Blog

Mar 28 2023

March 2023 updates

Here is an overview of the new videos that are available as of March 2023:

Long Form: “20 – Snake creeps down to Golden cockerel stands on one leg” This sequence offers both something old and new. You already know how to do Snake creeps down, but Golden cockerel stands on one leg is new. Once you master this sequence, we can make another jump forward in the form with a sequence learned before, but with a twist…
Self-Defense – Golden cockerel stands on one leg to White snake spits out its tongue: I showed the basic application of this technique in this video, along with a variation that is a common experience.
Q&A 31 ” Complementing a hard style with Tai Chi Chuan”: Many practitioners of hard styles (Karate, Kung Fu, etc.) try to complement their training with the “softness” of Tai Chi Chuan. There are some caveats to take into account when you try that and I go deeper into them here.

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Mar 05 2023

Here is an overview of the new videos that are available as of February 2023:

Long Form: “19: Seven stars to Single whip” This is where the labyrinth comparison comes up again. You need to keep the segments clear in your head or you’ll end up doing the same part over and over…
Exercises 10 – Hip mobility: As requested, a video on how to improve your hip mobility. If you have trouble sinking into a horse stance or doing movements like Snake creeps down, this is for you.
Q&A 30: “Training Tai Chi without Chuan”: Most practitioners do Tai Chi and not Tai Chi Chuan. But what does the absence of the “fist” mean for the practice of the art? I cover that in this video.

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Feb 06 2023

Here is an overview of the new videos that are available as of January 2023:

Long Form: “18 Fair lady works at shuttle to fair lady works at shuttle” This section gave me trouble for the longest time when I was a beginner. It is the first time in the form we explicitly work on spiraling motions and in many ways the only time. The key, as often, is in the correctness of stances and weight transfers.
Self-Defense: “Fair lady works at shuttle – hard application” I showed the “soft” version before and this time I demonstrate a “hard” application. It still has the potential for softness in it, but this variation is more suited to circumstances in which you need to end the attack immediately.
“Q&A 29 – Why teach the forms in this way?” I’ve explained this before, but in this video, I go into more detail on the reasons behind structuring the online course in this way.

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Dec 31 2022

Here is an overview of the new videos that are available as of December 2022:

Long Form: “17 Parting wild horse s mane to Parting wild horse s mane” Another longer section added in one go. These techniques look relatively easy and the sequence isn’t hard to remember. Yet many practitioners find it hard to get them right at first, so don’t let them fool you…
Self-Defense: “Separate hands to Parting wild horse’s mane” Now that we have covered this section in the long form, it’s good to be able to visualize one of the applications it represents.
“Q&A 28 – Open hand configurations” Last month covered how to make a fist, this month I talk about the different ways we use the open hand.

Dec 11 2022

Here is an overview of the new videos that are available as of November 2022:

Long Form: “16 Swing fist to Oblique single whip” Another long section gets added as it is similar to the short form. However, this is one of those spots where it is easy to make a mistake and get lost.
Self-Defense: “Grasping bird’s tail to Fair lady works at shuttle” As requested, more detail of this application. Fair lady is coming up next in the long form, so I wanted to show this first application for it. The one for December will show the not-so-nice variation…
“Q&A 27 – How to make a fist” When I watch a practitioner do the form, it is immediately clear if he understands the applications or not. You can tell simply by the way he makes a fist.