Articles of Special Interest

Greetings. Welcome to a special selection of writings by Michael Gilman that should be of interest to all Tai Chi players. Some of them might have been published in other places, or be too long for a magazine article and too short for a book. Others are thoughts and ideas that Michael feels are important for students and teachers of Tai Chi Chuan and Chi Kung to know about.

These articles will be posted at random times as they are written. Please check back on occasion. Also, please feel free to contact Michael with any questions or comments about this material or any aspect of Tai Chi practice.

Original Chi – 3/4/24

Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip #461 Original Chi I recently received a question from an online student about original Chii. Here is my answer. Hello, I have been doing some reading about qigong and I have a (maybe more) theoretical question to put, which I think...

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Refining Your Form – 2/12/34

Refining your Form – 2/12/24 Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 458 Refining your Form Everybody’s life is an experiment in living. We try this, we try that. We take what works and cast off that which doesn’t. The internal arts practitioner’s life is a laboratory,...

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Refining your Form – 2/12/24

Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 458 Refining your Form Everybody's life is an experiment in living. We try this, we try that. We take what works and cast off that which doesn't. The internal arts practitioner's life is a laboratory, constantly working with...

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Working With Energy

Compression, torsion, and rebounding are three of the main ways that we work with energy in Tai Chi, to produce seemingly effortless results. All of these actions are used in every day movements, yet when consciously applied to Tai Chi, we gain a great deal of...

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Personal Challenge – Do Better Than Me

This is an article I wrote in 1995. I still think it contains some excellent ideas and I hope you will read it through and think about it. Personal Challenge I have a personal challenge for you and it involves youth, but first I want to give you some background so...

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A Commentary on Push Hands Strategies

This is an article, my first, that I wrote after winning the Push Hands Grand Championship at Taste of China in 1994. It appeared in T'ai Chi Magazine Vol.18, No.5 October 1994. I appreciate Marvin Smalheiser, the publisher, letting me reprint it here. Also, ironicly,...

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Push Hands for Fun and Profit

Tai Chi Tui Shou, also known as push hands, join hands, or sensing hands, is a training device in the study of Tai Chi Chuan. It contributes to the understanding of applications, energy generation and movement, sensitivity, awareness, relaxation, and mastery of the...

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The Unique Hands of Tai Chi Chuan

Use the correct tool for the job Use of the Hands in TCC At the most basic level, as well as the very highest, Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art. Every aspect of this art must adhere to the martial principles or it can't be called Chuan which means martial form or fist....

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Comprehensive Guide to Yang Style Footwork

Comprehensive Guide to Yang Style Footwork The classic teachings of T'ai Chi Ch'uan tell us that if there is a problem with our form, look to the legs. As a Yang Style Instructor for the past 33 years, I can readily agree. Most people in the West do not have the...

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