Comments on: Gong Fu http://fernandobernall.com/gong-fu/ Acupuncture Practitioner in Saint Augustine, Florida Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: admin http://fernandobernall.com/gong-fu/comment-page-1/#comment-7 admin Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:32:55 +0000 http://fernandobernall.com/107/#comment-7 Ken, Thanks for visiting the site and for your comments. Tai Chi, as I understand it and practice, has been very beneficial in keeping my body strong, agile, pliable and young.. Not so much from the forms themselves, although they can be demanding in their own right, but because of the various training methods withing the arts as passed down from our teacher.. Thanks again... Fernando Ken, Thanks for visiting the site and for your comments. Tai Chi, as I understand it and practice, has been very beneficial in keeping my body strong, agile, pliable and young.. Not so much from the forms themselves, although they can be demanding in their own right, but because of the various training methods withing the arts as passed down from our teacher.. Thanks again…

Fernando

]]> By: Ken Gullette http://fernandobernall.com/gong-fu/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Ken Gullette Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:02:25 +0000 http://fernandobernall.com/107/#comment-3 I was glad to see this article - especially since it was written by someone who enjoys practicing tai chi the way it was designed - as a martial art. I study and teach Chen tai chi, and members of the Chen family, who created the art, focus on specific body mechanics: 1. Establishing and maintaining the ground path at all times 2. Maintaining peng jin at all times 3. Whole-body movement 4. Silk-reeling energy (practiced differently than some Yang tai chi people, who have forgotten the physical skill of silk-reeling and have made it more metaphysical) 5. Opening and closing the kua 6. Rotating the dan t'ien I've met many people who have studied tai chi for up to 20 years and have no concept of the body mechanics required for high quality tai chi. And as you pointed out very correctly, it takes a lot of physical strength to do tai chi. Tai Chi is called a "soft" art, but there's nothing soft about it. It's simply a relaxed strength that's different from so-called "external" arts. I never refer to tai chi as a soft art. If you go to some real tai chi classes and stand in postures until you collapse from leg fatigue, you understand how difficult it really is. Nice job on the blog. Ken I was glad to see this article – especially since it was written by someone who enjoys practicing tai chi the way it was designed – as a martial art.

I study and teach Chen tai chi, and members of the Chen family, who created the art, focus on specific body mechanics:
1. Establishing and maintaining the ground path at all times
2. Maintaining peng jin at all times
3. Whole-body movement
4. Silk-reeling energy (practiced differently than some Yang tai chi people, who have forgotten the physical skill of silk-reeling and have made it more metaphysical)
5. Opening and closing the kua
6. Rotating the dan t’ien

I’ve met many people who have studied tai chi for up to 20 years and have no concept of the body mechanics required for high quality tai chi. And as you pointed out very correctly, it takes a lot of physical strength to do tai chi.

Tai Chi is called a “soft” art, but there’s nothing soft about it. It’s simply a relaxed strength that’s different from so-called “external” arts. I never refer to tai chi as a soft art. If you go to some real tai chi classes and stand in postures until you collapse from leg fatigue, you understand how difficult it really is.

Nice job on the blog.

Ken

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