000

3Bob I appreciate the sentiment. It is like a burst of fresh air around here. I hope it catches on.

Recently, I am becoming a vegetarian. I am doing this for a multitude of reasons. My cardiologist thought it would be an optimal diet for me. My weight loss efforts have stagnated so I want to shake things up a little. One of Mantak Chia's books recommended a balanced PH diet. I picked up a book by Robert O. Young about the balanced PH diet (LaoTzu21 - this may be something that could help with the IBS). I am going into this slowly - only making one change in my diet a weak, so I can see the effects of the individual elements of the diet. David

There are some interesting books listed here and the library has many of them. I will check them out. Thanks guys David

I have witnessed some of what you speak of. During my the training session, the teacher actually pointed out that one of the Tai Chi movements was a simplified version of a Kung Fu move. But I do not understand the jist of your criticism. If traditional Tai Chi was conceived to enhance the martial arts, would it not have similarities in technique? I have no background in martial arts so excuse me if I have missed something that is fundamental to you. You tatally lost me with this comment: Their lineage head says he has mastered "over 900 forms from over 100 fighting systems"! Could you explain it to me (although it does seem like an overly high number - do you concider this an inflated number?).

Thank you, I will check it out.

Thank you all for responding so quickly. I really appreciate all of the responses, even those I am not quoting (I am note quoting some due to the overlap in view points). Martial Development Regardless, you should check at least 3 different schools before making a decision. There is, or should be, no harm in joining a class 1-2 weeks late, if it comes to that. Stigweard Master Moy, the founder of Taoist Tai Chi Society, was very upfront in saying he changed the Yang family form to suit his needs. He removed all the martial arts out of the practice and has diluted it quite a bit. Not that I am saying that you wont get benefits, you just have to keep in mind why you want to train. If you just want an introduction to Tai Chi then by all means go for it. But if you are interested in discovering the depths of Tai Chi then you have to keep in mind that you may have to eventually seek elsewhere. Of course the question then is, "Why don't you find the real deal to start with?" Even I have to admit that in my community class I have reduced the traditional 20min plus Zhan Zhuang (Standing Qigong) down to 10min and I have given much more emphasis on Fang Song Gung because that is what my students need ... loosening and coordination. I did decide to broaden my search and found another group offering the real Tai Chi ( Chinese Shao-Lin Center). They offered a month free trial and offer classes 3 times a week (Tai Chi and Kung Fu 2x and Kung Fu one extra time). I attended a class last night. Having no background at all, I, of course, was terrible at it, but that is to be expected. I thought it was interesting that you could start with the Kung Fu (lower levels) at the same time. This does appeal to me. It occurs to me that I am not limber enough to appreciate this practice at this time, and that my time would be better spent doing Hatha Yoga to increase my range of motion and flexibility. I think I will follow my instincts on this one (that is the Taoist way listening to the heart). After practicing my micro-orbit meditation, I noticed a yearning to stretch more so I started doing yoga and I noticed better meditation after a yoga session. I an still really tight in a lot of areas but I am making progress even after a few sessions. I always know where I can go for Tai Chi in the future. RobB I spent 18 months with the TTCS a while back. My advice would be avoid, avoid, avoid. If there is absolutely no-one else in your area then you'd be better off spending your time practicing some of the material available on TTB than going to their classes. Thanks for sharing your personal experience. But just for the sake of open mindedness, I might try to call them and see if I can sit-in on a session. I would at least be able to compare the two approaches. My inclination is to go with the traditional approach at some point in the future. I think it would be best to attend another class at the Chinese Shao-Lin Center and inform them that I appreciated there class, but I am not ready for it (but maybe ready in the near future).

Has anyone taken Tai Chi classes with Taoist Tai Chi Society? I have thought of taking a Tai Chi class to foster the flow of Chi in the body. In my web searches, I found that the Taoist Tai Chi Society offered classes on Tai Chi and they seem reasonable priced. Since they have many centers in the US, I was wondering if anyone has taken the class and if they would recommend taking it. They appear to be new to the Denver area, and I thought it would be good to support them if the classes are well taught. So, have you taken one of their classes and would you recommend taking the class? Sorry for the short notice but, I need to decide this before the weekend ( when this class starts).

I thought this maybe the case. As soon as I made an entry in the lobby, "the door" was opened for me to post elsewhere. I will post my question in the Discussion area.