Chen Tai Chi Throws

Despite not going to class for almost 3 weeks (I can't believe how long my body has been screwed up) I haven't lost any of my passion for Chen Tai Chi. I was sparked by some vid clips I saw of a chen push hands seminar here in NYC, and went looking for more understanding of Chen Tai Chi Types of throws. I found this vid clip which I thought was truly insightful. My thanks to the author of the vid clip, an Ian Sinclair of Canada. I was truly impressed!
J

Apologies...

During the past couple of weeks, I have not been able to attend class in the city. The above picture is one of the major reasons why. The picture is of a bacteria known as h. pylori. It is a bacteria that supposedly is linked to stomach cancers/gastritis/ulcers and other types of conditions. Supposedly the best way to deal with that condition is to take a very large combination of doses of antibiotics to kill the bacteria. I don't know about the bacteria, but I have been miserable and my stomach is out of whack which limits my traveling too far from home. Well, maybe one more week and then, i'll finally be done with the treatment which has made me very angry and upset with the medical community, sigh. Please bear with me, as I will continue to try and find more useful information about Chen Tai Chi to share with my readers!
J

Just Figured Out the new youtube embedding...

Just wanted to do justice to Shifu's video clip of Tai Chi Praying Mantis again! Sorry that it took me so long to figure out how to embed it!
J

An Interesting Vid Clip

I like this vid clip. I find this practitioner very powerful and appreciate the spiral energy coming from his waist, hips and weight shift. Just my opinion, but I think his work is inspirational.

Another Consideration for Adjunct Training?

Perhaps it is fate, perhaps it is destiny... it sure seems that a lot of Asian girls always like to tell me about their fates and destiny, but I digress. I got an email notifying me of a meetup group that will help people to get off their butts and onto the road to being able to run 5K or 3 miles within 8 gentle, progressive weeks of training. I know for sure I need something to kick start me back on the road to improved training. And YES, I am aware that getting back to class will be the first step towards that goal.

However, I just wanted to share my thoughts about yet another approach to adjunct training that may improve our Chen Tai Chi practice. If you think you may need some improved cardio or fitness training and you're chunky or lacking energy like me, think about this option!
NO COUCH POTATOS
J

A Few More Crummy Days

Sorry to say, but the incredible stress filled days have really taken a hit on me. Wow.Non-stop, there is a message out there for me, lol, and I must not be getting it!
Anyway, the other day I had a Flushing meetup for Chen and I practiced with a newbie. We managed to him through 4 movements of Lao Jia Yi Lu, and then afterwards, I was cramping terribly in my side while trying to rush in the shower to head out and see my girl. I was so surprised that my side was cramping again because heck, I can do the whole form now and usually now, a practice lasting an hour and half isn't too bad, but gee I guess the stress combined with trying to rush was not a good combo.

I did manage to knock off another crappy article on squidoo about Chen Tai Chi, though yesterday. The new guy kept asking me for references which I really couldn't recommend. That is what prompted me to write the article because to me, the best place to get information aside from Shifu, of course, is the internet. Specifically, I discussed the following... blogs, forums, internet articles and youtube. Realistically it was probably the worst of all the articles I've written, but shoot, any resource is another resource, no?

Have to get back on track with my overall training. The past 10 or so days have just been unbelievable.
J

A Bad Week

Wow, the past 7 days have been so incredibly stress filled with work, unexpected finance hits, and out of town trips and travelling... my Chen training took a back seat this past week, sigh. One of the great things about the internet is being able to read/research things about Chen Tai Chi that can help me keep on track and inspired to train harder and more consistently.

I found this gem yesterday, that has had my mind buzzing all day. Shifu always stresses to us to practice basics and also to practice all the finer detail, but it IS a lot of STUFF to be thinking about. On one of the forums I frequent, one wise gentlemen posted the following:

The 'problem' as I currently see it is people are trying to learn the refined skills but are forgetting about the kicks punches & smashes

AFAIK u need those first before you can begin working on the more refined stuff

No point learning very advanced refined skills if you cant handle a quick one two jab to the face or cant get in if someone stands back & kicks hard at you IMHO

We cannot lose sight of the fact that if we are training for self defense or martial art, what we do MUST always be functional.

If we are training just for the spiritual/artistic reasons, that is ok, but even then, everything we practice has to be done correctly...that is to ensure less injury, longevity in practice and optimum performance.

Hope everyone does better with practice than I did this past week!!
J

Training Log Update

Have to stay on track with my training log. As you can see, I skipped a day on Thursday. My sword practice is no where near where I want it to be. Even though, i'm doing Chen 4x/week, I SHOULD probably really try to do it every day.

Shifu and I discussed where I am with Lao Jia, and I am staying firm in my committment to doing it for 2 years time before starting any of the other 4 classical forms.Please keep in mind, that is my choosing. I really want to get it right and do it well before trying the new stuff. For those who choose not to committ to Lao Jia as I have, that is perfectly cool!! I am the wierd one here, I think lol.

Anyway, I have a goal in mind, that is to be able to do the whole form well, 2-3 consecutive times in a row without too much fatigue. I believe that once I can do that, I will have Lao Jia Yi Lu at a personal acceptable level.

I have decided to add in kicking practice to my training log as of today and I am still debating whether or not to do any running.
J

Tai Chi Praying Mantis

Shifu, in addition to teaching Chen Tai Chi, also teaches Tai Chi Praying Mantis. From what i've heard, this is a Northern Style System with quite a few similarities to our Chen Style Tai Chi. The sets are very dynamic and extremely challenging and often appeals to students who like to try and move a bit quicker in a physical fashion.

Here is a link to the videoclip!

Kids (Why not Adults?) Play 60

I've really been spending a lot of thought about conditioning and my practice performance in Chen Tai Chi and all the weapons forms. I'm also a huge NFL fan, and most of the time I just block out all the kids play 60 commercials on the nfl station, but this week I have really been open minded and thinking about my physical abilities during my high school and college days, vs my physical capabilities now that I am 50 years old.

As a physical therapist, I understand there should be little limitation to what we are capable of as we age; however,my body is telling me otherwise. I get home from work, and i'm tired and i'm drained. Looking over my lifestyle then during my school days, vs now, the big difference is in overall activity level.

I used to bike to commute when I was in therapy school in St Louis, and not having a car, I rode all over St. Louis on my bike to get where I needed to go. Same during my high school years. My friends and I would often get together, for a pick up football game or softball or basketball, even. Doing something was the norm! None of this, get off from work, eat dinner and crash on the bed nonsense that is prevalent for me now.

And all that activity was in addition to my regular training activities. Up until I was 40 I trained in multiple martial arts 7 days a week. After my divorce, things changed dramatically. I'm not really sure why actually.

Anyway, I decided it is time to do something drastic. In addition to my training log, i've decided i'm going to try very hard to do a play 60 for a middle aged adult, lol, why not? I think it has to beat feeling tired and lazy all the time, and just maybe? Is it possible I could regain some higher energy level like I used to have back in the day? I figure it's worth a shot. Just ordered a bicycle which i'm picking up on saturday, and i'm going to try and do something every day in addition to my training regimens. Please wish me luck and perhaps you all will think about what i've written here, I know I am not the only one in this situation! Maybe my Chen will get better, too!
J

Kicks...

I used to have a Shotokan Instructor named Toyotaro Miyazaki. He was a tough taskmaster and he gave us few speeches, but one time, I remember he made a statement, I never forgot. He said, "when you have trouble kicking, you have to kick MORE. If you feel weak or don't have strength, you must train to build up your strength. If you are tight, you must stretch." Etc, etc. The idea is, when you examine what is the weakest aspect of your chosen art, to make it less of a weakness, you need to practice to make that weakness less obvious.

Kicking is a demanding thing because you usually have to support yourself on one leg, while rapidly extending the other in a forceful and fast motion. When you're chunky like me, you have to hold up your whole body weight, and you still need to develop facility with the desired motion. I will have to modify and add a minimum number of kicks into the routines of my usual practice.

I'm still mentally drained from my class yesterday, so I'll think more on this later, and will figure out what is a reasonable and comfortable amount and sequence I will add into my routines of daily practice. Sigh...
J
Yeah, believe it or not, I love all this effort, I really do, even though, i'm complaining. I have faith that in the long run, the effort will pay off, even though in the short interim, I just feel so tired and drained.

When things get really down, I just remember how I started... back then, I could ONLY manage to practice an hour to an hour and a half, AND my legs, thighs and sides of my waist, and lower back kept cramping and my motion and mobility was not even 1/4 what I can do today! So, clearly, even though, I may disappoint Shifu in class here and there, it's obvious that i've improved. With continued practice, I will get better. Hope you all hang in there with me, and keep practicing!

Slow Progress

Yesterday, I was dreading my lesson. It was to be the first day of very warm weather leading into a heat wave, so I was concerned. Already, I had been trying to prep and gradually build up my strength and tolerance, but man, time slips by and although I have been following my schedule, still, I was plagued by quick tiredness and fatigue.

We started off working on Lao Jia Yi Lu with Shifu very closely monitoring my every detail. By the time I got to the kicks I was clearly tired and my jump kick must have really sucked because he insisted on me learning a non-jump methodology to the form. While it is cool that I now have two interpretations/variations of the motion, a big part of my ego, was screaming, "You FAILED." ugh.

Next up, my broadsword form practice. Despite trying trying NOT to go too low in my stances, the fatigue from the Chen form practice overcame my desire to perform well, and I soon showed obvious signs of forgetting a number of the sequences. Shifu said, "you haven't practiced!" But, I know, and even had a partner during my practice on Friday night, sigh...

Next, we moved into the push hands practice and I clearly have to work more on my trunk and hip spiralling...

I'm not discouraged, but need to keep up all the practicing and hoping that all my ancillary and auxiliary training will catch up to my class demands, soon.
J

Variations of the Opening Movement

Shifu spent quite a bit of time working with us yesterday on understanding some of the variations in which we could perform the opening movement. I have it generally pictured here above. Subtle variations in the execution of the movement have variations in the application of the movement to different directions of incoming energy, or attacks. How we apply, chest compression and expansion, where we apply emphasis in position of our hands/wrists relative to our shoulders and elbows also affect the direction of OUR energy applied against an opponent.

These complexities in motion AND ultimate intention and REACTION to an opponent's incoming forces allow for a multitude of techniques and redirection. Learning to combine our spinal/lumbar motion and direct it with our responses is also a critical component of understanding.

Shifu was explaining to us that by so examining and studying the opening motion, we would learn how to apply that to other motions as well. In addition, it clearly showed all of us that the opening motion was a very important one, and NOT JUST how we start the form for practice.

To learn how to avoid too much tension in the arms/hands/shoulders, etc., Shifu directed us to learn to receive the contact, lower the hips and then spiral as needed to achieve the response we wanted from our partner's energies.

One thing that was a recurrent problem for all us to understand was how ONCE we perceived and understood the incoming energy, that we had to react with the appropriate TIMING. Move too late, and the window for a given technique might have passed; move too early and the opponent might be able to withdraw and contact might be lost. I know for myself, until I understood that component of the lesson, I was trying to "sense" what was being applied to me, and hesitating to respond with what I was trying to do, once, I spent less concentration on RECEIVING and registering, I was much better able to apply the techniques.

Shifu was directing us to pay more attention to the Intention of the Movement we are doing at any given time.
J

The Push Hand Form - More detail about it.

Had a chance to discuss this form-method of practice with Shifu on Saturday and Sunday.
Learned that we were working on 4 motions that have chinese names, my apologies for the spelling/pronunciation of them.

Peng - to ward off

Lieh - to split; to separate or twist or offset with spiral motion

Ji - Press

An - to Push.


Discussing this with one of my seniors, he was showing me one of his methods of practice doing just the footwork motion concentrating on the hip motions and weight shift, spiralling, then in combination with the hand work as well. Just another thing to think about and practice!
J

Monday Log Update

While the weekend was productive, I could have been using my time better. However, practice is practice, exercise is good whenever you can find time to do it. Friday nite, very pleased with myself, did cardio, then a friend came over, we went out to dinner, and THEN, we drove into chinatown where he practiced Jow Ga, and I did my broadsword for another hour before heading home!

Saturday and Sunday, had class... then this morning, did my cardio before heading into work.

So many things to work on!
More postings to come!
J

Updating the Log

Well, here is a view of what i've done leading up into this morning. I'm pleased and happy to note that in addition to the exercises done, I've managed to get in a couple of sessions of cardio, as well.

Reviewing what I did last night at home, I do think I need to add in application practice, and basics practice/fighting techniques into the log as well, with a goal of doing that at least twice a week in addition to my Chen practice.

I know that in order to improve and to make actual growth in practical skill, there needs to be sufficient practice put in with a partner. Since I teach my Kali classes on Monday and Thursdays, I'll grab one of my students and try to get in a half hour on those days doing some basics and some fighting applications.

Once I get more versed in push hands, i'll add that into the mix, but that would be only once a week for a goal i'm projecting at this time.
J

Being Productive with Practice

My new shoes arrived from Zappos yesterday, so of course that inspired me to get outside and practice Chen! Tell you what, in my own experience, working on rough concrete with new shoes is NOT an easy task. But it is good practice I think to work on different surfaces when we practice; although, my least favorite surface is grass, as I find I slip and slide alot and don't move as firmly as I prefer.

Following my Chen practice last night, I went inside, and did a half hour of cardio! Yeah! I hate cardio by the way, lol, but I figure it is important to be able to sustain a level of endurance. This morning, I did another half hour of cardio before showering and heading into work.

The recumbent bike pictured above is what I use in my home. I hate cardio, yes, but I hate running more lol, so for me, the recumbent bike is my cardio method of choice.
My intention tonite is to practice some sword work, and maybe do some more Chen tonight.
J

Strength Training Re-Visited

Found this very well-written article that I thought would be useful for readers of this blog. Link Here!

Essentially, the author talks briefly about some history of Chen Tai Chi as a combat art and then describes some methods and rationale for strength training to improve our fighting capability using Chen Tai Chi. Good stuff!
J