learn Tai Chi

I have been learning taijiquan for about a year and I am getting much better at the first form (old frame). I am currently also learning two other forms, as well as chi kung, push hands and applications. I have had back problems, but doing the silk reeeling excercises and the forms definitely help. If you have a good teacher, and mine certainly is, it has great martial applications too. I feel stronger now and I am more calm and focused, especially after classes.

I learned the shaking pole excercise, which is a good upper body excercise for tai chi and I was told it was also part of the spear form. It was pretty cool. My saturday instructor came back from a full time taijiquan camp in China and taught us a few foundation and self defence moves he learned while he was there. It was a good week for leaning new things.

I had a great week doing taijiquan. I’ve learned about 65 moves of the chen first form, so I’m close to learning the choreography of my first form. I also got to do some push hands and sword form with a visitor to the school, a disciple who had moved to Jerusalum two and half years ago. His form was awesome. It’s inspiring to see someone do something so well. I’ve done a bit of the sword form before, but it always looks so clumsy. But inspiration is a great motivator.

Taday I learned something really cool in my tai chi class. One of the master’s disciples invited me to do some push hands with him and showed me an application of cloud hands. At first he was just pushing me around and I couldn’t do anything about it and then he showed me that if I applied cloud hands properly I could stand my ground and even push back. I was very impressed.

I began taking chen style taijiquan in December and I almost know half of the Yilu (81) form. To be fair I should say I know half of the choreography of this form, because I think it takes a long time to do the form well.
I have also begun learning the Hunyuan 24 form and chi kung. I never thought tai chi could be so hard, especially on the legs. But it’s definitely worth it.