Daily Training

During the lockdown here in the UK I am fortunate to be able to work from home.

I have been able to fit in more training when taking short breaks from the laptop. So a typical day begins at 6am with some loosening exercises, then Qi Gong followed by three Ch'eng Man Ch'ing style short forms. This takes about 40 minutes.

Around 10.30 it's a 15 minute session with a kettlebell followed by  10 minutes of Lu Jong 5 Elements.

Around 5pm some more qi Gong, standing in Sun style San Ti Shi, Xingyi 5 Element fists, 3 linking forms, 3 Sun style sword forms and finally 3 Sun style Taiji 97 posture forms.

I'm almost dreading when the time comes to go back to the office.

Dependency

Beware of becoming dependent on teachers spouting pseudo spiritual garbage.

"If you are going to have someone tell you how to live, be certain they know more about living than you do. Most martial artists don't have what I would call a life. When entering the master/student religion-oops-relationship -one should look carefully at who is dependent on whom."

from

Glenn Morris - Martial Arts Madness- a user's guide to the esoteric martial arts
Frog Ltd, 1998  ISBN I-883319-77-3   Page 51

Swimming in Air

Imagine you are moving through a thick viscuous substance

Armless

Practise your form without involving your arms

Master Yang Jun - Push Hands - 8 Jin (energies/techniques)

The Science of how the Mind affects the Immune System

Since there is so much stuff flying around on the internet about boosting your immune system, here is a good article about how the mind affects it.

Click here and enjoy.

T T Liang solo long form Yang style Tai Chi 150 postures full routine

My late teacher John Kells studied with T.T. Liang both in Boston and Taiwan.

Relax the Buttocks

When you relax the buttocks the lower back can relax and the weight of your torso can then be supported by the thighs.

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Correct Body Positioning in the Yang 37 Form

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Correct Body Positioning in the Yang 37 Form: In the following video, Cheng Man Ching shows correct body positioning in the short 37 Yang form. This is an excerpt from "The Mas...

Tai Chi Hangout

I came across the Tai chi Hangout site the other day.

It has lots of clips of different Tai Chi forms from various styles.

Click here and explore what's on offer.

Cook Ding's Kitchen: What Really Happens When We Stand

Cook Ding's Kitchen: What Really Happens When We Stand: I have mentioned before that I have been following the Standing Stake Practice, aka Zhan Zhuang in one form or another for many years now,...

Systema Light Breathing Exercise

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Cheng Man Ching on Qi

Cook Ding's Kitchen: Cheng Man Ching on Qi: Below is an excerpt from the entry at the Qi Enclyclopedia which is a collection of the words and thoughts of Cheng Man Ching on Qi. The...