u/Round2TaiChi

Another solid piece I stumbled across as I look for a specific article that helped me get into Tai Chi Ball.

Dong Ying Jie's Words of Experience

I wanted to post this in order to promote some lively discussion as he talks about some classic points. For example:

• Number 8 - practicing the form 3 times for best effect. I agree overall. I do a variation of this with ball work for 20 minutes then 2 repetitions of the form, one forward and one mirror reverse.

• Number 11 - bringing your practice into daily life. I agree completely, and this is one of the fastest ways to develop skill.

• Number 14 - a lot of meat there on structure and posture and a few conflicts with modern advice. :)

• Number 16 - don't lift heavy weights. :) I agree - past a certain point it will inhibit your listening and integration.

• Number 19 - training should take precedence over theory. I agree. The joke at my alma mater was "theory is what we noodle over between runs of the long form."

I look forward to hearing others' reflections on this article.

In a recent discussion there were questions about where to find good practical information regarding Tai Chi. My mind flashed back to the stack of hardcopy Tai Chi Magazine issues on my shelf which I go through from time to time when looking for inspiration.

This interview popped out as I browsed through the stack the other night, and as the original is from 1985 (republished in 2004) I thought it might give an interesting contrast to more modern speakers and spark some discussion.

Huang Xing Xian answers 13 Questions

The gem that stood out to me:

>Bear in mind the three points of non-mobility: the head, which must be locked onto the body; the hands, which must not move of their own volition; and the soles of the feet, which must be still and rooted to the ground.

This is one of those "I knew this viscerally but seeing it in words reinforced it" sort of truths. Answers 6-9 seem to have the most meat, but there's wisdom throughout the article.