September 4, 2023
Whether these tales appear orally from student-to-student, on the big or small screen, or in the form of the written word, they remain a key element of martial culture.
August 28, 2023
In the last seven centuries many songs and poems have been composed about Tàijíquán. These have played a major role in preserving the knowledge and wisdom of the masters, although in many cases the identity of the authors and the dates of origin have been lost. From these songs and poems, Tàijíquán practitioners have had a guideline or a map which continues to lead them to the correct path of practice. Most of these documents were considered secrets in every Tàijíquán style. It was not until the last few decades that these secrets were gradually revealed to the general public. In the last twenty years, Dr. Yang has translated and made commentary on many of these documents.
September 14, 2022
Enjoy this special video excerpt from a Tai Chi Theory seminar event in which Dr. Yang, Jwìng-Mǐng (楊俊敏博士) discusses his experience of training Tai Chi Chuan with Grandmaster Kao, Tao (高濤) beginning at age 16 in Taiwan. Master Yang reunited with Kao, Tao in October 2008 and was able to talk as an adult for the first time with him about the details of their Tai Chi Chuan lineage.
April 25, 2022
Tai chi is one of the most practiced martial arts in the world today. Countless practitioners recite these time-honored movements for health, self-defense, and peace of mind all around the world. However, as tai chi continues to spread globally, how to spell it is absurdly frustrating.
January 31, 2022
This year, 2022, marks the Year of the Tiger in the Lunar calendar. Revered for its power and ferocity, tiger figures prominently as a symbol in the martial arts and qigong. In celebration of the new year, YMAA Publication Center staff writer Gene Ching explores some of the connections of tigers to the martial arts.
It’s open house across the world, beginning in New Zealand, when World Tai Chi & Qigong Day will spread time zone by time zone across the globe through 60 countries and across six continents. There will be events in cities, towns, and villages world-wide embracing wisdom from all cultures of the world.
The Chinese year 4708 begins on February 14, 2010, the year of the Tiger, with its association to bravery. This year, the date has special significance since it also happens to fall on Valentine's Day, making it a doubly auspicious day to celebrate in the West.
Once you have learned a basic Taiji form, whether you study Yang, Chen, or another style, there is still a great deal that traditional Taijiquan training can offer.
Religion is full of paradox, and Eastern religions are no exception. One of the most compelling paradoxes is that Eastern religions (Buddhism and Daoism) are closely linked with the martial arts.
I had the chance last weekend to teach at the YMAA Boston Taiji Form Seminar. I was tapped to teach the Two Person Fighting Set. YMAA canon maintains that the Fighting Set is the last thing a person trains prior to free sparring.
After Bodhidharma (Da Mo) passed down his qigong (chi kung) theory at Shaolin Temple around 550 A.D., the Shaolin monks trained the cultivation of Qi, and realized that muscular power could be enhanced to a tremendous level, which could make martial techniques more powerful and effective.
Taijiquan was originally developed for combat in ancient times. Its fighting theory is to use the soft against the hard, and to use the round to neutralize the straight or square.
What is Tai Chi? How does Tai Chi improve health? People ask me these questions all the time. Some ask because they see so many people doing these exercises in the park. Others ask because they can hardly believe there can be any benefits from such slow body movements.
Those who practice both Taiji and Qigong as separate arts soon realize that Qigong is included among the many layers encompassed by Taiji. Knowingly doing Taiji movement as Qigong not only adds the benefits of Qigong but also improves the quality of the Taiji movements.
So how does one teach Taijiquan to seniors, rehabbers, and the generally unfit? Consult the ancients, "The best leader follows." These people are generally coming to Taiji because of a life urgency (old age, sickness, injury, etc.) which has created an opportunity for change.
Back in the day of the last millennia, I had my first venture into teaching Martial Arts to the elderly. I secured a nice gig at the local senior center. There were about twenty intrepid explorers ready for the unknown.
The Chinese year 4707 begins on January 26, 2009. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day.
It wasn’t until my third year at Wudang that I started to find the training interesting, and started to train harder because I was genuinely interested in it.
When I was in fourth grade my grandfather fell ill, and because we needed money for hospital bills, I had to leave school. I worked on our farmland, helping my family plant corn and cotton.
How old are Taijiquan and Taiji philosophy? Recent findings indicate that the basic Taiji movements and Internal Arts theory of breathing and Qi circulation pre-date Zhang and Chen significantly.
The origin of Taijiquan is a controversial issue. Some trace Taijiquan to the Chen family in the 1600's and others trace the art further back to Master Zhang, San-Feng. Both are correct. And neither of them created Taijiquan.
The origin of Taijiquan is a controversial issue. Some trace Taijiquan to the Chen family in the 1600's and others trace the art further back to Master Zhang, San-Feng. Both are correct. And neither of them created Taijiquan.
In the practice of Taijiquan pushing hands, Taiji circle sticking hands, and Taijiquan free fighting, etc., you must practice until you have reached a stage where there is no discrimination of the opponent.
Dr. Yang's first Taijiquan master, Grandmaster Kao, Tao (高濤), who Dr. Yang lost contact with after leaving for college and moving to the U.S., has finally been found in Taipei, Taiwan.
Yin and Yang are opposite (i.e., relative) to each other instead of absolute. That is Yin can become Yang and Yang can change into Yin. Yin and Yang can be exchanged mutually depending on the observer’s Xin and Yi.