You know all about Tai Chi because…?

Teaching these 45+ (I forgot how many actually) years. What I hear however for the most part is: “I know all about Tai Chi because I’ve heard a bunch of stories about it”; “because of those stories I know everything I need to know”; “so if someone asks me something about it I could tell them everything they need to know and it would all be true”.

That’s “tip of the ice berg” in illogical thinking,however. For instance,”know everything” yet turning their bodies or hips, not turning their feet, and leaving the foot behind? I say, "...that's not Tai Chi..."

Studying Classical Tai Chi is very scientific, so how can I make apologies or diplomacy for Newton's 3rd law, for instance? If you bang your head against that wall, it will bounce back. It works the same for logic about what we do in Classical Tai Chi, particularly how and why we learn. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Students don't like "how long it takes." "How long it takes" is faulty reasoning, and one might say, "throwing the baby out the window with the bath water." Whoever said scientific rationale has to be pretty and fit a student's "wishful thinking"? There has been too much belittling of Tai Chi, and I explain that below. To the best of my ability, as I do here, I also teach students to check their reasoning in Tai Chi.

It is great to study with someone who teaches you and, in the process of learning, also fine-tune your "bullshit detector." My teacher does not pussyfoot with me either; he calls me on it when my reasoning is wobbly or way off. We both have also explained in videos such as DVDs and in great detail in writing for many years why there is great reasoning behind video learning over classroom learning. I have also written about my own experiences in learning from his videos.

There was a "golden age" of Tai Chi; well, I think this is a golden "golden age" because of technology and its ability to facilitate learning. Those "old masters" could only cover so much ground, even if there were electric cars. They were so much in demand, and every student wanted Wu Chien Chuan himself, so to speak. How does the myriad of details even get to a Tai Chi family when so many outside students clam for the Grandmaster? Of course, many students want it straight from Master Stephen Hwa, not his disciples, and I am happy about that and know he is glad he can make videos and online courses. As many videos as he has made, however, he will be the first to not misdirect you but simply say each one of the 50+ only covers one (1) detail of a myriad of details connected with learning. Do you recall the saying "the devil is in the details"?

I invited Master Hwa in from Rochester to teach my class in Buffalo. The picture is from about 20 years ago, and if people don't know how to walk, how can they do Classical Tai Chi "Form"? When you read my blog and Facebook in-depth, I think you'll find the purpose of Classical Tai Chi is not stress and inner peace. Many things call themselves Tai Chi but are merely dance, exercise, or "wine and cheese" excuses to socialize...they are not Tai Chi. In my experience, those so-called Tai Chi's all cut corners in the learning. I have students who make no bones about telling me what some other martial art teacher is doing and how that should affect Classical Tai Chi. That's B.S.! Some Tai Chi adds moves, principles, and techniques from other martial arts. Add movements here, take out movements here, take out moves there, and pretty soon, it does not resemble its original purpose. You do all that cutting of corners, and the logical structure collapses.

An account of Young Wabu

 Grandmaster Young Wabu

I hope I do justice to this account of Grandmaster Young Wabu. In "About my Father," his daughter Lin Yi, reports on how much he cared for his family and how busy he was as a businessman, later studying then practicing Osteopathy, teaching many Tai Chi students, and running a healing practice. The bottom line is that he was super faithful to the Tai Chi he learned from Wu Jianquan. Master Hwa also said his teacher felt every student's "duty" to pass on the art.

From "Uncovering the Treasure, Introduction":

"We can only celebrate what is transmitted from Wu Chien Chuan and the good fortune that the turmoil of war brought Wu to Hong Kong. Wu appreciated Young's natural ability and dedication by discarding the external martial arts for which Young was known. Wu was willing to stay at Young's home to teach him. They worked night and day with very little distraction. This is reflected in the rigorous and in-depth material that is passed on. If Young had sought Wu as a teacher at Wu's home base in Shanghai, he would not have had such dedicated attention since Wu was a much sought-after teacher with many students. For this, we should be thankful for what fate brought about."

I also have some information from the Qi Journal account of the Taiji vs. White Crane fight in 1951. I also put in some of my own accounts of what my teacher, Master Stephen Hwa, has stated. I should also say in addition to Master Hwa's account, that qi Journal reports Master Young was told to give up previous training to learn Taiji. I concur with that because I was told to do the same thing when I learned from the Wu Family in Toronto and became a disciple/teacher. History is beautiful but seemingly fickle if events are not recorded accurately and passed on intact. Please bear with me as I make this account.

From the Qi Journal August 2002: Grandmaster Young Wabu was one of the well-known students of Wu Jianquan. He started in Monkey Boxing. There Young was so good that his teacher, the Gatekeeper of Monkey Boxing, had him on the top of the shortlist for "Master" status. In " Uncovering the Treasure, Master Stephen Hwa reports in "Uncovering the Treasure" that Master Young was versed in several external arts that he gave up learning from Wu. However, Grandmaster Young liked Taijiquan and sought to learn it. It is reputed that the Monkey Boxing teacher asked him who he planned to learn from and stated so many were of poor skill. The story goes the Master had tears in his eyes and sighed when he heard Wu Jianquan. Apparently, the response was also like, "Okay, let me introduce you to Wu Jianquan."

The story also states the Gatekeeper was a teenage friend of Wu's, and they "fought together" in Beijing streets. So Young switched to Taijiquan Now, the stipulation from Wu was that Young had to completely give up all the skills and methods he had learned in the other system. He had to do that before even starting to learn Tai Chi.

Master Stephen Hwa has reported that Wu lived in Young's home in Hong Kong during the Japanese invasions. He reports that the intensity of the training was incredible and went on night and day. One story reported in qi Journal is Young was made to practice single movements hundreds of times before being taught a new one. Grandmaster Young was this way a very senior family student. When Jianquan returned to Shanghai, Master Young was teaching students in the Wu family classes. Those were where his daughter Sonia, then a young girl, was learning and sparring with the men. One story from Qi Journal also reports that Master Young felt junior students were too leisurely in their practice. I think Master Hwa has said his teacher could not understand why students were "so feckless" about Tai Chi. The Journal reported that as a senior student, Master Young debated hotly with Wu Gong Yi about taking the Hong Kong challenge fight with Chan Hak Fu.

A scientific explanation of Yin and Yang

 Science of Yin and Yang video

Looking at the video from 4:00 forward: Here is the scientific explanation of why "turning the hip," turning the hip in a small frame, small circle Tai Chi is strictly verboten and goes contrary to science.

"Moving forward and backward this motion does not affect the upper body to any movement because the two forces are orthogonal. But if the pelvis also has some turning motion, then there will be an effect on the upper body turning force. If the pelvis turns now, we have two turning springs in action one is the internal waist turning spring the other is a leg crossing turning spring which is a very weak spring. Therefore hip should not have turning movement. "

Very thought-provoking! The closed captions instead of default are quite thoughtful. I think this will be the “gold standard” for Tai Chi, particularly in Scientific thought. The analysis and subsequent redesign to accurately reflect the science I think Master Hwa learned from his teacher is quite an accomplishment. Not only that, but as shown in the content and presentation, it seems to reach all levels for the uplift of others and is quite impressive.