April 29, 2024
In honor of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 2024, YMAA Staff Writer Gene Ching examines tai chi demonstrations done in large groups. 6 Min Read
April 8, 2024
What is Tàijíquán? It is a martial Qìgōng study. Its training procedures are not different from those of other general Qìgōng (practice) and must follow the (same training) theory. These training procedures are nothing else but: regulating the body, regulating the breathing, regulating the mind, regulating the Qì, and regulating the spirit—five regulatings.
7 Min Read
January 22, 2024
If you are able to understand the theory of calmness, then you can comprehend the applications of Jìng (i.e., martial power).
Reading Time 6 minutes
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.”
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.
Dr. Yang's first Taijiquan master, Grandmaster Kao, Tao (高濤), who Dr. Yang lost contact with after leaving for college and moving to the U.S., was finally found teaching Taiji in Taipei, Taiwan in 2008. This article is a record of that time.
Originally formulated in Old Chinese, the Taijiquan Classics are very compact and poetic and can be quite mysterious when translated into Modern Chinese and then into English.
Almost every Chinese martial style, both external and internal, has its own hand-matching training similar to Taiji's pushing hands.