What's in a name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet." Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Over these many years I have come face to face with "well speak" or the "well polished" excuse or euphemism for not coming to class or even quitting Tai Chi.. I have become quite enamored of exposing it in all of its forms...humorously speaking that is. I'm sure some of the students who quit would be so offended by my attempts at humor...after all they were "deadly serious" about starting Tai Chi in the first place...Of course, I'm sure (tongue in cheek) they were "deadly serious" in what they said when they quit.

• Unfortunately, my work schedule and family obligations, plus the new dog, make it impossible for me to continue tai chi but I do take away healthful benefits and hopefully will be able to recommit some time in the future...
• I cannot come to class, my cat peed on the bed
• I cannot come to class, my cat peed on the bed
• I cannot come to class, my cat vomited on the bed
  
• (Empty space here for no euphemism whatsoever offered in explanation)
• I won't be here anymore, I have to find a job
• etc., etc.
  

Speaking frankly, with all of these sayings by students, it would seem the impression they want to leave is that the cost of continuing with Tai Chi is much, much more than the benefits they would reap by staying.

I know, people want to be polite, don't want to offend, etc., so they make use of excuses and in many cases use euphemisms for quitting.

• I'm really busy
• I'm overloaded
• I'm tired
• etc.

I used the words, "hard times" today twice when 2 different pan handlers asked for "spare change". So rather than them saying "hey buddy, give me some money", it is "spare change", rather than saying "I don't want to give you any money", it is "hard times". We do alot of this in this country, but I'll go out on a limb here and say the fine art of speaking euphemistically as opposed to having to explain oneself.

It is interesting in retrospect that in more than a few cases, students told me in no uncertain terms that they have wanted to do Tai Chi for a long time, they could not wait to start, they were excited to start, in several cases students said, "perhaps you could even start a class in my basement", "we could have people meet at my house"... In fact you can precede all of the euphemisms and excuses above with all of these. My mind recoils at even contemplating giving up my studio space and starting a class in someone's basement...only to hear "we can't meet in my basement anymore, I need the space for my dog".

Ah well, so "the bloom is off the rose" after the 3rd for 4th lesson in Tai Chi, who can blame people for "gathering their rosebuds while they may... for the flower that smiles today, tomorrow may be dying".

Progress not Regress in Classical Tai Chi

To make any progress in learning Tai Chi one has to find a good instructor, then it helps to have talent but gumption in sticking it out is the most important of the three. It is said that Yang Shao Hou was a fantastic martial artist but because of his temper could not teach very well...such temper that he hurt or even killed students.

What do you want out of Tai Chi? Of course you want Progress, you want to "Pro Gress"You can find schools that will teach you to fight or you can find schools that teach you to "Center" as in a form of New Age moving meditation. Certainly, one can observe other students as to their abilities and get some idea of what classes are like. Nowdays, teachers even publish videos of their classes on Youtube.

What may be the biggest hindrance to learning however is that students do not stay for sufficient time to learn much of anything. Sometimes as well, there is not much of anything that is being taught. This is prevented (at least in a capitalist sense) however by what I call, the "dude, you just bought a lemon, you still gotta pay for it" syndrome. Tai Chi is not alone in the martial art world in this regard. When I was learning Tae Kwon Do for instance, we were given payment booklets and had to send in ticket stubs each month to a collection agency. The instructor was largely non-existent, spoke very limited English and spent the majority of his time reading a Korean newspaper in his office. Teaching was left to higher ranked students, some of whom were not good teachers. He was followed in the ownership by someone who for all intents and purposes would be reminiscent of Yang Shao Hou...what quite frankly could be called sadism. That Tae Kwon Do teacher's favorite teaching phrase was to yell out "use your leg, use your leg, kick the crap out of him".

So, when students query me as to where this person is, why isn't that person here anymore, what happened to those people? I say, don't get stuck on the concept of turnover and try to practice the advice myself. Except for the parts where I fell victim to the sadistic behaviors of both fellow students and teachers, for the most part I think I have kept an open mind about learning...I'm still learning and teaching. In fact I stuck around Tai Chi classes, Tae Kwon Do classes even when I felt that I was not learning much of anything . That is me however, for one thing I had big investments of time and money, for another, I have gumption. No one makes it through Marine Corps boot camp without it. Much of what I have learned, I must say in retrospect has come through self-development and gumption in making the best of some really bad situations.

For instance, what is the point of sticking around a school where the owner does not teach but sits around and reads a newspaper? What is the point of sticking around a school where the owner spends the majority of his time traveling around the world tending to his worldwide classes? What is the point of sticking around a school where the teacher spars with a student and then when the student cries "stop", the teacher grabs the student by the arm and kicks him in the face?

Are you learning something each time you come to class? Does the instructor take the time to explain, even in detail? If you speak English, is the instructor able to communicate well in English? Is the instructor giving you lots of verbal information, do they give you feedback on how you are doing? Does the instructor have decades of experience with teaching? Take it from me, you have a gem, you've found gold and it is probably being served to you on a silver platter...so why don't you appreciate it?

So when one encounters students who drop out from Tai Chi classes for a variety of "reasons", usually explained by the euphemism "busy", don't be puzzled...be happy. It could be worse, some of those who drop out have actually gone on to start teaching others themselves. Now is it so hard to imagine then how so many students want the benefits, the abilities, to be a "master", etc. of the art but don't really have the gumption to practice or devote themselves. You've seen Tai Chi in a book, so you have it all figured out but when it turns into cold winter nights and you don't want to put down the Tai Chi book...gosh, we missed you at practice.

That grass is sure greener on the other guys lawn isn't it? You want to have the abilities of that Tai Chi Master that you read about, but you are still sitting there on class nights? Oh, I forgot, you are "busy". Thank you however for not trying to teach anyone else . The idea that Classical Tai Chi can continue to "regress" makes me unhappy. The one who read about Tai Chi on the Internet, then decides to teach others only ends up further degrading the art. I am a perpetual learner, I understand more and more of why and how students even dropped out of Grandmaster Young Wabu's classes. I am a perpetual learner, I understand more and more as time goes by of why Young Wabu was unhappy with the fecklessness of students regarding the art.

"Jack of all trades, Master of none"

A classroom full of Tai Chi students is tasked with having to integrate internal discipline into their Tai Chi round form. The students have never encountered anything like this. The students are drilled with silk reeling exercises at each class. Instead of hearing, "wow, this is really different but I like it, or this is really different but it feels good", etc. The teacher gets feedback about what they are experiencing from the students that has ideas that have been used in other Tai Chi schools, other martial arts, in other words conventional thinking about Tai Chi. A student says, "do you do "spirals" (what the Chen School does), another student says, "we do Karate and we do this differently", another student says "this reminds me of bellydancing, I have some bellydancing records I'm going to listen to", another student says "what is the distinction here between what the Wu School does and what you do", etc.

What are the students doing? They are parroting what they have experienced before, expressing desire to maintain the status quo, saying what they think the teacher wants to hear, spitting out what they have absorbed from the media, etc.

Except for one.... A student says, "I think if I go over to this wall and press my hip against it, I can hold my side steady, that will allow my other side to do quarter body movement better". This is not what the teacher was expecting. Other students in the class snicker, other students say, "you need to do it this way, the way that the teacher showed us", another student says "you are doing something weird with your back when you do that". But, is the student still not "doing something" with what he has been taught instead of saying, "perhaps I should lift some weights", or "I think I should stand in Zhan Zhuang more", etc. ?

Now does everybody like it, does the teacher like it, but if the class ridicules it, if the other students show no respect for their colleague...what happens? It may be that student will never express an independent thought in front of those people again. Why would he want to have anything to do with them? One can certainly find venues in which to express independent thought that is "independent" of conventional influences.

What I have largely seen, read, heard, experienced, etc. about Classical Tai Chi from the powers that be, new students, media, etc. has largely been critical of it. In my estimation however, it is priceless and as hard to find as a unicorn. Is it not obvious now, there is nothing you can read about Tai Chi in the papers on the Internet, or see on the television that has come about as a result of independent thinking? Whatever we take in from the popular media is knowledge that has been pre-digested and vomited back up for us. There is nothing independent about what most of the world thinks about Tai Chi.

What a tragi-comedy. They knew this thousands of years ago, yet, how far have we progressed? Zilch, zip, nada...independent thinking that resulted in the articulation of something as rare as internal discipline is as rare as the "horseless carriage" was in the 19th century. Yet, without such independence, what kind of progress would we have made from riding on cow paths?

Logically, one thinks for instance that in order to be physically fit, we have to do what everyone else is doing. As far as I can see nowdays, no one much thinks anymore that training extensively in Tai Chi form can help them to progress. I agree with my teacher, that when fundamentals are discarded, the esoteric, the shortcut, the cut corner, etc., finds room to enter. Lifting weights, running long distances, standing for long periods of time, studying different martial arts, etc. is just what everyone else is thinking and doing about their learning of Tai Chi. What is the best we can achieve with this, is not the best we can expect what everyone else is achieving? "Jack of all trades, master of none"...

Why is it in Zen that the Zen Master kicks out the student who comes back with the answer "Wipe your feet before entering" for "What is the sound of one shoe walking?", and embraces the student who comes in wearing the shoes on his head? Does anyone really think the guy with mud on his head got the answer from reading popular magazines about Tai Chi or Zen? Does the Zen teacher say, you can really progress if you study bellydancing, lift weights to strengthen your core, etc. instead of encouraging the student to sit, sit, sit? Does anyone think Mr. "shoehead", cares how anyone else views his ideas he gained insight into from sitting as opposed to weight lifting? Does he care who has any regard for what he thinks. Of course "shoehead" may be dead wrong, but what if he is unbelieveably correct?

Oh, by the way, the student who pressed his hip against the wall was me...

Classical Taiji Video Instructions for: 8. White Crane Spreads Wings 白鶴亮翅, 9. Brush Knee Push Step Left & Right 4 Times 摟膝拗步左右四度

At the bottom of this Blog is a video with subtitles on how to perform ROUND FORM
8. White Crane Spreads Wings 白鶴亮翅, 9. Brush Knee Push Step Left & Right 4 Times 摟膝拗步左右四度. There are numerous clips here and all are performed in slow motion with overlay written instructions. One should pick an arbitrary direction such as North and start there, with the turning done to the primary and secondary directions such as North West, East, etc.

The following are really written instructions for the Square Form but should give practitioners much in the way of insight to the nuance of the movements.

8. White Crane Spreads Wings 白鶴亮翅

• Bending and turning is done by the waist
• Posture 8 – White Crane Spreads Wings
• Bend forward at the waist
• Twist left 90 degrees
• Left hand straightens
• Left palms faces rear
• Left arms rises 45 degrees
• Upper body rises, left arm extended at shoulder level, palm facing down
• Upper body rotates right 90 degrees
• Both elbows are drawn down bringing the hands parallel at face position, palms facing front
  

9. Brush Knee Push Step Left & Right 4 Times 摟膝拗步左右四度

• Upper palm presses forward while the lower palm presses down atthe hip
• Eyes look forward
• Lower body movement is learned in Lesson 1 - Tai Chi Walk onVolume II of the DVD Series.
• To coordinate the upper body with the lower body movements is the task here
  

Posture 9 – Brush Knee Push Step

• Simultaneously – Left forearm rotates counterclockwise 90degrees, palm facing right; as, right forearm rotates clockwise 90 degrees, palm facing left, fingers pointing forward, palms at ear level
  
• Weight transfers to left leg, right heel rises
• The right lower body pivots counterclockwise 90 degrees on right toesThe right heel pushes to the ground The weight transfers to the right leg and the left toes rise
  
• Body turns 90 degrees to the left forming a left empty step, the upper body remains static
• Brush Knee (Left)
• Left elbow draws down & in
• Left forearm crosses lower body and hand covers groin
• Left toes push to the ground
• As weight is drawn to the left leg, right forearm rotates palm tothe front with the index finger in line with nose, palm at ear level,and a upper ½-body turn to the front moves the left hand across knee
• Left palm is pressing down at the side of the hip
• Brush Knee Left
• Both palms rotate in
• As weight transfers to the right leg, left arm rises with fingerspointing forward so palms are parallel at ear level, left empty step
• Right arm draws back and right fingers point forward
• Upper ½-body movement draws right arm to the rear
• Left elbow draws down & in
• Left forearm crosses lower body and hand covers groin
• Left toes push to the ground
• As weight is drawn to the left leg, right forearm rotates palm tothe front with the index finger in line with nose, palm at ear level and a upper ½-body turn to the front moves the left hand across the knee
• Left palm is pressing down at the side of the hip
• Brush Knee Right
• Upper body straightens and right heel rises
• Right leg moves forward, right empty step
• Right elbow draws down & in
• Left palm faces in & left arm rises fingers pointing forward untilpalms are parallel at ear level
• Right forearm crosses lower body, and hand covers groin
• Right toes push to the ground As weight is drawn to the right leg, left forearm rotates palm to the front with the index finger in line with nose, at ear level and a upper ½-body turn to the front moves the right hand across the knee
• Right palm is pressing down at the side of the hip
• Brush Knee Left
• Upper body straightens and left heel rises
• Left leg moves forward, left empty step
• Left elbow draws down & i
• Right palm faces in & right arm rises until palms are parallel fingers pointing forward at ear level
• Left forearm crosses lower body, and hand covers groin
• Left toes push to the ground
• As weight is drawn to the left leg, right forearm rotates palm tothe front with the index finger in line with nose, palm at ear level and a upper ½-body turn to the front moves the left hand across the knee
• Left palm is pressing down at the side of the hip
  

White Crane and Brush Knee, Push

Classical Tai Chi Video Instructions for 5. Single Whip 單鞭, 6. Oblique Flying Posture 斜飛勢, 7. Raise Hands and Step Up 提手上勢

At the bottom of this Blog is a video with subtitles on how to perform ROUND FORM "Single Whip, Oblique Flying and Raise Hands and Step Up Postures". There are numerous clips here and all are performed in slow motion with overlay written instructions. One should pick an arbitrary direction such as North and so the very first clip would find you facing East.

The following are really written instructions for the Square Form but should give practitioners much in the way of insight to the nuance of the movements.

5. Single Whip 單鞭
 The weight shifting to the hooked hand is a subtle but powerful
movement. The entire right side of the body’s energy flows
toward the hooked hand. The energy flow comes from very little
body movement. It is the intent that drives the power to the
hooked hand

Posture 5 – Single Whip
 Both forearms rotate counterclockwise, causing the right palm to
face forward with the fingers pointing up & the left palm to face
in with the fingers at right wrist
 The right foot rotates 45 degrees to the left on the heel
 The weight transfers to right leg, as the right fingers close to
form a hooked hand (energy flows to the hooked hand)
 The left foot slides to the rear
 The left elbow draws down slightly, causing the left hand to move
away from the right wrist
 The eyes follow left hand
 The weight transfers to the left heel, as the body opens 90
degrees to the left with the left hand and left leg moving in
unison (hand follows foot, elbow follows knee) until the body
weight is equally distributed on both feet. Left palm is at faceposition,
palm in line with the nose, eyes looking at the left palm

6. Oblique Flying Posture 斜飛勢
 Left side of body is in alignment as if a straight rod is running
from the top of the head through the body and out the bottom
of the left foot
 Right side is in alignment – hand over foot, elbow over knee
Posture 6 – Oblique Flying Posture
 Simultaneously – Body straightens with the weight shifting
entirely to the left leg, hooked hand opens, & drops to midposition,
eyes follow right hand

7. Raise Hands and Step Up 提手上勢
 Right side of the body folds in with the left side keeping still.
This folding move is not very obvious externally. It is in the mind
of the practitioner
 “Left pelvis and leg turning right on left heel move” requires good
preparation at the waist to generate the power for the move as
evidenced in the video. The ability to lift the left toe high is
essential to achieving a clean turn.

Posture 7 – Raise Hands and Step Up
 Right side of body folds left 45 degrees
 Right empty step
 Right upper ½-body movement draws right hand up and back, palm
facing in and the upper body is facing forward
 Left elbow draws in and right
 Left forearm & palm rotates clockwise and drops
 Both palms face each other
 Right toes push to the ground
 Weight shifts forward to right leg
 Left pelvis and leg turns right on left heel
 Simultaneously – Upper body straightens, right hand moves to
shoulder level, left heel rises
 Left foot moves parallel to right foot
 Simultaneously – Legs straighten, right palm faces front, left
hand moves to low-position

"Taiji is not the form?"

This Blog has generated some very classy comments from some very nice people, take a look at our comments below the Blog itself. A recent visit to a popular Tai Chi Blog Wujimon found me responding to someone's

assertions from The Role of Physical Conditioning in Taiji. that Taijiquan needed much in the way of "physical conditioning".This means the addition of such things as Zhan Zhuang, Weight Lifting, Running,

Situps, Training with Rubber Bands, etc. Of course when one says as Master Hwa says here:

"The practice of internal movement in Tai Chi form essentially is the practice

of fa jin in a slow and methodical way, without the issuance of power. When you

can play the form instinctively without thinking, then you can do fa jin

instinctively.If you try to do fa jin without some form of internal discipline

(neigong), then you will push with your arm strength and acquire a bad habit for

the use of the arm..."

This then becoming a hindrance as it makes the learning of

internal discipline more difficult. The matter of not wanting more "external"

strength as a part of that equation, stands to reason."

Then one can expect to be stereotyped as a "long form" lover and through

REDUCTIVE reasoning somehow against all other types of physical activity. What

a crimp this is going to put in my watching of College Football on Saturdays.

Then I wrote: "Unless, there is some caveat which mandates (wink, wink) Tai Chi

is really only "internal" in the mental realm, eg. "He does his Tai Chi with an

inward looking demeanor", then "internal" means the "physical" internal

discipline.

Further: "It is not possible to do an internal movement and an external one at

the same time, an external can precede or follow an internal but they cannot

coexist in the same space and time. Also, when one's internal discipline

permeates the body, it becomes next to impossible to even raise one's arm to

scratch an itch without engaging the musculature of the core. Rhetorically

speaking, what does one do with "arm strength" if it cannot be used in the same

space and time as "internal"? For example, if I push against a wall using my

arms, I will push myself away. However, (internally) using the core to engage

the abdomen and back muscles as I push and relaxing the arms, I feel a

tremendous surge going into the wall. There is nothing that super arm strength

can add to the internal aspect, in fact it works against it if I strain at the

arms. Of course if one does not subscribe to a physical internal discipline,

then the point is moot."

I then received a reply that (yes, I spell this correctly but I understand the author's intent)
"Tiaji is not the form... if one chooses to develop the connection and internal movement

correctly... both physical conditioning and health can be by-products... the

deeper issues is understanding... what correct movement is... anyone who has

gotten a good adjustment form a highly skilled teacher can tell you that it can

be a pretty good workout... even something as simple as standing practice can be

a pretty good workout... just my thoughts."

Ended of course on the note that this is just their "thoughts" ("opinion"?), so

by virtue of saying that qualification it somehow relieves them of the burden of

defending it. So, rather than attack their "opinion", I agreed with them:

"It is indeed "not the form" for a vast number of students in Taiji. This is why

Young Wabu (disciple of Wu Chien Chuan) was unhappy with the fecklessness of so

many Taiji students.

Or, why Sonia Young (Yang Wabiu's daughter) asked Eddie Wu (gatekeeper of Wu

Jianquan Style) why she saw the lack of attention paid to the form at the Hong

Kong Wu Style Studio." Oddly enough he agreed with her.

One might also "not disagree" by saying: Or, why Young Wabu told my teacher Hwa

Chiping (Master Stephen Hwa), that Wu Chien Chuan insisted Young learn Square Form first. Or why Young insisted Hwa learn square form first. Or, why Young Wabu said Wu Chien Chuan had him repeat form movements hundreds of

times before he taught him new ones.

The writer is indeed correct "it is not the form" in much of the Tai Chi

universe...doing the Form has become "old school", as if to say: "man that "long

form 108" was the stuff they did in the 1800's, why there were so many people

that did manual labor then, they did not have to do pilates and bowflex to keep

in shape"

I like, excuse me love all the form training that I do, I like doing all 108

Round, Square, Left, Right, Compact, etc. one might say that's why it is called

Classical Tai Chi, surely the people who love all the extra physical

conditioning have room in their universe for us...I do for them. SEC ("rules")

teams can wipe the floor with those Big Ten teams.

Below I've inserted a video of Master Stephen Hwa demonstrating
internal discipline in the Tai Chi Form. Consider the fact as well
that the compact size of one's step in this style mandates that the
internal energy truly originate from the core of the body. I realize
there are many, many Tai Chi practitioners who practice larger
frame and step sizes. There are principles of movement that
they will use for their form practices. My retort still stands however,
and as evangelical as this may sound, form practice
is indispensable to the acquisition of internal power.

A little History of Classical Tai Chi

Young Wabu and Wu Jianquan Hong Kong


I excerpted the following from a website http://enlighteners.com/history.html and it gives another perspective on both the practice and evolution of Square Form and Round Form, that are the primary course of study in Classical Tai Chi (See picture above) Grandmaster Yang Wabiu (Young Wabu) is spoken about in the article as being "Dr. Young" and Wu Jian Quan is referred to as Mr. Wu. It speaks of how Wu Jianquan developed the "small frame (small step)" from the "large frame (large step)"...and more.

Dr. Stephen Hwa who is my teacher is featured in the Square and Round Form link in the above paragraph. He also studied with Young Wabu (Dr. Young made his living as an Osteopath in Hong Kong before moving to Rochester, NY and Dr. Hwa studied over 30 years with him. Visiting Young Wabu's house for a memorial service a few years ago, I had quite a discussion with both Dr. Hwa and Young Wabu's daughter Sonia about this history)


A little different perspective on Classical Tai Chi

Mr. Chow: "Yes, we both started Tai Chi Chuan in 1949.
" Stephanie: "Who was your teacher?"
Mr. & Mrs.: "Dr. Young"
Stephanie: "He was teaching Wu Style Tai Chi?"
Mrs. Chow: "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Stephanie: "Because I know Yang Style is very popular now."
Mr. Chow: "Dr. Young was last student of Mr. Wu who started Wu Style Tai Chi in Hong Kong."
Stephanie: "Why and how is Wu different from the other forms? How is it different from Yang or Chen?"
Mr. Chow: "Mr. Wu, he was yang (master) with big steps. After sixty years he developed smaller steps."
Mrs. Chow: "He thinks when you getting old you don't like to do big steps. See?"
Mr. Chow: "Don't expend the energy. We want to get more energy not to expend."
Stephanie: "So, the circle (in Wu Style) is smaller. Does that mean the energy intensifies inside? You once told me, Mr. Chow that our style is the healing tai chi and you can feel warmth emanating through the fingertips and sometimes people lay hands and make people feel better. I've seen you do that."
Mr. Chow: "Yes, yes."
Stephanie: "And you get it from the chi?"
Mr. Chow: "Energy."
Mrs. Chow: "Tan-tien." (Area of chi energy)
Stephanie: "Which are about two fingers beneath the navel?"
Mr. Chow: "Important with this energy is your angle and timing, co-ordinate."
Mrs. Chow: "Together."
Stephanie: "Your angle and timing. And that's why our tai chi takes such a long time to learn when compared to other styles. Our angles are very important?"
Mr. & Mrs.: "Yes, yes."
Mr. Chow: "This is very scientific."
Stephanie: "When we learn, we're taught Right Hand Square Form first."
Mrs. Chow: "Mr. Chow, you tell them why! Must teach them square using numbers (counting the steps) because it's easier to remember."
Mr. Chow: "Never gets lost!"
Stephanie: "Mr. Chow it was your idea to count while you were teaching?"
Mr. Chow: "Yes, I started. Even square. The old fashioned don't teach square! When your teacher decided you were very good student and you could become teacher, then would teach you square."
Mrs. Chow: "Square is good foundation."
Mr. Chow: " We turn it upside down (referring to teaching square before round). The square let the student really understand first (the tai chi form.)"
Stephanie: "So you did that or did your teacher turn it around?"
Mr. Chow: "Ya, ya."
Stephanie: "So your teacher Dr. Young. "
Mr. Chow: "Mr. Wu's family even now, only teach round, no square!"
Stephanie: "They bend deeply and it looks different from our round."
Mr. Chow: "Mr. Wu when Japanese attacked, (he) came from Shanghi to Hong Kong. My teacher lived in his house all day long. He taught one student at a time. He (Mr. Wu) taught our teacher square first and ordered him to teach square first."
Stephanie: "So that's how it started. That was a big change. Now, we learn Right Hand Square first, then Right Hand Round. People think that round is beautiful but I think square is beautiful, too. But the most important aspect is to always practice both. Then the student is taught Left Hand Square and Left Hand Round. Why is that?"
Mrs. Chow: "Because of the circle, you know!"
Mr. Chow: "Because of yin and yang, contrast and balance." Stephanie: "I think that's good, it exercises the other side of your brain."
Mrs. Chow: "Yes, yes!"
Stephanie: "I remember when I learned Right Hand Square and then when I began to learn Left Hand Square, I thought I should know what I was doing. But I would get very mixed-up as if I was exercising some other part of my brain. And I do feel more balanced now."
Mrs. Chow: "Some people difficult to learn the left."
Stephanie: "You have to once again have the patience."
Mrs. Chow: "Yes."
Stephanie: "What was the school's name in Hong Kong where you learned tai chi?"
Mr. & Mrs. "No, no. No name, just Mr. Young."
Stephanie: : "How long were you students of his?"
Mr. & Mrs. "Seventeen years, sometimes two times a week."
Stephanie: "When did you both start teaching?"
Mrs. Chow: "Teaching?"
Stephanie: "Teaching."
Mr. & Mrs. "After we moved here." Stephanie: "So you never taught in Hong Kong, tai chi?"
Mrs. Chow: "No! We were too busy to teach art."
Stephanie: "What year did you move to America?"
Mr. Chow: "1967"
Stephanie: "In 1967, you came to Miami?"
Mr. Chow: "No, no, no. We came to New York."
Mrs. Chow: "The end of 1968."
Mr. Chow: "We came to United States invited by TWA for art exhibit in Kennedy Airport."

How to have stability AND (not "fly off the handle") movement...it's the function of the junction

"Every movement in Tai Chi has yang (the moving part of body) and yin (the stationary part of body supporting the moving part and providing the majority of the power). This requirement minimizes any movement involving the entire body moving with momentum, such as jump off attack- a common move in external martial arts." Master Stephen Hwa



"As to the reasons why tai chi, unlike other martial arts, emphasizes the stance with heel on the ground could be explained both from martial art and health benefits view point. Most other martial arts are emphasizing offensive movements and utilizing considerable amount of momentum force . When you are on the ball of your foot (referred to as “on the toe of your foot” ), it is easier to push off and rush your opponent and build momentum in your movement. When one is depending on momentum in his strike force, it is not important that he is well connected with the ground. After all, a flying heavy object in the air could knock a person down. For the delivery of internal force, fa-jin, solid connection to ground is very important.

The power generated at the yin-yang junction is delivered against the supporting part(yin part) of your body, which in turn is supported by the ground.

"Each Form movement is often a combination of several sets of yin-yang (stable/moving) pairs in motion simultaneously. However the primary pair of yin-yang of that movement is always located in the torso. That is the principle of Internal Discipline." Master Stephen Hwa




"Our bodies have Yin/Yang “junctions” where Yin and Yang complement each other or
this could be termed “boundaries”, “lines of demarcation” where the stationary part of the body meets with the moving part but each has the “seeds” of the other. The “junctions” also change locations on the body and exist as combinations of movements, for purposes of Classical Tai Chi the “primary junction” is always located in the torso. However,Master Hwa has demonstrated in the previous video that if the torso is neglected, the “junction” ends up being located somewhere in the lower legs, hence the “shuffling” steps of the elderly.

The hard external punch is good example of yin/yang border being located at shoulder, very imbalanced. As Master Hwa has demonstrated various postures he has stressed the importance of Internal Discipline as the “energizing” principle which
complements the “relaxed” or “stable” part of the body. Here he has shown an abrupt, “jumping forward” movement which epitomizes “hard” or “external” martial arts as being solely “Yang” in nature with no Yin. One can see how easy it is to lose one’s balance from that type of abruptness since it has no stability." Sifu James Roach

(All of the above has been excerpted from the Classical Tai Chi Forum)

All New Students...Welcome to the Internal Dynamics of Tai Chi

Ms. E. Marie Koepsell wrote the following article which appeared in Tai Chi Magazine some time ago but I think it speaks volumes about what new students can look forward to in their study. We are also grateful to Rick Matz at Cook Ding's Kitchen for publishing this on a previous occasion. Rick mentions his current training with the Classical Tai Chi DVD's in one of his most recent Blog's...he talks about his training in basic walking using such "Internal Dynamics" (Internal Discipline).

Master Stephen Hwa has taken on the difficult but rewarding work that his teacher Young Wabu learned from Wu Chien Chuan. He teaches Classical Tai Chi to hundreds of students worldwide via sets of his great DVD series www.classicaltaichi.com. Teaching primarily at Faust's USA Karate in Rochester, NY, he now has certified teachers of Classical Tai Chi in Buffalo, NY, Rochester, California and Massachusetts. He is Master Stephen Hwa to his many students since he is truly deserving of the title.

The remainder of the article can be found at Martial Arts 101

"The following article is based on the lectures and my studies and discussions with him" (E. Marie Koepsell speaking about Stephen Hwa, Ph.D. when he was teaching Tai Chi at the University of Buffalo).

"The internal physical discipline of T'ai Chi Ch'uan" according to Dr. Hwa, "involves the intensive training of the body and mind to develop discipline in movements so that the movements originate from the abdomen (dantien) and back, in addition. the energy flow of these movements are developed in a relaxed body, giving an appearance of effortlessness".

As a reference point for correct movement. Dr. Hwa used the example of the movement of children, who use much more of their torso for initiating action. He said when children are using their arms or legs, the motion originates from the torso, the strongest part of the body. He said the arms and legs should he treated as appendages that must be taught to move in coordination with and under the direction of the torso.

"As we start aging,” according to Dr. Hwa "less and less of our movements come from the waist and back. We hold our middle stiffly, and more of our movements originate from the shoulders and the hip joints. This puts pressure on joints and we lose strength and mobility. Ultimately, we may stop using these area, of our bodies altogether, Atrophy sets in, creating the major problems of aging.”

PRACTICE...It may be simple, that doesn't mean that it's easy

“The sit back move engages opponent’s attacking arm and then "yields" by sitting back (or take a step back and then sit back) to stretch the opponent out which drains off his power and bring him closer to unbalance, at the same time, rotating the body to ward off plus pulling, fa jing etc. to render the opponent out of balance. Therefore, the “sit back” is an offensive move disguised as a defensive move. It is not an easy move to make. The practice of Form develops the foundation of the move. Push hand trains the application of this move.”

In the push hands or tui shou of Classical Tai Chi, students are taught to first yield ("sitback") to pressure from the cooperative partner and then turn...in that order. What we eschew is resistance to an oncoming force. We know that yielding at the yield sign is good for our automobile to say nothing of our lives, yet over and over we see people ignoring the sign and proceeding into the intersection...they seem to find it hard to do but what a bad habit to have. It would seem they have set up a resistance to change, change from going full speed to "yielding".

If you keep telling yourself that you should practice the lessons of Classical Tai Chi, you will undoubtedly find 1001 things that distract you, you "forget", you "have something else to do", you "want to stop", 999 of those "reasons" you may only be dimly aware of...what happened to how simple it seemed at the start? Is this not a form of resistance? Our practice has brought us to face what has been plaguing us all of our lives...resistance to change. If you resist your opponent and do not yield, then you will lose your balance, if you resist yielding at the yield sign, then you run the risk of an accident, if you find 1001 reasons not to practice, then...

So, what do we do? We keep practicing... by exercising what is commonly referred to as "sticktoitniveness" Or in another perspective as the Catholic St. Francis De Sales said about meditation but the implication is obvious here: "Half an hour's meditation is essential, except when you are very busy. Then a full hour is needed."