Practising Tai Ji effectively

check

1.     Relax

2.     do your elbows relax and roll in while changing position?

3.     do you keep your chin in, neck erect, torso upright?

4.     where do you look?

5.     how about your fingers, palms, fists?

6.     do you drop your shoulders?

7.     do you cave your chest in?

8.     do you bend your knees, not reaching?

9.     do you move slowly? maintain continuation … are you pulling the silk thread from the cocoon?

10.   are you breathing naturally? keeping air in the balloon while releasing energy?

11.   how about your weight shifting?

12.   do you observe the Quiet moment in the beginning and ending faithfully?

13.   are you sure you try to harmonise your movement with your breathing?

14.   do you plant your feet firmly –  standing, moving? your toes the right degree – 45 or 90? do you feel secure, stable, comfortable?

15.   do you coordinate your arms-legs, hands-feet, elbows-knees? do you harmonise your movement-breathing, breathing-mind as they should?

Finally – do you concentrate with an aware, detached, and easy mind?

Slowness – distinctness of movement and attuned to calmness of mind.
Swimming in air – feel the air, the body has become lighter and more pliable. This feeling of buoyancy and suppleness derives from firmly rooting the feet and using the body in dry swimming.
Linkage – the flow – keep the Qi running through pulling silk – must pull slowly, easily, and steadily.
Tranquillity – the mind literally embraces the postures and vice versa.
Breathing – not to be too concerned about breathing, but focus on the techniques of the postures and then incorporate the breathing. Ultimately, the breathing becomes such an intrinsic part of the exercise that you will not even have to think of it.
Develop good habits based on the principles you have learned.

The results depend on correct teaching, perseverance, and natural talent.

Our Tai Ji form

Wu Ji

You Ji

Tai Ji two opposites
Breathing, arms up and down

1) Pull left and right

Four directions, eight changes

Section 1

2) Push forward left elbow, push forward right elbow

Pull, push, hold, push

3) Single whip

4) Push forward right elbow

5) Stork unfolding wings

6) Brush left knee, with left hand

7) Holding guitar

8) Brush left knee with left hand

9) Brush knee, right and left, four times

10) Holding guitar

11) Step forward, left and right

12) Grip left hand, fist right hand

13) Cross hands

14) Hold down with both hands

15) Turn rightward knees bent

16) Cross hands

17) Brush knee, corner direction

18) Brush knee, turning around

Pull, push, hold, push

19) Single whip, corner direction

Section 2

20) Right fist under left elbow

21) Brush knee, left and right, step backward, four times
22) Pull left and right, corner direction

23) Stork unfolding wings, reverse

24) Push forward right elbow

25) Stork unfolding wings

26) Brush left knee, with left hand

27) Fishing needle from the bottom of the sea

28) Left palm outward push, right palm upward on top of head, and bend both knees

29) Turn around, swing right fist

30) Grip left hand, fist right hand, and step forward

31) Pull

32) Single whip

33) Sailing with clouds, step sideward left

34) Single whip

Section 3

35) Mounting horse

36) Cross hands, stretching heel right

37) Cross hands stretching heel, left

38) Brush left knee to the corner, then right knee to the corner

39) Step forward, right fist, low to the corner

40) Turn around right fist

41) Mounting horse

42) Cross hands, stretching heel right, right leg step back

43) Shooting tiger right and left

44) Two fists on ears

45) Cross hands, pushing left heel

46) Turn around, pushing right heel

47) Grip left hand, fist right hand

48) Cross hands

49) Hold down with both hands

50) Turn rightward knees bent

51) Cross hands

52) Brush knee, corner direction

53) Brush knee turning around

Pull, push, hold, push

54) Single whip, corner direction

Section 4

55) Holding guitar

56) Splitting horse mane 1, 2, 3

57) La belle weaving 1, 2, 3, 4

58) Holding guitar

59) Step forward, left and right

60) Single whip

61) Sailing with clouds

62) Down stretching

63) Rooster

64) Brush knee, left and right, step backward, four times               

65) Pull left and right, corner direction

66) Stork unfolding wings, reverse

67) Push forward right elbow

68) Stork unfolding wings

69) Brush left knee, with left hand

70) Fishing needle from the bottom of the sea

71) Left palm outward push, right palm upward on top of head, and bend both knees

72) Turn around, swing right fist

73) Grip left hand, fist right hand, and step forward

74) Pull

75) Single whip

Section 5

76) Sailing with clouds, step sideward left

77) Single whip

78) Mounting horse

79) Changing palms

80) Turn around stretching right leg

81) Brush knee

82) Step forward and low punch

83) Single whip

84) Down stretching

85) Seven stars

86) Riding tiger

87) Turn around, mounting horse

88) Turn around, hands brush right foot

89) Shooting tiger

90) Mounting horse

91) Turn around right fist

92) Mounting horse

93) Grip left hand, fist right hand

94) Single whip

Close Tai Ji
Breathing, arms up and down