who is everyone and where have you studied?

[stampe]

Would we all agree to say that the amount of time that you spend learning under a master is very very important in learning such a deep art such as taijiquan?



Self study in the art is very crucial as well studying deeply the details, how and why finding value in the sacred art.



In China there is also the saying-"the instructor does not teach the student; the instructor merely presents knowledge and ideas -- the students, in truth, teach and train themselves."



I have found that learning at seminars and

short trips to China and abroad can have

an enrichening effect on learning an art such

as taijiquan, but one cannot become a great master

by seminars alone, belts/sashes and/or tournaments. The people who perfected the art of Taijiquan studied under the scutiny of great lineage masters for many years under strict discipline and hard work.



Did 2 years of 37 cheng Man ching form under a teacher from Ben Lo, and then later the Yang system diligently and sincerely

at Richmond chapter of Yongnian Taijiquan directed

by Sifu He Weiqi for 5 years and later with

Master Xianhao Cheng school for over 8 years now.

Went to China a few times as well and competed every other year there and in USA. Still a student of the art, always changing, always reevaluating and getting feedback from my teachers after all these years. Just so much to learn out there.



Tai Chi is there for me, havent felt motivated to become a teacher, of such a sacred thing. Hats off to those who do.

[MoMo]

Dear stampe,



You have many years of training in Tai Chi Chuan, I have a few questions if you don't mind me asking.



What were the main methods for developing "internal force" that your masters taught you?



Did any of them ask you to take a pattern out of the from and repeat it many times on both sides? For example, Yang Lu Chan used to practice "Grasping Sparrows Tail" thousands of times everyday, that gave him his termendous internal force. He could defeat anyone and any kind of attack using only that pattern.



What about Zhan Zhuang, do you practice that? And for how long?

but one cannot become a great master by seminars alone, belts/sashes and/or tournaments.

That is very true. The only thing that will allow a person reach a high level of skill is serious, persistent, and correct practice over a long period of time.



I'm a new student of Tai Chi Chuan, only been learning for a few months.



Thank you.

[lilashi]

In my opinion , there is no student there for there is no teacher...There is only the knowledge and wisdom....

Its all about sharing....

[stampe]

Internal power according to my Yang teachers comes from doing the long form repeatedly several times a day. at least three times a day in a row. At 20 mins. each round, 3 rounds equals one hour of doing longforms.



there is also supplementary training:



one is a special way of doing the commencing movement (raise hands) as a standing and breathing qigong. it is recommended to abstain from sex and not be a smoker to do this one. It is very much a standing exercise or qigong.



Second is working foward stepping, back stepping and sideways stepping. Doing many rows of these with or without the hand movements.



third is a solo series of special jing/fajing power methods. some are solo movements from Grasp bird Tail, and da lu. There are however many you can practice.

[Linda Heenan]

Hi Stampe. In answer to your question - who are we and where have we trained? - I'm saying hello. I'm Australian, a school teacher, and I suppose it would be most accurate to say I'm a long distance student of GRTC. I study from here, but I live here ......



http://www.livejournal.com/users/bluemountains

[Tashi James]

My name is Tashi,



I train with the newly formed Blue Mountains group; Having trained at the Blue Mountains Sword camp and Sydney form seminars with Laoshr. Previous to this I was working with a local Nam Wah Pai group under Alex Galvan, I learnt the 24 form, and was working with a 108 broadsword pattern at the time of the sword camp.



Wanting to be more "attuned" to the roots of Taijiquan and the "classics", I made the decision to ask Laoshr Scott Rodell to be my teacher. Now an accepted student of Laoshr I am an avid student of this system.



I have been doing one martial art or another since I was 11, most notably Arnis. Arnis is a philippino weapons based system that progresses to empty hand sanshou and weapons sanshou.



Kind Regards,

Tashi

[Roland Tepp]

My name is Roland,



I've been studying various martial arts on and off for ... welll most of my life, I guess...



Since 4th grade (age of ~10?) I started with Judo. I practiced that for about 6 years, until I found Bagua. Studied that for a year under master Zhang Zhanming until he left Estonia. After that I continued practicing in a declining regularity for about 3 o 4 years.



In a mean time I also sniffed at Aikido and Plum Blossom Mantis (Meihua Tanglang) for a while, but my heart was already sold to chinese internal martial arts.



After that there was a pause for some years until summer 1999, when I came to a seminar by Laoshr Scott in Tallinn. After that seminar I started my taiji practice, which was soon interrupted by a year of service in Estonian armed forces and after that about a year and a half by my employer who sent me abroad...



I've been practicing Michuan Taijiquan continuously since winter 2002 sans some really busy deadline periods in last few years since I changed my employer.



So - that's about it