hdougz

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.