ChiDragon

You welcome....

I am also learning it from the site below. Since you had learned the 24-step short form, maybe it is good reference for you. The good thing about it was that the video is showing the movements from the backside. [media] [/media] BTW I had it in mind to cite this for you before you went to China. Maybe it is not too late.

I had a good teacher, she taught a new set of movements each week. In class we learn and practice the set for two hours then go home to practice twice each day. Next week, we learn a new set again, In class again practice from the previous set of movements plus the new set. Practice again at home in the same manner. The third week, we learn the third set, then go home again and practice the three sets continuously twice a day until all the set of the 108 movement were learned. With this teaching and practicing method, The practitioners have no problem in remembering all the movements. BTW The 24-step short form was simplified by the Chinese government, in 1956, so it will be less complicated for all the common people to practice it. Since then, the westerner were interested in the Tai Ji Chuan and went to learn in China. The 24-step short form was taught to them. The westerners brought and taught in their own country. Thus the 24-step short form become an international standard, so, all can compete in Beijing.

Yes, there are lots of steps were repeated.

I had learned the 108 Yang style long time ago and practiced since then on my own. Tai Ji requires lots of patience at the beginning regardless of what style that was. I always like to practice it and talk about it with someone but no one seems to be interested. What part of Southern California do you live in...??? Maybe we can get together and have some fun in a discussion.

Yes, Yang style tai ji.

Check the Chinese Yellow Page. BTW I live in Southern California too. Do a google search: chen style tai chi los angeles

Yes, for a novice, there are pains on the knee caps due to the initial stress for the cold joints. After a long time practice, your knee caps will be able to withstand the stress and no more pain, even though you have the knee caps passed the toes. If you exert a little force in the legs or Fa Jin, you will feel that your muscles are hard as a rock and be careful who you kick....!!!

Ya Mu... I had read some of the reports from some researchers; but most of them are just superficial words and not conclusive. They still do not show any correlation between the two systems. That was why I made such a statement.

Moved from another thread....

The fatal environment is the opposite of lines 10 thru 14: 10.Walking on land will not meet a rhinoceros or a tiger. 11.Enlisted man will not be harmed by weapons. 12.Rhinoceros has no chance to thrust its horn. 13.Tiger has no chance to utilize its claws. 14.Weapon have no chance to cut with its sharpen edge. 16.以其無死地。 .以: because of 其: he; she; it 無: none; don't have 死地: death place; dead end; a dangerous place; fatal environment; a place will cause one's death. It can be translated as: He has no land of death which means he has not run into any dangerous place. PS.... The key character, here, is 無(wu). Most of the time, it was use as an adjective as none but over here it was used as a verb(don't have).

Aaron.... Good point...!!! I was going to start a thread similar to this one but you beat me to it. Nowadays, the native Chinese practitioners of TCM tend to claim that TCM is preventive rather than a cure to an aliments. The efficacy of TCM are by words of mouth. Mostly lightly each individual case are described differently from each practitioner. TCM are only concerned with the results rather than having any connection with the modern scientific explanations. Hence, there is always a big conflict between the two systems. Maybe, someday, someone who will step over the line to integrate the two systems with an explanation which will be acceptable for both sides.

Yes, at least, Taoists have enough patience for tolerance........

Yes, water buffalo meats are much tougher....!!!

Amend..................

Self discipline....!!!

kaaazuo.... Please keep in mind this classic text, sometimes, it is impossible to translate from character by character. Some of the characters have classic meanings, one cannot always apply modern definition for the translation. Sometimes, two characters were compounded to have a separate meaning then each individual character. Let me break the phrase and compound the characters. 蓋: In classic, sometimes, this character was placed in front to start a phrase. 聞: heard 善: good at 攝生: preserving life 者: the one. You take the basic meanings of the characters and put them in a sensible order.

Kaazuo..... 5. When desire is not, behold the mystery. 6. When desire is, behold the form. 5. 故常無欲，以觀其妙。 6. 常有欲，以觀其徼。 Based on your translation, you have the comma after the 欲, thus that will change the meaning of the whole phrase. 常無欲: always without desire 常有欲: always with desire That would have arose some questions: 1. Whose desire...??? 2. Whose mystery...??? Please notice where the comma is at in my original translation: 5. 故常無，欲以觀其妙。 6. 常有, 欲以觀其徼。 5. Hence, when Tao is always invisible, one would grok its quale. 6. When Tao is always visible, one would observe its boundary. PS.... May I ask you to start a new thread for questions in each chapter in the future...???

Here is another guy in white has good rooting with the legs to maintain his body balance. Check it out at 1:20. http://v.youku.com/v...IxMjc0NzQ0.html Here is the guy in red again. See how he handles the kicks above the waist from his opponent. BTW he never kick above the waist because he knows better. When he kicks, he always kept one foot on the floor for rooting and leverage. That is why he kicks are so powerful...!!! Even through he was knocked out at 6:35, his feet were still anchored to the floor. http://v.youku.com/v...U2NTMzNjA0.html The opponent cannot withstand the kicks was because he doesn't have any muscle tone in his legs. He was hurt in many places in his left leg. Especially in the beginning, he was hurt in the inside of the left thigh. Keep the legs strong to maintain body balance is what Zuan Zhuang will do for you.

Keep your eyes on the legs of the guy in red to see how he maintain his calm and balance and how powerful his punches are. He has good muscle tone. BTW He is a kung fu expert had won twenty-nine fights in the roll. In the video, he is fighting the bodyguard of the Russian President Putin. http://v.youku.com/v...g==.html

It is mainly building up good muscle tone for the leg muscles. You have good grounding after a long period of practice. Good grounding means good rooting which will allow to anchor your feet to the ground from falling off balance. Good rooting will not allow anyone to push you out of place. The breathing exercise will help you to do the rest of the stuffs that you have asked.

a freelance exorcist....!!! If one believes in such thing....!!!

.......ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Now I get it.....!!!

How can I miss this one....???

A cheerful and friendly 100% truly pure Taoism Master who hates evils does not sell guns for a living nor even touch a gun. Period.