Beginner's Taiji Classes - Taiji Chuan Long Form, Large-Frame Wu Style

Students are taught about three movements a session and practice each, integrating always into what has been already learned. The form itself is divided into three sections which can be learned separately at each student's own pace of learning, and finally put together. Emphasis is on correct posture and the ability to practice the form without following an instructor.

Intermediate and Advanced Classes

Students who have finished learning individual movements now begin to study the movements as one continuous set and how individual movements fit together in detail. Emphasis is on smoothness with distinct rhythm when practicing the form as a whole and on transformation of the instinctive behavior of the body.

Pushing Hands

Push-hands is a two-person practice method which teaches the principles of listening, adhering, sticking and neutralizing. These skills are considered fundamental to eventual martial applications of the form.

(See Pushing Hands Rules and Procedures at the bottom of this page.)

Taiji Application

An advanced taiji training. All the individual moves in the taiji set will be demonstrated and praticed in an actual body contact way that resembles real self-defense situations. A solid form training is a pre-requisite to participaiton in this stage of training.

Taiji Sword

An advanced class, the traditional taiji Sword form is learned and practiced.

Taiji Qigong Training

An advanced class, the traditional taiji breathing exercises learned and practiced; physically and psychologically demanding!.

Daoist Internal Self Cultivation (Neidan)

The ultimate internal energy and spiritual cultivation in the Daoist tradition. In this tradition, not merely qi, but essence (jing) and spirit (shen) will be cultivated individually as well as integrated together to achieve a total transformation of an individule. In modern terms, a positive physical, psychological, and spiritual transformation can be achieved. That is, in Daoist terms, to become a "zhenren," a genuine human being.

Private Sessions

Individually arranged according to different students' needs and schedules. The sessions can cover all levels from beginning to advanced.

Pushing Hands Rules and Procedures

Explanation of the Pushing Hands Rules and Procedures

The Pushing Hands Rules and Procedures have been created based on Instructor Jingyu Gu’s experience as well as on rules and regulations published in China and in the US, such as at www.chinahand.com/tai_chi/ph_rules.htm. (You need cut and paste this address in order to find the page on internet.)
1. Pushing hands is one of the supplementary taiji training methods to cultivate the practitioner’s whole body health and power.
2. More specifically, pushing hands is a sportsmanly sparring training between two practitioners to obtain, as well as to verify their taiji qualities and skills, such as subtleness, resilience, sensitivity or the release of their whole body strength.
3. The goals of pushing hands are the development and maintenance of the above mentioned qualities and skills, rather than winning.
4. Pushing hands is only one of the stepping stones to higher levels of taiji training.
5. Pushing hands therefore follows specific rules and procedures that will facilitate the accomplishment of the above-mentioned goals.
6. Free-style sparring adopted in some recent taiji competitions are beyond the scope of taiji pushing hands training. It is not an appropriate training until at a very late or advanced stage in a taiji practitioner’s development.

Pushing Hands Procedures

1. Lottery determines which competitors will face each other; a weigh-in will be necessary if the competitors’ weights seem to differ significantly.
2. Contestants must wear a T shirt, martial arts pants, and shoes. No jewelry or watches.
3. Matches consist of two two-minute rounds. Only the center referee can stop the clock. There will be a one minute break between rounds.
Restricted Step Rules and Procedures
1. There is no ring, but competitors are limited to taking a shifting step forward or backward. It will be counted as a loss, if both feet move at the same time.
2. Competitors must begin each match with three circles of Peng, Lu, Ji, An, before executing techniques. The techniques competitors will be allowed to use are Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, Kao and other tai chi pushing hands techniques.
3. Scoring: One point is awarded for an effective attack which forces the opponent to step off balance in any direction. Two points are awarded if the opponent falls or touches the ground with his/her hand(s).

Moving Step Rules and Procedures

1. Competitors must begin each match with three circles of Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, Kao before executing techniques. The techniques competitors will be allowed to use are Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, Kao and other tai chi pushing hands techniques.
2. The ring consists of three concentric circles. The innermost circle is 15 feet in diameter, the middle circle is 18 feet in diameter, and the outermost circle is 21 feet in diameter.
3. Scoring: One point is awarded for a technique that forces the opponent to step outside of the innermost circle. Two points are awarded if the opponent steps outside of the second circle. If the technique causes the opponent to fall inside the innermost ring, one point is awarded. If the opponent falls outside the innermost ring two points are awarded. Techniques forcing the competitors to fall outside the second and third rings are worth three and four points, respectively. The competitor who scores 15 points first wins the match.

Fouls

1. Surprise attacks or punches.
2. Kicking, sweeping, or wrestling techniques.
3. Contact to the head, throat, or groin.
4. Holding the leg or waist.
5. Grabbing and pulling the opponent's arm with both hands is not allowed. Grabbing with one hand and redirecting with the other is acceptable.
6. Unruly conduct.
7. Foul language.

Penalties

1. The fifth foul results in disqualification.
2. Any serious infraction of the rules may result in immediate disqualification.
3. The Center Referee possesses full authority.

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