Tai Chi in the United Kingdom.

[willow12]

Hi there,
I have just finished my teacher course and I have just begun to unravell the topic of Tai Chi. Although it is so much to learn I learn new things every time I practise. I don't have a teacher that I train with because of my location where I live so I rely on my own practise and learning curve and seminars or retreats to gain more knowledge, but are the Yang family have any seminars in the UK? I would love to have my Tai Chi as a full time job in the end as I absolutely love it.
Does anyone have any sound and wise advise for a newly Tai Chi teacher?

[Audi]

Greetings Willow12,

It's great to hear of your love of the art, and welcome to the discussion board.

I think the nearest seminar to the UK this year is in Paris in April. There is a an Association center in Cambridge that might also be helpful to you.

As for "sound and wise" advice, I am not sure I at least have any to offer; however, is there any particular area of your practice or your teaching where you have questions or need encouragement? I myself am working most at the moment on the Twenty Character Motto.

Take care,
Audi

[willow12]

Hi Audi,
Thanks for the reply. This is the first time I have heard of the "20 character motto" but is this about relaxing, releasing and getting everything connected into one, am I right. It's something I am trying very hard myself to grasp and I have just started to dig into it. It is so hard but sometimes it works and it does feel good (my teacher always told me to work more with the waist though). It doesn't help when my animals are looking at me in the field, I can hear them laughing.

With Regards
Bob

[Audi]

Greetings Bob,l

This is the first time I have heard of the "20 character motto" but is this about relaxing, releasing and getting everything connected into one, am I right.

Yes, as I understand it, the motto is about all of that and more. What it means most for me is a physical way of getting in touch with internal matters. I tried to post about something like this a few months back, but the thread did not go as I had expected.

From this we can see that the Twenty-Character motto separately relates to every individual posture of taiji and as a whole determines the connected completion of the entire form. I hope that students will diligently seek to understand this, and experience the 'sensation of energy' induced by this 'extend','hollow','pull down', and 'connect'. This will aid your overall level of training as well as the practice of connecting the internal and external.

Key things I currenty focus on from this passage are: "relates to every individual posture," "determines the connected completion of the entire form," "sensation of energy,' and "connecting the internal and external." For me, many things that sound like states or outcomes, I view as activities, procedures, or processes. Studying this motto or using it as a teaching tool can give people a tangible feeling that they can use as a guide to sense internal matters and improve their form.

Take care,
Audi

[LouM]

Hello Audi,
I've found the "experience" of the motto of significant benefit to understanding connectivity. My students also seemed to better grasp this fundamental concept. Additionally ,I like to add the standing post arm posture but pushing the elbows out - in a static extension- while maintaining the finger tip distance. The connection to the spine becomes more apparent.
Lou

[Audi]

Hi Lou,

I've found the "experience" of the motto of significant benefit to understanding connectivity. My students also seemed to better grasp this fundamental concept.

I think I very much like using the word "connectivity" to sum things up, but need to ponder this some more since it raises for me the questions of "connectivity of what to what?" Perhaps, I could say that it is using the elbow and upper arm to connect the hand movements to the torso and waist movements and connecting the mind intent to the body movements. How do you see it?

Additionally ,I like to add the standing post arm posture but pushing the elbows out - in a static extension- while maintaining the finger tip distance. The connection to the spine becomes more apparent.

I was quite surprised to read this, because I have found myself "driven" to do almost the same thing in some of my Push Hands classes over the last month or so.

I have people "stand like a post" with the arms in a circle and the elbows slightly drooping down. I then ask them to contemplate the difference in feel between trying directly to form a circle with the arms (fingers almost touching) and forming a static equilibrium by gently pushing out at 8 points: the 2 elbows, the 2 shoulders, the 2 wrists, the chest, and the empty space between the fingertips. I then talk about the meaning of "relaxing," how it gives rise to Peng energy, and how we physically accomplish "sticking."

I also like to have people rotate their arms in this position in a very limited way that shows some of the links and transformation among Ward Off, Rollback, Press, and Push, both as we physically perform them in Grasp Sparrow's Tail and as we distinguish them in terms of push hands energies. If we still have time, I may also work on transferring the feeling of "elbow" energy in a few postures, such as Rollback, Lifting Hands, Cloud Hands, and Brush Knees. I occasionally even push and pull directly on the elbow to try to give a feeling of how it links to the Jin point. In Push Hands, we can do this in the very first one-hand horizontal circle, where I believe you should have a clear sense of the elbow pulling and pushing the energy along the arm. It is also present in all the other circles we do, but not always in such an obvious way.

Take care,
Audi

[LouM]

Audi,

"connectivity of what to what?" Perhaps, I could say that it is using the elbow and upper arm to connect the hand movements to the torso and waist movements and connecting the mind intent to the body movements.

My concept of connectivity is that it should encompass upper and lower body and rooting as well. Its a noble goal.
I also like to rotate the standing post arm posture in a verticle circle - as if following the surface of a large ball , to instantiate peng energy as you have mentioned.

In Push Hands, we can do this in the very first one-hand horizontal circle, where I believe you should have a clear sense of the elbow pulling and pushing the energy along the arm

I'm new to push hands and your mention of the elbow leading has helped me in sensing the energy transitions in both single hand and double hand push hands. Thanks.
BTW this is useful info but its buried deep in this thread. Any suggestions ?
Lou

[Audi]

Hi Lou,

I'm new to push hands and your mention of the elbow leading has helped me in sensing the energy transitions in both single hand and double hand push hands. Thanks.
BTW this is useful info but its buried deep in this thread. Any suggestions ?

I'm glad if you have found something useful. The discussions on this board have usually been productive, but not necessarily well organized. One thing leads to another. I think much more could be said, perhaps on separate thread with an appropriate title, but what exactly would you be interested in discussing or highlighting? The Twenty Character Motto? Using the elbows appropriately? Things to pay attention to in the various push hands circles? How to relate the classics to individual practice?

Take care,
Audi