My Favourite Books

A while ago I posted a clip of the Guang Ping Yang Tai chi form.

The Tai Chi Boxing Chronicle is one of my favourite books on the Tai Chi classics and is compiled by Kuo Lien-Ying who taught the Guang Ping form.

There are lots of interesting commentaries and points for your practise, such as " In Grasp the bird's tail, when the hands sink back, does this sinking come from the spine?"

For me this is one of those books that you can keep going back to and well worth adding to your collection. It's published by North Atlantic Books, ISBN 1-55643-177-5

Every Day

Every day I practise my Tai chi, I fall in love with it all over again.

Lots of Practice,not Perfect Practice

Lots of Practice ,not Perfect Practice is the theme of this post over on Devon Boormaster's Blog.

Whilst he write in relation to working with the sword the content is equally applicable to learningTai chi.

The post can be read here.

Old Style Brush Knee

Interesting for those who practise Ch'eng Man Ch'ing form. I also have a friend who practises Yang style like this.

Become Like Air

"It's inevitable that we all become weaker. Keep going until you become like air, space"


from Shadow Inspiration - Sleiman Azizi

Studying with Sun Jian Yun

This is a photo of my Sun style teacher, Dave Martin, studying with Sun Jian Yun in his younger days.

The Tai Chi Family - Wudang Mountains, China | Wudang Tai Chi

I came across this on YouTube. There are a series of clips to watch. Have fun.

How to open the Middle Dantian to increase breathing capacity.

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Interview with Taijiquan Master T.T. Liang

Below is a link to Cook Ding's Kitchen which features an interview with the late T.T.Liang with whom John Kells studied when he was in Boston.


Cook Ding's Kitchen: Interview with Taijiquan Master T.T. Liang: T.T. Liang was a long time student of Cheng Man Ching and was regarded as a master in his own right. Liang lived to be over 100 years old...

Some of my best Teachers

Some of my best teachers are my family, friends, colleagues, jobs and life experiences. Tai Chi is not just something that happens during class or when you do the forms.

Rather it is about taking the principles into daily life and embracing the challenges it throws at you. Applying pushing hands principles to teenagers is especially challenging!

I used to think that jobs got in the way of my practice but have come to understand that there is no separation. Every interaction is the opportunity to connect, to learn and to understand.

I read somewhere that if we think of life as dust, then the Buddhist will seek to transcend it, the Confucian will seek to organise it whilst the Taoist seeks to merge with it. A gross simplification but it makes the point for me.