Comments on: Chen Zhonghua Workshop Summary Part 1

By: wujimon

wujimon — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:07:38 +0000

@Akira: In the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method, the tile hand is held throughout the whole form. I'm not sure if you've ever done aikido, but the "ki hands" in aikido have a lot of power. It's all about the intention put on the hands/wrist. The same is true in the Chen Practical Method. If the hand held tightly in tile hand, but the wrist is limp, then there can be a break in structure. Yang style taiji has a similar thing in the Fu Zhongwen line of Yang about the wrist being like a kink in the water hose to exert more power. In the Chen Practical Method, movements are driven by the kua. The intention is to think of twisting a towel between your two hands. Practically, this could be used during a punch, counter to a wrist grab, basically anything where a horizontal split energy is required. For more on the kua, check out the great Function and Usage of the Kua article on the Internal Arts IA blog. Additionally, check out the Energy Alignment DVD Review article I wrote as it highlights some of Master Chen Zhonghua's DVDs. Not only do they cover movement instruction, but also practical application and energy alignment for EACH AND EVERY MOVE in the form.

By: Akira Hojo

Akira Hojo — Mon, 31 May 2010 03:20:58 +0000

Is the tile hand only held during certain action/movement, like fa jin, or it’s like that all the way through the form? I have done only the 42 Competition Form, from a Yang family perspective, and it seems the only time we shape our hands similar to the chinese tile is during Yee Ma Fen Zhong (parting the wild horse’s mane). After that move, I was told by my teacher to relax the wrist and hand again. Also in the video above, can you explain a bit more about the wrist being locked? And during the Twisting the Towel exercise, what actually moves the body, the dantien alone or including the kua? What is the intention when doing this exercise?

By: Tile Hand in Chen Tai Chi « Chinese Boxing etc.

Tile Hand in Chen Tai Chi « Chinese Boxing etc. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:59:53 +0000

[...] his discussion of the Chen Taiji Tile hand you may want to see. It is a two part article starting here. Chen Zhonghua studied with Hong Junsheng. Hong Junsheng was a master who studied with Chen Fake. [...]

By: Rick Matz

Rick Matz — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:06:24 +0000

What you described with that hand shape was what I learned in Yoshinkan Aikido.

By: taijiquestion

taijiquestion — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:56:57 +0000

Thanks for these words about taiji practice anywhere/anytime. I know you and I have talked about this topic before. Maybe it’s the most important of all — who knows?

Just a quick mention when I was on an international jet flight recently I found myself in one of the airplanes restrooms which is small closet size as you know. I suddenly smiled and realized I could do “standing taiji practice” even in this tiny imprisoning space. So I did… but only for less than a minute, didn’t want to hog the facilities.