What is Tai Ji.

To many people, Tai Ji is a slow moving exercise that old Chinese people do in parks.

I once held the same perspective. Watching Tai Ji was a painfully slow performance that did not fit in to my Welsh driven life. I had grown up watching Arnold pump it up, and was persuaded by Nike to Just Do It…. to run, lift weights, diet and to do all these things that actually wore me out and never ended.

Then I met Tai Ji.

As a Master of Tai Ji I have lead a personal practice on zoom for over 5 years. We call it The Morning Group and people from all over the world have joined. I teach smaller groups in the private practice area in my home, I have performed at corporations and events and of course… I have my own practice.

Tai Ji is a founding philosophy within the Ancient Wisdom of China. There are a number of forms of Tai Ji, yet, the essence of the philosophy is the same for each.

It is important to note, Tai Ji itself has 3 basic levels to it. Then, with the integration of Qi Gong, and knowledge of Feng Shui… Tai ji becomes something much more. At the 3 basic levels, Tai Ji is the way of moving with life and include 1. Mental Knowledge of Tai Ji, 2. Physical Meditation Postures of Tai Ji, and 3. The Flow of Tai Ji. It is The Flow of Tai Ji that makes it look like a fluid dance, yet, this flow is more like the way to transition between the various Meditation Postures. Within Tai Ji, and throughout history, a number of people have discovered their own flow - notably there are the five traditional family styles: Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu (Hao), and Sun. Each have a distinct way about them, and only a true master may understand how to leverage the secrets within the differences.

The form of Tai Ji that I practice most with the public is Yang Style, 108 Long Form - this style of Tai Ji can be practiced as the Traditional Long Form (around 85-108 movements), the 24-Movement Simplified Form, the 37-Movement Cheng Man-Ching (CMC) Short Form, the 42-Movement Competition Form, and less common versions like the Yangjia Michuan.These forms differ in the number of movements and repetitions, with shorter forms like the 24-Movement designed for accessibility and competition, while the long forms offer a deeper, more complete expression of the style.

As a 21st Generation Shaolin Shifu, I am at all times practicing Feng Shui, Qi Gong, Tai Ji, Yi Jing and Bing Fa within everything I do. As such, when I teach Tai Ji, I have the ability to expand on things to a much deeper level.

With beginners I also start with the basics of movement, breath and thought. This practice takes about 45 minutes, then we go into the Tai Ji Flow - Yang Style, 108 Long Form.

Some people pick it up quickly, some people struggle for long periods. But everyone who remains committed to learning will benefit from a greater health experience in life, a more clear mind, and a general lighter happier experience.

How does Tai Ji work to create these benefits?

Everything man has ever created, was created using nature. After all, nature is everything that man has ever had access to… in order to create from.

The transistor radio is modelled after the human body, and how the human body works. The spine of the body is the antenna of the radio… depending on how it is positioned it will “tune in” to various frequencies or signals. The heart is the volume knob, and through its pounding, the heart regulates the speed, or magnitude of the sound in the radio, and the sensation in the body. The tuning dial of the radio allows us to explore the various radio stations available to us… in the body… this tuning dial is found in the Dantian - an area of the body that is located 3 fingers below the belly button, inside the human body. This area is where you will experience butterflies on a swing, or feel the pulling sensation of intuition. The Dantian is known as “the Wharehouse of Live Energy”.

When I lead Tai Ji practice, and teach, I begin with understanding the body, how it moves internally through the circulation channels, and how it moves externally using muscles, joints and ligaments. I focus on how to breath, move and think. This alone is tai ji… and depending on the mobility / condition of the people I am teaching…. we may actually never get to the full 108 Form Flow. It’s not necessary to complete a “flow” in Tai Ji if you are able to learn the philosophy.

When Tai Ji goes beyond the personal practice of thought, breath and movement, and when you practice in groups of likeminded people…. what happens is a sense of synchronicity. What happens is that the group connects, shares energy and becomes stronger together.

Beyond this experience, it is possible to learn how Tai Ji is like a sign language able to communicate with life. This practice requires great effort, proper guidance and a high degree of virtue as it is one of the ways of guiding outcomes in life.

Enjoy your journey of learning!

Shifu