I have developed a new webpage on the Way of the Short Staff. It includes a fairly detailed section on the Tai Chi cane (Zhang) or walking staff which includes a blibliography, links, and resources. It will soon include a more detailed description of the movements of the "Traditional Eight Immortals Tai Chi Cane Form," Routine One, based on the Yang Style of Taijiquan, as demonstrated by Master Jesse Tsao.
The webpage also includes sections on the Aikido Jo, Jo Do, the Karate short staff, and exercising with a short staff. By "short staff" I mean a solid wood staff or cane with a length of 35" to 50".
Hello Mike,
ReplyDeleteJohn Soares here, the tai chi practitioner/student and hiking guide writer who lives north of you in the Mount Shasta area.
I really appreciate your cane section. I will likely start learning a weapon set this winter from my teacher Gene Burnett (in Ashland, Oregon). He teaches saber, broadsword, and cane, but I think I'll start with cane.
I also applaud you for all the work you do in creating such a comprehensive site. It is a great service to the world tai chi community.
John,
ReplyDeleteI have your hiking guidebook to the Mount Shasta area on my bookshelf, and have used it many times. Thanks for your guidance to hiking around the Sacred Mountain.
Best wishes with your cane study with Gene Burnett in Ashland. I'm using the Cane Masters curriculum, and other Taiji cane resources.
Thanks for the positive feedback about my webpages.
Best wishes,
Mike Garofalo
Hello again Mike,
ReplyDeleteI hiked the Old Ski Bowl trails on Mount Shasta last Friday and blogged about it on http://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blog/. The mountain has an interesting beauty to it now; all the snow is gone and the different colors of the volcanic rock really show.
Often when I hike I stop to do a chi gong set or some standing meditation (holding the ball or standing post). Occasionally I'll do part of the tai chi form if I can find a large enough level spot.
Wish I'd found your blog earlier. I would have loved to attend the recent workshop in Redding. I've now subscribed via RSS.