13 Fundamentals of Tai Chi Chuan

Course

This course includes: – 11 video lessons that include a variety of qigong forms as warms ups, focussed teaching of the Ba Fa Wu Bu and flow through of Tai Chi 10-Form – 1 video of the Ba Fa Wu Bu showing front, back and side views – 2 videos of 10-Form: standard single version and double version – 6 documents including theory, form lists, illustrations and Chinese characters

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Sample Lesson

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10-Form Tai Chi.pdf

Ba Fa Wu Bu List.pdf

Ba Fa Wu Bu Table.pdf

10ImportantPoints plus references.pdf

Bagua.pdf

13 Techniques Explained Updated.pdf

Lesson 1

Includes:

Meditative breathing
Qigong-style warm up
Tai Chi 10-Form
Introduction to the 8 hand techniques
Pronunciation of the Chinese terms (with an Aussie twang)
Ba Fa Wu Bu: first 4 hand forms
Lotus Qigong
Closing forms
Q & A: needle at sea bottom

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Includes:

Meditative breathing with a focus on alignment and gentle stretching
Qigong-style warm up to activate muscles
Stepping drills including follow step and twist step
Tai Chi 10-Form Double flow through
Q & A: Peng, Lu, Ji, An summary. Soft and strong, interpreting the trigrams, Peng vs An
Ba Fa Wu Bu: First 4 hand forms
Live video dropped out at this point
Photo and video slideshow of my visit to Beijing Sport University
Standing in Peng (tree stance, Zhanzhuang)
Group view of the Lotus Qigong
Closing forms in side view

Lesson 2

Peng, Lu, Ji, An

Lesson 3

Includes:

Meditative breathing, releasing tension, grounding
Tree Stance, relaxed strength
Qigong-style dynamic warm up, activating the core
Tai Chi 10-Form single with techniques written on video
Cross hands, embrace tiger
Ba Fa Wu Bu: Review of first 4 moves Peng, Lu, Ji, An (Ward off, roll back, press, push). Explanation of the next two Cai and Lie (Pull/pluck and split/rend).
Yang Chengfu's 10 Important Points: Point 6 – Use Intent not Strength
Q & A: Part the wild horse's mane
Lotus Qigong

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

You will need a stool or chair for today's lesson.

Includes:

Meditative Breathing, release tension
Tree Stance, standing in Peng, grounding
Qigong-style warm up including the Wild Goose set of exercises
Ba Fa Wu Bu: Review of first 6 hand forms, explanation of next 2 moves – Zhou and Kao (elbow and bump/lean), flow through first 16 movements
Q & A: Zhou, elbow strike
Yang Chengfu's 10 Important Points – Point 3: Waist as Controller
Ba Fa Wu Bu: first 16 movements seated to emphasise the waist as controller, repeated in standing, exploring the transition from Zhou to Kao
Closing forms

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Includes:

Meditative breathing and Shibashi Set 1 Combo
Qigong-style warm up including stepping drills with a focus on "Waist as Controller"
Yang Chengfu's 10 Important Points: Point 7 – Coordination between Upper and Lower body
Tai Chi 10-Form with a focus on Yang Chengfu's Important Points
Ba Fa Wu Bu: review and flow through standing and sitting, transition from Zhou to Kao, next moves: Jin Bu with Peng (advance with ward off)
Lotus Qigong
Closing forms
An attempt at explaining the Daoist interpretation of the trigrams and elements and how they might apply to our tai chi

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Includes:

Meditative breathing, sinking the awareness
Shibashi Set 2 Combo
Qigong-style warm up with dynamic stretches, stepping drills including follow step and stamp
Ba Fa Wu Bu: review up to advance with ward off, retreat with roll back, add in new moves of Zuo Gu with Ji and An (step left with press and push) and You Pan with Ji and An (step right with press and push), Q & A, flow through up to move 22
Lotus Qigong
Closing forms
Q & A: discussion on hip action and activation

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Includes:

Meditative breathing, strengthening, grounding
Shibashi Set 3 Combo
Qigong-style warm up, muscle activation, stepping drills with arm movements
Ba Fa Wu Bu: review of first 22 moves, explanation of new moves: Tui Bu with Cai, Jin Bu with Lie, (retreat with pull, advance with split), student feedback
Lotus Qigong
Closing forms
Feedback and Q & A: Challenging the brain, differences between tai chi styles, applying techniques to different styles, body mechanics and posture.

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

Includes:

Meditative breathing with qigong stretches
Yang Chengfu's 9th Important Point: "Practise Continuously without Interruption"
Tai Chi 10-Form Double with emphasis on flowing
Qigong-style quick warm up
Ba Fa Wu Bu: review first 24 movements, combination stepping drills for repetition and flow
Lotus Qigong
Closing forms

Lesson 8

Lesson 9

Includes:

Tree stance, relax with strength and length
Qigong-style warm up with dynamic stretching
Tai Chi 10-Form
Ba Fa Wu Bu: seated, tune into the core, "waist as controller"
Ba Fa Wu Bu: review first 24 moves and drills
Ba Fa Wu Bu: new moves You Pan with Zhou and Kao, Zuo Gu with Zhou and Kao, (step right with elbow and lean, step left with elbow and lean) repeat as the 4th drill, student feedback
Closing forms

Lesson 9

Lesson 10

Includes:

Meditative breathing in tree stance
Shibashi Set 1 Combo
Qigong-style brief warm up
Tai Chi 10-Form
Ba Fa Wu Bu: Drills 1 to 4 repeat with legs only then arms join in
Ba Fa Wu Bu: review up to move 28, new moves – golden rooster standing on the right leg then left, cross hands, separate and lower to close
Ba Fa Wu Bu: flow through complete form front view mirror image and back view
Lotus Qigong
Closing forms

Lesson 10

Lesson 11

Includes:

Meditative breathing, calming, settling
Tree stance, grounded, relaxed, strong
Qigong-style warm up with dynamic stretches, weight shift
Yang Chengfu's 10th Important Point: Seek Stillness in Movement
Ba Fa Wu Bu: flow through complete form back view, front view
Repetition of Drill 4 and final movements, refinement of whole form
Lotus Qigong
Closing forms

Video Lesson 11

Reference Videos

Ba Fa Wu Bu – Front, Back and Side Views

Alignment in Tai Chi and Qigong

Alignment in Tai Chi and Qigong

Ba Fa Wu Bu