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Once you have taken a few classes then you are ready to begin practicing the techniques and exercises you have learned. Often people ask me what should they do at home on a regular basis. So here is my advice, which you are welcome to try. Let’s assume you have decided on an hour a day. This might be first thing in the morning or when you have free time in the day. The advantage of first thing in the morning is that nothing else should distract and get in the way of your practice. Except perhaps an extra hour in bed ! Do not feel obliged to train for an hour a day, do what you feel happy with. An interesting lesson from Chen Xiao Wang regarding how much to train, drawing a parallel with eating. Not too much, not to little, not to often etc. As with eating, try and stop before you are full and leave sufficient time between training sessions to ensure you are keen to start again. Naturally do not leave too long between sessions as you will lose your momentum and disrupt your routine. You will need to know how to warm up your body prior to commencing the Taijiquan. This is important to avoid injuries and enable you to get the maximum benefits from your training. If you have been taught the ‘nine joints’ exercise or stretching exercises then you must decide which pattern you are going to do on a regular basis. I would suggest you work through the ‘nine joints’ and then once or twice a week exchange this for stretching. Keep going with this for around twenty minutes each time. It is common practice to move on to standing Wu Ji exercises. Why not try the ‘Tan Tien breathing’ exercise previously mentioned in this newsletter. There are a large number of different standing exercises which can go a long way towards developing your internal strength. By now your body will be feeling good and warm. Your muscles and joints should be limbered up and ready for more difficult and demanding patterns. At this stage you should practice one of the more simple silk reeling exercises. Normally this would be ‘single arm waving’ etc. This will continue to develop your internal strength and help to educate your body with the correct way of moving in Taijiquan. Namely whole body motion. Beginning with the Tan Tien and waist, the body is extended out towards the shoulders elbows and hands, similarly with the legs from the hips and knee out to the feet. This process is sometimes called opening, with the reverse being called closing. Pay close attention that you do not jeopardise the joints by losing the critical alignment. For instance the knee and foot should always point in the same direction. Now we reach the part which most people would assume to be really Taijiquan. The form. Take your time and repeat the form between 3 and 5 times. Occasionally and if you have the necessary skills you can work through some applications of movements from the form. This may involve training with a friend from the class. Most people would consider applications as an advanced exercise, along with Push Hands and Da Lu exercise. So if you have not reached this level of skill do not be disheartened. The Chinese favour the ‘great outdoors’. This can be very nice, but if the weather is very cold and windy then it can be difficult to get motivated. In Spring and Summer outdoor training is definitely the order of the day. Choose a quiet and clean environment, free from unnecessary distractions. However, in the Winter months its best to workout indoors. Watch out for those clear sunny Winter mornings, they can be great if you are up early. It is unfortunately a sign of the times that you have to be very careful not to train in an environment which is affected by car fumes etc. Even in China this message has not always got through. I have seen people taking the time to do Taijiquan and Tao Yin Qi Gong right by a busy main road. Beijing like many other cities around the world has its fair share of lung problems ! To begin with it is difficult to maintain the motivation to practice on a regular basis. Therefore meeting friends from the class can greatly improve your drive and enthusiasm. It is as well to remember that when your body aches or is in pain, it is trying to tell you something. Standing for longer periods than you are normally used to can set up a new set of tensions in you legs. These can easily manifest as calf pain and hamstring tightness. Stretching can help but basically rest is the order of the day. Some simple treatments can assist your recovery. Try ginger compresses. Hot and cold compresses. Basic massage. Think of yourself as an athlete, they also suffer from occasional aches and pains, and have a variety of remedies at their disposal. If you are in any doubt then always check with your doctor. This site was last updated 01/18/05 |
