Please DM me if you’d like details ; 10-3pm this Saturday — no cost — push hands all day with some optional mini workshops sprinkled throughout! Will be a lot of fun— all ages , skills, and styles welcome. Potluck lunch if you’d like to bring something to share!

I slouch. On the couch. Feet up. All the time. How can I practice tai chi when I'm slouching? I asked gemini

"got any ideas on how i can suspend the head top while relaxing in song (tai chi)? how I can do it when lounging on the couch with my feet up?"

I'm finding the answer helpful for ALL the times when I'm not sitting up straight. (Which is all the time) It's helpful when I'm just walking around (not tai chi walking).It's even improving my form!

""suspending" does not mean vertical orientation to the room; it means maintaining the internal space and lengthening of the spine relative to your body's current axis"... "Instead of imagining a string pulling straight up toward the ceiling, imagine it extending out from the crown of your head along the line of your spine. If you are leaning back at a 45-degree angle, the suspension pulls along that same 45-degree trajectory."

Slightly tuck the chin

Soften and sink the kua into the cushions (I find this widens my lower back just near the tailbone)

Release the abdomen softly (I'm struggling with this part. Trying to "do" anything to it tightens it)

"Allow the space between your shoulder blades to widen slightly against the back of the couch. This counteracts chest tension and works in tandem with the tucked chin to keep the upper spine spacious" (I'm finding this amazing when just walking around. Wider helps more than letting the shoulder blades sink)

"Let Gravity Do the Aligning: Think of your spine like a string of pearls resting on a tilted surface. If you gently pull the top pearl (the crown) along the tilt, all the other pearls naturally line up behind it without any effort."

"Listen to the Space Behind You: Direct your internal attention (shen) to the back of your neck and the space right behind your head."

I know, I know. It's AI. AI doesn't know anything. AI is evil. But I've found this really helpful.

Just a cool wu style video I found. Check out this guy's Facebook too, it's fantastic

Edit: loool everyone's a critic. Still, check out this guy's Facebook, the applications are good and the camera is stable

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Mt8XAq655/

I just came across a somewhat interesting video that shows how some fake hoppy TJQ turns out when it is applied to someone who has some basic idea on what do to. From 7:08 we see hopping and then the guy in black walks up. Note that he does not do much except sinking/taking the incoming force down and controlling through the opponents elbows. All the magic is gone suddenly.

I have created a PC tool for Taichi practitioners to use, combining a 12 hours Live Circadian Organ Clock and associated Youtube Video, and some explanations on how to use this tool below.

**Live**

- EN — https://taichikb.github.io/health/clock.html

- VI — https://taichikb.github.io/vi/health/clock.html

**What the screen shows**

- A 12-segment ring (Zi at top, clockwise), each segment labelled with its branch hour, time range and organ. The window you're in is filled emerald with a minute-by-minute progress arc; the centre carries the live clock, branch, organ and "37m left".

- Right-hand panel is the YouTube video with demo of the excercise that you can follow practicing along.

- Below is "what to do now" card, using the same four layers as the existing widget: Western physiology, Huangdi Neijing, somatic micro-drill, circadian lifestyle — plus **Open EN-045 guide →** (VI-045 on the Vietnamese page) and a 3-minute drill timer.

- Bottom strip = all 12 windows at a glance; click any ring segment, strip cell or "Next" chip to inspect that window (it opens a preview with "Back to now").

**Desktop / screensaver behaviour**

- `S` (or 2 minutes idle) fades the chrome and centres the ring as an ambient screensaver; any key or mouse move returns.

- `F` fullscreen, `←/→` browse windows, `N` back to now, `Esc` closes.

Enjoy!

"Invest in loss," they say.

My first video of a planned series to interview a variety of Taijiquan teachers and practitioners is live 😀

I hope you find this interview insightful. I think Nabil does a great job of making somewhat mysterious concepts clear and down to earth so they can be adopted and practiced.

This is an interesting exposition on his understanding of the history and the practice.

Early in the video, he makes the distinction between the first level focus on the movement, second level use of Qi, and third level focus on mind/habit (Yi). He never talks about muscle movement or The brain. Just Qi and Yi.

The only thing I would add is that in my experience, at the third level, there is no Will (Zhi). It is all about sticking, following, and redirection without Will. The two becomes one.

It was interesting to hear his history and thoughts.

I practice Jianfa here in New Haven/Fairfield County in Connecticut. I am always looking for people who might be interested in joining our sparring group. We have a few folks and I also spend a lot of time with a local HEMA group who have been very welcoming. It is a blast and gets even better the more opponents you get to face. This is great for adult men and women. Beginners welcome. We have spare sparring weapons to get started.

Before anyone gets too hung up on the in-person vs self-teaching, I have a client who is an experienced taiji practitioner who is available to demonstrate, correct, and field some questions. So I'm basically self-teaching with a teacher available, and classes that i will be attending locally as well from time to time.

In my research online, the first youtube teacher I found that I really connected with was Master Daniel Lee (not the Daniel Lee who passed away). I didn't realize initially that he was a practitioner of Wu style. But because his teaching and style spoke to me, I'm continuing to learn his beginner form. In watching videos, researching, etc, I've noticed a lot of variations even within the Wu style. Some is very robotic looking and angular, while some (Daniel Lee for example) is much more flowing and slower. I'm been involved the tattoo "industry" for 35 years, and I see similar parallels... a teacher and an apprentice both working from the same root knowledge but producing very different results. Is it fair to draw that parallel? Does the Taiji vary (greatly even) within a style?

I am a Tai Chi instructor and practitioner and as much as I don't necessarily believe in Tai Chi being competitive at the end of the day it is a martial art and I'd love to find a way to test what I have acquired over the years.

Also why is Chen style training so hard to find in America?

Since I joined a tuishou group a couple weeks ago I feel I have a great opportunity to tackle some issues in my practice, notably expression and that pesk left hand tremor, which I find goes away as I integrate relaxation, elbow sinking, and waist engagement/initiation. It also really does put a lot of things into context that are otherwise very abstract and difficult to get a handle on without some sort of regular external input/resistance.

Also my cat has been hunting a lot and when editing this video I was surprised to find her running to the camera with such a jolly bounce in her step and a friggin bird in her mouth.

Howdy folks! I'm a beginner in taijiquan, and am trying to learn/ practice by following along with YT videos. Problem is, all the routines I've found except for "Eight Silk Brocades" require one to turn around at least a couple of times (example, Beijing 24 features three 180 degree turns). When these turns happen, I lose sight of the computer/ smartphone screen, and I have to either guess what the sifu is doing, try to remember what to do (I do preview the routine before doing it), or just free-style.

Could you suggest some routines that:

1. Don't have any turns, so I can keep my eyes on the sifu's demo on the screen

Or

1. Are short so I can easily remember even when not watching the sifu on the screen

Thanks a bunch!

PS, if you have any recommendations that fit the above specs and also include sword/ sabre movements, that would be cool to know.

From his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DgRHTTDyg/

One common misconception in the Chinese martial arts community, particularly when discussing the concepts of internal and external martial arts, is the belief that Jin (勁) and Li (力) have completely different meanings. Some people assume that Jin is used exclusively in internal martial arts, whereas Li is reserved for external martial arts.

First of all, we need to understand that Jin and Li are used in ways that often differ very little in meaning. In many contexts, they can even be used interchangeably without any meaningful difference. This is largely because the meanings of Chinese words often depend more on the context in which they are used than on the words themselves in isolation.

In the context of Chinese martial arts, both Jin and Li can refer to power, strength, or force. Which term is chosen depends more on the speaker’s context, language, linguistic preferences, and way of communicating than on any fundamental distinction between the two words.

For example, Cantonese speakers in southern China tend to use Li, while people in northern China may use Jin in certain contexts. This is a matter of linguistic preference. When you hear a Cantonese speaker pronounce Jin as “Geng,” it can sound rather odd to the ear.

We must first understand that neither of these words was coined specifically for Chinese martial arts. Both have existed in the Chinese language since ancient times, long before martial arts developed into their various forms. Rather, practitioners of different martial arts have chosen to use these terms according to their own understanding, linguistic preferences, language backgrounds, and ways of communicating. Put simply, the words come to carry different meanings because different people use them differently.

Therefore, from the outset, there was no rule stating that only practitioners of internal martial arts were entitled to use the word Jin, or that any martial art using the word Li must be an external martial art. In an era when communication was far less convenient than it is today, the choice of terminology was largely a matter of individual usage and personal expression. It had nothing inherently to do with whether a martial art was classified as internal or external.

Later, however, because Taijiquan is regarded as a quintessential internal martial art and traditionally uses the term Jin to describe its power, people began to associate the word exclusively with internal martial arts. As a result, practitioners of various martial arts started making a point of using Jin throughout their terminology to emphasize their arts’ supposedly internal art.

In reality, however, classical texts on other internal martial arts, such as Xingyiquan and even Baguazhang, commonly use the term Li.

Even earlier Taijiquan masters frequently used Li as well. This is because the choice between these terms depends entirely on context. A Chinese reader would generally find such usage perfectly natural and would not feel that anything was amiss.

Let me give you a few examples from the writings of Li Yaxuan, a renowned master of Yang-style Taijiquan.

楊師之發勁，打去鬆沉軟彈，有透力

“Master Yang’s power release (Fa Jin) is relaxed, sinking, soft, and springy, with penetrating power (Li).”

As we can see, even when describing the qualities of Master Yang’s Jin, the text still uses the word Li.

Consider another example:

在發勁時，要神氣的鼓蕩，又要以腰脊上的動力

“When issuing power, or performing Fa Jin (發勁), the spirit and Qi must surge and expand, while the driving force (Li) must come from the waist and spine.”

Here, too, the description of Jin uses the word Li within the very same sentence. Using Li to describe a particular quality of force is entirely normal.

Simply put, Taijiquan uses Jin and Li in different contexts. It is true that Taijiquan commonly uses Jin to refer to its power, but Li has never been entirely excluded. It is still used in certain contexts, and in some cases, Jin and Li can even be used interchangeably.

Furthermore, from a linguistic perspective, Jin is often used adjectivally or as a bound morpheme—that is, as an element that modifies another word to express a particular quality of force or power—rather than as an independent word meaning force or power in its own right.

This is one reason Taijiquan practitioners do not always use Jin on its own. Instead, they often combine it with other words to form specific terms. For example, the power associated with Taijiquan itself is called Taiji Jin, while particular types of power are described using terms such as Ting Jin (Listening Jin), Chen Jin (Sinking Jin), Tan Jin (Spring Jin), Peng Jin, and Hua Jin.

By contrast, Li is primarily used as a noun. Using it by itself can sound comparatively blunt or unsophisticated in Taijiquan terminology, which may explain why it is less favored in some contexts. Nevertheless, when referring to force or strength in general, practitioners still use Li to describe the qualities of Jin itself.

Combined with the fact that Li is commonly used in all three major traditional internal martial arts—Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang—it becomes clear that Li is also an established term within internal martial arts.

Therefore, neither Jin nor Li determines whether a martial art is internal or external. The choice of terminology has more to do with the speaker’s preference, the context, and the linguistic conventions being followed.

In Taijiquan, for instance, Yang Jianhou once explained the distinction between Jin and Li within the context of his own teaching. His explanation subsequently became influential, and Taijiquan practitioners came to favor Jin over Li when discussing their power. However, this was his way of defining and explaining the terms within his own art. It did not establish a rule governing other martial arts.

If another internal martial art uses Li instead of Jin, that does not diminish its status as an internal martial art. Conversely, if an external martial art calls its power Jin, that does not transform it into an internal martial art.

Ultimately, what distinguishes internal martial arts from external martial arts is not the terminology they use, but their training methods and underlying approaches.

External martial arts tend to emphasize training the body and refining techniques, progressively developing and coordinating physical skills toward greater precision and internal integration.

Internal martial arts, by contrast, begin by organizing the body to cultivate and nourish Qi. Through foundational practices—which may appear repetitive or even tedious—practitioners learn to listen to their energy, gradually connecting internal skills with their external martial applications.

As for the words themselves, their use depends on the speaker and the way the speaker chooses to communicate. In reality, Jin and Li often have very similar meanings and can sometimes be used interchangeably. What differs is primarily the context in which they are used and the person using them.

Do you??????

But seriously, let's put aside the disagreements or speculation on what Qi is or feels like. How does it feel to you, or how has your teacher described it or talked about it? Do you think it's a relevant question?

My own teacher hasn't really emphasized it or ton, it's more used with cues, e.g. "sink qi" which has to do with breathing, filling the dan tian, etc. I think the sensations associated with this change over time so I'm not very concerned with trying to pin anything down as Qi. Interesting sensations may arise but I have learned through my own meditation practice not to give them too much importance. Otherwise it's easy to get hyperfixated :)

My first video to officially start a Taiji focused channel.

I'm normally not a fan of yiquan-powered taijiquan, but I think CS Tang strikes a good balance here.

Some might be familiar with his book, The Complete Book of Yiquan.

At first, I thought this short form might be derived from something like He Fusheng's bagua taijiquan, but I think it's Tang's own interpretation of Yang style.

It's interesting to see how he uses bagua-style stepping and not Yang-style spinning in postures like Fair Lady and Swing Over Lotus. I wonder if that kind of footwork is helpful to seniors (or anyone else who may find the spin moves too challenging).

Have you ever noticed how similar needle at sea bottom, aka pick up needle from sea bottom, looks to a shoulder throw? It is the only posture in Yang style at least (or the only one I have encountered) that bends forwards at the hip in a way that could create a pivot for a judo like throw. Also in some versions of it (as it might depend on lineage) the arms move in a very similar way to a shoulder throw or something like that while the pivot is formed and the center of gravity is lowered. The only thing that might be questionable for this application is putting the weight onto one foot as the other is on the toes but empty, but even that might not need to be changed if the angle, momentum and leverage is set up correctly. What are your thoughts about this? Might it be a lost application, or is it likely just a coincidence? What do you understand as being the possible applications for it?

Needle at Sea Bottom Example

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hIwaLNYlaJY

Judo Shoulder Throw Example (ippon seoi nage, as I understand)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3tY_4c6J_jg