When we think of Tai Chi the first thing that comes to mind is the principles of Yin and Yang.We know that if we can separate everything clearly into Yin and Yang, and the body moves in unison, our whole body becomes an interconnected unit of Yin and Yang energy.However, what a lot of people fail to realise is that the Yin and Yang is relative and constantly changing.For example:- If you put your weight on your right foot, it ...  read more

One of the first things you will encounter when starting to learn any Chinese Martial Art including Tai Chi is how to “Salute”. The Salute is actually called “Wǔshù bàoquán lǐ”, which means “Martial Arts Fist Ceremony” or “Wǔshù lǐ shǒu”(Martial Arts Ritual Hands), which already gives you a feeling that it’s important. If you come from a Western background, you may think it’s “puffery”, “not important”, “old-fashioned”, or “a waste of precious class time”, but it is steeped in ...  read more

Qigong has its origins amidst the creation of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist thought and philosophy. Most will have heard mention of Yin Yang in relation to our Qigong and Taijiquan, and if not, at least in relation to the Chinese culture.The Yin Yang dates back more than 500 BCE in ancient China, but a lesser-known concept, which had its origin around this time, was the Five Elements, now referred to as The Five Elements Theory. Yin Yang Theory is ...  read more

As a healthcare practitioner for over 26 years, I am well placed to observe clients/patients breathing patterns. One thing has become obvious over that time and it is the fact that most people now seem to have a baseline of chronic stress that has become normalized. I observe this in their; demeanour, muscle tension, speed of speech, symptoms reported and most importantly, by how rapid and shallow their breathing has become. This breathing pattern has become their set point i.e., ...  read more

In your first class at JinLi-Wushu Tai Chi you will hear the word “Qigong”. A brief explanation usually follows. The word “Qigong” has two parts to it; firstly ‘Qi’ which is briefly described as vital energy or sometimes life force (and the topic of our discussion); secondly the word ‘gong’ meaning work, skill, labour, cultivation, or effort. So loosely translated, Qigong means energy work/skill. More specifically Qigong (pronounced “chee-gung” and sometimes spelt ‘chi-kung’), is translated from Chinese to mean “Energy ...  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

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

The concept of WǔDé (武德) – Martial Morality, where our actions and our thoughts combine to define us as a truly great martial arts practitioner can be put to the test in the five “Thoughts”: Courage, Patience, Endurance, Perseverance and Will. It can be said that the concepts of Endurance, Patience, Perseverance and Will are almost identical yet they all have subtle differences. When we consider the four, Patience is the ability to accept hardship, Endurance is the ability to ...  read more