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Category Archives: martial arts
Spirit in Taijiquan
This week in Qi Elements’ Taijiquan classes we have been focusing on a combination of three of the Taiji Essentials—an intangible and lively energy lifts the head upward, match up inner and outer, and seek quiescence within movement. All three … Continue reading
More on Giving Up Ego in Taijiquan
We spent some time on Wrist Na training in today’s Taijiquan class. In Wrist Na, you try to keep your palms on top of your partner’s wrists. Your partner uses the Yin and Yang coiling of the “snake climbs over … Continue reading
Posted in martial arts, pushing hands, tai chi chuan, taijiquan, Uncategorized
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Do Women Really Need a Firearm for Self-Defense?
The other day, exercising my curiosity, I googled “Webley Bulldog self-cocking pistol.” I was reading the book Son of the Morning Star about George Custer. According to the book, Custer carried the Webley at the Little Big Horn rather than … Continue reading
Centering
Centering, like other combat training exercises in Taijiquan, should not be practiced as though it were an end in itself. Always keep in mind that it is a step in a progression to building skills in Taijiquan fighting. When I … Continue reading
Posted in martial arts, pushing hands, tai chi chuan, taijiquan
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Who controls your life?
Master Yang often asks, “Do you control your life or does your life control you?” I think that for most people the answer isn’t either or but a question of degree. I think that there are some people that have … Continue reading
Posted in living the taiji life, martial arts, taijiquan
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Taiji Cane
During the past two years I have been developing a Taiji Cane program for Qi Elements Taijiquan curriculum. We have been teaching Taiji Saber for a while, but our saber lacked foundation. I have to admit to a serious prejudice … Continue reading
Posted in martial arts, self defense, tai chi chuan, taijiquan
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Regulating the Spirit: Moderation in attachments
If you want to build up and maintain a calm and steady spirit, it is a common tenet of philosophy that you have to avoid attachment to the things of the world. This is why monks retreat from society and … Continue reading
Posted in living the taiji life, martial arts
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Regulating the Spirit
If you wish to maintain a calm and steady spirit, you must embrace the fact that the world moves in cycles of growth and decay. The cycles may last days, years, centuries or millennia, but they are inevitable and unavoidable. … Continue reading
Posted in living the taiji life, martial arts, taoism
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Alertness and Awareness
My master often mentions the principles of alertness and awareness when he talks about martial spirit. As an assistant Scoutmaster, I stressed the same ideas to the Scouts. What I observe, however, is that many of us in the human … Continue reading
Who are you?
Some people want to gain others’ respect, so they take out a mortgage and buy a big house. Since they can’t take their big house with them when they step outside, they take out another loan and buy a fancy … Continue reading
