Parry, Robert - The Tai Chi Manual

7/22/2019 Parry, Robert - The Tai Chi Manual

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Contents

ntroduction

ART ONE - Learning The Form

Getting Started

The Early Moves

Introducing Narrow Stances Finding the Diagonal

Stepping Back and Stepping Sideways

Downwards and Upwards

Rotating and Turning

The Closing Sequence

ART TWO - Taking it Further Tai Chi and Health

0. Partner Work

1. The Eternal Cycle

2. Appendix


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Introduction

Tai chi is fast becoming one of the most popular forms of

fitness training in the world today - but it is not just about

fitness. Tai chi is also a special way of looking at life - a

path of inspiration and a guide towards relaxation and

health. Daily practice will not only increase your sense of

well-being and help you to deal with the stresses of modern

living, but will also release enormous amounts of creativity

and help you to stay bright, optimistic and alert from youth

right through to old age. This may sound miraculous, but it

is true! This is the reason why tai chi has stood the test of

time, and why today - in homes and gardens, parks and

recreations centres all over the world - people from all

walks of life, all ages and all levels of fitness continue to

practise its slow graceful movements with as much

enthusiasm and fondness as they have throughout so much

of recorded history.

What is Tai Chi?

Although it might appear to be tailor-made for dealing with

the modern world and its relentless pressures, tai chi has in

fact been around for a considerable length of time. With its

origins rooted in ancient China, this integrated exercise

system for body, mind and spirit is thought to date back as

far as 3000 BC.

The literal translation of 'tai' is 'big' or 'great', while 'chi' istranslated as 'ultimate energy'. Tai chi, therefore, is all

about generating and feeling energy through movement, the

ultimate energy that powers the universe - everything from

the greatest star right down to the smallest of microscopic

creatures.

This book shows you how to discover and experience this

kind of energy for yourself. It provides practical step-by-


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step instruction on how to learn a gentle yet powerful

dance-like sequence called a 'form', which, if practised

daily, wrill help you to maintain health and well-being, to

stay relaxed and even to ward off some of the ravages of

time. There is no expensive equipment to buy, no special

clothing required. You already have everything you need -

the natural chi of the body, available to you at all times; itis just a question of learning how to use it. Become part of

it and you will be linking into an amazing source of energy

and liberation. In fact, just by opening this book you have

taken the first step on a unique journey of self-discovery

that could last for the rest of your life.

But isn't Tai Chi a Martial Art?

Yes, it is! And a very effective one, too. The martial arts

flourished in China during the Middle Ages, when people

blended the familiar techniques of punching, kicking and

striking with the long and venerable tradition of therapeutic

exercise that had developed over the centuries. To this, the

medical knowledge of the energy structure of the human

body was then added, and the result was the birth of whatbecame known as 'tai chi ch'uan'; many of tai chi's greatest

living exponents are, in fact, martial artists of a very high

calibre indeed.

However, in recent times there has been a huge resurgence

of interest in the original principles of energy flow which

underlie tai chi, and this has led many people, drawn by tai

chi's inherent grace and beauty, to explore once again its

healing and inspirational qualities. It is this very factor thatis the motivation behind this book.

The Short Yang Form

This book deals in depth with one of the most popular and

easy-to-learn styles of tai chi - the short yang form, named


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after its founder Yang Lu Chuan. This is a simplified

version of one of the more traditional forms that developed

in China during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The short form was in fact created in the earlier half of the

twentieth century by Master Cheng Man-ch'ing (1900-

1975) - a truly remarkable man who was not only a superb

exponent of tai chi, but also a professor of literature, anexpert in the use of Chinese herbs, a poet, a calligrapher

and a painter. His condensed version of the yang style of tai

chi, developed to suit his own busy schedule, has been his

greatest gift to the world.

Many of the movements, based on the observation of

animals, are of considerable antiquity, however: for

example, Crane Spreads its Wings. There are cave

paintings depicting similar exercises dating from 200 EC,while the legendary Yellow Emperor of China is said to

have practised exercises for health based on the movements

of animals as far back as 2700 He. Some of the movements

have less elaborate, 'handed-down' names that are more self-

explanatory in nature, having been attributed to the

movements over the centuries through their use between

teacher and pupil: for example, Turn and Cross Hands, or

Ward Off Left.

The Fresh Approach

Whether you learn tai chi in a class situation from a

teacher, or whether you choose to learn the basics from a

book first and then perhaps take it further with some

personal tuition at a later date, the method of learning isusually the same, and has not altered much throughout the

ages. The student begins by assimilating each of the basic

individual movements, one at a time, and then, once he or

she is familiar with them, puts them all together to create

the beautiful flowing sequence that most of us recognize as

typical of tai chi. This book continues in that tradition - but


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it also contains some exciting new departures.

In the past, one of the difficulties a beginner would

typically encounter when looking at photographs of the

form was that they would all tend to present a bewildering

similarity after only just a few moments of study. Here, the

sequence itself is divided into eight clearly defined lessons,

whereas traditionally it is taught only in two parts. Thisresults in a clear, step-by-step approach, with easy 'bite-

sized' chunks of the form which can be absorbed before

going on to the next stage. Each lesson focuses on different

aspects of movement, beginning with balance and

mastering basic stances, through to moving backwards and

sideways, twisting and turning, and finally integrating all

the skills you have learnt to achieve a combination of

agility, strength and grace.Also, the sequence is demonstrated by two experienced

students of tai chi - one male and one female - and this

helps to differentiate between the sections, so aiding the

learning process.

Each stance is illustrated by a large-scale photograph, and

there are also small-scale photographs showing the front

view of a position where helpful. In addition, detailed foot

diagrams indicate the required position, orientation andweight distribution for each stance, along with close-up

illustrations showing the position of the hands as seen from

your- the student's - point of view. All this ensures that the

movements are easy to follow, and creates a highly user-

friendly book containing everything you need to get started

on your tai chi journey

How Long Does it Take to Learn?

Nature does not reveal her secrets lightly; tai chi, being

rooted so deeply in the natural world, requires a reasonable

commitment of time and energy. You will need to practise

a little every day to achieve results. The material presented


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in this book, however, is particularly well-suited to the

modern lifestyle, the whole sequence itself taking only

about eight minutes to perform, which, together with a brief

warm-up session, will normally bring your commitment to

around just ten minutes daily. This ten minutes will never

be wasted. It will repay you over and over again in terms of

health and well-being.Although you will start to feel the benefits of practising tai

chi fairly early on, most people who study the short yang

form need between six months to a year to learn it all the

way through. Give yourself time to assimilate the

movements properly; remember that with each lesson you

will be developing your skills and encountering new types

of movement, and you will find it easier if you are

completely comfortable with the movements in one sectionbefore you go on to the next.

However, the learning process does not stop once you have

leamt the form. This is the beauty and the fascination of tai

chi. There is no limit to how far it can take you, so that as

each hill is climbed, another even more interesting one

comes into view. That's tai chi. Now give it a try!

Contents Top of Page Chapter 1


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Documents

Parry, Robert - The Tai Chi Manual