Taoist Tai Chi Society New April Class for Beginners (Buffalo NY)
- Thread starter DaPoets
- Start date
Um ... I believe that would be "Chinese Martial Arts."
newGuy12
Master of Arts
Please excuse me, but this is something that I wish to clear up -- the CMA are mostly taught one - on - one, in so-called "private sessions". The reason for this is because they deal with this Internal Energy? The reason is not because of custom then? It is so that the Teacher can somehow "feel" or observe this Internal Energy?
I ask because I was once told by a Teacher of an Art that is NOT a CMA, it is a hard style, that he gave only private lessons. This is his business, of course. He will instruct any way that he wishes. But it was interesting to me that he said, "traditionally, the Chinese taught this way, privately".
But, I see now, that private lessons were done for some reason to do with the nature of the CMA being taught, not because of some custom.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
It can depend on the style of CMA the Sifu of said CMA and the country in which the CMA is being taught.
But in general the higher up you go in CMA the few the students. My Sifu has only a few taiji students as it is but him and I work on many things after everyone leaves. It is not a secret it is just I am ready to learn this and others are not in his opinion. On occasion there are 2 or 3 of us for some push hands things but generally it is just him and I and that is when I learn the most these days.
My ex-Sifu, from my short time in Wing Chun, only teaches the higher level stuff in private classes.
My ex-sifu, from my first years in CMA, will teach only large groups and teaches only form and he teaches not much else in private classes either.
OP
OP
DaPoets
Green Belt
We have a few instructors that teach higher level things in the TTCS and they are taught on a one on one basis but the class is there as well able to observe. What is taught is the specifics for that one individual based on their level of understanding, body type, and ability. The class learns not only from what observing what that individual learns but also how the instructor is pin pointing things that need to be corrected or improved upon (next level)... showing us what was ok in the past but can now be "tweaked" because ability has increased. This gives everyone a better understanding of how one's taiji can progress based on those factors. A move I did 10 years ago is no longer appropriate for me to practice but it is a move I would teach someone who is new and would bennifit from it.
For me, when I practice certain moves, I feel it toward the back of my neck where someone else doing that same move only feels it in their lower back. Years ago I was at that point of the lower back always being worked but now I feel it all along my spine and it's a wonderful sensation. It's taken years of practice and when my instructor said (in cantonese) "People practice for 25 years to be able to do that as you are now" and said "YaY ME!!" and everyone shouted out in laughter. Yes it was a one on one session but everyone was practicing doing their version of the move based on their abilities and understanding.
For me, when I practice certain moves, I feel it toward the back of my neck where someone else doing that same move only feels it in their lower back. Years ago I was at that point of the lower back always being worked but now I feel it all along my spine and it's a wonderful sensation. It's taken years of practice and when my instructor said (in cantonese) "People practice for 25 years to be able to do that as you are now" and said "YaY ME!!" and everyone shouted out in laughter. Yes it was a one on one session but everyone was practicing doing their version of the move based on their abilities and understanding.
ggg214
Blue Belt
now i find out that every CMA has training part to deal with the internal body. as i have said before, even in the same stance, two persons in defferent level can be different. that is because of the internal body.i mean that this part of CMA is undercovered, so it's not easy for master to make a judgement on whether your posture is right or wrong in first glimpse.and for student, it's also not easy to understand how the internal is going through watching master's movement. how to teach this part of CMA, i think, is only the feel, using hand touching, using listening and asking face to face, or some other direct way. so it only could be taught in private lesson.
after years pass, i think it could be called a custom too.
OP
OP
DaPoets
Green Belt
This was a pretty amazing weekend... It took me a lot of extra practice, but I'm able to get through the full 53 movements of the Taoist taijijian by myself. It really works my thighs, hips, upper and lower spine as well as my ankles. From Friday morning through to Sunday afternoon it was about 20 hours of instruction not including all the extra time and late nights we all spent in the secondary practice hall working with each other on the moves and sequence. I guess I was picking it up quickly because even though this was my 1st time taking it (75% took it before), they eventually made me set leader to keep the pace and movement sequence. When I got back to buffalo Sunday I opened up our TTCS branch at about 6pm and practiced off and on until 11pm. I was told to practice every day for a couple hours a day for 21 days by the elder Taoist woman who lives there and would pop in and out durring the weekend to do a set with us. I'm going to take what she said to heart.
By the end of the weekend, when I was doing the regular Taoist Tai Chi set I found I was accidently making the sword symble in my left hand on certain moves ;-) and my left thumb was even cramping up at one time as I was a bit too tense I guess.
Great times!
By the end of the weekend, when I was doing the regular Taoist Tai Chi set I found I was accidently making the sword symble in my left hand on certain moves ;-) and my left thumb was even cramping up at one time as I was a bit too tense I guess.
Great times!
East Winds
2nd Black Belt
DaPoets,
Yes, nice to hear you enjoyed your seminar. However, did you learn the three basic hand positions for Jian? Did you learn about the three parts of the blade and their uses? Did you differentiate between the top and bottom of the blade? Did you learn any of the applications of Jian? Did you practise with or without the tassel? My recollection of learning TTCS sword form was that none of these basic issues were addressed.
Very best wishes
Yes, nice to hear you enjoyed your seminar. However, did you learn the three basic hand positions for Jian? Did you learn about the three parts of the blade and their uses? Did you differentiate between the top and bottom of the blade? Did you learn any of the applications of Jian? Did you practise with or without the tassel? My recollection of learning TTCS sword form was that none of these basic issues were addressed.
Very best wishes
OP
OP
DaPoets
Green Belt
I didn't go their for application, and neither did anyone else.... As you know TTCS is not here for teaching application, it is here for health. If I want to learn application I would eventually go to a different school, but that is not my cup of tea these days nor is it for anyone else that attended. It was a full weekend to just get through the 53 movements and to make sure that I could do them all on my own in sequence. After a few months of practicing everyday I will be spending more time with some of the more senior instructors like Tony Kwan and John Huang as their knowledge of all of this is on a level I can only hope to attain. I did find a VHS of Mrs Kwan doing Hsing-I in the old practice hall in Orangeville (our international center) and that is very impressive as well. I saw John Huang do Hsing-I a number of times as well as taijijian & taijidao and even though it's the same set, his level of being able to do it, form, energy/force is just a whole other level...
I believe what is more valuable than learning how to stab or cut someone w/ the sword, is knowing the benifits a certain move is doing for your spine and chest. I don't ever plan on being in a sword fight even though anything is possible.... but I do plan on living a very long time (again anything is possible) and to do this I want to be in the best health I can be so that this long life of mine is a quality one, not one of being in an "old folks home" watching Wheel of Fortune. Everyone here has their desires/drives that brings them to learn an art. Some want to look fancy, some want to know how to protect themselves and others, some want long life and good health, and some just think it's "cool". I think those that want to make sure that an art is pure and continues to be handed down from generation to generation is top knotch and I think that is what many people on this forum are striving for based on all of our conversations so far. I see how many of you want me to be open and learn as much as I can about the many things taiji has to offer and I commend you for that. It would be a very sad thing for taiji to be lost in time... for me, my way of passing down taiji for health is to be the best TTCS member/instructor that I can be by not only working on my taiji, but also working on chanting and eventually meditations. They are all connected and each one improves the others.
How to old the sword was in different moves in the set were covered. Chris Lewis taught this class. He spent many years traveling around w/ Mr. Moy. Chris currently teaches continuing classes one night a week only 70 miles from my house so I'm going to try to get there about twice a month to further perfect my taijiquan & taijijian more than I can do here in buffalo. I go to D'Arcy (toronto) about once a week to learn there as well. (HQ for TTCS where Mr. Moy taught his main classes and lived)
I believe what is more valuable than learning how to stab or cut someone w/ the sword, is knowing the benifits a certain move is doing for your spine and chest. I don't ever plan on being in a sword fight even though anything is possible.... but I do plan on living a very long time (again anything is possible) and to do this I want to be in the best health I can be so that this long life of mine is a quality one, not one of being in an "old folks home" watching Wheel of Fortune. Everyone here has their desires/drives that brings them to learn an art. Some want to look fancy, some want to know how to protect themselves and others, some want long life and good health, and some just think it's "cool". I think those that want to make sure that an art is pure and continues to be handed down from generation to generation is top knotch and I think that is what many people on this forum are striving for based on all of our conversations so far. I see how many of you want me to be open and learn as much as I can about the many things taiji has to offer and I commend you for that. It would be a very sad thing for taiji to be lost in time... for me, my way of passing down taiji for health is to be the best TTCS member/instructor that I can be by not only working on my taiji, but also working on chanting and eventually meditations. They are all connected and each one improves the others.
How to old the sword was in different moves in the set were covered. Chris Lewis taught this class. He spent many years traveling around w/ Mr. Moy. Chris currently teaches continuing classes one night a week only 70 miles from my house so I'm going to try to get there about twice a month to further perfect my taijiquan & taijijian more than I can do here in buffalo. I go to D'Arcy (toronto) about once a week to learn there as well. (HQ for TTCS where Mr. Moy taught his main classes and lived)
East Winds
2nd Black Belt
DaPoets,
If you genuinely came to this board to learn, then you are certainly more than welcome. However if you came to gain some publicity for the TTCS or tell us that TTCS forms are the only ones that are good for health, then you are definitely in the wrong place. We do not learn Jian to "Stab" people and if you believe that then you are demonstrating the paucity of TTCS teaching.
When we do Taijiquan we are trying to move energy through the body and into the hands. Energy (Chi or Jin) is produced by the interaction of Yin and Yang. "Energy originates in the feet, is issued by the legs, is governed by the waist, and expressed by the fingers". In Jian we need to move the energy beyond the fingers and into the sword blade. We therefore need to know which part of the blade we are transmitting the energy to. The top third of the blade would have been as sharp as a razor and used for cutting tendons, arteries and veins. The middle third of the blade (which was not as sharp) would have been used for long cuts, horizontally, vertically and diagonally. The bottom third which was not sharp at all, would have been used for blocking and parrying. Good health comes from correct body alignment (allowing the clear flow of energy) and correct body alignment results in correct martial applications. So to dismiss the "martial" as an irrelevance is totally wrong.
I've already written too much for one post and I've only touched on the sword blade!!!! If you don't attempt to transmit energy into the blade, you would be as well waving a stick around. When you next do your sword form, think beyond your hand and try and think what you would actually be doing with the blade.
Very best wishes
If you genuinely came to this board to learn, then you are certainly more than welcome. However if you came to gain some publicity for the TTCS or tell us that TTCS forms are the only ones that are good for health, then you are definitely in the wrong place. We do not learn Jian to "Stab" people and if you believe that then you are demonstrating the paucity of TTCS teaching.
When we do Taijiquan we are trying to move energy through the body and into the hands. Energy (Chi or Jin) is produced by the interaction of Yin and Yang. "Energy originates in the feet, is issued by the legs, is governed by the waist, and expressed by the fingers". In Jian we need to move the energy beyond the fingers and into the sword blade. We therefore need to know which part of the blade we are transmitting the energy to. The top third of the blade would have been as sharp as a razor and used for cutting tendons, arteries and veins. The middle third of the blade (which was not as sharp) would have been used for long cuts, horizontally, vertically and diagonally. The bottom third which was not sharp at all, would have been used for blocking and parrying. Good health comes from correct body alignment (allowing the clear flow of energy) and correct body alignment results in correct martial applications. So to dismiss the "martial" as an irrelevance is totally wrong.
I've already written too much for one post and I've only touched on the sword blade!!!! If you don't attempt to transmit energy into the blade, you would be as well waving a stick around. When you next do your sword form, think beyond your hand and try and think what you would actually be doing with the blade.
Very best wishes
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