Great Applications

Sun style Xingyi - Piquan

In my Salad Days

Some photos from my younger days!

Did Ch'eng Man Ch'ing ( Zheng Manqing) study with Yang Chengfu?

The title of this post is a question that seems to be perpetuated in various forums.The implication being that he didn't.  My favourite one is that Ch'eng Man Ch'ing didn't appear in the "training diary" of Yang Chengfu, who was , I believe, illiterate. Work that one out!

However, in Louis Swaims translation of Yang Chengfu's  " The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan" he has a passage on page xi which is  a quote from Yang Zhenji, 2nd son of Yang Chengfu, which states "Taijiquan tiyong quanshu was written by my father's disciple, Zheng Manqing, according to my father's performance narratives and requirements. This is factual."

Good enough for me. No comments required.

My Favourite Books

This is quite simply one of the best books I have ever read about Tai Chi. Intelligent and comprehensible, devoid of mystifying jargon.

Very practical and accessible.

Amazon link

Waist Stuff

Interesting bit from " Running with the Mind of Meditation" by Sakyong Mipham

"The Psoas muscle behind the sternum and inner thigh initiates lifting the leg. Visualize the legs starting directly below the sternum in the upper part of the torso and back, for that is where these hip flexor muscles that initiate leg movement begin"

It gives a different flavour to your tai chi. The Waist is the commander!

Jessica Kolbe & Dr Roger Jahnke on SBTV Santa Barbara