T’ai chi on YouTube, Part II

Tung Yin Chieh Yang form, filmed in 1950. Master Tung was a senior student of Yang Cheng-fu (d.1936). This film is probably the clearest example of the Yang form as taught by Yang Cheng-fu. The stances are low and long, which is achieved by bending the knees more. Master Tung’s back alignment is similar to that shown in pictures of Yang Cheng-fu. By this I mean that the spine is straight but the back is angled in a way...

Master Moy Lin-shin – T’ai Chi Innovator, Teacher and Visionary

    Moy Lin-shin is best known in the West as the founder of The International Taoist T’ai Chi Society in Montreal, Canada. He established this thriving organisation after many years teaching and spreading the concepts of Taoism and its practices. Legend has it things didn’t start out too well for the young Lin-shin, as he suffered bouts of ill-health as a child growing up in China. In fact, things got...

Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching (Laozi – Dao De Jing)

Traditionally dated to the 6th Century BCE and attributed to the Sage Lao Tzu (Laozi), the Tao Te Ching (Classic of the Way and its Power) is a pivotal text for all Taoists. It integrates a mystical path of naturalness and unconstrained non-volitional action with the political philosophy of a minimal state. The text endorses a spiritualised vision of immortality, which is seen as arising from a non-acquisitive, natural and...

T’ai chi on YouTube, Part I

There are some excellent resources about T’ai chi available on the internet, and some good video material on YouTube. Unfortunately, for students beginning T’ai chi, there are many poor quality and misleading materials as well. To help beginners and those interested in following up on T’ai chi ch’uan, I have selected the three best YouTube videos I could find for T’ai chi learners and researchers; along with my...

T’ai Chi Exercises (T’ai Chi Walking)

If time is limited, the following basic T’ai chi walking exercise teaches all the fundamental T’ai chi skills, including: bodily awareness, correct back alignment, rooting, sinking and balance skills, and the differentiation of substantial & insubstantial. It is in fact a complete set of T’ai chi exercises. With the feet just under shoulder width apart, and weight distribution at 50/50 on each foot, ensure the...

The T’ai Chi Ball (Breathing Exercise)

Many people mistakenly believe that a physical ball is required to practice T’ai chi ball. The real ball is the ball of ch’i or life force or energy. One form of this ch’i is brought into the body by breathing. Through correct breathing practice this ball of ch’i is nurtured and held in the abdomen. Its external manifestation is the imaginary ball which is gently held in line with the lower abdomen when starting to...

The 42 Step Form (Competition Form) of T’ai Chi ch’uan (Taijiquan)

This is the standard Wushu (Chinese martial arts) competition form that combines movements drawn from the Yang, Wu, Chen, and Sun styles of traditional T’ai Chi Ch’uan (Taijiquan). It was developed principally by grandmaster Li De Yin in 1989 in collaboration with members of the Chinese Sports Committee. The 42 Step Form has been criticized as a hybrid, incorporating styles that work with completely different dynamics and...

T’ai Chi Ch’uan Uniform

This heading may be rather misleading, because in reality there is no uniform or special clothing for T’ai chi ch’uan. The round neck Chinese style jackets often worn by teachers in photographs, videos or at exhibitions or tournaments are simply modern versions of the type of jackets that respectable Chinese would wear in a semi-formal situation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Because the earliest...