The First Complete Energetic Third of the Yang Chen Fu Long Form
The first third is an energetic warm-up. Warming the colon and lungs, energizing the stomach, liver, and heart, and revitalizing the central nervous system, this energetic first third introduces repetitive, refrain-like concepts of Grasp Swallow’s Tail, Single Whip, and Step-Parry-Punch.
This is an early Yang Chen Fu form: it maintains martial integrity. For example, Brush Knee Twist Step, in this version, utilizes weighted turning rather than removing weight from the turning leg. In various ways and for many reasons, an unweighted turn invites contortion at the knee joint. This form, by maintaining martial integrity, creates opportunities, unheard of in shorter “easy” forms, for fitness and joint health and mobility.
This early version also contains many motions unknown to many Yang Stylists: like Fishes in Eight! It’s a great form. After learning it, you’ll know why a long form is superior to a short form in many, many ways. Plus —learn this one and your transition into learning Grandpa Lu-chen’s form will be smooth and explosive.
Boost your learning speed by reading and digging through Erle Montaigue’s Power Taiji. Use the following list to supplement your process. And watch and learn with Erle’s free videos to get this Form now.
Motility, Long Form, Applications, Pushing-Hands, Striking!
The system of Tai Chi Chuan begins and evolves through five methods: light, sensitive body exploration, properly executed form practice, amplified and visualized self-defense and/or healing scenarios, precise push-hands training, and coiling striking motions. Real Taiji classes include
- exploring natural joint motions
- form practice (and some Qi-gong)
- application visualizations
- push-hands training (structural, not spaghetti-style)
- striking practices
Classes and class components evolve and compound upon one another.
Many Martial Systems and Healing Schools base their advertising or their dialogue on philosophical statements. Ideas of integrity and honesty resound in such schools, across the country, and these schools often proclaim Wondrous Abilities and Dramatically Peaceful Ideologies. Fantastic, hopeful visions saturate our martial and healing arts.
Neither the philosophies nor the principles that guide our Institutions, Economies, or Nations are grounded. Religious fervor, manic profit motivations, and ideological agendas flood pulpits, corrupt corporate boardrooms, and blanket the news. And although Many Of Us search for Realistic Ideas, Compassion, and Acts of Kindness, we are, either through hope or despair, desperate for help.
Along comes Tai Chi Chuan and Yoga and a New Age. Sifus and Gurus and Masters demonstrate Apparent Powers by pushing students remarkable distances, contorting bodies, and reading into minds and futures. We live in an age where Fantasy suppresses Truth and Word oppresses Knowledge.
I appreciate your support. Thanks.
—Steven Smith
A Real Taiji Workshop — Friday 15 August 2008, 6 pm - 9 pm
Immerse in the fundamentals of internal work. The emphasis in this workshop is self-awareness and healing potential. You will have a chance to dismantle belief systems and disrupt thought processes by exploring feeling-awareness.
- natural breathing
- reverse breathe
- tense
- relax
- find subtle waves
- examine cranial fluid waves in particular
We’ll use specific bits from World Taiji Boxing Association’s Yang Chen Fu’s Long Form; in particular, know Lift Hands and Cloud Hands. Qigong and a bit of ground work will deepen the breathing and the being-breathed sensations.
I avoided committing words on this site because I made some infrastructure changes. Along with some minor changes, like simple theme adjustments (and new ones to unveil soon), I made a jump to a new service provider. The new provider allows much more room to grow.
I’ve avoided writing here because I wrote other places, like forums and responding on others’ blogs. And I often got caught in a subtle trap: while explaining how I teach or experience pushing hands, I’d inevitably draw out an offended person who punch and kick with sarcasm and examples of Masters who could show the True-Way to soft-push-hands.
I lack a strong Ward-off for emotionally young conversations. And I don’t yet know how to Roll-Back my ire to accurately or gently express my disdain for sloppy-push-hands. I Squeeze my inner spittle in the eye of intellectualized discussions about peng, lu, an, ji. Meanwhile, I fail to accurately Press the delight and power and self-defense inherent in my experience of Taijiquan and Baguazhang.
I avoided writing, because, well, writing seems so rigid, so committed, so aggressively attached to concepts and ideas and thoughts.
