In Shanghai I think there are several masters who can genuinely be said to be Internal Martial artists. That is they can really demonstrate pure internal movement and energy and utilize the energy surrounding the body or the "Shen Qi". Master Ren Gang, (who was...
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What is Shen Qi?
2 月 23, 2009 | General
In Master Ren Gang's article, he talks a lot about "shen qi", and using the shen qi to move the physical body. I translated the shen qi as a spiritual and energetic manifestation of the spirit and energy that fills and surrounds us. Rather like a kind of field of...
Allowing your Intention and Energy to Play the Form
2 月 23, 2009 | General
2006 - Allowing your intention and energy to play the form: Watching a high level master play their particular form, one can really see the difference in the way they utilize their energy and intention. Usually when a practitioner moves through their form, they are...
Understanding the Difference Between Press and Ward Off Energy
2 月 23, 2009 | General
In answer to a question regarding the difference between Ji and Peng energy: Concerning "Ji" or "press". In Chinese, as I'm sure you know, many Chinese characters can have several different meanings, depending on the context that we use them in, which obviously leads...
5 Element Qualities of Grasp the Bird’s Tail Sequence
2 月 23, 2009 | General
Ward Off Energy (Beng/Peng Jing) The element of Peng energy is FIRE. The quality of Fire means that the outside of the fire is the hottest part. But it is not a rigid hard force, where someone has a very tense or stiff outside resistance to their arm/body. Rather like...
What is the Waist in Taiji?
2 月 23, 2009 | General
In the initial phase of learning Taiji and in training the waist, we need to first ascertain where the waist is. If we look at a skeleton, the second main large lumbar vertebra, above the first lumbar vertebra attached to the sacrum, is classified as the “waist” in...
Generosity in Taiji
2 月 23, 2009 | General
How much does our actual spirit and generosity play in learning Taiji or other internal arts? I have heard many teachers expound this principle and stress that to reach a high level one must have a generous spirit, not only in teaching and learning martial arts, but...
The Essence of Harmony by Rey Nelson
2 月 23, 2009 | General
The Essence of HarmonyIn the pursuit of learning the Chinese Internal Arts students are often briefed on the importance of remaining in harmony during the performance of forms. In some cases this is done for aesthetic purposes so that the class appears uniform and...
Is your Practice Sense or Senseless, by Rey Nelson
2 月 23, 2009 | General
Perception and awareness are essential principals which practitioners of the internal arts need to develop from an early stage in their training. These characteristics are sensory in nature and often mysterious to many beginners who have shut themselves off from the...
On Silk Reeling, by Michael Phillips
2 月 23, 2009 | General
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the recent series of seminars I gave in Britain was the refreshingly candid series of questions I was asked by British Tai Chi practitioners. Not surprisingly, some of the most interesting questions were put to me by beginners....
Learning to Appreciate Peking Opera
12 月 3, 2008 | General
By Rose Oliver, 2007 Having lived in China for some time and being interested in all aspects of Chinese culture, I have been researching Peking Opera, to discover some of the meanings behind the gestures and mannerisms seen by the performers. To some westerners,...
Master Liu Ji Fa and the Dan Tian in Wu Style Taiji Quan
10 月 13, 2008 | General
Story by Rose Oliver 2006 - Published in Tai Chi Magazine Photos by Mr. Wang Ming Bo and Rose Oliver Master Liu, who was born in 1939, began training in Wu Style Taiji over 40 years ago with Pei Zhu Yin and also studied with the late Ma Yue Liang for almost 20 years....