Bone Energy Internal energy is known as bone energy as opposed to muscle energy. If you want to use internal energy, line up your bones. Keep in mind that between each bone and its neighbor is a joint. For maximum use of body dynamics and internal power, limit bending...
Teachers – Famous and not so much Some years ago, I heard there was a fellow moving to Port Townsend who had been a student of many famous Tai Chi Masters and was authorized to teach. I had never heard his name mentioned in the Tai Chi world, but was looking forward...
Good vs Wise There is a saying, “ A good teacher teaches what he (she) has been taught. A wise teacher teaches what he has learned.” I think that many of us in the internal arts have had teachers who have a good grasp of some form or system and can even share this...
Laughing and Crying The serious Tai Chi player views life in the terms of yin and yang. He is always seeking to understand how to find balance in life – not too much of this or that. Moderation in all things. Mother nature is the perfect example of this fact. The...
Inner Balance I love it when online people contact me with new information, clarifications, or corrections. Back in the late 1980’s, I met a remarkable Tai Chi instructor by the name of Gao Fu. If you don’t know who she is (she passed a few years ago) do a...
Preface to 101 Reflections On Tai Chi Chuan These few paragraphs come from the preface of my second Tai Chi book, 101 Reflections on Tai Chi Chuan, published in 2000. I hope they strike a chord with you. It seems as topical now as it did 18 years ago. One needs to...
Morning Practice I went to the wharf for the first time in quite a while, as the weather was warmer and the wind mild. The scene was right out of a romantic movie – the sky full of clouds of such varied shapes and sizes. They were slightly above the horizon level...
Sung Every student of Tai Chi and other internal arts has heard the word ”Relax” countless times. Each time I say this word I see students tense up slightly in trying to find relaxation in their body. We have placed more tension in the mind by putting this pressure on...
Yield An online student recently asked me for a definition of yield (Lu). It got me thinking about this important technique – what it is and how to apply it. Yield in Tai Chi means to give way in the face of pressure. For instance, put a round ball on the floor...
Pay Attention Life is a journey, filled with constant changes. It is how we perceive these moments that determines how effective and joy filled our life can be. Tai Chi can be an important piece of the puzzle of life. I would venture to say that most Tai Chi players...
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