Flow in Slow and Even Rhythm
Taijiquan Quote of the Week
“Try not to stop at the end of each posture once you start feeling comfortable with them. The movements should flow together in a slow and even rhythm.”
It’s clear instruction, and it’s good advice.
One preemptive way of getting smooth moves, especially between postures, is to learn larger chunks of form before digging into the details.
Like framing a house before putting up sheet rock and paint, or like examining a book’s contents and skimming it before reading the text, getting an overarching view of a form provides a great structure before going deeper.
(We tackle Old Yang Form that way in the Old Yang Taijiquan Course. First an overview, then dig into details…)
Power Taiji (yep: this is an affiliating link) is one of my favorites. Erle Montaigue and Michael Babin spend 184 pages detailing:
- Qigong Theory and Practice
- Taiji Long Form
- Basics of Push-Hands and Related Methods
- Advanced Concepts: the Four Levels of Taiji
- Form Applications and Self-Defense
Back in the mid-90’s, I learned the details of the Long Yang Chen Fu Taijiquan Form from this book. The written details match the pictures…and it’s loaded. For some, the level of detail may be overwhelming. But if you’re into lots of precise text about where to put your hands & feet and how to breathe for every single Taiji posture, you’ll dig this book.
Power Taiji is a Classic Taiji Text.
Check out Power Taiji.
This series — Taijiquan Quote of the Week — pulls a quote from a Taijiquan book and wonders about it briefly. This series intends to offer quick insights and brief glimpses into Taiji Treasures.
