Tai Chi Chuan 太極拳 in Barbados

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Yang Tai Chi Chuan in Barbados is due to my first Qigong and Taijiquan teacher, master Da Liu, who first learned Sun Taijiquan in 1928 from the founder of Sun style, Master Sun Lu Tang. Because of hardships, Master Da Liu later moved to Shanghai and took  up the Old Yang Taijiquan (Having both Soft and Explosive power). Master Liu practiced Qigong with master Li Ching Yuen (reported to have lived 250 yrs by the NY Times in 1930), Master Liu traveled to mountain of holy places and learned Taijiquan and Qigong from other masters before migrating to the USA and teaching Taijiquan in 1954 at the United Nations and later modifying the movements for westerners.  Master Li Ching Yuen said the keys to longevity are: -

 

1. Avoid all types of emotional extremes. These disrupts the harmonious functioning of the body’s organs.

2. Don’t hurry through life.

3. Practice breathing and physical exercise (Qigong) 

4. Eat natural herbs

 

WHAT IS TAI CHI CHUAN 

“Taijiquan is not about the countless external forms ( Sequence of MOVEMENT),  shells such as Wudang style, Chen style, Yang style, Zhaoboa style, Wu style, Sun style etc...   It is conceptual. It is about, having the input of (concepts) Internal Knowledge (Xin Fa 心法) into the practicing of your shell.— “ It is the principle not the form”

HISTORY OF TAI CHI 

Taiji concepts dates back to the I Ching. There exists a very ancient history in China of movement systems that are associated with health and philosophy. In some sense one can see all of these as contributing to the climate in which Taijiquan was born. In the sixth century BC, sages like Lao Tsu wrote in the Tao Te Ching:

“Yield and Overcome; Bend and be straight.” and “He who stands of tiptoe is not steady. He who strides cannot maintain the pace.”

According to legend, the founder of Taijiquan’s physical movements, was a monk of the Wu Tang Monastery, Chang San-Feng. Some scholars doubt his historical existence, viewing him as a literary construct on the lines of Lao Tzu. Other research and records from the Ming-shih (the official chronicles of the Ming dynasty) seem to indicate that he lived in the period from 1391 to 1459 (he may have been born earlier and lived later: these are simply some dates associated with him).  Chang San Feng’s exercises stressed suppleness and elasticity and were opposed to hardness and force. He believed tas did the Physician Hua Tao who developed the five animal frolics, hat the body needed to be regularly exercised to help with digestion and circulation and only by doing so could a long and healthy live be achieved. He advocated a system of imitating the movements of these animals to help exercise every joint in the body. Chan San Feng also utilized the teachings of the the monk who lived in the the sixth century A.D. Bodihdharma (called Ta Mo in China) who created the Eighteen Form Lohan Exercise. Over time these grew to be the precursors of the Wei Chia (outer-extrinsic) school of exercise, by which is meant all the schools of kung-fu and other martial art forms which take an 'external' approach. This is in contrast to the Nei Chia (internal-intrinsic) school of which Tai Chi is a member, that take a fundamentally 'internal' approach. Additionally, in the eighth century AD (the Tang dynasty) philosophers like Hsu Hsuan- p'ing developed a 'Long Kung-fu' of 37 forms. Still survive in the contemporary Taijiquan form. There were several other such forms being practiced in the eighth century (Heavenly-Inborn Style, Nine Small Heavens Style and Acquired Kung-fu) from which grew the origins of Taijiquan. Chang San Feng, incorporated philosophy, physiology, psychology, geometry and the laws of dynamics.  Chang San Feng is said to have linked some of the older movements with the notion of yin-yang from ‘predated’ Taoism and stressing the 'internal' aspects of his exercises, mixed with martial arts,  he is credited with creating the fundamental 'Thirteen Postures' of Tai Chi corresponding to the Eight Basic Trigrams of the I Ching and the Five Elements.  

The eight 'postures' relating to the I ching are:

1. Ward-off

2. Rollback

3. Press

4. Push

5. Pull

6. Split

7. Elbow Strike; and

8. Shoulder Strike

 

 

The five 'Steppings' relating to the five elements are:

1. Advance

2. Retreat

3. Look Left

4. Gaze Right; and

5. Central Equilibrium ( The step of no step) .

 

 

 

Our old Tai Chi Wu Shu system in Barbados follows the Chang San Feng’s theories, writings and practices which were elaborated sometime later by Wang Chung-yueh and his student Chiang Fa. Wang apparently took the thirteen postures of Chang San-feng and linked them together into continuous sequences, thus creating something which resembles the contemporary Tai Chi Chuan form. According to one story, Wang Chun Yuen’s student Chiang Fa, taught Tai Chi to the villagers of a town in Honan (almost all of whom were called Chen) and thus began the first family school of Tai Chi Chuan. Some scholars feel that the Chen family's so-called 'Cannon Pounding' (Pao Chui) was a distinct martial art that undoubtedly influenced by Chiang Fa's teaching but that it was not the same as Tai Chi while others say it was Taijiquan. Another of Wang's students was Chen Chou-t'ung who quarreled with Chiang Fa. The former then established the so-called Southern School of Tai Chi, an interesting an colourful branch of Tai Chi which subsequently disappeared. Chiang Fa continued with the mainstream 'Northern' school of Tai Chi which survives today. Whatever their respective contributions, from Chiang-Fa and the Chen villagers in Honan emerge all of the surviving branches of Tai Chi Chuan family systems:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Da Liu and student Ricardo Sealy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Da Liu, Master Da Liu Tai Chi

Master Da Liu

 Master Da Liu over the years, gave me a great foundation in Taijiquan.

Dr Yang Jwing MIng Tai Chi to Ricardo Sealy Barbados

 Dr Yang Jing Ming

Dr. Yang’s Technical help was priceless

5 MAJOR FAMILES OF TAIJIQUAN

(Each named after the Chinese family from which it originated:

1. Chen-style (陳氏) of Chen Wangting (1580–1660)

2. Yang-style (楊氏) of Yang Lu-Ch'an (1799–1872)

3. Wu- or Wu/Hao-style (武氏) of Wu Yu-hsiang 

        (1812–1880)

4. Wu-style (吳氏) of Wu Ch'uan-yu (1834–1902) and his 

     son Wu Chien-ch'uan (1870–1942)

5. Sun-style (孫氏) of Sun Lu-t'ang (1861–1932)

Li Ching-Yuen, photographed in 1927 at the residence of General Yang Sen.  Li Ching Yuen was Master Da Liu’s  Qigong teacher

Sun Lu Tang founder of Sun family Taijiquan. He was                                     

 Grand Master Da Liu’s first Taijiquan teacher.

Tai Chi Barbados sifu sealy

TAIJIQUAN FOR HEALTH

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day in Barbados ( Last Saturday in April) The event is free  to the public.

( Sifu Sealy was present at the 1st World Tai Chi Qigong Day in the USA and promotes it in Barbados & China)

 

 

HEALTH BENEFITS

IMPROVES: Balance; Coordination, Strength; Stamina; Will power & Concentration

REDUCES:   Stress, Ulcers, high blood pressure

 

 

TAIJIQUAN FOR MARTIAL ARTS (WU SHU)

 

TAIJI QIGONG (太極氣功) .

T'ai chi ch'uan (Tàijíquán, 太极拳), is a system of internal (Nèijiā 內家) martial arts / wu shu focused on spiritual, mental, and qi-related movements. Taiji Qigong is designed to help the beginner to feel and understand Qi, and also to learn how to use the concentrated mind (wu yi) to lead the Qi throughout the body so that it can circulate smoothly. Practicing Taiji Qigong exercises can significantly improve one's health.  The Chinese character 极, jí or chi, means "final" or "extreme", in contrast with 氣, qì or chi, which means "life energy". 

 

TAIJI STATIONARY PUSHING HANDS (Taiji Ding Bu Tui Shou)(太極定步推手)

Taiji pushing hands emphasizes sensitivity to touch (i.e., listening) (Ting), understanding (Dong), following (Sui), sticking (Zhan), and adhering (Nian). In ANNU Institute’s pushing hands trainings you must learn many fundamental techniques, such as single pushing hands and double pushing hands. These incorporate the 4 basic Taijiquan Jin Patterns / energies of wardoff (Peng,), rollback (Lu), press (or squeeze)(Ji), push (or suppressed by palm)(An). Also, pluck (Cai), rend (or split)(Lie), elbow (Zhou), and bump (Kao) in international "Da Lu", "Lu-Ji", " routines. In addition, other advanced pushing techniques, such as coiling, controlling, borrowing, leading, and neutralizing Jins are trained.  

 

Taiji Moving Pushing Hands (Taiji Dong Bu Tui Shou) (太極動步推手)

Taiji moving pushing hands is the training before Taiji sparring. In moving pushing hands, the student must use stepping strategy with the techniques learned in stationary pushing hands and the fighting set. Students who have reached the level where the opponent cannot set them up, and can use their techniques skillfully, have completed the basic training for sparring.

Taiji Free Sparring  (Taiji Zi You San Shou Dui Da)(太極自由散手對打)

In ANNU Institute, bare hand Taiji sparring is one of the final goals of martial instruction. In Taiji sparring, striking techniques come out of the sticking and adhering. Body protection is required for this training.

 

Taiji Sword (Taiji Jian) (太極劍)

Taiji sword is used to train the student's Qi to a higher level. In fact, the theory of Taiji sword is much deeper than that of barehanded Taijiquan, and the techniques are also much more difficult to train and master

 

Taiji Staff (Taiji Gun) (太極棍, )

The staff is the first long weapon in Taiji. The principles of feeling (listening), following, sticking, and adhering remain the key to the training. Taiji staff also has two-person sticking training.


Taiji Spear  (Taiji Qiang)  (太極槍)

The spear is called the king of the long weapons. It is considered the highest level of Taiji training. In Taiji spear training, students train to extend their sense of feeling and to direct their Qi to the head of the spear. This enables the student to feel (listen), follow, stick and adhere to the opponent's weapon. Sticking Taiji spear is also part of the training.