Courses Infomation

Chen Style Tai Chi The Secret of Jin Release (2009) by Ma Hong

This Kung Fu training video features a Tai Chi lesson from renowned instructor Ma Hong.
Chen Zhao Kui, the son of Chen Fa Ke, had Ma Hong as one of his inner door students. He had previously studied for five years before he began working with Chen in 1972. He immediately began learning more about the subtleties of Chen style. His focused efforts not only paid off in terms of his achievement but also established a level of instruction and comprehension that has come to be associated with the man himself. His explanations are succinct and incredibly straightforward. He has the demeanor of the teacher who will always “tell it like it is.” You must make the decision as to whether or not you find it beneficial.

Detailed explanation of the product

Routine I 83 Postures (I-III) and Routine II 71 Postures are two new works by Ma Hong that better explain and enhance his past works. With some of the motions from the prior two works, the focus of this series is on how to cultivate the release of the inner power, or Fa Jin. Fa Jin is a well-known component of all Chinese martial arts; without the ability to successfully use your explosive inner power or defeat the strength of your opponents, all martial arts only become complex displays of motions and are useless in any practical application. The Routine I 83 Postures (I-III) are the basis for DVDs 1-6, while the Routine II 71 Postures are the basis for DVDs 7-8.

The excerpt that follows is from.

Tai Chi in the Chen style, taught by Master Ma Hong

Introduction

The nineteenth generation of Chen style Tai Chi is represented by Master Ma Hong, one of the most well-known Tai Chi masters in China. Chen Dao Kuei, the son of Chen Fah Ke, served as his instructor (the seventeenth generation). According to Tai Chi Yin Yang, Tai Chi must be firm and soft, swift and slow, insubstantial and substantial, open and close. According to Master Ma Hong, the Chen style taught by his instructor, Chen Dao Kuei, is precisely the ideal balance of hardness and softness. Additionally, Tai Chi requires the combination of Yi, Qi, and Li (spirit, breath, and strength). While practicing Tai Chi, Master Ma Hong also discussed the connection between close and open. He claimed that neither being completely open nor completely closed is beneficial. His master Chen Dao Kuei taught him not just each posture but also how to break down each stance’s purpose and utility in a fight because Tai Chi also has martial value. For a few years, I studied Tai Chi under Master Ma Hong. In this article, I’ll highlight a few characteristics of the Chen style that my instructor taught, and I’ll invite discussion from other students.

Softness and Hardness

The most crucial element of Chen style Tai Chi is the tight succession of hardness and softness since Tai Chi is a martial art rather than a gentle exercise. For instance, in Form 3 – Lazy About Trying Coat, the force generated by pressing two hands together till the hip level is not just a hard strength; it is also a “soft” and flexible strength with penetration. It may be stretched and compressed, giving off both strength and calm gentleness. Hardness and softness can only be achieved in this way. Conversely, if all of the movements are absolutely soft without any hardness, this is also bad and is not considered to be a Tai Chi movement.

Many movements in the Chen style appear to be sudden quick and slow, sudden soft and sudden hard, sudden disappear and sudden appear. They occasionally resemble soft water, and other times they resemble hard ice. Additionally, as the opponent’s movement becomes softer, yours becomes harder than his. Likewise, as the opponent’s movement becomes harder, yours becomes softer than his. Your opponent cannot see your softness since it is concealed inside your body, and vice versa for your hardness because it is also concealed inside. The primary objective of Chen style Tai Chi in this situation is to allow practitioners to employ their soft power and hard strength whenever they want. The Chen style is a method that allows the simultaneous occurrence of softness and hardness.

spherical twining

Joints such as the legs, waists, shoulders, elbows, spine, etc. can finish the spiral-like twining if the entire body is flexible and the body kinetics are correct. The techniques of alternately extending and withdrawing, being tight and loose, and hard and soft are known as spiral-like twining. The spiral-like twining strength is still present even when the individual must hit with their elbow or forearm. The idea behind it is to spirally expand all the way and then let go. In the whole form, nothing is vacant because every movement has a secret martial significance. The waist is crucial for producing this kind of spiral-like twining because it coordinates movement throughout the body. The Qi originates from the Diantian, which is located 2–3 cm below the umbilicus on the waist, and may be guided by mental effort to spread throughout the entire body by performing the spiral-like twining. Therefore, such exercise leads to enhanced explosiveness of power as well as improved attacking and defensive force of the body and limbs.

Movement in an Arc

In Chen type Tai Chi, every joint is linked to produce a wide range of arc movements. The arc movement aids in both delivering internal power to the extremities and advancing Qi circulation in the body’s primary and collateral channels (network). On the other hand, arc-like movement can also boost stability since it causes the body to follow a low curve, which improves stability for a particular step or posture. Strong muscles on the lower limbs and a wide range of motion are necessary for this (more pressure on them). Because some people’s lower leg muscles are weak and they have limited range of motion, they can only descend so low. They are less stable than those who are travelling in an arc because they are unable to execute the arc-like movement. Arc-like movement creates Yin and Yang equilibrium throughout the entire body, or, to put it another way, it keeps each individual in their own center of gravity at all times. You can only have the best body structure and the most impact on your opponent if you have complete control over your center of gravity.

Contrary Movement

My teacher instructed me to keep in mind the following eight words: up and down, spiral and turn, empty and full, open and close. These terms reflect the Chen style’s oppositional movement. For instance, in Form 21 – The Punch at Elbow’s Bottom, the body must move downward as soon as two hands move upward (up and down). In Form 19, “Push Both Hands,” the trunk gently recedes as the hands advance (forwards and backwards). This opposed movement maintains the center of gravity (balance) in the middle in addition to producing opposite force. This opposing movement is particularly emphasized in Chen style Tai Chi. As another illustration, in order to move a heavy wagon forward, you must first drag it backwards a little bit. This is called using opposing power. And to use opposing strength to lift something, you must first bend your knees. Therefore, every movement in the Chen style has an internal movement or power that opposes it. Like a tiger, when she wants to hunt a prey, she will tense up and then quickly extend out her body to generate opposing force.

When one moves, everything moves.

The oldest style, Chen, still has a lot of martial elements. Although it appears soft, it instantly becomes firm. Fah Jing (the procedures of releasing internal power) occurs when it is released. But how to convey internal power is crucial in order to do this. The adage “one moves, everything moves” was shared with me by my teacher. The Chen style calls for the utilization of bone, ligament, tendon, Qi, spiritual thought, and other body parts in addition to muscle. A competent practitioner will be able to synchronize his various body parts and keep them moving in order to amass his greatest internal strength, either to emit it or to deflect the opponent’s force. Everything moves once one does, not just the hands or the legs! Consequently, a practitioner must have a basic understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Jingluo theory), Anatomy, and the Yin and Yan theory. For instance, you need to be aware of the meridian “San Yang” when using your legs as a source of power. This results in a short Yin and Yan cycle as the energy (Qi) descends via the “San Yang” (lateral meridian) to the feet before returning to the inner meridian “San Yin”. You must thus know how to continuously moving all essential joints to allow the Qi to circulate while issuing energy. By moving continuously, the internal power can hence be imparted energetically and springy.

Summary

I’ve merely outlined a few traits of the Chen style that I picked up from my teacher. However, there are still other elements that we must recognize and take into account, such as the strategies for using your opponent’s might against them, breathing methods, and so on. According to my learning experiences, learning softness, or more specifically, how to relax the muscles in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, is the toughest thing to do at first. Yes, it does take a while. The following phase involves increasing strength via the practice of Solo single form, Push hand, Long pole, and Tai Chi ball. The final phase is to learn how to smoothly and quietly convey internal power, like a wave of the sea, by combining softness and hardness together.

The Chen style, in brief, is a type of martial arts that emphasizes “a tranquil heart and a focussed mind,” which helps the nerve center to unwind and enhances the body’s capacity to coordinate the operations of its numerous organs. Harmony between the inside and outside of the body is achieved by complete body relaxation, deep, natural breathing, smooth arm motions, and mental effort to transfer inner force to the points of the limbs. It is ideal for both training in self-defense and physical conditioning.

Chen style practitioner Huang Xiaotong, Sydney

Unfortunately, this video does not have English subtitles. Additionally, this is not for individuals who only have a passing interest in Tai Chi, especially The Chen style. The course’s instructor, Ma Hong, stated in the video that the material was sophisticated in nature and required a lot of effort to learn. The video has some of the most thorough teaching on Chen style Tai Chi, and Ma Hong is straightforward and direct with his instruction so it isn’t difficult to learn the moves. However, for the serious practitioner or persons who are not scared off by this caution. If you put in the necessary effort, the film shouldn’t let you down with its genuine and honest content, regardless of whether your goal is to advance your knowledge of Chen’s style Tai Chi, increase your fitness level, or learn how to fight efficiently.

PS: I apologize that several of the videos in this series stop abruptly, but rest assured that only a very little portion has been lost (around 1-2 seconds). This is due to the fact that there will undoubtedly be some small imperfections throughout the Webrip processing.

Salepage : Chen Style Tai Chi The Secret of Jin Release (2009) by Ma Hong