Cheng Man-ch’ing’s advice for beginning Tai Chi students

Cheng Man-ch’ing’s advice for beginning Tai Chi students

Talking Chen Taijiquan with David Gaffney: Strength Training in Taijiquan

Talking Chen Taijiquan with David Gaffney: Strength Training in Taijiquan: Strength Training in Taijiquan By David Gaffney First appeared in strength & martial arts magazine ...

Sun-style Taiji Sword Practice with partner '孙氏太极剑对练'

Globalisation and the 'Internal Alchemy' in Chinese Martial Arts: The Transmission of Taijiquan to Great Britain

 The title of this post is a Research article by Alexandra Ryan published in Easts (East Asian Science, Technology and Society: An International Journal. It is dated 2008.

An interesting read and but it doesn't mention John Kells (1940-2016) who established the British T'ai Chi Ch'uan Association in the late 1970s. This was London centric and never really took off in the way the title suggests although some of his students went on to teach and set up their own associations/groups in Bristol and Wales. John Kells taught numerous classes, 5 days a week and weekend sessions with hundreds of new students enrolling each year until the late 1980s.

Although he was my teacher I would say this is a startling omission when the article can reference Paul Crompton and Gerda Geddes and John Kells predates many later figures in the development of T'ai Chi Ch'uan in the UK. John Kells was an early pioneer in the teaching of T'ai Chi Ch'uan in the UK and should be recognised as such. 

The article is based on the author's PHD thesis so it may be that John Kells is included in that. I couldn't find an open access for it. It is entitled 'Our only uniform is the spirit' : embodiment, tradition and spirituality in British Taijiquan , Lancaster University, 2002.

The article can be read here:https://read.dukeupress.edu/easts/article/2/4/525/25984/Globalisation-and-the-Internal-Alchemy-In-Chinese?fbclid=IwAR13F9PGDsv0-d2sL455gS97Ddj9eM9KZXY4GkWMjnmwJwbcsgpUTubcI9Q

Evening Routine

 My usual evening routine after work is:

Lu Jong 5 elements

Standing in San Ti Shi

Sun Xingyi 5 element fists

Sun Xingyi - all 3 linking forms

Yang Style Broadsword form x 3

Sun style Taiji Jian form x 3

Sun style Taiji 97 form x 3

What's yours?

I space these out with some breaks so takes roughly 2 hours. As my Sun style teacher was a disciple of Sun Jianyun I practice her form.

Morning Routine

 As I have a day job I don't have as much time as I would like for "formal" tai chi practice.

My morning routine takes me about 40 minutes:

Quiet Standing

3 loosening exercises

Chi Gung set

3 x Short Form

Quiet Standing.

What's yours?

The form I practice is this one 

Edward Hines and Scott Park Phillips Discussing Tai Chi, Baguazhang and ...

Tai Chi, Baguazhang and the Golden Elixir.

Just finished this book which shows the roots of Tai Chi and Baguazhang in a theatrical/religious context and the "YMCA" consensus that followed in the 20th Century. A fascinating, well researched book. I'm off to practice my ritual.

Tai Chi Fundamentals® Basic Moves Part One

This is a really nice clip of tai chi exercises. I've got her book somewhere and I think you can still get it via Amazon.

The Flow, A film by Louis Fox

Cheng Man-Ch'ing Tai Chi

Ben Lo instructional film of the Cheng Man Ching form. Lots of little things to see.