Study Sheet for Spring 2015

Tai Chi Chuan (Taijijuan)

Spring 2015

1 Credit Hour

Wednesdays  2:00-2:50 p.m.

Providence Forum, McLaughlin Center

Cynthia Quarta e Call: 406-788-8938 or Text: 406-890-7254 e cquarta01@ugf.edu

 

Taiji Study Sheet

 

“A growing body of carefully conducted research is building a compelling case for tai chi as an adjunct to standard medical treatment for the prevention and rehabilitation of many conditions commonly associated with age,” says Peter M. Wayne, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Tai Chi and Mind-Body Research Program at Harvard Medical School’s Osher Research Center. An adjunct therapy is one that’s used together with primary medical treatments, either to address a disease itself or its primary symptoms, or, more generally, to improve a patient’s functioning and quality of life.”

Mind-body practice (Tai chi & Qigong)

 

What is Taiji?

The origins of Taiji are not entirely clear.  Sinologists do seem to agree, however, that a Daoist monk by the name of Zhangsanfeng is responsible for developing the Kung Fu style known as Taijijuan.  Historians do not agree on the year in which he was born or on the details of his early life before he built his monastery on Wudang Mountain.

How Master Zhang came to create this martial art is also in question.  The most popular and most often repeated story of what inspired him, concerns his observation of a fight between a bird and a snake.  The snake was victorious because of his circular movements and lightening fast strikes.   You will notice that our movements are also serpentine during much of the form.  We rarely move in a straight line either toward or away from our opponent.  Since we practice this form slowly with concentration and deliberate movements, you will have to use your imagination to visualize what the striking movements would look like when they are performed at full speed.

People often ask if taiji is a martial art, or is it a vehicle for spiritual development, a way to reduce stress, or a health/fitness program.   It may surprise you to know that Taiji is all of these things. The Chinese viewpoint is, after all, holistic.  We are not physical beings only or purely spiritual beings or simply a bundle of emotions.  We are all of these just as taiji is a martial art, a fitness program, a means to reduce stress, a moving meditation, and a vehicle used by many to achieve a higher level of spirituality.  In addition, the result of Taiji practice is a state of balance within us as it restores the natural symmetry between our bodies and our environment.

Taiji is a time-tested exercise program to gently tone the body, increase energy flow, stimulate the mind, calm excess emotion between mind, body and spirit and create a synergistic balance between us and our environment.  It relaxes us so that our ch’i can flow freely throughout our bodies producing a perfect balance between mind, body and spirit.

 

            “The word ‘taiji’ is an ancient Daoist philosophical term symbolizing the interaction of yin and yang, which are manifestations of the same forms in nature” (www.chentaiji.com)

 

 

Yin and Yang in Us and Our Surroundings

The Chinese believe that two elemental forces exist in the universe.  Everything in the universe, down to the tiniest grain of sand, contains a Yin aspect and a Yang aspect.  We experience these two elemental forces in nature every day as hot and cold, wet and dry, day and night, and so on.   Below is the Taiji Diagram or the common representation of these two forces of nature.  Note the small dot of white in the Yin or black fish-shaped part of the circle and the black dot in the Yang or white fish-shaped part of the diagram.  This tells us that each of these two elements contains an aspect or attribute of its opposite.  We will discuss this relationship in the form as we practice the postures (steps).

 

Dr. Kaptchuk in his book, The Web that has No Weaver, lists the five principles of Yin and Yang in Chinese thought:

 

1. All things have two aspects: a Yin aspect and a Yang aspect.
2. Any Yin or Yang aspect can be further divided into Yin and Yang.
3. Yin and Yang mutually create each other.
4. Yin and Yang control each other and,
5. Yin and Yang transform into each other.

 

These two principles maintain the dynamic of the universe by their oppositional activity, constantly creating a state of friction.  At the same time, however, they are symbiotic, relying on each other for their very existence.  Without Yin, there can be no Yang and without a Yang there can be no Yin.

As we learn the 24 step short form, we should ask ourselves a few questions about the construct of the form in relationship to the Chinese theory of Yin and Yang.  For example, how can we apply Yin/Yang to our practice for our benefit?  How does that balance help us with our wellness and promote the flow of ch’i as we exercise?  How does the knowledge of the nature of the Yin/Yang principle help us improve our general health?

Each movement within the form has a Yin portion and a Yang portion.  If we keep our speed and the amount of time given to each of these portions balanced, we retain the harmony between the two aspects of the movement.  If we move too quickly through the Yin part of the movement or the Yang part of the movement, we risk an imbalance in the movement and in ourselves.

It is the imbalance of Yin and Yang and the disharmony of these two principles of movement and change that cause illness and disease according to Chinese theory.  Therefore, the more we attend to re-balancing the Yin and Yang properties within us, the more energy we cultivate and the healthier we will be in mind, body and spirit.  We must be cognizant of these three aspects of ourselves since the whole of the person must be considered when attempting to achieve a state of wellness.  Any imbalance or dis-ease of mind or body or emotions or spiritual state will inevitably result in a general disequilibrium of the entire person.

When we keep ourselves in Yin/Yang harmony, we are then also in harmony with our surroundings.  We can have little or no effect on our immediate surroundings or on the macrocosm that is the universe.  But the state of our being greatly benefits from a state of equilibrium between us and both our immediate environment and that of the greater universe.

 

 

The Three Dan Tiens

 

The three dan tiens that house the Three Treasures are the cultivation points from which all energy flows.  The lower dan tien is thought to be located between the pubic bone and the navel about midway through the body.  The lower dan tien is connected in Chinese medicine to the kidneys and is believed to be the source of a person’s power particularly when Taiji is used as a martial art.  The middle dan tien is in the area of the solar plexus and related to general physical vitality.  The upper dan tien is to be found in the area of the pineal gland.  To measure its precise position, draw an imaginary line from the tops of your ears through your head and another line from between the eyebrows (the Third Eye Point) straight to the back of your head.  Where the two horizontal lines intersect is the location of the upper dan tien.

The ancient Chinese believed that those who develop the proper balance between mind, body and breath are in possession of three treasures.  Those treasures are named jing, ch’i and shen.  They can be found in three specific locations in the body called the dan tiens.  The lower dan tien is believed to be the repository for jing, the middle dan tien for ch’i and the upper dan tien for shen.    Jing refers to the energy or ch’i as it is expressed through movement away from the body such as that used against an opponent.  The ch’i of the middle dan tien denotes the “breath” of the body which is believed to reside in the middle dan tien in the area of the diaphragm, lungs and solar plexus.  Shen is related to all mental and spiritual activities.

Superficially, jing is identified with the sex organs, a man’s sperm and testosterone and a woman’s ovaries and estrogen.  Yet, the proper definition of this term includes the whole endocrine system and all of the chemical interactions of metabolism.  Jing is our biochemical makeup; how we grow and develop, the strength or weakness of our constitution, how we age, and whether our body retains its youthful vigor or begins to deteriorate in middle age.  All of this is determined by the quantity of jing available in the body.  This is not necessarily, however, a preexisting condition but is also dependent on the way in which we live our lives.

Ch’i that resides in the middle dan tien (located in the solar plexus) is most accurately defined as the functional energy of the body.  Together with jing it regulates maturation and aging.  Ch’i is believed to be responsible for the involuntary functions of the body such as breathing and heartbeat and voluntary muscle activity.  Ch’i also controls the circulation, particularly the amount of oxygen in the blood and the processes of the nervous system.

Shen is associated with mental activity.  Decision making, academic achievements, analytical thought, and impulse control all fall within the purview of shen.  When expanded through meditation and concentrated effort, shen takes on a higher aspect related to intuition, creativity and spirituality.  Because we concentrate our efforts and our minds on the three dan tiens in our Taiji exercises, we will be activating the properties or treasures that reside in all of these locations.

 

The Eight Meridians

In order to be able to visualize the movement of energy through the body as we do in all the exercises and the form we practice in this class, we need to know what routes we wish the energy to take.  That, in turn, depends on which part of the body we are targeting and what we hope to accomplish.  In this class, however, we will be concentrating only on the eight extraordinary or vessels rather than trying to keep track of all twenty of the energy pathways.

The eight extraordinary meridians act as reservoirs and distribution centers of energy that can be stimulated to re-energize the body, mind or spirit in times of stress, illness, fatigue or when we are called upon to exert more energy than normal.  Of these eight meridians only two have their own acupuncture points, the renmei (Conception Vessel) and the dumei (Governing Vessel).  The other six of the eight extraordinary vessels utilize the points from the other twelve main meridians. They also serve as storage for excess energy that may remain in the twelve main meridians.  Unlike the twelve main meridians, however, the extraordinary vessels are not directly connected to organs or systems of the body.

The eight extraordinary meridians are listed below:

 

The eight extraordinary meridians are listed below:

 

1. The du begins at the perineum, rises up the back and along the centerline of the body, over the scalp, down the forehead, ending at the upper palate of the mouth behind the teeth.
2. From the tip of the tongue, the ren moves down the centerline of the front of the body and back to the perineum.
3. The chong is a line that begins at the perineum and runs vertically through the three dan tien points in the middle of the trunk.
4. The dai resembles a belt encircling the waist, starting and ending at the navel.
5. Beginning at a point on the dumei at about the middle of the upper back, the yangyu traverses the back of each arm and through the inside of the middle finger. Yangyumei ends at the laogong point on the palm of the hand.  When you curl your fingers, the laogong point is where your middle finger rests against the palm.
6. The yinyu meridian begins at the laogong points, traveling up the inside of each arm, across the pectoral muscles and through the nipples. Yinyumei ends at the renmei before traveling a short distance along the daimei.
7. Beginning at the perineum and traveling along the outside of each leg are the pathways called the yangqiao. These meridians run the full length of the leg through the instep to the sole of the foot.
8. From the soles of the feet, the yinqiao moves up the inside of each foot, looping around the ankles and returning to the perineum by way of the inner thighs.

 

Types of Ch’i

 

The concept of ch’i is at the very center of Chinese philosophy.  According to Wolfgang Metzger in Tai Chi Chu’an & Qigong: Techniques and Training, this connection can be understood in four ways:

• Each human being has inherited a certain quality of ch’i that can be very high but also very low. This inherited, or prenatal, ch’i is called Yuan Ch’i.
• Ch’i is also given to us through food, the Gu Ch’i or nutrition ch’i.
• The Kong Ch’i reaches our body through breathing and – together with the Yuan Ch’i and the Gu Ch’i – combines to form the overall ch’i or Zheng Ch’i.
• Zheng Ch’i is the all-encompassing term for several types of ch’i that have very special functions.

 

 

The Five Basic Functions of Ch’i

 

In addition, ch’i itself i.e. Zheng Ch’i, has five basic functions.  First, no movement of the body would be possible without ch’i: secondly, ch’i provides immunity to the system from all outside pathogens.  The third action of ch’i is the regulation of the conversions that take place in the body such as the change of those nutrients to blood and urine whenever we ingest food.  Fourthly, ch’i ensures protection from all assaults on bodily substances and organs, internal or external.  Finally, ch’i regulates body temperature, ensuring sufficient blood flow for warmth in the winter and for cooling our body temperature in the summer.

 

 

What You Need to Know About the form

 

You will begin the form by standing with your feet fist-width apart.  Then step out with bent knees so that your feet are about shoulder-width apart.  “Sink your ch’i” so that the extra energy flowing through your body returns to the lower dan tien which contains the greatest amount of general ch’i and in particular, the type of physical energy that will be needed for the form.   Take the leftover ch’i and send it down your legs into your feet to “root” yourself to the ground.  The purpose of rooting is to stabilize yourself and make it more difficult for your opponent to knock you off your feet.

Next, we orient ourselves within the area where we practice the form, by visualizing a clock face.  The direction we face when we start, determines where 12 o’clock is and where to turn to face 3, 6 or 9 o’clock.  Spatial orientation is important so that we can practice the form in any setting – inside your room, apartment, or even outside with no walls.

 

Our working area has five directions and each of those directions is associated in the practice of Taiji as one of the five elements which are basic to Daoist philosophy:

 

• Center which is associated with the element earth,
• forward which is considered to be metal,
• backward which is identified as wood,
• right which can be either fire or water,
• and left which can also be either fire or water.

 

In addition to the five directions, four diagonals are also used in the various Taiji forms.    The form that we practice in this class is the short or 24 movement form that is traditionally taught to new Taiji students.  In this form, we use only four basic movements which are listed below:

 

1. Ward Off
2. Roll Back
3. Press
4. Push

 

The five directions listed above are said to be the Five-Style Steps.    The four basic movements are called the four cardinal directions.  If we were to go on and learn the more advanced long form, we would add four more basic movements performed on the diagonal.  Together these directions (forms) are considered the thirteen original styles of Taiji.  For more in-depth information on this topic, read The Essence of Tai Chi by Waysun Liao which is listed on your syllabus under Additional Recommended Reading.

Each movement has a yin portion and a yang portion.  As we begin the yin phase of our movement, we breathe in through our nose, mouths closed and tip of the tongue resting on the hard palate behind our front teeth.  This produces a flow of energy through the body that remains within our bodies resulting in an incomplete circuit or a light switch set to “off”.  As we move outward toward an opponent, we breathe out through our mouths, releasing breath and completing the electrical circuit or setting the light switch to “on”, at the same time allowing the energy we have built up to release through our hands or feet depending on the particular type of movement e.g., an open handed strike, a block or a kick.

When we are standing still, not moving our arms, the yin and yang are integrated.  But, the minute we begin our first movement (Silk Reeling) we split the yin from the yang.  The yin and yang remain apart until we conclude the form and return to a resting posture.  Each yin part of the form contains a tiny aspect of yang and each yang part of the form contains a tiny attribute of yin.  This can be clearly seen in the Taiji diagram as shown below.

We can analyze the Yin and Yang portions of each movement in the following ways:

Yin

Circuit – incomplete (in relation to an inside-to-outside circuit)

Element – wood

Characteristic – inward

Activity – gathering

Ch’i conversion – ch’i to jing (vibrating ch’i)

`                 Contains – aspect of its opposite, Yang

      Yang

Circuit – complete (finishes the inside-to-outside the body circuit)

Element – metal

Characteristic – outward

Activity – releasing

Ch’i conversion – jing to li (vibrating ch’i sent outside of the body)

Contains – attribute of its opposite, Yin

 

24-Step Yang Style Form

 

Section One:

• 1 – Silk reeling (12 o’clock)
• 3 – Parting the Horse’s Mane (9 o’clock)
• 1 – White crane spreads its wings (9 o’clock)
• 3 – Brush knee step (9 o’clock)
• 1 – Playing the lute (9 o’clock)

Section Two:

• 4 – Ward off monkey (facing 9 o’clock but moving toward 3 o’clock)
• 1 – Grasping the sparrow’s tail (9 o’clock)
• 1 – Grasping the sparrow’s tail (3 o’clock)

Section Three:

• 1 –Single whip (facing 12 o’clock)
• 3 sets – Cloud hands (facing 12 o’clock, moving toward 9 o’clock)
• 1 – Single whip (facing 12 o’clock)
• 1 – Patting the horse’s head (facing 9 o’clock)
• 1 – Kick with right heel (diagonal)
• 1 – Double fist press (diagonal)

 

 

What is Ch’i (Qi)?

Ch’i (Qi)

“…we can perhaps think of Qi as matter on the way of becoming energy  or energy at the point of materializing.”

from The Web That Has No Weaver, pg. 35

 

Types of Ch’i (Qi)

• Birth/Inherited

•  Nutrition

• Special Functions

• Overall

 

Functions of Ch’i (Qi)

• Movement

• Immunity

• Protection

• Regulation of Conversions

• Regulation of Temperature

 

Seated Exercises – End of Class

• Rub your hands together to get them warm, close your eyes and then hold your palms over your eyelids while breathing in and out slowly through your nose
• Gently pinch your eyebrows between your thumb and index finger.  Slide your fingers from the inside edge of your eyebrow to the outside edge.  Return to the inside and slide your fingers again for about 6 times.
• With your fingertips, rub your temples up and toward your hairline for 6 to 9 times
• Slide your fingers down your nose and under your cheekbones until your fingers are directly under the irises of your eyes
• Use your thumbs behind your ears from the top to the earlobes for 6 to 9 times
• Then slide your thumbs down along the jaw line and “walk” your fingers down the length of your Adam’s apple.  Return to the position behind your ears and repeat for a total of 6 to 9 times
• Gently pinch the flap you’re your ears and move them from the top of the ears to the earlobes for 6 “pinches” down and up
• Cover your ears with your hands cupped and tap with your fingers on the back of your head for 2 sets of twelve finger taps
• Tap with your fingertips from the base of the skull, through the center line of your skull, down the outside along the area of the 2 lobes.  Start at the base of the skull again and repeat
• Rub your shoulder from back to front for 6 times
• Circle your hand on the top of your arm to the front and back for about 6 times in each direction
• Begin the inside of your arm from the fingertips and rub your arm up the inside, over the shoulder and down the outside of the arm for 6 times
• Press firmly with your thumb on the laogong acupressure point on your palm for a few seconds
• Repeat on the other shoulder, top of the arm and up and down the arms.  Finish by pressing on the laogong point
• Cross your arms and press at the top of the crease on each elbow for a few seconds
• Rub your hands together as though washing them about 6 times
• Massage each finger and fingertip and then with a quick pull at the end of the finger release any old, stale energy that might be trapped
• Press your thumb on the Joining the Valley acupressure point on the webbing between your thumb and your index finger for a few seconds and then change hands and repeat
• Massage your lower back up and down or in a circular motion lifting your hands high enough to massage in the area of your kidneys
• Massage your hip by moving both hands in a circular motion for about 6 times
• Start the leg massage on the inside of the leg at the ankle, working your way up rubbing behind your knee on your way.  Cross over your thigh at a high spot and then massage downward back to the ankle (outside) stopping to massage in a circular motion again around your kneecap-6 times up and down
• Skin brush on that leg from ankle up to thigh, then change legs and repeat the same massage movements and skin brushing
• Place a finger from each hand on the outside of your kneecaps and just below it – hold for a few seconds or tap or circle.  This is the Calf’s Nose acupressure point
• Move your fingers down 4 finger-widths to the next indentation which is the Three Mile Point and hold your finger, circle or tap as you prefer
• Using both thumbs press firmly on the middle of the crease behind your knee for several seconds then move your thumbs to the outside edge of the crease and press on this acupressure point for a few seconds
• Place one leg over the thigh of the other, pull back on your toes and then rub across your instep back and forth for about 12 times
• Massage each toe on that foot
• Press on the kidney meridian on that foot which is about 1 and a half or two thumb widths from the inside edge of the foot and about 2/3 of the way up the arch-hold for a few seconds
• Press a finger firmly on the midway point of the beginning of the heel, i.e. the spot leading onto the arch of your foot and hold for a few seconds
• Press on the bottom of your big toe at the middle joint for a few seconds
• Reverse and repeat the massaging and the pressure on the 3 points
• Hold your hands as though holding an imaginary ball in front of your chest.  Bottom hand is palm up while upper hand is held palm down.  Breathe in through your nose and, as you breathe out through your mouth, move the lower hand above your head, palm to the ceiling.  Breathe in again and as you breathe out, press your palm toward the ceiling.  Breathe in and bring your hand back in front of your chest with the hands reversed (in other words, change which one if on top and which on the bottom).  Continue this exercise alternating hands for 2 to 3 sets
• Place one hand behind your back just above your hip bone and bring the other one down from the top of your head, passing in front of your chest and then out over the leg on that side while breathing in and out slowly through your nose and directing the energy through the body and into the marrow of the bones.  Change hands and repeat for one complete set or for 2 sets
• Pass one hand over the opposite arm, directing the energy down and through the arm to clear trapped and stale energy.  Reverse and repeat
• Pleace both hands above your head, palms down, fingertips almost touching.  Slowly lower your arms as you breathe in and out through your nose and direct your energy through the body and into the marrow of the bones

Complete this section of the exercises by doing Centering Ch’i-3 repetitions if time permits

Tapping Points and Meditations

Tapping Points:
“Even though I have these negative emotions, I deeply and completely accept myself.” (side of hand)

“I seem to worry constantly.” (top of the head)

“I thought that meant that I’m a bad person.” (3rd eye point)

“I sometimes feel overwhelmed and frustrated.” (inside of eyebrow)

“I know I am a good person, though, and that I can understand why I feel these emotions.” (outside of the eye)

“I am uncomfortable with change and my life feels chaotic and out of control.” (under the eye)

“Sometimes I get angry when things don’t go my way.”  (under the nose)

“Yet, I love to learn new things and I know I can become a stronger person.” (chin)

“I’ll get better and better at my new attitude.” (collarbone)

“I can feel these emotions sometimes and still accept myself.” (under the arm)

“Even though I have these negative emotions, I deeply and completely accept myself.” (side of hand)

Meditations:

Still the surface of a river

Still the flame of a candle

Hot air balloon

Seated Exercises – Beginning of Class

Usually takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete:

• Breathing in and out through the nose –
• Send the energy up the spine to the height of the shoulder blades (6x)
• Up the spine to the top of the head, One Hundred Meeting Point (6x)
• Up the spine over the top of the head and down the front to close the Yang energy loop (6x)
• Breathing in and out of  the nose –
• Send the energy up the front to the middle of the breastbone (6x)
• Send the energy up the front to about the midway point in the head (6x)
• Send the energy up your front, over the top of your head & down the spine to close the Yin energy loop (6x)
• Breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose while you visualize the energy moving up into the trunk like a fountain, flooding the chest (6x)
• Same breathing (in through your mouth and out through your nose) but using your diaphragm and visualizing the energy moving into and through your legs and feet (6x)
• Continue the same breathing but expand your rib cage gently while sending the energy into all the meridians in your trunk and those that go up into the neck and head (6x)
• Qigong butterfly (9x)
• Triple Warmer – breathing in and out through the nose only while hands come down on top of your head palms down then palms up alternating for 6 repetitions
• Use both hands one over the other to press downward from the bottom of your rib cage to a bit below the navel (2 sets of 12 presses)
• Using both hands, right over left, circle your hands clockwise around the navel for 2 sets of 12 times each
• Alternate nostril breathing
• Head and neck tilts to back and front then side to side (6x each)
• Circle your head to your chest and back up for 6 repetitions; then tilt your head side to side again and circle your head in the other direction.
• Shrug your shoulders for 6 repetitions
• Circle back to front for 6 times, then front to back 6 times
• Lace your fingers and lift your hands overhead with palms to ceiling stretching your torso twice, repeat one more time – breathe in through  your mouth and out through your nose for this exercise and the rest of the exercises below
• Lace your fingers and lift your hands overhead then reach out to the front keeping your head lifted for 4 repetitions
• Lift your hands behind your back palms toward your back for 3 repetitions keeping your head up again
• Fingers laced, palms to the ceiling, twist to the side in 3 stages breathing out a little bit of your breath on each twist then return to center breathing in one continuous breath; repeat twisting to the other side (2 sets)
• Same as in #18 but with leans to one side then the other (2 sets)
• Clear the emotions by pushing your hands in front of your upper chest and release stale energy through your hands as you breathe out through your mouth (9x)
• Clear the mind by pushing your hands in the prayer position up above your head as you breathe in then down to the sides as you breathe out (9x)
• Push back and swing forward with your arms for 2 sets of 12 each, then 6 pushes – stop and let your arms swing to a stop
• Lift your torso and then bend over between your thighs with a rounded back as you breathe out, breathe in through your nose as you sit up straight again; arch back while breathing out again.  Repeat rolls down and up and arched back for 3x each alternating rolls down and up
• Slide each leg out to the side and slightly to the back for 3 times each
• Lifting ch’i for a total of 12 times, alternating legs each time
• End with 3 repetitions of centering ch’i

Holiday and Class Schedules

Holiday Schedule 2014

President’s Day – February 17, 2014

Memorial Day – May 26, 2014

Independence Day – July 4, 2014

Labor Day – September 1, 2014

Thanksgiving – November 27 & 28, 2014

Christmas Day- December 25, 2014

New Year’s Day – January 1, 2015

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Class Schedule

Advanced Taiji  – Tuesdays 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

  Intermediate Taiji   –  Thursdays: 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Beginning Taiji – Tuesdays 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Seated Taiji – Thursdays 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

LEARNING PROCESS

Photo and Video Page

Seated Tai Chi Class

Standard Yang Style T’ai Chi

Awarding of Certificates

 Videos – 24-Step Yang Style Form

 

An interesting and informative video regarding the value of chi development:

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day 2013, click on the link below to view:

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• Foundation, Structure and Mobility (dojorat.blogspot.com)
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• 4th Degree Tai Chi Black Belt Arlene Mc Leod (tai-chi-fitness-for-health.com)

48-Step Yang Style Tai Chi

 

Benefits of T’ai Chi Practice:

Reduce Stress

Energize

Improve Lung Function

 Increase Circulation

Strengthen Bones

Tone Muscles

Lower Blood Pressure

 ~~~~~~~~~

Tips for Improving Your T’ai Chi Practice:

• Posture – Straighten your back by pulling upwards on your abdomen with your hips “tucked in”.  Hold your head high and press your shoulders slightly forward without hunching.
• Stride – Measure the proper length for your stride by lining up the heel of your front foot with the toes of your back foot.  The full spread of your stance should be the width of your shoulders.
• Always breathe from your diaphragm.  Breathe slowly and evenly in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Don’t begin any movement until you have begun your inhalation or exhalation.  In other words, movement follows breath.
• Time the length of each movement to the best of your ability with the length of your inhalation/exhalation.
• Always keep your knees and elbows slightly bent even when extending them in a press, push or kick. Never allow your knees to bend past your toes.

~~~~~~~~~

48 Posture Yang Form

Section One:

1 – Silk Reeling (facing 12 o’clock)

1 – White Crane (facing 12 o’clock)

1 – Left Brush Knee Step (facing 12 o’clock)

1 – Pressing-with-palm-up Single Whip (facing 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock)

1 – Playing Lute (facing 9 o’clock)

3 – Roll Back and Press (angle R, L, R, moving toward 9 o’clock)

1 – Left Deflect, Parry, Punch) (facing 9 o’clock)

1 – Ward Off, Roll Back, Press, Push or Grasping Sparrow’s Tail (facing 9 o’clock)

Section Two:

1 – Lean on Diagonal (fists facing outward)

1 – Fist Under Elbow, similar to Playing Lute (facing 9 o’clock)

4 – Fending off Monkey (facing 9 o’clock)

4 – Turn Body and Thrust Palm – turn to 4 corners staring with left and back

1 – Right Playing Lute (facing 3 o’clock)

1 – Brush Knee and Punch Down (facing 3 o’clock)

1 – White Snake Spits Poison, left leg in front (facing 9 o’clock)

1 – White Snake Spits Poison, right leg in front (facing 9 o’clock)

Section Three:

1 – Slap Foot and Tame the Tiger (straight leg-facing 9 o’clock)

1 – slap Foot and Tame the Tiger (straight leg-facing 9 o’clock)

1 – Left diagonal Back Fist

1 – Piercing Fist and Lower Body (diagonal)

2 Stand on One Leg and Prop Up Palm (one L, one R)

1 – Right Single Whip (to 3 o’clock)

3 – Right Wave Hands in Clouds (facing 12 o’clock)

Section Four:

2 – Part the Horse’s Mane (L then R, facing 3 o’clock)

1 – Right Heel Kick (facing 3 o’clock)

1 – Strike to Ears with Both fists (facing 3 o’clock)

1 – Left Heel Kick (diagonal)

1 – Cover Hand and Strike with Fist (bending down to punch opponent on the floor)

1 – Needle at the Bottom of the Sea

Section Five

1 – Fan Back (facing 6 o’clock)

1 – R toe kick

1 – L toe kick

2 – Brush knee step (L leg front then R leg)

1 – Step forward, ward off and punch

1 – Appears closed (push opponent over backwards)

1 – Set of Cloud Hands to the left (no single whip)

1 – Right diagonal backfist

2 – Fair Lady Works Shuttles (to the L diagonal then to the R diagonal)

1 – Step back, pivot R and spear palm (R leg in front, L hand spears)

1 – Stand on One Leg (left) and Lift Palms (both to shoulder height, palms facing up)

1 – Step on right foot, twist to upper left cornersweep b ack with both arms then bend left leg in front, bring both arms to front, place right hand on top of left wrist with left hand fisted

Step back on L foot and pivot fast and hard  to 6 o’clock, sweeping fist so that it ends with back of hand facing forward

Rock back, execute a Crooked Whip, end standing on your L leg both arms crossed in front of your chest

Step back on your R foot, dip down as though doing a spear hand downward, then sweep back up with the L leg bent in front, L hand in Bird Beak position, R hand facing forward (Stand on One Leg and Ride the Tiger)

Sweep around to the R until you are facing 12 o’clock then sweep R leg from inside to outside in front of the body (Turn Body and Sweep Lotus)

~~~~~~~~~

Recommended Books, Videos and Music:

CDs and DVDs:  http://www.healingtaichi.com

Books:  Tai Chi Chuan & Qigong, Wolfgang Metzger & Peifang Zhou with Manfred Grosser, Ph.D. ISBN: 0-8069-5957-6

Tai Chi Chuan, Classical Yang Style. Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. ISBN: 1-886969-68-X

Tai Chi Chuan. Master Liang, Shou-Yu & Wu, Wen-Ching. ISBN-10: 1-886969-33-7 & ISBN-13: 978-1-886969-33-9

 ~~~~~~~~~

Use this video of the 48-step form to aid your practice:

Contact Information:

Cynthia Quarta, Owner/Instructor

406.788.8938

Email: healingtaichi@yahoo.com

Other blog:  http://chairtaichi.wordpress.com

                         

Yang Style Tai Chi – 24-Step Form

…balancing mind, body and spirit

 ~~~~~~~~~

 Benefits of T’ai Chi Practice:

Reduce Stress

Energize

Improve Lung Function

 Increase Circulation

Strengthen Bones

Lubricate Joints

Tone Muscles

Lower Blood Pressure

 ~~~~~~~~~

Tips for Improving Your T’ai Chi Practice:

• Posture – Straighten your back by pulling upwards on your abdomen with your hips “tucked in”.  Hold your head high and press your shoulders slightly forward without hunching.
• Stride – Measure the proper length for your stride by lining up the heel of your front foot with the toes of your back foot.  The full spread of your stance should be the width of your shoulders.
• Always breathe from your diaphragm.  Breathe slowly and evenly in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Don’t begin any movement until you have begun your inhalation or exhalation.  In other words, movement follows breath.
• Time the length of each movement to the best of your ability with the length of your inhalation/exhalation.
• Always keep your knees and elbows slightly bent even when extending them in a press, push or kick. Never allow your knees to bend past your toes.

~~~~~~~~~

24 Posture Yang Form

Section One:

1 – Beginning posture – silk reeling (facing 12 o’clock)

3 – Parting the Horse’s Mane (left, right, left, moving toward 9 o’clock)

1 – White crane spreads its wings (left toe on the floor, sweep left & right, facing 9 o’clock)

3 – Brush knee step (left, right, left, moving toward 9 o’clock)

1 – Playing the lute (facing 9 o’clock, left heel on the floor)

Section Two:

4 – Fend off monkey (moving backward, right, left, right, left toward 3 o’clock)

1 – Grasping the sparrow’s tail (facing 9 o’clock – ward off, roll back, press, push)

1 – Grasping the sparrow’s tail (facing 3 o’clock – ward off, roll back, press, push)

Section Three:

1 – Single whip (facing 9 o’clock)

3 sets – Cloud hands (facing 12 o’clock, moving toward 9 o’clock)

1 – Single whip (facing 9 o’clock)

1 – Patting the horse’s neck (facing 9 o’clock)

1 – Kick with right heel (toward 9 o’clock)

1 – Double fist press (angling to the right)

Section Four:

1 – Turn around and kick with left heel

1 – Crooked whip (squat down or standing defensive posture), left leg straight out to side

1 – Crooked whip, right leg out to side

Section Five:

2 – Fair lady works with shuttles (right, left)

1 – Needle at the bottom of the sea

1 – Fanback

Section Six:

1 – Turn, hammer, ward off & punch

1 – Brush off opponent’s hand, ji, an

1 – Embrace tiger, return to mountain

Concluding posture

~~~~~~~~~

Recommended Books, Videos and Music:

Music CDs: http://www.healingtaichi.com

Feng Shui: Music for Balanced Living – available at Bed, Bath and Beyond in Great Falls

Books:  Tai Chi Chuan & Qigong. Wolfgang Metzger & Peifang Zhou with Manfred Grosser, Ph.D. ISBN: #0-8069-5957-6

Tai Chi Chuan. Master Liang, Shou-Yu & Wu, Wen-Ching. ISBN-10: #1-886969-33-7, ISBN-13: #978-1-886969=33=9

Taijijuan, Classical Yang Style.Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. ISBN: #1=886969-68-X

~~~~~~~~~

View the 2 videos below to help you as you practice your form:

Contact Information:

Cynthia Quarta, Owner/Instructor

Phone number: 406.788.8938

Email address: http://healingtaichi@yahoo.com

Please visit my online store for Tai Chi, Qigong, Karate, Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Mixed Martial Arts, Reiki, Massage, Yoga Pilates, Feng Shui, and Acupressure/Acupuncture products at everyday low prices : http://www.healingtaichi.com

Other blogs: http://chairtaichi.wordpress.com

             http://millicentmouse.wordpress.com