Gerard

Really? No, not really. This does: "The earth is very thick. Lowly, below all else, it bears everything and nurtures all beings. It can bear even the weight of the great mountains, and it can endure even the erosive force of great waters. It tolerates being pierced by plants and trees, and it submits to the tread of birds and beasts. It does not mind being cheapened by pollution." Awakening to the Tao (Liu I-ming) Earth corresponds to Spleen and Stomach. A strong and healthy Earth will result in developing strong limbs. This is gong fu. For example: He Jinghan's channel is LITTERED with PRACTICAL WISDOM. All his drills will give you a STRONG EARTH, the key to good health and longevity. TCM and Ancient Chinese (Taoist) wisdom.

I would disagree with that. To answer that and what you wrote below: You do what I do and MCO not only becomes dust in the wind but the last of your concerns. As I always state in these matters: Find out for yourself.

The whole thing is a "scam" using common terminology. Qi is constantly moving across a vast network of meridians due to the action of the Wu Xing (Five Forces/Elements/Agents). There is no need to 'move' anything as things are already in motion. A different story is blocked meridian flow, and to correct that forget about breathing and still meditation as a sole method, they won't do jack. For that you need to do serious Daoyin exercises and IMA work; loosening joints will open blocked meridians.

I favour Ma Bu:

From the Wikipedia: "Ellis Amdur narrated an anecdote where he attended to a training workshop, in which Xiaowang demonstrated a move named "Budda's Warrior Attendant Pounds Mortar," an elevated foot stomp. Despite being on a stage six feet over the gymnasium floor, Xiaowang stomped so powerfully that "the floor shook... forty feet away." Amdur checked out whether it had been caused by a tricked floor, but he could not find anything, nor could he replicate the effect by jumping stiff-legged from the stage." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_Xiaowang The BGZ guy I mentioned in my last post also witnessed this stuff not only by the man himself but also his son! Probably because he also started the TJQ path from a very young age like his father.

Here's a list: (My favourite movie ever! Especially the rooftop scene) 2001: A Space Odyssey Wings of Desire Jeremiah Johnson

Demo in real life, which is more important than words. This is what TM is talking about. Chen Xiaowang's son, Chen Yingjun, demonstrated this to a student I used to hang out with in the past as he was also a BGZ student in my group and he said it felt like being hit by a tank but he was only demoing it. It was in one of his workshops:: https://brisbanechentaichi.weebly.com/ Second pic. He is on the right wearing black.

Them too: Don't forget the glasses.

Correct, it is how the art started to degenerate from the very moment it was taught to the aristocrats at the Imperial Court. As a matter of fact, the creator of the art, Chen Wangting, a military officer: "Based on Qigong and martial art techniques from thousands of years ago, Chen Wangting developed the Chen Style Tai Chi around 1670. It is characterised by contrasting and complimentary movements-slow and soft versus fast and hard. It contains explosive power and low stances." I have also seen a photo years ago circulating online about the "snake creeps through grass" pasture showed by Yang Chengfu (low) and following generations showing the stance higher and higher each time. Basically you are removing internal ams heavy energetic aspects by softening the art too much and removing heavy leg work. "The earth is very thick. Lowly , below all else, it bears everything and nurtures all beings . It can bear even the weight of the great mountains , and it can endure even the erosive force of great waters . It tolerates being pierced by plants and trees , and it submits to the tread of birds" (Awakening to the Tao, Liu I -Ming) And so must be the internal practitioner's legs. STRONG. Earth Force/spirit in TCM: These are as follows: 1. Governs transportation and transformation 3. Controls the muscles and four limbs 4. It houses thoughts 5. It is responsible for producing qi, blood, and fluids—vital substances for life. A weak Spleen ---> you can kiss goodbye to internal development, health, vitality, longevity and a strong spirit/Mind.

Yes I'm. Ask He Jinghan. Ten years practising Yang TJQ, his practise stalled. He took up BGZ (and all the leg work necessary to develop a strong foundation and a BGZ body), as a result his TJQ improved significantly. He also practices TJQ. I reckon Xingyi is great for TJQ. People often forget TJQ is kung fu, which means hard work. Anything that develops and makes the legs strong will be good for TJQ. Doing TJQ like most people do is a joke. Good for nothing.

ZZ is for children and the elderly. Not good enough for ungrounded modern day adults especially those: 1. From an academic background 2. Born in Wood and Fire years and especially the Year of the Horse. Recommended work for grounding and building a solid foundation and strong legs are as follows: 1. Five Stances Kung Fu 2. Asian squat 3. Low basin walking exercises

Certainly I never approach this topic in absolutes, but in essence the 'soul' evolutionary model is correct.

Learn this stuff like the multiplication table in primary school. 2x1 = 2 2x2 = 4 2x3 = 6 etc. Baby soul = tribal Infant Soul = puritan, extremist Young Soul = celebrities, billionaires, politicians, CEOs, etc, basically the rich & powerful Mature Soul = healers, spiritual teachers enter this category as they still have a strong sense of ego and some still display "young soul" tendencies Old Soul = fully aware of the big picture, live a lone existence in most instances working on their inner 'selves' Source: https://www.michaelteachings.com/soul_ages.html Feel free to add or discuss anything you like.:)

On average between Baby & Young. You also need to take into account that between each stage there are several sub levels until the YOU ends all their incarnations, here and in many other planes of existence. They all are in human form though based on my personal observations. There is no such a thing as being reborn into an animal or any weird stuff Hinduism and Buddhism talk about. We all accumulate a facial imprint of our lifetimes within and they are all human and human-like depending on the physical plane where you lived (past and future, if there is such thing). One can access that database by performing a couple of techniques. have done this with people I know in real life and it is completely accurate. One person saw all my incarnations like a photo album.

The REAL YOU is not even here, so why bother with all the complex talk about nirvana, suffering, cause and effect, sunyata (emptiness), dependent origination, etc. Same goes with Taoism. Tao ---> yin & yang and the creative action of the five forces. That's it. Stop there and don't make things more complicated. Really: We for once are only spiritual beings having a human experience now and as long as you have tentacles left you will carry on with the vital experience. Once the tentacles are all gone you remain in a state of Tao/nirvana as you have always been from the VERY BEGINNING.

Another insightful reddit discussion on the topic of Wudang: Take this whole thing with a pinch of salt. Your learn more Taoism in your local park/mountain and learning an art from a teacher who focuses on "gong fu" (hard work) not fairy tales and voodoo BS. Let's me include this old story and practical approach to training since it's a favourite of mine: "...the majority of Ma Gui's leg training was not done through walking at such an extremely low level, but rather was cultivated by countless hours of his system's "bear walking:" slow concentrated circle-walking in a horse stance that dramatically transforms the large tendon lines from neck to feet and strengthens the entire body. Ma Gui had a reputation for being an extremely conservative teacher who demanded the very best of his students. As a busy lumber merchant he did not have to teach professionally and he was therefore able to maintain extremely high standards in training. Fiercely dedicated to the traditional way he had been taught Bagua by Yin Fu and Dong Haichuan, he refused to modify his teachings to make them easier and felt that "anyone who felt the skill was too difficult to learn should not be taught in the first place." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Gui_(martial_artist)

Those Five Forces are very real; from their subtlety they are the power manifestations of the yin & yang. Rise...Water Expand...Wood Flare up...Fire Sink...Metal Balance & Harmony...Earth Or if you like the analogy of the rotating ball (yin & yang interplay): 1. Ball gathers energy (water). 2. Ball is thrown and starts generating energy (wood). 3. Ball reaches its peak (fire) 4. Ball starts a phase of integrity and harmony of the entire system (earth), which is the ball itself 5. Ball then starts decelerating (metal) before retuning to its negative peak (water) Then the cycle starts all over again and so forth, infinitely.

i had to check if quantum mechanics reached a similar conclusion based on my own experience. Yes they have: If this quantum theory of consciousness tied to microtubules turns out to be correct, it could revolutionize our understanding of consciousness and even strengthen the trailblazing theory that, on a quantum level, consciousness is capable of being in all places at the same time. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a62373322/quantum-theory-of-consciousness/ This means we are all living our reincarnations/life cycles all at once! It makes sense to me. The real, ultimate experience is in the infinite and ever lasting state of Tao, which we are all part of.

Certainly there are. For example: Herbs that clear heat and eliminate toxins But you don't want to automedicate yourself. Go see a qualified TCM herbalist

100% accurate. I already discussed this above yet some people here are too stubborn to understand this. I guess they have to travel to Wudang and realise by themselves. My own teacher (Xingyi & BGZ) went to Wudang and wasn't impressed. He actually found Beijing a better place to find quality and legit instruction. Alex Kozma, a renowned author, traveller and IMA practitioner warned me about Wudang by email back in 2010. He said that place is a circus set up to milk Westerners' money. Do not waste your time there. Taiwan is much better than the mainland to find the good old guard IMA teachers.

Good stuff. This shows the connection between TJQ and its military background. Anyone interested can read more about it here (as mentioned in the last post): General Qi Jiguang: On fighting pirates and his connection to Taijiquan "While I love the article, I’m puzzled by the inclusion of the rise of Taijiquan as a reasoning device for the inclusion of the chapter on kung fu, since 1560 was three hundred years before anybody had even heard of Taijiquan." And the Shaolin connection via the 1,500 year old form "Jin Gang Quan."

Is this something you were born with? Q: 1. Where do you live exactly? Eg. Ontario, Canada. 2. What is your background? Eg.work in an office. Then I can give you some recommendations. Btw, "static" grounding depending on what you answer above would make things worse rather than fixing the problem, especially if it's chronic like in your case.

Pretty much what they discuss here and by first accounts from someone I know of who has visited the area several times starting from the mid 80s. https://www.reddit.com/r/taijiquan/comments/1kplxxz/tai_chi_school_in_wudang_mountains/ Basically a "circus" set up by the Chinese Gov. to attract naive and/or beginning foreigners. The link of TJQ to ZS has no historical basis let alone finding quality TJQ in Wudang.

It's a myth. The reality is the following: Some traditionalists claim that tai chi is a purely Chinese art that comes from ancient Taoism and Confucianism. These schools believe that tai chi theory and practice were formulated by Taoist monk Zhang Sanfeng in the 12th century. A research project conducted by the China Sports Commission determined as much, and Wu Tunan also examined Zhang Sanfeng’s contribution to Tai Chi in his book “A Study of Tai Chi”. These stories are often filled with legendary and hagiographical content and lack historical support. In March 2007, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles recognized Chenjiagou in Wen County, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province as the birthplace of Chinese Tai Chi. In August 2007, after further detailed investigation and verification of various opinions in society, the national martial arts department recognized Chenjiagou in Wen County as the "birthplace of Chinese martial arts Tai Chi." Modern historians point out that the earliest reference indicating a connection between Zhang Sanfeng and martial arts is actually a 17th-century piece called Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan (1669), composed by Huang Zongxi (1610–1695). Aside from this single source, the other claims of connections between tai chi and Zhang Sanfeng appeared no earlier than the 19th century. According to Douglas Wile, "there is no record of a Zhang Sanfeng in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), and there is no mention in the Ming (1368–1644) histories or hagiographies of Zhang Sanfeng of any connection between the immortal and the martial arts." Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi Chen Village is the bithhplace of Tai Chi Chuan.

The golden rule when it comes to teachers: "The quality of instruction is inversely proportional to the amount of material released by the teacher." The same principle can be applied by how well-known is the teacher. This in regards to depth and personal accomplishment.