Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung: Binding Your Life Force

Please see all videos:

(Please access the YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ2kKUlUq6BVeEJW_xjHV-g; then go to Play list, you
will see course number: PKIN0400.)

Introduction (see Video – 1)

Focus on Training “Your Heart”

Long ago, Taoism, an essential stream of Chinese civilization, was proposing that powerful
energy could be harnessed through harmony with the universe; that health depends upon
following the natural way of the universe, the Tao.

So many centuries later, we live in a world where science seems to reign supreme. Modern living
is increasingly fast-paced and hectic. We try to extend our vision further and further out into the
universe and we have begun to explore space. We try to control the world around us. But all this
activity can distract from contemplation of the inner life. We behold a world full of delights and
horrors, but perhaps we have lost the gift of insight.

Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung condition the internal organs and train the body toward a state of internal
chemical balance. At the same time, they promote emotional balance. Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung treat
the symptoms of excessive stress, and they also reach the root causes – our physical and mental
responses to all of the potentially stress-inducing events in life. We may not be able to hold onto
youth, but these disciplines give us a lease on life – the tools to stay young at heart.

For young people, training the heart is about developing patience and emotional balance. It’s
about acquiring the perceptiveness to recognize sources of wisdom, to find the people whose
advice is worth listening to. Learning from others’ experiences can prepare young people to
navigate the ocean of life.

For practitioners of any age, training the heart is about developing special qualities such as
patience, determination, a refined sense of self and a more refined perception of the universe
around us and within us.

It seems to be a natural inclination to seek satisfaction, happiness and pleasure in the outer world.
But like all things in nature, these feelings are transitory. While we must be firmly rooted in the
outside world to ensure a degree of material sustenance and comfort, a truly profound freedom is
to be found in the inner world, the human heart.

Traditional Codes

What is the meaning of the term “Sifu”?

The students address a teacher as “Sifu,” a Chinese term that implies more than “teacher,” in the
modern sense of the word. A Sifu adopts an almost parental role, caring selflessly for his or her

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students. This is a tradition in Chinese civilization that stretches back thousands of years. In the
past, in China, a prospective student could expect a difficult search just to find a Sifu, so rare a
wisdom and level of accomplishment was implied in that title.

What is the meaning of the term “Wu De”?

The Chinese martial arts offer a concept of character described by the term “Wu De.” It is often
translated as “martial arts moral character,” “martial virtue,” or “martial arts ethics.” Classes
begin and end with the exchange of martial arts salutes. Although this etiquette is a far cry from
character development, it’s an aspect of martial arts training that begins to instil an appreciation
of respect, and helps to regulate patterns of effective instruction.

Wu De goes hand-in-hand with training day by day and year by year. Students of Chi-Kung and
Tai-Chi start to undergo transformations to both the body and patterns of behaviour, without even
realizing it. There is a calmness and resourcefulness one sees in students who continue their
studies over a long stretch of time.

One of the keys to finding this resource is to focus on the fundamentals when you practice Tai-
Chi and Chi-Kung. Details of stance and hand position are important. If it takes a thousand
repetitions to acquire and understand an element of training, or even ten thousand, it is worth the
effort. This type of concerted effort also builds character.

Building Strong Foundations

University students are generally at an age that is a great time to build a strong foundation for a
successful life. Traditional Chinese training in Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung creates the conditions for
achieving mind/body health, and for establishing a balance of attention between the external
world and the inner life. University is an ideal context for training young people in good
technique and in the character development that goes hand-in-hand with Chi-Kung and Tai-Chi
mastery.

Here is the Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu’s advice:

“The best attitude is like water. Water is a positive benefit to all things without competing with
them. While man struggles to reach high ground, water settles in low places. Thereby, water
approaches the Tao.”

“Choose a good place to live and treat it well. Cultivate good character in your heart. Choose to
be with good people and treat them with kindness. Keep your word of honour. Principled
behaviour is the foundation of good management. Develop good skills in all your activities. In
acting, choose the right time. If you practice this natural lifestyle, like water, you’ll approach the
Tao, and avoid the need to struggle and compete.”

It gives us a standard for checking on ourselves.

One of the keys to building strong foundations is to focus on the fundamentals when you practice
Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung. Details of stance and hand position are important. As we said before, if it
takes a thousand repetitions to acquire and understand an element of training, or even ten
thousand, it is definitely worth the effort.

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Transforming Disciplined Training into Internal Strength

Internal strength is one of the ultimate aims of Chi-Kung and Tai-Chi practice. Such strength is
built upon tangibles such as persistent practice of technique and developing a healthy body, and
also upon intangibles like personal development and insight.

My parents and grandfather were able to endure hardships, including the Cultural Revolution,
maintaining their composure and inner balance, because they understood how to access and
marshal inner strength. It is internal strength that accounts for my grandfather’s dramatic
successes against practitioners of various styles of martial arts.

Internal strength became the foundation for their composure in the face of adversity, and for their
successful lives.

While many aspects of life elude our understanding and control, there are, of course, areas where
we can exercise choice in our response to the universe. We can choose to live a healthy, balanced
lifestyle. We can choose to make a positive contribution to life. Because training in the martial
arts promotes character development and builds internal strength, it enhances our power to
choose and shape our own future.

The great Chinese philosopher Meng Tzu (372 - 289 BCE) expressed the challenge well: “Before
the universe grants you success in your mission, your willpower and intellect will be worn out,
but to no avail; your physical strength will be worn out, but to no avail; you will be hungry and
exhausted, but to no avail. Nothing will be going your way. That’s the moment when you will
overcome adversity, using all your heart, your might and your patience. Then, finally you will
find that your capabilities are extended.”

I hope my teaching will serve as a companion for you as you set out on your journey of discovery
in Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung.

Part One - Therapeutic Chi-Kung (See Video - 2)

What is Chi-Kung?

The term Chi-Kung (Qi-Gong) means “energy exercise.” Chi-Kung brings together movement,
meditation and breath work to stimulate and enhance the flow of vital energy (Chi) throughout
the body (along the acupuncture meridians), to improve circulation, to strengthen the immune
system, and to promote the optimum functioning of the body’s self-regulating systems. There are
Chi-Kung exercises designed to heal specific organs and target specific illnesses.

The Chi-Kung exercises presented here were designed by Dr. Zi-Ping Wang, systematized by Dr.
Cheng-De Wu, and were published in 1958. The system is based on ancient Chi-Kung exercises,
but also incorporates Dr. Zi-Ping Wang’s decades of clinical experience. The therapeutic methods
are time-proven: not only can their origins be traced back centuries, but the system in its modern
form has benefited hundreds of thousands of practitioners around the world in the more than half
a century since it was introduced. No case of adverse effects has ever been reported.

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The design of the series of 24 postures follows the human spine and the command system of the
body – the nervous system – through the neck, then the back and through the limbs. These
exercises can be used for relief of neck, shoulder and back pain, and for the rehabilitation of
chronic illnesses such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s-related
syndromes. Regular practice can also reduce stress and tension, and regulate normal bodily
functions. Many shorter variation sets have been derived from these therapeutic Chi-Kung
exercises, including cervical disk syndrome exercises, frozen shoulder exercises, and lumbar
exercises.

The Keys to Effective Practice

1. Natural Relaxation: The body, the mind and breathing should all be relaxed when you
practice Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung. Natural relaxation is one of the best ways to reduce tension and
stress.

2. Serenity: The heart should be at ease. The outer world no longer impinges on your sense of
being. Your body and mind are completely under your control. You understand that yourself and
the universe are in complete harmony, like Yin and Yang, combined as one.

3. Focus and Accumulate Energy: One can attain an understanding of internal energy flow, and
the meridian system of Chinese medicine, and finally reach the highest state, Enlightenment.

Exercises for Accumulating Strong Energy and Building a Proper Foundation of Tai-Chi
Chuan

Posture 1: Absorbing the Pure Essence from the Mountains and Sea (See Video - 3)

This posture will help you experience deep serenity. It will help you focus and accumulate
energy, and be able to understand the internal energy flow and meridian systems of Chinese
medicine. You can attain self-reliance in walking and balancing.

In this posture, the main idea is to meditate, so that your heart should be at ease in the Chi-Kung
moment.

Steps:

1. Step out to the left, so that your feet are shoulder-width apart. Let your arms hang
naturally.
2. Place both hands on the lower abdomen, left hand over right. Unlock your knees and
bend them slightly. Touch the tip of your tongue to the palate and close your eyes.
3. Inhale and exhale 8-32 times.
4. Bring both hands down and to the side.
5. Finishing movements: Inhale and raise both arms from the sides of the body. up in a
maximum stretch over your head. Exhale while pressing down with both hands in front of
your chest. Let your arms hang naturally.

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Part Two – Tai-Chi Chuan

What is Tai-Chi Chuan? (See video - 4)

Tai-Chi Chuan is a set of exercises that embody the harmonization of Yin and Yang energies in
their techniques of movement, breathing and coordination of the mind and the body. Often
referred to as ‘meditation in motion,’ Tai-Chi encourages the flow of energy throughout the body.
Regular practice moderates the effects of aging and boosts the immune system. Modern research
supports the idea that a regular program of Tai-Chi training not only benefits physical and mental
well-being, but also binds one’s life force, for the quality of sense of self.

What is the Final Goal of Tai-Chi Training?

Enlightenment. This awareness is accumulated through your everyday training. And in time, you
may experience a spiritual cultivation. It is a realization of meaning in one’s life. The amount of
time required to reach an enlightened sense of self and of the universe is unique for each
individual.

Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung Foundational Training

Body Posture:  When practicing Tai-Chi and Chi-Kung, keep the head, neck, and back straight.
The whole spine has to be aligned properly to facilitate the rise of energy to the top of the head,
and to avoid excessive pressure on the lower back and the knees. The body should be relaxed and
the head held up, as though suspended on a string. It is important to keep the shoulders relaxed
and to drop the elbows. Bending, stretching, and the opening and closing of joints should feel
natural and unstrained. Generally, the eyes will follow the hands. 

Breathing Techniques:  Breathe naturally and evenly, but don’t force deep breathing. When the
abdomen is relaxed, Chi will flow naturally to the Dan-Tien, where it can be activated.

Hand Forms: Fist, Palm and Hook Hand (See video – 5)

Stances:  Bow Stance, T-Step and Semi-Horse Stance (See video – 6)

Stretching: Side and Front stretching for both legs. (See video – 7)

Kicking: Front kicking and Slap kicking. (See video – 8)

Exercises for Accumulating Strong Energy and Building a Proper Foundation of Tai-Chi
Chuan:

One of the great achievements in the development of Tai-Chi Chuan was the harmonizing of
combat training methods with Taoist principles. The resulting form enhanced the flow of vital
energies through the body and represented an efficient and powerful set of fighting techniques
based upon flexibility and supreme mind/body coordination and control. Today, Chen, Yang, Wu,

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Wu (different Chinese characters from the other Wu style), and Sun styles of Tai-Chi Chuan all
contain the most important Tai-Chi techniques (Ward off, Roll Back, Squeeze and Push) in their
training routines. Each technique has its own unique flavour.

Exercises: Ward Off, Roll Back, Squeeze, Push

These postures combine martial as well as healing exercises for accumulating a strong energy
foundation.

Exercise 1 Ward off (See video - 9)

Exercise 2 Ward off and Roll Back (See video – 9)
Exercise 3 Ward off, Roll Back and Squeeze (See video – 10)
Exercise 4 Ward off, Roll Back, Squeeze and Push (See video – 11 & 12)

Cool-down (see video 13)

Before finishing your training, students will learn relaxation techniques (Chinese traditional self-
acupressure). You will learn to relax the whole body; and these exercises can also help the
circulation of blood and will reduce resistance to blood flow. The use of these exercises will
improve heart functionality and help to promote the establishment of microcirculation (see video
13).

Two-Person Tai-Chi Fan Applications (Watch video only; see video 14. This part of the
material is only for building up your knowledge. No exam will be necessary for the two-person
Fan applications.)

In the 1960s, a Chinese martial artist, Professor Ju-Rong Wang essentially fashioned an entire
system for training with the Fan. The Fan forms provide internal and external training for all ages
and levels of practitioners. These forms are designed to enhance internal energy and optimize
health, but they include powerful self-defence applications as well. Note that many of the
techniques can be applied to any similar-sized object, and are thus ideal for self-defence in a
modern urban context.