Tai Chi update

[karohemd]

I know I didn't post last night but there wasn't much to report. We carried on with the revision, refining the moves and concentrating on getting everything right. Quite challenging and very good.

Today, I got home from work and shopping and as it was so nice, I practiced in the garden. A whole set (I think I remembered it right), 20 tor-yus on each side and about 20 don-yus. A nice little exercise of about 30 minutes.
However, I need to figure out where to start as there still isn't enough room to do a whole set so I had to shuffle around a bit. Another thing is that the ground is quite uneven which makes things like twist steps and sliding adjustments of the foot (e.g. in Go Back to Ward Off Monkey) a bit difficult.
All in all better than in my tiny room, though.

So, the plan is to keep this up every evening I'm home and during the day on weekends. One more reason to get my sleep/awake patterns back to what they should be (bed no later than midnight, start work at 8 so I can finish at 5).

Comments

[lsur.livejournal.com]

There have been various attempts to create short forms which take up less space. There are also longer forms which take up a small area. An interesting one is that of Sun Lutang. I believe it's the earliest photographed form, dated about 1919:

Sun Lutang's book

One of the exercises Sun Lutang emphasised in one of his other martial arts, xing i quan, is just to stand in the basic stance for extended periods:

San Ti Shi - Three Body Posture

The idea is to keep correct body alignment while fully relaxed and 'sunk', just as in taichi. It's not easy as it becomes a strain after a couple of minutes.

I think it is perfectly possible and legitimate to practise taichi in a small space as it is this kind of practical principle which one needs. Moving about is secondary imo.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, that's what the foundation exercises are for. They incorporate the various stances/movements into a standing form. Still, I'd like to practice the whole set as well.

Also, before I'm not completely familiar with the form I'm currently learning, I'd be loath to learn anything else.

[lsur.livejournal.com]

That's understandable. I'd just suggest that, as you practice the movements more, the emphasis shifts towards the principles behind the moves, things like relaxation, sinking, body alignment and the root. There's actually a whole system of exercise called zhan zhuan which is entirely standing still, similar to san ti shi. I think modern practitioners separate the different styles and exercises more than the 19th century experts.