), daughter of Wu Chien Chuan.

She was probably in her late eighties when she demonstrated the form. The video clip is of poor quality but you can get a flavour of the Wu style form by watching it.

She demonstrated about a third of the long form, from the opening posture to Left and Right Parting Leg (just after the first cloud hands).

Click here to view the embedded video.

I was asked recently what is the ‘form’ in Tai Chi  so I thought now would be a good time to do a post on it.

The word ‘form’ in Tai Chi can have different meanings so let’s clarify that now.

There’s the Tai Chi form and there are weapons forms such as sabre form, sword form, spear form and staff form.

I’ll focus on the generally accepted view of the  ‘form’ as in the Tai Chi form.

The Tai Chi form is a series of mostly slow movements that are performed in sequence. See the clip below.

There are different syles or forms – the major ones are:

• Wu
• Yang
• Chen
• Sun
• Wu/Hao

There are two categories of forms:

1. The traditional form (long form)

• has 37 original postures ( e.g. Grasping the Bird’s Tail, Clouded Hands etc.)
• usually have 108 postures (movements) which include repeats of the 37 original postures
• about 15-20 minutes to perform, some are longer in duration
• 6-12 months to learn

2. Short Forms

• made up of postures from the traditional forms – could be any postures in any sequence
• 4  minutes or more in duration
• 6 or more weeks to learn

Other points to be aware of are:

• Each posture is a self defence movement (note – cannot be used as self defence unless modified – this is another post)
• Posture names may differ from style to style or even within a style
• Techniques of postures may differ from style to style
• Key principles of relaxation in Tai Chi are consistent across all Tai Chi forms
• There are fast forms

In this clip the late Master Ma YuaLiang performs a fast Wu form and at 2.20 Wu Ying Hwa Wu performs the slow Wu form. Both in their 90′s at the time and married to each other. Wu Ying Hwa Wu was the daughter of the founder of the Wu style, Master Wu Chuan Chien.

Click here to view the embedded video.