Temple Style Tai Chi

[Samurai]

Can you help an idiot out with a question

I went to a Temple Style Tai Chi class yesterday. Loved the class but I wanted some basic information about the system. The instructor was able to provide a boatload of material but I also wanted to talk to my friends here...

The style is called Hwa-Yu T'ai- Chi and is currently headed by Robert Xavier of CT. I understand that his teacher was John Chung Li.

I am looking for a style that can help me learn the "internal" connections and martial applications of the movements. I have 27 years of experience in the "external" martial arts and I am looking to dive more into the internal road.

Any thoughts?
Thanks
Jeremy Bays

 

[Xue Sheng]

From what little I know and what I have just found out using some webfu it is not Taiji as we would know Taiji by lineage from Chen family to all other families (Yang, Wu, Wu/Hao, Sunand possibly Zhaobao, but that's another story in and of itself) and it does not even claim a mythical connection to Zhang Sengfeng or any other taijiquan person or family

Temple Taiji or Hwa-Yu Taiji is allegedly from Liuhebafa (Liu Ho Pa Fa) which taijiquan is not from.

 

[mograph]

Yep, it's about Liuhebafa, not Taijiquan. Hey, maybe it has good internal principles, but it ain't Taijiquan.

Here's a book. I have it, and when I get home I'll take another look at it and get back to you.

 

[Quotheraving]

@Samurai- As your emphasis is on martial applications and how to develop internal connections you may give some thought to YiQuan (Da Cheng Chuan).
It is a stripped down internal art that has (by and large) managed to avoid drifting too far down the 'for health' road and losing it's grounding as a martial art, and which places it's primary emphasis on internal connection. Also the skills you will gain are very applicable to pretty much every form of internal martial art.

Taiji is great don't get me wrong, but good teachers of martial Taiji who actually hold to the principles are very rare in my experience.

 

[TaiChiTJ]

Xue Sheng is on the money, its a version of Liu He Ba Fa, which is more connected with the art called Hsing-i than with the Tai Chi line. They re-named it as Tai Chi, admitting the public was more familiar with that term so no reason to invent a new one. There are a few resources to learn about this remarkable martial art:

one lineage:
http://www.wudanglongmen.com/liuhebafa.html

Mancuso's page on the art:
http://www.plumpub.com/sales/dvd/dvdcoll_lhbf.htm

 

[East Winds]

Quotheraving,

I'm with you all the way on the Yi Chuan thing. A great internal art much undervalued.

Very best wishes