Taijiquan Intermediate
Yang Condensed Sword Style
Open Taijiquan
Three Rings around the Moon
The Big Dipper
The Swallow Skims across the Water
Block and Sweep to the Right
Block and Sweep to the Left
Searching the Sea
Holding the Moon
The Bird Returns to the Tree at Dusk
The Black Dragon Whips His Tail
The Green Dragon Emerges from the Water
Turning Around and Carrying the Sword
The Lion Shakes His Mane
The Tigress Holds Her Head
The Wild Horse Leaps over the Creek
Cutting Upward in a Left Empty Stance
Scooping the Moon from the Bottom of the Sea
The Rhinoceros Gazes at the Moon
The White Ape Offers the Fruit
Parrying in Left Bow Stance
Parrying in Right Bow Stance
Parrying in Left Bow Stance
Pushing the Boat with the Current
The Comet Chases the Moon
The Heavenly Horse Gallops across the Sky
Lifting the Door Curtain
Left Wheeling Chop into a Right Bow Stance
Right Wheeling Chop Into a Right Empty Stance
The Phoenix Spreads Its Wings
The Bee Enters the Hive
Holding the Moon
The Wind Sweeps the Plum Blossoms
The Compass Needle
Close Taijiquan
Ba Duan Jin
Gung Fu Salute
Open preparation
To prayer (think good external thought or wish)
To Dan Tien (think good internal or external thought or both)
Raise hands to Close
*Do 3 times
Two Hands Hold up the Heavens (Shuang Shou Tuo Tian)
This move is for the “Triple Warmer” meridian (Sanjiao). It consists of an upward movement of the hands, which are loosely joined and travel up the center of the body.
Drawing the Bow to Shoot the Hawk (or Vulture)
While in a lower horse stance, the practitioner imitates the action of drawing a bow to either side. It is used to exercise the waist area, focusing on the kidneys and spleen.
Separate Heaven and Earth
This resembles a version of the first piece with the hands pressing in opposite directions, one up and one down. A smooth motion in which the hands switch positions is the main action, and it is used to stimulate the stomach.
Wise Owl Gazes Backwards or Look Back
This is a stretch of the neck to the left and the right in an alternating fashion.
Sway the Head and Shake the Tail
This move regulates the function of the heart and lungs. Its primary aim is to remove excess heat (or fire) from the heart. In performing this piece, the practitioner squats in a low horse stance, places the hands on thighs with the elbows facing out and twists to glance backwards on each side.
Two Hands Hold the Feet to Strengthen the Kidneys and Waist
This involves a stretch upwards followed by a forward bend and a holding of the toes.
Clench the Fists and Glare Fiercely (shadow boxing)
This resembles the second piece, and is largely a punching movement either to the sides or forward while in horse stance. This, which is the most external of the pieces, is aimed at increasing general vitality and muscular strength.
Bouncing on the Toes (lift heels)
This is a push upward from the toes with a small rocking motion on landing. The gentle shaking vibrations of this piece is said to “smooth out” the qi after practice of the preceding seven pieces
24 Yang Tai Chi Preparation & Philosophy
Open Taijiquan: symbolizes the three powers: humanity, earth, heavens or universe
Raise Hands to Greet the Universe: pay homage to the universe and be grateful to be standing in the place you are in. Also, looking into the horizon or the future – one minute, one hour, one day, and one year… How much can you see?
Holding the Ball: holding everything in your life that is precious to you (family, friends, and teachers). Be gentle and appreciate what you have.
Parting the Wild Horses Mane: speed and strength
Stork Spreads its Wings: grace, longevity and self-control
Brush Knee Twist Step: soft, rooted, compassionate, and expansive
Play the Fiddle: creativity, intuition and harmony
Step Back and Ward Off Monkey: health, gratitude, peace
Ward Off, Roll Back, Press and Push: humility, quiet, will
Single Whip: honest, illusive, silence
Wave Hands Like Clouds: happiness, love, quiet
High Pat on Horse: heart, charm, honor and integrity
Separate Leg: balance, foundation, focus
Strike Ears with Fists: learn the ways to preserve life rather than to destroy; avoid rather than check, check rather than hurt, hurt rather than maim, maim rather than destroy; for all life is precious nor can any be replaced
Dragon Stretches Down: heat, energy, endurance and know the four directions and their relations
Fair Lady Works at Shuttles: light, effortless, giving
Needle at Sea Bottom: Know the 12 powers. 1 – The power of speech and writing. 2 – Attention and application. 3 – Intellect and knowledge. 4 – Intuition and inspiration. 5 – Emotions and feelings. 6 – Spiritual inner understanding. 7 – Personality, the small I. 8 – individuality, the ego. 9 – Aesthetics, the philosophy of art and beauty. 10 – Art. 11 – Love. 12 – Power of creation.
Deflect Parry and Punch: respect, honor and be faithful to the practice and the teachers who show you the way.
Close Taijiquan: send out at least 3 external good thoughts
Yichuan
9 Basic postures
1) Embrace the tree
2) Push the wall
3) Pull apart
4) Embrace tree low
5) Straight forward arms
6) Reaching upward
7) Wide pushing down
8) Wide downward embrace
9) Push back off wall
Pushing Hands
Continue from level one with the first three push hand patterns. Train them soft work effortless yielding and do in random order so you have to listen not just following a set pattern. When transitions are smooth then move to the double push series.
1) Row the boat
2) Inward circles
3) Alternate inward circles
4) Two hand circles both directions
5) Ward off roll back press and push
Just like with single push hands transitions should be smooth and eventually work into random feeds.
Philosophy
The three treasures of Qigong
1) Jing= essence of life, basic substance of the body enlivened by Qi and Shen
a- Innate Jing= From parents
b- Acquired Jing= Food and water
2) Qi= Energy
3) Shen= Spirit (your spirit is influenced by the 7 emotions joy, anger, pensiveness, worry, sorrow, shock and fear)
Cultivation methods
1) Lower attainment, focus on:
*developing mental power by practicing mantras, standing, forms and symbolic drawings
2) Middle attainment, focus on:
*cultivation of Qi
3) High attainment approach, focus on:
*cultivation of the original spirit
Cultivation Steps
1) Movements to purify Jing (foundational Stage)
2) Foster the Jing to Qi
3) Foster Qi to Shen
4) Foster Shen to the void, (not many reach this stage)
5) Return the void back to Dao (shatter the void)
*each of these steps includes training that is either low, middle, high or a combination of the three attainment approaches
*We can smell the errors of others yet we cannot see our own faults, the more time we spend criticizing others the more we lose, because we have less time to reflect internally. The more time spent learning about our selves, the more we cultivate our character and attain higher realization.
*Knowing others can only be considered being intelligent; to know one’s own character is to attain the true clarity of being.
Qigong
1) Internal Elixir= Qi
a- Muscle and tendon changing-small circulation
*For strength and health
b- Bone Marrow and brain washing- spiritual meditation
*for enlightenment and Longevity
2) External Elixir= Qi
a- massage, acupuncture, exercise or any outside stimulant that bring the energy inward
*Internal Elixirs can be dangerous
*External Elixirs are safe
12 Primary channels (meridians) or (rivers)
6 yang and 6 yin
3 yang channels outside the arms
3 yin channels inside the arms
3 yang channels outside the legs
3 Yin channels inside the legs
*Primary channels run the length of the body
*secondary channels go inwards to the muscles and bone marrow
*There are thousands of secondary channels or streams
*Cavity is a location on the surface of the body with higher electric current than the surrounding areas. There are over 700 cavities in the human body.
The two brains used in Qigong
1) The stomach brain has a memory
2) The head has a memory and can process thoughts
*In function both are one connected by the spinal cord
*Spinal cord has a memory as well; if you repeat movements over and over you do not have to think. It becomes muscle memory or a natural reaction.
*Brain cells consume up to 12 times more chi than the average cell in the body.
*At night time energy moves to the center during the day it move to the surface.
*According to Dao humans, animals, fish and plants are all the same with regards to the movement of energy.
*The 3rd eye is more focused at night when energy is at the centerline. This means Night time is a good time for a yin oriented practice. The pineal gland is related to the 3rd eye. If you can open the 3rd eye you will have incredible insight and have the ability to use telepathy. Many animal species still have their 3rd eye open and are believed to have telepathic abilities. Is it possible for humans to quiet their minds and be open to this awareness?
Reasons humans have closed their Third Eye
1) They build shelters so they don’t have to worry and stay alert at night
2) They grow and raise their own food so they don’t have to hunt
3) Their survival skills are slowly fading away
4) Humans also use their thinking to lie and cheat each other. This closes the 3rd eye. If it was open everyone would know the truth.
*The first step to open the 3rd eye is to be truthful. If you are untruthful, you unconsciously close it because you do not want people to know who you are. This is why many Taoist monks move to the mountains and call themselves “Zhen Ren” This means “truthful person”.
*You have to open the 3rd eye to reach any stage of enlightenment.
The Taoist definition of enlightenment
When your 3rd eye re-opens and suddenly you sense a lot of things other people cannot see, and feel what others cannot feel. Example: Animals sensing disasters floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. They sense this energy change when the 3rd eye is open and have telepathic abilities.