Sonoran Tai Chi Community Spring 2019 1 2019 Health Day in Tucson IN THIS ISSUE: Annual Event 2019 Health Day Tucson Health Day in Tucson has been Annual Event a large annual event organized Experience Tai Chi by the Confucius Institute at the Important Points University of Arizona since 2012. In beautiful spring time of Sun Style Taijiquan each April, the Health Day Flow like a river attracts hundreds of students and local community members About Taijiquan together to promote health The Taijiquan Classics behaviors and to facilitate the What Tai Chi Means to Me communication of health and Tai Chi has helped wellness knowledge across Chinese and Western medicine. Tai Chi has been one of the main themes of Tucson, AZ April 6, 2019 the Health Day since the inception of this event. Chinese Health Day News on Tai Chi During the Health Day on April 6, 2019, five Tai Chi groups from the Tucson area performed on a same stage, showing different forms of Tai Chi Quan Training Opportunities and Tai Chi Fan. It is new to the Health Day that this year Tai Chi masters not only led their team in the performances but also introduced to the audiences different Tai Chi styles and the general principles and health benefits of Tai Chi practices. In this session of the Newsletter, we have published a few of the presentations. Happy reading! Experience Tai Chi Important Points By: Li Yiqiu Tai Chi is a gem of Chinese martial arts, which is an important part of the whole Chinese martial arts system. Tai Chi is also one of the best exercises to keep fit. I have practiced TaiChi for more than 20 years and have benefited greatly in both physical to mental health. The importance of practicing Tai Chi properly has been deeply appreciated over the years of practice. Point one: In China, as the saying goes: "Learning Tai Chi is easy; to correct the bad habits of performing Tai Chi is difficult". Beginners cannot be too hasty. One should start from the basic postures; the action should be in line with the main points of Tai Chi. Carefully experiencing the ten elements of Tai Chi is very important. The ten elements are: 1. Empty minded with a gentle force of the head towards up (虚灵顶劲); 2. Strait back with chest relaxed (含胸拔背); 3. Ease lumber spine and drop sacroiliac joints (松腰落胯); 4. Be aware of the center location of body strength (分清虚实); 5. Drop shoulder and elbow (沉肩坠肘); 6. Leading the body action with spirits (用意不用力); Sonoran Tai Chi Community Spring 2019 2 7. Co-ordinates the upper and lower body (上下相随); 8. In accordance the inner and outer part of the body (内外相合); 9. Acting continuously (相连不断); 10. Pair action with inner calm (动中求静). Point two: The practice of "shape" is very important to begin gradually understanding and mastering the core of martial arts and achieving "inside (internal) and outside (external) being combined (fused) to create a whole unified body; whose movement and shape are guided by mind (Yi). Point three: Coordinating Inside and out; the Inner Triad: Mind and heart, Mind and Qi, Qi, and Force. The outer triad consists of the shoulders with the crotch, the elbow with the knee, and the hand with the foot Only when inside and outside matches, then the whole body of the performer will possess both shape and spirit. Point four: Fortitude and flexibility: Tai Chi is much different from what we see in the external martial arts. There is force and strength inside the body during each movement, although people see only the flexibility and softness from outside. Fortitude and flexibility are a pair of contradictory phenomena. They also support and complement each other making Tai Chi a unique sport. Of course, this requires the guidance of a master to reach the status of “trained force inside, and flexibility outside”. In summary, I think only by carefully understanding Tai Chi’s yin and yang, open and close, rise and sink, and conscientiously and correctly grasping the 13 forms of boxing [which are: holding (掤), stroke (捋), squeeze (挤), press (按), take (採), twist (挒), elbow (肘), lean (靠), Advance (进), retreat (退), look around (顾), look forward to (盼), fix (定), and persisting in learning inside and outside practice, so that one can accumulate the capability of kung fu, and by not taking detours, and by listening to the admonition that "learning Tai Chi is easy and correcting the bad habit is more difficult", will our practice of Tai Chi blossom. About the writer: Li Yiqiu (Tai Chi Coach) • National social sports instructor • 6 Duan of Chinese martial arts • Deputy head coach of Beijing Xuande Wushu Team • Head of the Taijiquan team of the Academy of Military Sciences, China • Member of Taijiquan Special Committee of Beijing Senior Sports Association • Learning and practicing Taijiquan for more than 20 years. Having participated in many national and international Taijiquan competitions and won many championships such as boxing, sword, knife, and fan. Having been teaching Taijiquan for students from state organizations, hospitals, military colleges and overseas; which accumulates rich teaching experience for her. Sun Style Tai Chi Chuan Flow like a river By: Heather Chalon, MPH, Master Trainer Tai Chi for Health Institute Flow like a river, tranquil and serene on the surface, with immense power underneath.” All family’s styles of Tai Chi have similar principles and are related to each other historically. Variations are based on the founder’s backgrounds, experiences, and personalities, in addition to the respective environment in which they lived and practiced. Sonoran Tai Chi Community Spring 2019 3 Sun Style uniqueness lies in the genius, background, progressive thinking about tai chi for health purposes and the masterful martial arts skills of Sun Lutang (born Sun Fuquan). Harsh circumstances of youth, intelligence, powerful desire to master martial arts, created perfect conditions for a brilliant synthesis of martial arts. Sun Style is the most modern of the major styles of Tai Chi. Dr Sun Lutang brought the Sun Style to life in the early 1900s. With an emphasis on health, Sun Lutang drew from the circle walking and agile stances practices of Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, and Wu Hao Tai Chi Chuan as fundamentally the same, of one family. He studied with the best practitioners of his time and became a nationally revered practitioner in his own right. He truly made the three styles one art. Characteristics of Sun Style: Easier to Learn Makes Sun Style suitable for empowering people to experience the sense of achievement as a beginner, yet with much depth to take people deeply into their tai chi journey. It is welcoming and inviting, sustaining the practitioner to continue, since tai chi, while simple, is not necessarily easy. Qigong Sun Style is a more internal form and includes qigong. Most notable is the Open and Close Hands, which can be played simply as one form or with more depth as two forms, encouraging Qigong breathing. As we cultivate Qi, we embrace serenity. Agile Stepping Sun Style “follow step” supports uprights stance, gentle appearing powerful delivery of Qi (fa jin), smooth seemingly gliding transitions. Higher Stance Smaller steps combined with agile stepping and a higher stance, Sun Style has a distinctly upright posture, conducive to enhanced internal awareness, emphasis on form and technique, building deep inner power, over external strength. Easier to feel Qi Hand position, circular movement, qigong, and qigong breathing bring experienced practitioners of other styles of tai chi as well as beginners, to be amazed by how quickly they can generate and feel qi with Sun Style. Special healing power Many familiar named forms, such as “Play the Lute” and “Parry and Punch” are practiced for connecting and communicating with energy reservoir points, gathering, and moving Qi. The communication is reinforced throughout the set, to improve health and well-being. Harmony and Tranquility Sun Style helps us develop inner peace and how to interact with others in a relatively short time. Movements are designed to flow with love to and from the heart. One of the signature forms demonstrating this concept is known as “Leisurely tying the coat”. About the writer: Heather Chalon earned a master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Arizona. As a Public Health Consultant and Tai Chi for Health Institute Master Trainer, she offers an evidence-based, CDC recommended, Tai Chi System including training, mentoring, certifying instructors, promoting a vision of making tai chi accessible to everyone. Heather began her tai chi journey while living in The People’s Republic of China in the 1980s. She has trained and taught classes, workshops, retreats on four continents, introducing and guiding people to go deeper in their practices of tai chi, qigong, Tao meditation, Chinese yoga. As Senior Trainer with Healing Tao Instructors Association, she trains and certifies Healing Tao instructors. https://heatherchalon.com/ Sonoran Tai Chi Community Spring 2019 4 About Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) The Taijiquan Classics By: Jordan Misner, Sifu, Wind River Internal Martial Arts for Health and Enlightenment There are many tai chi styles and practices, however, they all revolve around a core group of 13 basic postures and should adhere to the principles and methods set forth in the Taijiquan Classics. The Taijiquan Classics are generally cited as the authoritative information source regarding Tai Chi. The classics consists of numerous writings, treatise, instructions, and methods attributed to taijiquan’s master practitioners dating back to Chan San Feng. It is generally agreed that these writings are attributed to the Yang family and their descendants, including Wu and Sun families.