Training Tips
Greetings. I have been writing and sending these out since 2015, and for you who have just joined us, welcome to the Gilman Studio Training Tips. These Tips are a result of my desire to share my life’s study and teaching in the area of Internal Arts and human potential.
I have taught Tai Chi and Qigong since 1973 and shared with thousands of people, and yet feel limited, as I live in a small community in the northwest corner of Washington State. I wanted to reach a larger audience on a regular basis. Thus, the Training Tips was born.
Most books on Tai Chi are written by an instructor to share his or her form. They are meant to teach the movements. They also, usually include short chapters on history and philosophy, but that is usually limited. I have written two Tai Chi books and now these Training Tips, not as “how to” books, but as “why to” books. Most people who are attracted to Tai Chi seek relaxation, focus, balance, health improvement, and a very few, martial skills. What most people need to carry on with their studies is motivation. That is what these Tips are all about. I want to encourage students to continue to practice, and continue looking deeper into this marvelous art form, and that only comes from regular and continuous practice.
I hope you read through all of these and maybe one or more will stimulate you to stay with your initial interest and enthusiasm. You can bookmark the ones you like to go back to in the future. As you grow and change, the meaning of these Tips will change, and hopefully you will find you understand them in your body, mind and spirit. If you aren’t already receiving these in your mailbox, subscribe and it will come as regular as clockwork on Monday mornings. The Gilman Studio never shares your information.
I sincerely hope you enjoy these and share them with your friends. You will make me happy. Thank you for your interest in our beloved art.
More On Kan and Li – 8/8/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 380 More on Kan and Li Kan and Li decided to cook dinner together. They agreed on rice and veggies. “Let's cook up a pot of rice, and while that is cooking, we can prep up the veggies,” suggested Li. Kan put two cups of water in a...
read moreKan and Li – 8/1/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 379 Kan and Li One of Tai Chi's guiding principles is the idea of balance – always balance for me and never balance for the opponent. One of the terms to describe this balance so it can be more easily understood is Kan and...
read moreJay and Hummers – 7/25/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 378 Jay and Hummers Up on the top of the Summer House. Perfect weather – low 70's, clear blue skies. I put out peanuts, and along came a singular Stellar Jay. It was almost ready to pick one out of the 20 I placed on the rail. He...
read moreSummer House Thoughts – 7/18/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 377 Summer House Thoughts As I have shared with you in the past, I so enjoy sitting on the top of the outbuilding, at our house, which we call the Summer House, feeding the Stellar Jays, and letting my thoughts run around like the...
read moreWords of Advice/Class Sequence – 7/11/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 376 Simple Words of Advice/Tai Chi Chuan Class Sequence Simple Words of Advice: Imitate (learn carefully from your teacher and those that have gone before). Assimilate (practice diligently and take the principles into your core)....
read moreFourth of July Memories – 7/4/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 375 Fourth of July Memories When I was about 13, my best buddy, Mark, who lived across the street form me, and I heard there was a shop in Chinatown, San Francisco, where we could buy fireworks, which was illegal in San Francisco...
read moreVisiting Pai-an Pavilion – 6/27/22
Greetings. This week I want to share something special with you. Sam Hamill, a good friend of the Studio and creator of Cooper Canyon Press in Port Townsend, translated this ancient poem from the Chinese. It seems to me to reflect the spirit of a life that includes...
read moreIncrease Awareness – 6/20/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 373 Increase Awareness One of the best exercises to increase your awareness of each movement in your Tai Chi form is to break it down, one movement at a time, and explore all the possibilities for that movement. Do it slow and...
read moreLearning From Everything – 6/13/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 372 Learning from Everything I was so fortunate to grow up where and when I did. I was raised in San Francisco, and just up the block from my house was a playground, containing a baseball diamond, grassy field, basketball court...
read moreSame Name-Different Applications/Class Note – 6/6/22
Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 371 Same Name – Different Applications Last week in the park we worked on Needle at Sea Bottom. In the Yang Style Long Form, there are two repetitions. As I evolved my form, I gave a different application to each repeated...
read more