My Favourite Books

Return to Stillness: Twenty Years with a Tai Chi Master is a great book by Trevor Carolan, telling his story about learning Tai Chi and the philosophy underpinning it.

It is about experiencing the sacramental.

The link on Amazon UK is: Return-Stillness-Twenty-Years-Master

Shaolin 6 Harmony (Liu He) Gong - 少林六合功

I learned this from my Sun style teacher's wife a few years ago. I find it has a really calming effect.

Tai Chi in the Kitchen

Some more on Tai Chi in the Kitchen!!

Fu Shu Yun Xing Yi Quan

Cook Ding's Kitchen: The Poetry of Taijiquan Master Cheng Man Ching

This is interesting....





Cook Ding's Kitchen: The Poetry of Taijiquan Master Cheng Man Ching: Cheng Man Ching (Zheng ManQing) was not only a master of Taijiquan, but also a physician, chess master, painter and poet. Below is a vid...

No Sword in the Kitchen

During the poor weather most of my training takes place in a small kitchen.

I can comfortably adjust my Tai chi and Xingyi training but there is no room to swing a sword. I've tried doing my Tai Chi sword form with knives and short plastic swords but it never feels right.

In the end I have found it best to do the form without anything in my hand. Instead I visualise that I have a sword in my hand which works for me and doesn't detract from the form. This also keeps the sword form alive for me during the times I can't train outdoors.

What do you do?