Learning is “Easy as pie, a piece of cake”

 Master Hwa recommendation of at least 1/2 hour daily is echoed by the Queen to Alice as: Alice: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."

Queen: "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast”

Wu Style Classical Tai Chi Square Form Video teaches how to NOT move!

“…sometimes it is more difficult teaching people how to NOT move than teaching them how to move…”.

Learn to NOT move a   At 6:15. brief Square Form video included with Round Form!

The phrase "as easy as pie" is a colloquial idiom that describes a task or experience as simple and pleasurable. It is often used interchangeably with "piece of cake," which has the same meaning.

There is a caveat on “…easy, simple, pleasurable…” by Master Stephen Hwa, Ph.D. 

 “…sometimes it is more difficult teaching people how to NOT move than teaching them how to move…”.

Classical Tai Chi is often described as a challenging practice that requires dedication and focus. A student once said, “…learning this is like baking a cake or a pie; so much you have to include…” I agree that It is similar to the metaphorical journey of baking a cake or pie, where one must combine various ingredients correctly to achieve the desired result. 

However, the most essential ingredient of “movement inhibition” must take precedence. This metaphor highlights the need for patience and persistence in mastering Classical Tai Chi, which involves integrating physical movements with mental clarity.

Inhibiting (not moving)  “…movements from shoulders, hip joints…” is more of a skill than simply moving them, which tends to spread where it's not wanted or needed. Imagine the movements of an infant. Any intention to accomplish a movement goal tends to activate all the muscles in the body. Reaching for an object gets the legs kicking.

 

 Or consider the uncoordinated movements of someone learning to do any complex movement activity for the first time. However, with the inhibition “indredient”, learning better movement in Classical Tai Chi as an analogy is more like sculpture than painting. 

In a sense, one might say you improve your Classical Tai Chi by taking things away, not adding them. Remember, as Master Stephen Hwa said, “…sometimes it is more difficult teaching people how to NOT move than teaching them how to move…”.

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

 

 According to Dr. Hwa, "The internal physical discipline of T'ai Chi Ch'uan 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. The energy flow of these movements is 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 use their arms or legs, the motion originates from the torso, the strongest part of the body. He said the arms and legs should be 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 this area of our bodies altogether; atrophy sets in, creating major aging problems.”