Cook Ding's Kitchen: Wu Family Style Taijiquan Applications

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Wu Family Style Taijiquan Applications: Here is a short video of some Wu style taijiquan push hands applications, from the 4th generation of the family, Wu Dakui.    

Flexi Bar

 Does anyone use a Flexi Bar as part of their fitness / exercise routine?

I bought one years ago and have found it incredibly useful. I alternate it with dumbbells and resistance bands.

Here's a video of exercises you can do

Sun style Taijiquan

 This is Sun Jianyun, daughter of Sun Lutang, with whom my teacher Dave Martin studied.

This is one of my daily forms practice.

Balance

 

It's all about balance................

On Cook Ding's blog there is a great post about balance in Kyudo, the essence of which we can apply to our Tai Chi and life.

Read it here

Martial Arts Studies

 If you are interested in a more academic study of martial arts, then look no further 

than https://mas.cardiffuniversitypress.org/

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Wu/Hao Style Taijiquan

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Wu/Hao Style Taijiquan: The 'other' Wu style of Taijiquan.  

Love this!

Wu Tai Chi Chuan - Part 2

Wu Tai Chi Chuan - Part 1

The greatest secret

 

The greatest secret is PRACTISE

fist no fist (Master George Xu)

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Cutting the Ox

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Cutting the Ox: Over at James Roach's Classical Tai Chi Blog , there was an article about how to approach one's Taijiquan form practice: like Cook ...

The Form

 

The Form is a laboratory for testing

Ground

 Basically we are aligning our posture to be able to express the Ground through it.

Master Yeo Tse Chiang: Wu Style Tai Chi Secrets – Part 2

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Practicing Taijiquan

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Practicing Taijiquan: At Thoughts on Tai Chi , there was a very nice post on how one should approach practicing the taijiquan form. An excerpt is below. The full ...

Master Yeo Tse Chiang: Wu Style Tai Chi Secrets – Part 1

Ground Up

 Let the Ground come up through you.

This means surrendering to the ground instead of trying to force your way into it.

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Water and Martial Arts

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Water and Martial Arts: Below is an excerpt from a post at The Okinawan Empty Hand blog on water as a metaphor in martial arts (and beyond). The full post may be r...

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Knowing vs Understanding in Taijiquan

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Knowing vs Understanding in Taijiquan: In the theory of Taijiquan, there are discussed a number of different "energies" or "jins." At Thoughts on Tai Chi ther...

Root your Energy - Ideokinetic Facilitation

Sit on the edge of a chair

so your Perineum is on the edge

Legs naturally apart and not pressed together

Ankles in line with your knees

Feet flat on the floor

Imagine your energy running/sinking down the front of your body

Don't stop at the lower Tan Tien

The energy continues straight down the front

Between the legs

Into the ground

A steady and continuous flow

Give way completely, don't try and hold it

Now keep this feeling throughout your Form

More Hindu Squats

 So I'm working on doing Hindu Squats, which are not for the quads but instead for the kinetic chain.

When I finish doing them I feel glued to the floor.

Here's some further details

Kickbutt Hindu Squats Made Easy

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Taijiquan Postures and Applications

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Taijiquan Postures and Applications: Below is an excerpt from Thoughts on Tai Chi , where the topic of finding the applications int he Taijiquan form in discussed. The full post...

Ben Lo's 5 Principles

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Vintage Taijiquan Video from 1969

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Vintage Taijiquan Video from 1969: From 1969, recorded in the US.  

Understanding T'ai Chi's Martial Perspective

 A while ago I shared an article written by Sifu Alan Ludmer on the value of push hands.

Here is another excellent article understanding-tai-chis-martial-perspective/ which can be found on the Violet Li Tai Chi website.

Cook Ding's Kitchen: The Five Striking Energies of Taijiquan

Cook Ding's Kitchen: The Five Striking Energies of Taijiquan: Over at Thoughts on Tai Chi , there as an interesting article about the five different striking energies used in Taijiquan.An excerpt is bel...

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Imperfect Practice

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Imperfect Practice: It is said that practice makes perfect. That has been updated to perfect practice makes perfect.  But we are imperfect people. There was an...

Pro tip #2: Unlocking the ROLL BACK Movement in Tai Chi Applications

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Striking Targets

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Striking Targets: At the Art of Manliness blog, there was an article on striking targets for self defense. An excerpt is below. The full post may be read her...