The beginner course is an introduction to Qigong and the Taijiquan Yang style. This course consists of the Taiji Qigong 18 Style and the first 8 postures of the Taijiquan Yang style, as Grandmaster William C. C. Chen has been teaching since 1950. You should calculate 5 days for the course, one session in the morning and one in the afternoon. As of today I have always made an individual schedule with my pupils.
For those who have the time to do so, there is the possibility to complete the short form with 60 movements. It is also possible to learn the “8 Brocade” Qigong, the Long Form of the Taijiquan Yang style with 132 movements and the Sword Form according to William C.C. Chen.
The Qigong is somewhat easier to learn, since every movement is repeated a few times. In Taijiquan, on the other hand, one movement follows the next. Also the movements are more refined. The Taijiquan form can also be seen as Qigong, but Taijiquan is also a member of the “Inner Martial Arts” family.
The Taiji-Qigong 18 Style which you can see below has a special emphasis on rooting, beeing heavy with the lower part of the body and on ease and relaxated with the upper part of the body. Thus it is very suitable as a preparation for the type of Taijiquan as taught by Master Chen, since the same principle is applied on both.
The purpose of Qigong is to create harmony and balance between body (essence), breath (energy) and spirit (spirituality). The mind regulates the breath and the breath supplies the body with Qi. Qigong supports the balance of yin and yang by harmonizing the energy flow in the body. In China, disease is perceived as an imbalance in the flow of energy and is associated with emotions.
In the Taiji form, each movement has a martial application, for example counteract, neutralize or action. Therefore, taijiquan is often referred to as shadow boxing. Taiji means “the highest principle” in Daoism and Quan is the fist. A meaningful translation of “Taijiquan” would be “weaponless fighting according to the highest principle”. The goal is to carry out the first 8 movements of the Taijiform connected to a small, approximately five-minute form which you can see below and the Taiji-Qigong 18 Style independently. But don´t expect to master it 🙂.
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