T'ai Chi Empower: 2016

Friday, June 10, 2016

Friday, May 27, 2016

T'ai Chi as a martial art and spiritual discipline

Meditation Tai Chi.

Tai Chi is both a martial art and a spiritual discipline. It's movements are slow and meditative, yet have unseen internal strength. This combination generates the great rewards of improved health and fitness, mentally and spiritually....real healing and spiritual meditation music.

This music has been composed at the perfect temp for Tai Chi exercises, or alternatively it can be used purely for relaxation purposes.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Spirit of T'ai Chi - Li

Relaxing music perfect for meditation and taijiquan practice.

Dedicated to masters who have tought me a lot and to those which who i'm still studying with, and in particular, this video is for M. Jou Tsung Hwa, who have been a very important source of inspiration for me.

Friday, April 29, 2016

Studying T'ai Chi in a sequence of images {3}

(image credit)

My instructor had several old T'ai Chi books in Chinese, full of descriptive calligraphy and illustrations or photographs of movements. He knew only a smattering of Chinese, but he'd pour over the images. It was his way of learning how the old masters did T'ai Chi, which in turn he'd teach us.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Studying T'ai Chi in a sequence of images {1}

(image credit)

It may not be easy at all to study T'ai Chi from a sequence of images. Certainly it's commonplace to recommend that you attend a class and follow the teaching, that is, in person. Nevertheless, studying images can stretch your learning "muscles," and ultimately strengthen and sharpen your T'ai Chi.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Liang Shou-Yu introduces T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Grandmaster Shou-Yu Liang is one of the recipients of the Coach of Excellence title, given only to the most outstanding Chinese martial arts instructors by the People's Republic of China.

Grandmaster Liang's martial arts ancestry originated five generations ago. He started his traditional Emei kungfu and Qigong training with his grandfather in 1948. Through the introduction of his grandfather, Grandmaster Liang then sought out other renowned masters and other styles from Shaolin and Wudang. In the early sixties, Grandmaster Liang began his study and research in the few major styles of Taiji such as Yang, Chen, Sun, and Wu style, Buddhist Esoteric Qigong, and Taoist Qigong. Grandmaster Liang had many times been a gold medalist in Wushu and Taiji competitions held in Sichuan province. Representing Sichuan province, he very often entered into highly competitive national and international competitions and won many gold medals. He was also a many-time gold medalist in Chinese wrestling, weight lifting and gymnastics competitions. In Sanshou and Taiji Push Hands competitions organized by non government sponsored communities, he was undefeated in all events he competed in. In the early sixties, he began his career as a university Wushu coach. His skill coupled with his kindness, generosity, sense of humour, and a ready smile had earned him the friendship and the heart of countless numbers of people.

Grandmaster Liang had been a many-time judge for the Chinese provincial and national professional Wushu competitions. Upon immigrating to Canada, Grandmaster Liang was elected head coach of the first Canadian National Wushu Team in 1985. Competing in the first world Wushu tournament in China that year, the Canadian team finished third. In 1986, in a tournament involving 28 nations, his Canadian team placed second, next only to the powerful China team. The Canadian success story shocked the Chinese nation, and news of their outstanding accomplishment spread throughout China.

Grandmaster Liang has many times been the head judge or the chairman of the judging team for national and international Wushu tournaments. He formerly held the positions of Chairman of Wushu, Taiji, Qigong instruction at the University of British Columbia Physical Education and Recreation Department. In 1987, Grandmaster Liang formally established the Shouyu Liang Wushu, Taiji and Qigong Institute in Vancouver,Canada. A year later he went on to found the International Wushu Sanshou Dao Association (IWSD) and was selected as the Chairperson. Today, still chaired by Grandmaster Liang, the IWSD has created branches in more than 20 countries around the world.

In 1994, Grandmaster Liang led the North American Marital Arts Exhibition Team with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming for a friendship performance tour to ten major cities in China. His team received a warm welcome by the people and government of China. While in China, the team also competed in the international Wushu Competition held in Shanghai, for which 32 nations were represented. Grandmaster Liang's team received 42 out of 56 gold medals awarded to the competitors.