Welcome to my Taichi blog!
“Tai chi is a martial art that begins with cultivation of the mind, learning to discard everything except the thought of moving energy within the body, to nourish it and bring it to full health and, if necessary, to defend it. Various schools of tai chi have developed their own ways of training the body, but the aim is always to keep the joints relaxed to allow a free flow of chi.”
Rakesh Menon
The Form 24- Rakesh at the Oval (click to watch video)
The Form24- Rear view (click to watch video)
The health benefits of tai chi
Harvard Women’s Health Watch
This gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibilyt, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life.
Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called “medication in motion.” There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren’t in top shape or the best of health.
In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions named for animal actions — for example, “white crane spreads its wings” — or martial arts moves, such as “box both ears.” As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention — as in some kinds of meditation — on your bodily sensations. Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the most fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.
Another Sunday and another wonderful experience. The Song Sheng Wu fa, loosening up exercises which, as one of the group commented, were equal to any cardio routine. Exercises that are done slowwwly, rhythmically, and confusingly (confusing till the body develops muscle memory) which depend mainly on thigh strength and loose effortless movement of the arms and shoulders make up the Song Sheng Wu Fa.
And then the Chi Sow, or sticky hands routine. The skill here is to let your limbs go dead, to withdraw all consciousness from your arms and let them hang limp so that the opponent cannot use your energy against you and this is not as easy as it might sound.
Every new routine brings awareness of a ‘new’ set of muscles and bones.
It loosens the body Internally as well as Externally. The Mind and Body coordinated movements helps in ailment of lot of Internal disorders related with Mind, like Alzeimers, Demetia, Parkinsons. It is indeed a wonderful excercise to loosen up the CHI and make it move freely to every part of the body..
After a long time today Rakesh took us into the mental combat zone. The battle was within us to maintain a double awareness of moving slowly, as slow a Tai Chi walk as possible and counting fast backwards.
The battle was also external as we had to be aware of the others and distract them, without losing our own focus.
So Tai Chi class today was an experience in split consciousness.
And with eyes closed.
It was an exercise in focus and awareness and competition because the aim was to drown out the other and distract him.
Amazing.
An invitation for everyone to try! Even with the normal walk.
Yes just doing some breathing excercise or few Forms doesn’t prove how far we have trained our Mind. Actual practice comes when we co ordinate Body with Mind and use the help of Breath to move the Energy(Chi) to where ever WE want to. so these kind of Mental Combat excercises are very important.
I am glad that everyone was happy today trying it, some were good, some still learning- coz they were newcomers & some lack of practice. but the idea is to Challenge the Mind, not the Body & for that PRACTICE is needed
wish all the best to everyone.. I am sure you all can do it..keep practicing…
True; but practising on our own, alone at home is not enough, I think, will not be possible, perhaps.
Maybe we can do this and other Mental Combat routines oftener at the beginning of class, all together so that everyone gets exposed to the nuances of Tai Chi?
yes thats a good idea ..we need to give challenges to every one
Hi
Have lost the contact number of Rakesh Menon from my phonebook. Can someone please help me with his mobile number? This is Amar from New Delhi.
Many thanks.
Rakesh’s number is 9819459694
Flowing Wheel Tai Chi Camp at Lonavla (March 1st and 2nd 2014)
We were late this year; March is not exactly the most appropriate time for a camp, especially one involving a lot of outdoor physical activity.
The venue was the same however, Tulsi Sadhana Kutir at Lonavla. This place has a wonderful ambience, good simple food, chaas to die for but cherish forever, clean basic dormitories (though this time we did spy the most resilient of winged creatures) and a pool in the backyard which attracted the little boys and children of all ages inviting them to skip stones; not quite successfully, I might add, except for Mohan.
On the morning of the 1st of March we met at Reliance Fresh at 6.30 am and managed to leave by 7.15 am. This time we drove straight through, instead of breaking off for breakfast at the ubiquitous MacDonald’s. The warm breakfast of idli, poha, bread-butter-jam at Tulsi Kutir was highly welcome.
The NCPA group was to arrive by train so we, the Chemburites, were able to relax, allowing our breakfast to settle, while we waited for them.
The distance to Sneh Sadan is normally covered by jogging which also provides the warm-up for the exercise routines to follow but this year, Anandh wisely suggested we walk … traffic increase has hit Lonavla back lanes as well with plush resorts having come up there.
As usual, Anandh took charge of the hard liners, the youngsters who were there to enjoy the kicks, locks and punches and this year he moved them into the verandah of Sneh Sadan where they would be protected from the heat and we from their war cries.
In the shade of the bamboo grove we did the second Cultivation and then the Form 24. Out in the open without the restrictions of building walls, the experience is different. That Rakesh then asked us to do the form again with just the hand movements was, shamefully for us, a challenge that threw us; worse was attempting just the foot movements of the form. I have resolved to practice the hand and foot movements separately; pray that I keep the resolution.
However, everyone took things in the right spirit. Rakesh manages to strike that balance between reprimand and encouragement where he makes his point obvious without discouraging his students.
We were ready for lunch and had to call across to the hard practitioners to call off their punches. A welcome break after lunch during which all but the kids caught their refreshing forty or more winks. Natrajan, generally called Mani, and his younger son, Sharang, arrived in time for lunch. So now our group had increased but we were still feeling the absence of Kannan and his family.
Albert’s mother always enjoys these camp outings and is a wonderfully benevolent spectator of all her son’s antics; he can be trusted to cause a minor turbulence at will.
Mohan was accompanied by his lovely, shy wife, Ajitha, who also attempted some of the routines with us.
Jijji, Rakesh’s wife and mother of Aryan and Devika, would have loved to participate but the little one kept wanting exclusive attention.
Anitha’s cousin, Rohit, who had driven us up to Lonavla, was part of Anandh’s group.
My grandchildren, Viveka and Dev Ashish, and Namit, Anandh’s son, were kept busy by Anandh; Viveka was thrilled with the report that her wrists were very flexible.
The NCPA group comprised the veterans Vijay, Yazdi and Raksha accompanied by her niece, Urvi, the one-girl laughter club. That girl can cause a riot.
The evening session started later than decided as snoozers were slow to wake.
While the Tai Chi group did, or rather attempted, Form 42 the youngsters carried on with their martial practice. We attempted just the first routine of the Form and repeated it several times, getting it and yet not quite, but all of us agreed that it was a wonderfully graceful and animated form.
This opinion was consolidated when Rakesh demonstrated the whole of Form 42 and we sat open-mouthed in admiration. What a blend of slow and fast, aggression and patience, and most importantly core strength. His deliberate, controlled pivot on one foot took our breaths away. The video recording of this should be available soon on the site, I hope.
With the dark, the youngsters came into the hall as well and provided an awestruck audience to the chair-lift as well as a giggly one to the healing sounds. Mani’s lack of practice of the healing sounds caused him to perspire profusely.
While Rakesh was demonstrating defence techniques, Mani had several very pertinent questions which Rakesh answered with convincing moves, leaving no doubts about the efficacy of Tai Chi as a combat or defence art.
The post-dinner session was one of Cosmic Meditation which most of us were familiar with and enjoy greatly; the youngest participant was Sharang who, we believe, had quite an experience.
This was followed by an interaction session in which we got to know each other better.
The next morning was the much awaited trek. Kannan, Sudha and their two boys, Amogh and Pranva arrived in time for breakfast to join the trek.
Driving down to Khandala we reached St. Mary’s Villa after the customary wrong turnings and were dismayed to find a group of thirty or forty youngsters ahead of us. Obviously we were not the only ones bent upon pitting our skills, or lack thereof, against the boulder abundant slope down to the ravine.
This was my third visit to this part of Khandala and I have noticed that in each attempt the path looks different and difficulty levels vary. The constants are the bad patches, always there but never the same; there are four of them and predictably they hold up the descent or the climb while Rakesh, Anandh, Kannan, sometimes Yazdi and this time Rohit are called upon for support. These have become Flowing Wheel fixtures with points being identified as Mani point, Sudha point and Raksha point. I think we even have a Vijay point. Sudha was unable to attend this year, while Mani begged out on account of a bad back and Raksha refused to chance it after her bad experience last year.
The younger ones in the group scamper ahead, sure footed and confident in their lack of fear and experience. Sharang, Viveka and Aryan took the lead, followed closely by Namit and Dev Ashish.
This year, I was slower, perhaps because of the discomfort in my thighs or a change in disposition. Was willing to take it easier, feeling that I had nothing to prove to myself since I had succeeded twice before and confident that I wouldn’t do too bad a job this time round, either.
As always the pool formed by the cascades invited the young ones in spite of the chilling water.
Upma, bread-butter and bread-jam, oranges, provided welcome relief and replenished the energy required for the climb back up.
Despite some areas where I feared my heart was fit to burst, it was an easy climb back up; the credit goes entirely to the increased energy levels and the ability to move lighter that Tai Chi can provide.
Vijay did several bad areas on his own and he gives the credit to the directions of Rohit and Sharang. While I appreciate the support from these young stalwarts and do not discredit it, I would assume that this past year’s practice also contributed a great deal to Vijay’s success.
I could see a marked change in Yazdi’s face, it seems to have lit up. Those who meet regularly often miss out on the gradual transformation that takes place inwardly but the change aggregated over a year is striking.
Nimbu pani and golas celebrated the culmination of the trek; lunch at the Kutir and then the return.
The Flowing Wheel Tai Chi event at the Chembur Festival
Anitha Shreedharan, one of the younger members of our Chembur group, was highly enthusiastic about the Flowing Wheel getting a demonstration slot during the festival. So, on the 14th Feb, we gathered at Kannan’s house at 7.30am in order to reach Diamond garden by 8.00 am, the time we were scheduled to start.
Those who do the forms on a regular basis are fully aware that each one of us is accustomed to moving at our own pace and closing the eyes helps in this. It is equally true that we do try to harmonise, to work in rhythm with the energy of the others, but a performance is a different kettle of fish entirely. It is important to synchronise.
Rakesh called us in on the evenings to fine tune our forms and, more importantly, brush up our ‘performance’ skills. Basically, we needed to move together as we would in a drill. How difficult that was. It required two things: keeping our eyes open and consciously, deliberately following the movement and pace of the person in front of us; follow the leader is not easy in an individualised art.
At the venue, as we waited in the wings waiting for the Yoga session to wind up, we were apprehensive about the turn-out, wondering if we would need to change our game plan; as we assured a few among the audience that the Tai Chi session was indeed scheduled for that morning we commented upon the marked difference between the people interested in Yoga and Tai Chi.
Our impromptu compere, Mani, opened the ceremony in flawless Hindi with the composure of the seasoned actor that he is. After a brief but relevant introduction to Rakesh and Tai Chi, he handed the mike over to Rakesh.
The audience learnt that they would be treated to a demonstration of various movements in Tai Chi; however, they would also be invited to join in and experience for themselves what Tai Chi could offer.
We started with a demonstration of Form 24, that which we had been practising to synchronise. Credit goes to Rakesh that we pulled it off fairly harmoniously. Then Rakesh invited the people to sense their chi, prana or energy, and do the walk and practice some of the healing massages, all with the help of the team moving among the crowd.
What perhaps tilted the balance in favour of the power of energy was the challenge that Rakesh threw. He invited volunteers to come up and pit their force against his; the heavier and stronger the volunteer the better! Then he explained that his aim was to push them and he would try it twice; the first attempt would be using sheer brute physical force and the second would involve the subtler energy.
The first gentleman to take up the gauntlet was a body-builder type who was obviously more muscular than Rakesh and we learnt that he weighed a good four or five kilos more. He took up his stance, braced himself firmly, and resisted Rakesh quite impressively. He did not even sway as Rakesh pushed. Then Rakesh informed him that he would try to disbalance him using just his energy. The crowd was sceptical. The challenger was intrigued enough to take some of the shine off his triumphant expression.
The ‘Ohhhh’ of surprise that went up from the crowd when the lighter built Rakesh moved the heftier man with what seemed just a light touch changed into hearty applause. Tai Chi had made its mark.
The workshop ended with Rakesh demonstrating the combat version of the form. Poetry fighting fit.
thts the class of the Pen thts thr in ur hand Abha….experience counts…kp it up…credit goes to my entire Flowing Wheel Family for thir hard work…Mother Nature blssss
Why try tai chi?
When learned correctly and performed regularly, tai chi can be a positive part of an overall approach to improving your health. The benefits of tai chi may include:
Decreased stress, anxiety and depression
Improved mood
Improved aerobic capacity
Increased energy and stamina
Improved flexibility, balance and agility
Improved muscle strength and definition
More research is needed to determine the health benefits of tai chi. Some evidence indicates that tai chi also may help:
Enhance quality of sleep
Enhance the immune system
Help lower blood pressure
Improve joint pain
Improve symptoms of congestive heart failure
Improve overall well-being
Reduce risk of falls in older adult
Today, 7th July, at iFit Studio there was an air of anticipation … a new martial arts class was going to be launched on the heels of the Tai Chi session. Krav Maga of Israeli origin is the latest addition to what the Studio offers.
The Tai Chi session was just as demanding. The Chi Gung walk … not a cake-walk even with eyes open and the aim is to balance with eyes closed. The trick is to focus on the tan tien, relax completely and let not a single thought intrude. Easier said than done! The objectives have always been made absolutely clear but they are hard to achieve and therefore easier to ignore … would that it were not so!
This was followed by the Fusion of the Five Senses … confusion! A once favourite has been clouded over by disuse. However, Rakesh broke it up into segments and we managed. This is surely something we need to practice oftener, this and Cultivation II.
Maybe if the Krav Mada is to follow so quickly on the heels of Tai Chi, we should start Tai Chi slightly earlier.
Also we do need a video of Rakesh doing the stances!
Today, Sunday 16th June, it was a fairly full class despite the torrential downpour; Vandana, a newcomer, braved the weather all the way from Nerul.
We had a really rigorous session at iFit studio where we have shifted for the rains. Lunges (back and front), tabatta (with dumb-bells, no less), push-ups, wall sits, the works!
Then the form and while everyone else seemed to be all there, I was totally out of focus drawing remarks from Rakesh to pull in the tan tien, to put the tongue up, to relax the shoulders ….
I thought it was the heavy work-out that was responsible for this but Rakesh says it was because I was trying to follow his movements instead of following my own energy.
He has a point.
So much to learn!
You are normally our role model so it sounded strange that you were out of focus. Happens to all of us. Sometimes by following you forget to listen to your own body. Amazing that Rakesh could pick it up with his back to you most of the time
Exactly, all the while he was commenting he had his back to me;
I was in the last row and he was up front and he could see that the tongue was not up, the tan tien wasn’t pulled in and shoulders were tense!
How far we have to travel … but what a journey it is.
This Sunday was a good session with Yi Jin Jing after such a long time, caused most of us to drip.
And the hands only form was a good variation!
Sunday, 2nd June, Saraswati Vidyalaya, Chembur … came to the conclusion that Albert, Kannan and I make a good team.
🙂
3 of us striving to meet up to Rakesh’s standards. Tough going
🙂 yes Kannan.
1008 is the magical number … do the form 1008 times and it will take you to a new level, the form will open up higher possibilities, this is what Rakesh said.
1008 …
The difference that Rakesh demonstrated between just doing the form, physically, like we are doing it and being in the form while practicing is that of someone just learning the alphabet and an accomplished writer.
I will be glad when I reach the stage of even being able to read fluently!
I am, I think getting the first few steps of Form 42 but the havoc that this was wreaking on the not-yet-perfect Form 24 was unimaginable. Confusion arose about slide or lift, direction ..
🙁
Today, however, the continuation from Form 42 to Form 24 was more or less seamless.
Hope this is a sign of progress and will not go away.
Also, moving from the waist, whatever I am getting of it, seems to add a spring to the movement, I noticed it first with the first side-kick after the Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane. Was filled with pleasant surprise, especially since I had been having some trouble balancing for some time at that point.
Missed class today, Sunday.
Rakesh says it was an interesting session.
Anybody care to fill me in? Sujata has not lived up to her promise yet, by the way … Sujata you there?
🙂
It was pouring cats and dogs at class time. Despite that we had almost full attendance. Our usual area was wet and so we decided to use one of the classrooms. We started off with a tabata set. Sujata had been doing tabata with jumping jacks daily, so we decided to escalate to squat jumps. This increased the intensity so we were all pooped by the 4th set and had to revert to jumping jacks again for the last four. We then decided to try volume training with ascending and descending ladders. So we started off with sets of 4 squats and 4 kicks, next set of 6 squats and 6 kicks and then 8 of each and then 10 of each. Just to keep it interesting we varied the squats using Y squats, convict squats, normal squats and the traditional baitaks. Once we reached 10, Subra reminded us that we had to come down the ladder so we did sets of 10-8-6-4. Thus completing a total of 56 squats and 56 kicks. Albert and I then brought in a new instrument of torture, the kettlebell , a hunk of 16 kg solid metal with a handle. We used this for a number of exercises, including figures of eight, swings, cleans, walks, presses, rows, lunges and squats. These exercises are good for the core and strengthen the back. The first sense of intimidation was soon replaced with familiarity with everyone getting into the act. This was followed with a slow form in the light drizzle, to relax the body completely. Quite an interesting session. Since our bodies are getting used tot he workouts, should be no aches and pains on Monday, I hope
Interesting? Sounds formidable!
I think I am glad I had to miss!
🙂
But this Sunday will be there … wonder how much of it all I will have to ‘pass’.
Look forward to it though.
This Sunday, Chembur, we did the first Harnessing but 36 … haven’t done it for a long long time … was good though it took over an hour.
Then the bright ones, Kannan and Albert, came up with the idea of the ‘battling rope’ (or is it the battle-in rope). A construction rope lying around provided the inspiration.
It was quite an exercise, while one partner held the rope the other twirled it even though two hands were needed to hold it. The force of the circling rope was so much that the passive partner had perforce to swing his arms!
Then a round of form. Goes without saying that after the battle churned core, the form
felt really relaxing.
Not bad, as Rakesh might say.
More a question of battling the ropes. While the rope was a little short for the actual workout, nevertheless it left me with aching forearms the next day. Wonder what a full length 50 ft rope would feel like and doing both arms at the same time
I am happy u al enjoyed it…yes as Kannan said d length of d rope eased out d wrkout had it been a bigger rope it wud had been much challenging…these kind of xcersise not on strngthns d extrnal part of ur body but builds d Core muscles also…there r lot of other xcercises which v wl b doing in future…wait & watch…i m sure Kannan wl b smiling…haha…& yes aftr al these hard xcrcise a round of Taichi form really soothens & add a sprinkl of fresh water in d desert isnt it kp it up Mother Nature bless
I would prefer to leave it at the ‘I wonder’ stage re the 50ft rope!
Last Sunday we went beyond the rope … sandbagging and traction (hope I got the name correct) and Tabata and of course the form. All in the course of one morning! Needless to say arms and back reported unfit next morning.
Am still waiting for other members to report their experience with this new face of the Sunday Tai Chi classes.
That was the TRX suspension system which is an equipment capable of full body exercise and varying the resistance as per the individual’s fitness levels. May get kettlebells next time (check with Rakesh) and vary the Tabata routine with more exercises.
Okay the TRX suspension system … should’nt forget it now.
I have not done Tabata yet but will .. is interesting.
Seven Years of The Flowing Wheel in Chembur
It all started with Albert and Natrajan. The two had been talking about Tai Chi and other forms in connection with the need to ‘do something’. One day Albert had gone to Natrajan’s office and was introduced to a colleague, Prasad, who was into martial arts and their latent interest found direction. Prasad knew Ram Mohan, a spiritual guru and practitioner of Tai Chi staying in Chembur. He, however, was not a Tai Chi instructor but rather into conducting spiritual discourses.
He did know of someone who was a good teacher, though, and that is how Albert and Natarajan met Rakesh Menon.
Then began a search for a place that would be available at a time convenient to everyone concerned. On Ram Mohan’s suggestion they zeroed in on Saraswati Vidyalya, a school near the Post Office in Chembur, one which has had a long-standing tradition of hiring out its premises for Sunday classes. Through the good offices of Uday Acharya , a friend of Ram Mohan, a deal was negotiated and the Chembur chapter of The Flowing Wheel was launched. This was in April 2005.
Flowing Wheel, founded in 2003 by Rakesh Menon, is involved in teaching Kung Fu-Wushu, Tai Chi and Chi Kung and it ‘creates opportunities for experimental learning for people desirous of building and enhancing their self-awareness, health and quality of life’ as the website will tell you.
I joined in November of the same year, 2005. My introduction to it came most fortuitously through a flier brought to me by my daughter-in-law from her yoga class.
The fledgling class had already swollen to about twenty. More than half were the advanced batch, those who had joined in April or soon after, and newcomers kept joining. As a result the group contained people who had just joined, like me, and others from it its inception. Since the class was not run in batches, it was managed with a fair degree of fluidity which ensured that nobody got left out and everyone enjoyed individual attention.
I soon discovered that Rakesh had not only the patience to teach so varied a batch but also the ability to sense the need, limits and abilities of each student which allowed him to push, encourage or let be befitting each individual; above all a vibrant sense of humour which made the loosely structured class progress easily.
But Tai Chi is a slow meditative form of exercise and self defence, with both therapeutic and prophylactic benefits to the mind, body and spirit and many who came left, perhaps because they did not have the faith or the patience to give this discipline the practice it requires; it cannot be the instant remedy that is the requirement of the pace of life today.
A year or so ago, some of us asked Rakesh if we could film his performance of the form. We were astounded to see Rakesh clamber up onto a ledge 6 feet from the ground and about six inches in width and perform the form with effortless ease and balance under the sweeping branches of a tree. The grace with which he performs the form is something that we are still trying hard to emulate. I suppose that comes from the chi within.
He has also focused on the healing powers of chi kung and building the power within each of us. Rakesh has the ability to read our auras, diagnose and prescribe treatments that work in a remarkably intuitive way. He sometimes amazes us with his comments on our state of physical and mental health that are always on the dot.
These seven years have seen a closeness develop among the regulars and the class has grown from the traditional Tai Chi, Chii Kung to a combination of soft and hard forms; we have been introduced to the basic Eight Jewels, Cultivation, Harnessing and the Combined Beijing Form through to the more tricky Chi Sau and the very intriguing and advanced energy pushing. We have also been introduced to the advanced levels of Cultivation and Harnessing and a range of forms casually referred to as ten, twenty and the Song of Thirteen Postures; locks, kicks flexibility and stances are now a by word.
While Rakesh ensures that the newcomers practice the basic traditional Tai Chi, we are sometimes given the privilege of choosing what we wish to do on a class day.
The 2 day annual camps that we have are intense experiences and at each we are exposed to something new and intriguing.
The Chembur contingent is always the largest at these camps and that says a lot about the spirit of Rakesh and the Chembur chapter.
In collaboration with Albert and Kannan.
****
Hi, Just wanted to share one of my experience.
I have always been anemic and was never allowed to donate blood whenever I wanted to. I had a routine check-up done recently and my hemoglobin was normal for the first time in my life.
Its been more than two years since I joined Tai Chi … (my diet remains the same before and after joining Tai Chi). Thanks to Tai Chi and Thanks to Rakesh.
Hi Raksha,
It must have been such a pleasant surprise; am so glad and guess it just promises so much more.
🙂
It feels so good 2 c old students coming 4 d practice after a long time, with same interest & Energy, very much appreciated, it was so nice 2 see al d students at our Chembur class doing d combination of Hard & Soft styles,good wishes 2 all, I always would like 2 c this very often Mother Nature bless
wishing every1 a Happy Diwali & Prosperous New Year… DIWALI- Festival of Lights,overcomin Good over Bad…… A fantastic concept of Yin & Yang…. It always comes at Amaavasya, when ther is no Moon & d whole surroundin is lightened by Diyaas & Lights, every1 has Sweets 2 erase d Bitterness in Life,Everybody wishes Goodluck 2 eachother Happily so that d Grief & Sorrow is thrown out…..so v also hav 2 follo these concept, being Positive, Brighten ourselves from Inside 2 fight al d evils Outside, spread Love & Chi wherevr v go, b in Harmony & aligned with Mother Nature…. May d Good Chi flow….. Mother Nature bless……….
Abha.. awaiting your write up on our trek to Matheran on 7th August. I enjoyed it very much. We should have such treks and camps regularly. 🙂 .
Hi Raksha,
I did make two attempts but for some reason they both got rejected … some error occurred.
Will try again!
I too enjoyed it greatly and it boosted my confidence in my stamina.
Take care.
🙂
Have been doing the Song of Thirteen Postures for some time now …. and I think, after the last Sunday, I am fairly close to saying, ‘Okay, I think I can do it nearly correctly’. 🙂
But right or wrong, this is something I have been noticing for a while … that the combat moves of Song of Thirteen Postures start a kind of churning, the energy generated is of a different nature, but with the closure, the ssssss sound, again all settles into calm.
Any corroborations or contradictions?
Hi Rakesh,
Alibaug ke photographs upload karo.. please.
Hi Abha,
Great article about our camp… I could imagine everything we did while reading. It was nice to meet you after a long break. Its nice to be a part of the Rakesh Tai Chi family.
True, Raksha, about the Rakesh Tai Chi family 🙂
I really wish, though, that more people would contribute to the blog … it gets quite monotonous to see just one or two names and opinions …
Hi Kannan … this is something that both Albert and Shubra can use … 🙂
This extract is from your ‘Yang’s Ten Points’:
‘The postures are not beyond insubstantial and substantial, opening and closing. That which is called open means not only the hands and feet are open, but the mind is also open. That which is called closed means not only the hands and feet are closed, but the mind is also closed. When you can make the inside and outside become one, then it becomes complete.’
Understandable … but achieveable? Amazing how Tai Chi constantly opens up new frontiers and challenges …
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Conditioning your mind can be just as important as conditioning your body. ChiRunning can be a meditative practice that focuses your mind, lifts your spirits and opens the flow of chi in your life.
In the ChiRunning book you’ll find information about: race training, trail running, interval training, and endurance running as well as diet and nutrition for peak performance.
The ChiRunning program virtually changes the landscape of the sport of running and makes running accessible and appealing to people who have stopped running due to injury, who are intimidated by the difficulty and potential danger of running, who want to have a competitive edge, and for those who seek a spiritual component in their fitness program.
I guess you think and do the song ten times in a row. Then let muscle memory take over and stop thinking. It worked for me
This Song of Thirteen Postures … I think I am getting it … and then I am not … something technically so simple, how can it cause such confusion?
🙁
I came in late, and am still confused, but am getting the hang of it gradually … but what a fine combination of Tai Chi and combat … this Song of the Thirteen Postures is.
Thanks for the info, Kannan. 🙂
Today Rakesh initiated us into the Song of the Thirteen Postures.
The hand technics are influenced from the tri-grams of the “I-Ching” or Book of Changes and consist of eight basic changes: P’eng (Ward Off), Lu (Roll Back), Chi (Press), An (Push), Ts’ai (Pull), Leih (Split), Tsou (Elbow), K’ao (Shoulder). The Five Foot and Eight Hand technics make up the “Thirteen Postures” of Tai Chi.
The first Eight Gates or Eight Entrances (Ba Gua or Pa Kau) can be divided into the Four Primary Hands (Ward Off, Pull Back, Press and Push) and the Four Corner Hands (Pull Down, Split, Elbow and Shoulder).
The first eight (Pua Qua or Ba Gua) of the Thirteen Gates are often associated, for mnenomic or esoteric purposes, with the eight basic trigrams used in the Chinese I Ching: Book of Changes.
In the order of the first Eight Gates (Pa-Men), the eight I Ching trigrams are Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Thunder, Lake, and Mountain.
All thirteen postures, or course, involve some movement of the feet and legs, but the final Five Gates involve more extensive movements of the feet and legs. These are collectively referred
to as the Wu-hsing – Five Elemental Phases of Change. The final five gates are associated with the 5 elementary processes (Wu-xing) involving: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
YANG’S TEN IMPORTANT POINTS
by Yang Cheng-fu (1883 – 1936)
as researched by Lee N. Scheele
1.) Head upright to let the shen [spirit of vitality] rise to the top of the head. Don’t use li [external strength], or the neck will be stiff and the ch’i [vital life energy] and blood cannot flow through. It is necessary to have a natural and lively feeling. If the spirit cannot reach the headtop, it cannot raise.
2.) Sink the chest and pluck up the back. The chest is depressed naturally inward so that the ch’i can sink to the tan-t’ien [field of elixir]. Don’t expand the chest: the ch’i gets stuck there and the body becomes top-heavy. The heel will be too light and can be uprooted. Pluck up the back and the ch’i sticks to the back; depress the chest and you can pluck up the back. Then you can discharge force through the spine. You will be a peerless boxer.
3.) Sung [Relax] the waist. The waist is the commander of the whole body. If you can sung the waist, then the two legs will have power and the lower part will be firm and stable. Substantial and insubstantial change, and this is based on the turning of the waist. It is said “the source of the postures lies in the waist. If you cannot get power, seek the defect in the legs and waist.”
4.) Differentiate between insubstantial and substantial. This is the first principle in T’ai Chi Ch’uan. If the weight of the whole body is resting on the right leg, then the right leg is substantial and the left leg is insubstantial, and vice versa. When you can separate substantial and insubstantial, you can turn lightly without using strength. If you cannot separate, the step is heavy and slow. The stance is not firm and can be easily thrown of balance.
5.) Sink the shoulders and drop the elbows. The shoulders will be completely relaxed and open. If you cannot relax and sink, the two shoulders will be raised up and tense. The ch’i will follow them up and the whole body cannot get power. “Drop the elbows” means the elbows go down and relax. If the elbows raise, the shoulders are not able to sink and you cannot discharge people far. The discharge will then be close to the broken force of the external schools.
6.) Use the mind instead of force. The T’ai Chi Ch’uan Classics say, “all of this means use I [mind-intent] and not li.” In practicing T’ai Chi Ch’uan the whole body relaxes. Don’t let one ounce of force remain in the blood vessels, bones, and ligaments to tie yourself up. Then you can be agile and able to change. You will be able to turn freely and easily. Doubting this, how can you increase your power?
The body has meridians like the ground has ditches and trenches. If not obstructed the water can flow. If the meridian is not closed, the ch’i goes through. If the whole body has hard force and it fills up the meridians, the ch’i and the blood stop and the turning is not smooth and agile. Just pull one hair and the whole body is off-balance. If you use I, and not li, then the I goes to a place in the body and the ch’i follows it. The ch’i and the blood circulate. If you do this every day and never stop, after a long time you will have nei chin [real internal strength]. The T’ai Chi Ch’uan Classics say, “when you are extremely soft, you become extremely hard and strong.” Someone who has extremely good T’ai Chi Ch’uan kung fu has arms like iron wrapped with cotton and the weight is very heavy. As for the external schools, when they use li, they reveal li. When they don’t use li, they are too light and floating. There chin is external and locked together. The li of the external schools is easily led and moved, and not too be esteemed.
7.) Coordinate the upper and lower parts of the body. The T’ai Chi Ch’uan Classics say “the motion should be rooted in the feet, released through the legs, controlled by the waist and manifested through the fingers.” Everything acts simultaneously. When the hand, waist and foot move together, the eyes follow. If one part doesn’t follow, the whole body is disordered.
8.) Harmonize the internal and external. In the practice of T’ai Chi Ch’uan the main thing is the shen. Therefore it is said “the spirit is the commander and the body is subordinate.” If you can raise the spirit, then the movements will naturally be agile. The postures are not beyond insubstantial and substantial, opening and closing. That which is called open means not only the hands and feet are open, but the mind is also open. That which is called closed means not only the hands and feet are closed, but the mind is also closed. When you can make the inside and outside become one, then it becomes complete.
9.) Move with continuity. As to the external schools, their chin is the Latter Heaven brute chin. Therefore it is finite. There are connections and breaks. During the breaks the old force is exhausted and the new force has not yet been born. At these moments it is very easy for others to take advantage. T’ai Chi Ch’uan uses I and not li. From beginning to end it is continuous and not broken. It is circular and again resumes. It revolves and has no limits. The original Classics say it is “like a great river rolling on unceasingly.” and that the circulation of the chin is “drawing silk from a cocoon ” They all talk about being connected together.
10.) Move with tranquility [Seek stillness in movement]. The external schools assume jumping about is good and they use all their energy. That is why after practice everyone pants. T’ai Chi Ch’uan uses stillness to control movement. Although one moves, there is also stillness. Therefore in practicing the form, slower is better. If it is slow, the inhalation and exhalation are long and deep and the ch’i sinks to the tan-t’ien. Naturally there is no injurious practice such as engorgement of the blood vessels. The learner should be careful to comprehend it. Then you will get the real meaning.
During the past two weeks, Rakesh had set me a discipline to follow … I needed to catch up with all the Tai Chi I had missed during the last seven months when I was not in Mumbai.
Last Thursday, I did 2nd Cultivation as per the time table. I missed out on the Tan Tien cult and could do the Iron Shirt for only three breaths, but the end experience was tremendous … I felt my room was flooded with sunlight (my eyes were still closed) and I felt relaxed and glowing. So I must have done something right.
I cannot explain this … maybe one shouldn’t look for explanations or anticipate experiences (the next two days were just ordinary practice).
Taichi in self defence
Here is a clip of the late Master Cheng Tin-hung in his younger days.
“Opening scene of ‘The Shadow Boxer’ (Shaw Brothers). The late tai chi chuan grandmaster Cheng Tin-hung (1930-2005) skillfully demonstrates a number of fighting applications” – the Chinese Boxing Club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqKHOg9DZfU&feature=player_embedded
Hi Kannan,
I just watched this link again and it led me on to some martial applications of Tai Chi … how to extricate oneself from a choke hold and a double shirt hold … with brush knee and stroking the bird’s tail …
Should watch guys … follow this link for more.
Made me think … all imbalance and wobbling has to do with the waist … not turning from the waist gives what Rakesh calls ‘wrong body alignment’ …
We did the form extra slow last sunday, taking nine minutes to complete. The article below gives good pointers on stillness in motion in the form
YANG’S TEN IMPORTANT POINTS
by Yang Cheng-fu (1883 – 1936)
as researched by Lee N. Scheele
1.) Head upright to let the shen [spirit of vitality] rise to the top of the head. Don’t use li [external strength], or the neck will be stiff and the ch’i [vital life energy] and blood cannot flow through. It is necessary to have a natural and lively feeling. If the spirit cannot reach the headtop, it cannot raise.
2.) Sink the chest and pluck up the back. The chest is depressed naturally inward so that the ch’i can sink to the tan-t’ien [field of elixir]. Don’t expand the chest: the ch’i gets stuck there and the body becomes top-heavy. The heel will be too light and can be uprooted. Pluck up the back and the ch’i sticks to the back; depress the chest and you can pluck up the back. Then you can discharge force through the spine. You will be a peerless boxer.
3.) Sung [Relax] the waist. The waist is the commander of the whole body. If you can sung the waist, then the two legs will have power and the lower part will be firm and stable. Substantial and insubstantial change, and this is based on the turning of the waist. It is said “the source of the postures lies in the waist. If you cannot get power, seek the defect in the legs and waist.”
4.) Differentiate between insubstantial and substantial. This is the first principle in T’ai Chi Ch’uan. If the weight of the whole body is resting on the right leg, then the right leg is substantial and the left leg is insubstantial, and vice versa. When you can separate substantial and insubstantial, you can turn lightly without using strength. If you cannot separate, the step is heavy and slow. The stance is not firm and can be easily thrown of balance.
5.) Sink the shoulders and drop the elbows. The shoulders will be completely relaxed and open. If you cannot relax and sink, the two shoulders will be raised up and tense. The ch’i will follow them up and the whole body cannot get power. “Drop the elbows” means the elbows go down and relax. If the elbows raise, the shoulders are not able to sink and you cannot discharge people far. The discharge will then be close to the broken force of the external schools.
6.) Use the mind instead of force. The T’ai Chi Ch’uan Classics say, “all of this means use I [mind-intent] and not li.” In practicing T’ai Chi Ch’uan the whole body relaxes. Don’t let one ounce of force remain in the blood vessels, bones, and ligaments to tie yourself up. Then you can be agile and able to change. You will be able to turn freely and easily. Doubting this, how can you increase your power?
The body has meridians like the ground has ditches and trenches. If not obstructed the water can flow. If the meridian is not closed, the ch’i goes through. If the whole body has hard force and it fills up the meridians, the ch’i and the blood stop and the turning is not smooth and agile. Just pull one hair and the whole body is off-balance. If you use I, and not li, then the I goes to a place in the body and the ch’i follows it. The ch’i and the blood circulate. If you do this every day and never stop, after a long time you will have nei chin [real internal strength]. The T’ai Chi Ch’uan Classics say, “when you are extremely soft, you become extremely hard and strong.” Someone who has extremely good T’ai Chi Ch’uan kung fu has arms like iron wrapped with cotton and the weight is very heavy. As for the external schools, when they use li, they reveal li. When they don’t use li, they are too light and floating. There chin is external and locked together. The li of the external schools is easily led and moved, and not too be esteemed.
7.) Coordinate the upper and lower parts of the body. The T’ai Chi Ch’uan Classics say “the motion should be rooted in the feet, released through the legs, controlled by the waist and manifested through the fingers.” Everything acts simultaneously. When the hand, waist and foot move together, the eyes follow. If one part doesn’t follow, the whole body is disordered.
8.) Harmonize the internal and external. In the practice of T’ai Chi Ch’uan the main thing is the shen. Therefore it is said “the spirit is the commander and the body is subordinate.” If you can raise the spirit, then the movements will naturally be agile. The postures are not beyond insubstantial and substantial, opening and closing. That which is called open means not only the hands and feet are open, but the mind is also open. That which is called closed means not only the hands and feet are closed, but the mind is also closed. When you can make the inside and outside become one, then it becomes complete.
9.) Move with continuity. As to the external schools, their chin is the Latter Heaven brute chin. Therefore it is finite. There are connections and breaks. During the breaks the old force is exhausted and the new force has not yet been born. At these moments it is very easy for others to take advantage. T’ai Chi Ch’uan uses I and not li. From beginning to end it is continuous and not broken. It is circular and again resumes. It revolves and has no limits. The original Classics say it is “like a great river rolling on unceasingly.” and that the circulation of the chin is “drawing silk from a cocoon ” They all talk about being connected together.
10.) Move with tranquility [Seek stillness in movement]. The external schools assume jumping about is good and they use all their energy. That is why after practice everyone pants. T’ai Chi Ch’uan uses stillness to control movement. Although one moves, there is also stillness. Therefore in practicing the form, slower is better. If it is slow, the inhalation and exhalation are long and deep and the ch’i sinks to the tan-t’ien. Naturally there is no injurious practice such as engorgement of the blood vessels. The learner should be careful to comprehend it. Then you will get the real meaning.
Using the waist in taichi
http://taichinotebook.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/using-the-waist-in-tai-chi-chuan/
EXPOSITIONS OF INSIGHTS INTO THE PRACTICE OF THE THIRTEEN POSTURES
by Wu Yu-hsiang (Wu Yuxian) (1812 – 1880)
The waist is like the axle and the ch’i is like the wheel.
Reminds me of what Rakesh said today
Watch the 24 form on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZtpwmjMC7Q
What grace, flexibility and obvious strength! something to regularly practise for …
Tai chi may help diabetics
ANI
Melbourne, February 12, 2010
Tai chi, an ancient form of Chinese exercise, may benefit those with type 2 diabetes, says a university researcher.
In the preliminary studies, designed by University of Queensland researcher Liu Xin, people with – or at risk of developing diabetes recorded falls in blood pressure, weight and blood sugar levels after taking tai chi classes, reports The Courier Mail.
Many reported decreases in depressive symptoms after their involvement in the classes.
“Like in designing or producing medication, we need to target the disease specifically,” Dr Liu said. “Different movements target different internal organs.”
Dr Liu hopes to replicate his results in a larger trial of 200 people with depression and obesity.
Excerpts from article in Hindustan Times
Fighting fit
Vidya Balachander, Hindustan Times
March 05, 2010
Let’s face it — it is easy to tire of workouts. Running on the treadmill every day or following the same weight-training routine for a few months can become boring. It also ceases being challenging when your body gets used to it.
To mix things up a bit, take up a martial art. It’s a great workout that tones your body, jogs your mind, and also sharpens your reflexes, keeping you safe on the streets. Not only are there plenty of options to choose from, but you’ll also never have a dull moment in your workout.
Whether you pick a “soft” martial art like t’ai chi chuan, which focuses less on combat and more on holistic health, or a “harder” martial art like karate that teaches you how to protect yourself in everyday situations, you are certain to reap health benefits.
T’ai chi
T’ai chi is for those who prefer a steady, unhurried pace of exercise, as it is made up of a slow sequence of movements that emphasise correct posture, better balance and coordination. Infused with balletic grace, these movements are also said to improve lymph and blood circulation. Since the movements focus on using the full range of motion of your joints, you can avoid creaky joints as you age.
Although t’ai chi does have a basis in self-defence, it is mainly practiced for its numerous physical and mental health benefits. “T’ai chi conditions your heart, liver, kidneys, lungs and spleen,” says Rakesh Menon, director of Flowing Wheel, an institute that offers training in t’ai chi.“It is also a very good stress buster,” adds Menon.
Interested in learning?
Mumbai: Rakesh Menon, Flowing Wheel — 9819459694
10 feet up on a ledge six inches wide. Makes me dizzy just looking at it
The last few Sundays in Chembur, have been a relentless back to basics, a recap of routines we have ignored and or forgotten. (Disgraceful, needless to say!)
Going back to Cultivation I and II was an eye-opener … we had forgotten the sequence of movements and I think this applies to all of us, except Anitha who has been single-mindedly committed to practise of Cult II. I definitely am remorsefully guilty; asked by Rakesh to explain Cult I, I started off in mid-routine. Have pledged to myself never to be caught napping like that, again.
Yesterday, because of Rakesh being with his family in Kerala, I had the opportunity of watching my batchmates in action. It was a pleasure to see the relaxed easy movement of Kannan as he did the walk, Albert was a study in ‘sensing’ as we did Harnessing, it was so obvious that he was all there!
And I found myself in the unenviable (!) position of guiding the group in the Eight Jewels and blanking out. Have come to the conclusion that one cannot guide when one is in the practice mode; to do a satisfying job one must have either already done the practice for the day or put on an instructive mode.
Amen!
Hi guys…slightly late but as it is always said Better Late than Never….so v r going for our Annual Camp on 1/2 March…same place Lonavala…few new people wl b seen….lts hav a blaaaaassssttt