Many people come to class and ask the question, “What is the difference between Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and Qigong?” This usually after first asking, what is ‘quee gong’ (qigong)? And the former is a great question.Many schools, like ours, teach Qigong as an integral part of Taijiquan training. Both are body-mind-breath exercises. Both involve gentle movement, good posture and integrating the breath with movements. But only one has a martial arts application. Both practices cultivate gentle and present mind focus. ...  read more

Well, the end of the Rat Year is in sight. Most people will be overjoyed to see the beginning of a new Lunar New Year, although we should all take a moment to reflect on the lessons 2020 has taught us. We’ve become more resilient, more adaptable, more resourceful and more compassionate. They have been hard won but each of these qualities will continue to benefit us for the rest of our lives, no more so than in our Tai ...  read more

There have been numerous studies done over the last few decades on the therapeutic benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi. If you perform a search on PubMed for Tai Chi you will generate 2,028 abstracts on the therapeutic benefits in just the last decade. Looking across all these studies it becomes obvious there are several factors that contribute to the therapeutic outcome. The most obvious is physical movement, however there are many more that add depth and better health outcomes ...  read more

It is surprising to find out just how many Yang Style Taijiquan practitioners have never heard of "The 10 Important Points of Practice", and even more surprising to find that they don't embody any of the concepts in their practice. Hopefully, the following will provide some insight into what the Points of Practice are and how to use them. What are they? The 10 Important Points of Practice are credited to Yang Chengfu (1883 – 1936), Yang Lu Chan’s (the ...  read more

Firstly, I want to say “Hello” to all my JinLi family. How are you going? I’ve been challenged and I know I’ve had it easy compared to most in Australia. Time is very strange; the day disappears and I reflect on how long we have been “protecting” ourselves and realise it’s been a relatively short time. Maintaining physical, emotional and intellectual health is vital for us under normal circumstances, and is even more so now. We’re all trying to keep ...  read more

On the 25th January we will start a new Chinese Astrological cycle and the first of the 12 animals is the Rat. According to myth, the Jade Emperor sent a party invitation to the animals stating that the order in which they arrived would determine the Astrological sequence. The Rat persuaded the Ox to give him a ride across the river and as they got close to the river bank the Rat jumped off the Ox and raced ahead, arriving ...  read more

Taijiquan Training in Beijing 2019 – 13 People, One Wheelchair, One Walker, and at least a dozen physical, mental and emotional challenges to overcome. What brought this disparate group together was an unashamed passion, verging on obsession, for Tai Chi. Why mention the wheelchair and the walker? Because the “2 W’s” not only defined us, they taught us so much about ourselves, reinforced what we were learning in our Tai Chi training each day, gave us time to reflect on ...  read more

Can’t Sleep? You aren’t alone. Research by the Sleep Health Foundation, “Asleep on the Job: Counting the cost of poor sleep”, 2017 highlights that poor sleep is affecting 39% of Australian adults that are regularly struggling with their sleep. The 2017 study found that the number of sleep problems among Australians are 5-10% higher than when the Foundation published its first survey on sleep health in 2010. Sleep disorders contribute to diseases and injuries such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, ...  read more

This is our final chapter of “WǔDé – The Definition of a Truly Great Martial Arts Practitioner”. We have spent time reflecting on the 5 Actions or Deeds that we should be seeing in others and cultivating in ourselves: Humility, Loyalty, Respect, Morality and Trust, and will now complete the list of Thoughts or Mental Attitudes with “Will”. The other 4 being Courage, Patience, Endurance and Perseverance. Will (志 – Zhì) Without the will to do something, you will do ...  read more

In our Ninth instalment of “WǔDé – The Definition of a Truly Great Martial Arts Practitioner” we will look at “Perseverance”. Perseverance is already being displayed by those of you who have continued to read all the articles in this series. Now let’s look at why that’s so important. Perseverance (毅 – Yì) Perseverance is the ability to continue on with effort and diligence despite all obstacles. When we consider the five thoughts associated with WǔDé, perseverance is the cornerstone ...  read more