tai chi?

[Pranaman]

I practice qigong and hatha/kundalini yoga everyday. Why should I practice tai chi? What is tai chi's purpose?

[Ryan T.]

Why should I practice tai chi? What is tai chi's purpose?

 

Health, meditation and self-defense. It really does contain "Taoist" philosophy within it's movements, if done correctly.

 

There are plenty of other paths available so I would never say someone "should" practice t'ai-chi. But it may open doors that other meditations may not.

[Pranaman]

Health, meditation and self-defense. It really does contain "Taoist" philosophy within it's movements, if done correctly.

 

There are plenty of other paths available so I would never say someone "should" practice t'ai-chi. But it may open doors that other meditations may not.

 

So t'ai-chi forms are essentially good for health, meditation, self-defense, and teaches you balance through the forms being 'metaphors' of wisdom? If this is the case, that would certainly dig deep into the subconscious.

[Ryan T.]

So t'ai-chi forms are essentially good for health, meditation, self-defense, and teaches you balance through the forms being 'metaphors' of wisdom? If this is the case, that would certainly dig deep into the subconscious.

 

Exactly. When a concept like "the soft overcomes the hard" is given proofs in your exercise/meditation/martial art(which t'ai-chi is) these ideas find their way into most every other aspect of one's existence. I find myself applying these ideas without thinking about them.

 

Again, T'ai-Chi isn't the only practice that can provide this type of phenomena. But I do think the Taoist internal martial arts(T'ai-Chi, Pa-Kua, Hsing-Yi and Liu Ho Pa Fa) all have this in common.

[Spectrum]

Compliments chi gung (qiqong) as a moving whole body meditation. Postures can be cultivated in stillness, in cyclic movement (single moves) and complete sets (ie 24, 48, 108, etc.) There is body poetry and history just below the surface.

[Taiji Bum]

If you do qigong and hatha/kundalini yoga then all your really missing is self-defense and thats what taijiquan is good for.

[Pranaman]

As a complete beginner to external arts, what would you tell someone trying to learn Liang style Bagua from a video like the second video on this page...

 

Footwork

Bagua Vids

[Gerard]

Doing static work all the time is not healthy. Moving meditation and a martial art like Taiji is a must if you want to enjoy good health from years to come.

 

Btw, Taiji is the highest martial art of all. Very hard to master that's why other Neijia arts like Bagua are helpful because they develop core as well as tendon strength.

 

Read this info:

 

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/a...php?article=544

http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/sh...ead.php?t=53331

 

Good luck!

Edited June 10, 2008 by durkhrod chogori

[Pranaman]

Doing static work all the time is not healthy. Moving meditation and a martial art like Taiji is a must if you want to enjoy good health from years to come.

 

Btw, Taiji is the highest martial art of all. Very hard to master that's why other Neijia arts like Bagua are helpful because they develop core as well as tendon strength.

 

Read this info:

 

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/a...php?article=544

http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/sh...ead.php?t=53331

 

Good luck!

 

thank you and everyone

[minkus]

As a complete beginner to external arts, what would you tell someone trying to learn Liang style Bagua from a video like the second video on this page...

 

Footwork

Bagua Vids

 

Small typo, Bagua is an internal art pranaman, i suggest you check out those video's very carefully and pay attention on how they position there body and keep mind of repetitions they do in the form.

 

Its a must you find yourself a teacher though, video's are a good help after you get the basic principles and have been adyusted by your teacher.

[Ryan T.]

As a complete beginner to external arts, what would you tell someone trying to learn Liang style Bagua from a video like the second video on this page...

 

 

 

There really is no substitute for a good teacher. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, I would suggest you search out a good teacher of the internal martial arts. IMO, videos should only supplemental not a persons primary way of learning.

[Pranaman]

Small typo, Bagua is an internal art pranaman, i suggest you check out those video's very carefully and pay attention on how they position there body and keep mind of repetitions they do in the form.

 

Its a must you find yourself a teacher though, video's are a good help after you get the basic principles and have been adyusted by your teacher.

 

Is there visualization, or just very specific movement that moves chi throughout the body like yoga? I will definitley find a teacher. I just learned the two first steps, and it feels good and tingly in my hands, arms and legs.

Edited June 10, 2008 by Pranaman

[Gerard]

Specific movement in Neijia, visualization (a bit), relaxation and breathing in static Qigong.

[doc benway]

My $.02 about Taijiquan -

Taijiquan is first and foremost a martial art. It's origin is lost in history and it's earliest sources come from writings by Huang Zongxi(1610-1695). There's an excellent article about Taijiquan and Daoism by Douglas Wile in The Journal of Asian Martial Arts. First came the martial art, then came the philosophical interpretations and descriptions of the martial art, then came the standardization of the forms, then came the application to health and fitness. That's a general description of it's development that I think is pretty accurate.

 

For me, taijiquan combined with Dao meditation has helped to develop a closer bond between body and mind. The slow practice of the forms allows an opportunity for the awareness to be very deeply connected to the movements. Over time the awareness controls the body with less and less delay. Also, the gradual development of optimal posture and timing helps to develop surprising power using very little excess energy or wasted movement.

 

Taiji is good for bulding balance, timing, coordination, flexibility, strength, and mind/body coordination. It's primary purpose, however, is as a fighting art. Unfortunately, most teachers aren't well versed in the martial aspect of the art, that is, the martial training techniques. Most teachers teach the form and then make up applications based on the postures. Furthermore, I think it is extremely difficult and requires a lot of patience and dedication to really make it work in a combat setting. For most people, the health benefits are more important than the martial benefits anyway and the majority of the health benefits come directly from practicing the form.

 

Finally, in my experience, to really get the maximum benefit from taiji practice, you should combine it with Dao meditation practice. The two go together like hand and glove. I hope that helps.

 

Is there visualization, or just very specific movement that moves chi throughout the body like yoga?

Most definitely yes, but I'd hesitate to call it "visualization" actually. It's more like a different type of awareness, a 6th sense if you will. Some would call it visualization but I think the 'visual' image is actually a hinderance. It's more like imagination.

 

In the begining you simply learn the physical movements of the form.

Later comes the coordination of mind and body.

This aspect is why Dao meditation is so important in achieving higher levels of skill in taiji.

[Pranaman]

so what type of imagination? is it basically awareness meditation in motion? or does it involve color, energy points, chakras?

[wenwu]

[doc benway]

so what type of imagination? is it basically awareness meditation in motion? or does it involve color, energy points, chakras?

Imagination isn't the right word. No color. Energy is a word much too loaded with preconceived ideas, IMO. In Dao meditation, the begining practice does involve moving this awareness from point to point and some of these points correspond somewhat to chakras but not exactly. They are points in the system of qi flow developed in traditional Chinese medicine. I'm not saying that these are the points as determined by the Chinese system, just that the Chinese developed a system communicate and study what they were experiencing - there's a big difference, IMO - no system determines reality, just poorly attempts to communicate experience.

 

The reason I used the word imagination is that when I first started to practice Taiji, I read Waysun Liao's book which described using the imagination to begin to experience the "feeling" of qi. This imagery stuck in my mind but it's much closer to intention and attention than to imagination.

[Spectrum]

When you start find wuji, no thought, attention to dantien, do moving form, return to stillness, move from stillness.