Getting Older: How to Keep Energised and Joyful like a Taoist Immortal |...

Final post for this month and as I edge closer to 60 a pertinent one......

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Book Review: Laoshi and Laoshi's Legacy

I've read the first book and I wasn't too impressed with a comment about a "John Kellerman", a well know London Tai Chi teacher. Sounds too much like my late teacher John Kells.



Cook Ding's Kitchen: Book Review: Laoshi and Laoshi's Legacy: "Philosophy practiced is the goal of learning." - Thoreau Philosophy practiced is the goal of learning. To internalize what o...

Short Form

Me in 2010 practising the short form I learnt from John Kells. The matting was sticky and I almost came a cropper on the spin !

Internal Chambering

Interesting post from Scott Meredith.


Read here: Internal Chambering

If you haven't read his book Juice - Radical Taiji Energetics, then get it.

Lu Jong - 5 Basic Exercises

Went on a workshop in London to learn these. Great for the spine.

If you are interested then the next one is in August. Follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/deniah-pachai-of-lu-jong-london-9855225026

Work your Butt off

It was 1984 and I was working for my teacher John Kells. I had to sit at a little desk in the upstairs "Green Room" and take phone calls enquiring about classes, times,costs etc.I also had to send out an information leaflet in response to postal enquiries.

John came in to have a chat. He told me that he had never had a student who practised as much as me and that no matter what happened I should never stop.

He really personified the phrase "work your butt off", so much so that when he turned around I could see he had almost worn away the seat of his tracksuit bottoms.

If you want to be good at Tai Chi or anything, for that matter, you need to put in the work and hopefully will have good teaching to draw on.

I think I have been fortunate to have teachers and tai chi friends who have inspired me and as a result I am in love with Tai Chi and have been able to keep up a daily practise for 37 years. This does not imply mastery or anything else. I seek the light in my practise and not some overbearing, dark, dismal grinding away masquerading as a spiritual way.

Just my opinion and the reader is welcome to theirs and as Patrick Swayze said in Roadhouse "opinions vary".

Meanwhile I'm off to work my butt off with some Xingyi.

Sun Style Xing Yi Quan - Wu Xing Quan (Five elements fist)

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Martial Arts Training in the Summer Heat

This is very pertinent...



Cook Ding's Kitchen: Martial Arts Training in the Summer Heat: Below is an excerpt from a post at Kung Fu Tea regarding training in the summer heat. The full post may be read here . Late last year ...

驚き！空手の型の可能性！Heian Nidan by Naka sensei

A student sent me this clip. For students of John Kells it is interesting to see how he is using the heart centre rather than the lower abdomen/hips.

T T Liang's Tai Chi Two-Person Set JR & AS

Tai Chi Warm-Up: Eagle Claw & Tiger Claw