Taijiquan Resources

For a variety of Taijiquan bibliographies, link lists, resources, lessons, lists and quotations please go to:

Cloud Hands Website
http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/index.htm

Online since 2001. 
Over 1.5 million webpages served each year. 

Created by Michael P. Garofalo, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California

The Round Earth Rolls

"This grand show is eternal.  It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising.  Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and glowing, on sea and continues and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls."
-  John Muir

"But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee."
-   William Shakespeare,  Sonnet XVIII

Building Through Repetition

REPETITION

"My prayer beads are strung on my life span.
I am not allowed to skip a single bead :
Sometimes the bead is a seed. Or a bone.
Or jade. Or dry blood. Or semen. Or crystal.
Or rotted wood. Or a sage's relic. Or gold.
Or glass. Or a prism. Or iron. Or clay.
Or an eye. Or an egg. Or dung. Or a ball.
Or a stone. Or a peach. Or a bullet.
Or a bubble. Or lead. Or pure light.
No matter what the next bead is, I must count it,
Perform my daily austerities.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Until repetition becomes endurance.

People seldom understand the power of repetition. What is repeated
over and over again can become enduring; what is done in a moment is
seldom lasting. If farmers do not tend to their fields every day, they
cannot expect a harvest. The same is true of spiritual practice. It is
not the grand declaration or the colorful initiation that means
anything. It is the ongoing, daily living of a spiritual life that has
meaning. Our progress may range from dull to spectacular, but we must
accept both. Each and every day should be linked together, strung into a
long line of prayer beads.

In life, you don't know how many beads you've counted already, and
you don't know how many are yet to come. All that matters is fingering
the one that comes to you now and taking the spiritual significance of
that moment to heart."

365 Tao: Daily Meditations
Deng Ming-Dao
ISBN 0-06-250223-9

Garden Sights

Insects are everywhere at this time of the year.  Some of the dragonflies have quite spectacular coloring patterns.  Yesterday, Karen saved the life of a beautiful dragonfly, an Aeshna multi-colored blue-eyed Darner dragonfly.  The dragonfly was caught in a large spider web on tomato plants in our new sunny garden.  She released the dragonfly.  It rested on the straw until departing.  

 

We have many peaches, plums, figs, pears, and apples on our fruit trees at the present time. We enjoy eating ripe peaches every day.  Squash and pumpkins are also plentiful. 

All photographs by Karen Garofalo.  All rights reserved. 

Cannon Fist Form, Loajia Erlu, Chen Taijiquan

I keep my notes about the Chen Taijiquan, First Frame, Second Form, Laojia Erlu, on a webpage at the Cloud Hands website.  This form is widely known as "Cannon Bashing Fist" or "Cannot Fist" (Paocui). 

This is a vigorous and dynamic Chen Taijiquan form for intermediate and advanced students. 

Cannon Fist, Chen Taijiquan, Old Frame, Second Form  

Bibliography, Links, DVDs, Resources, List of Movements, Videos, Notes

By Michael Garofalo

List of performances on UTube videos

Chakras - Color Associations

You might find the following mnemonic device useful in helping to remember the order and colors associated with the chakras in the esoteric human body. 

Remember the following name:   Roy G. Biv

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.  

Doing Taijiquan at a Faster Pace

For two decades I have practiced Yang and Sun Styles Taijiquan at a slow, steady, even, smooth and meditative pace.  Since I began to practice martial arts routines and forms with a cane weapon, and with my beginning the practice of Chen Style Taijiquan, I have been increasing my speed and power while doing these forms.  This has posed a new challenge for my cardio-vascular conditioning level, for my physical agility and coordination levels, and for my 65 year old body overall.  I really enjoy the new challenge. 

"Chen Style Taiji is perhaps the most overtly martial of all Taiji styles.  Most Chen Style forms are fast.  These include Second Form (Cannon Bashing), saber, double saber, spear, long staff, short staff, three-opponent staff, flaive, punching bags, and several combat exercises.  The only two forms that are decidedly slow are the First Form and the straight sword.  

Kinetic movements (meaning, again, movements that depend on momentum) must be trained at speed.  Any time you have a weapon in your hands that swings or spins, you must actually swing it or spin it in order to learn its behavior.  If you try to practice it slowly, you will not receive feedback from the weapon's own kinetic properties, and will consequently never learn how to exploit them.  Without kinetic training, you will always be fighting the weapon.  

In certain situations, you need to wield your own body kinetically.  Chen Taiji's Second Form (Cannon Bashing) is designed for exactly that purpose.  Any movement in which you sweep, leap, close quickly with the opponent, change orientation in mid-air, or swing around to attack from a different direction must similarly be trained at speed.  These are all movements that exploit the body's mass and momentum."
-  Mark Chen, Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan, p. 86

Chen Taijiquan, Cannon Fist, Old Frame, Second Form, Laojia Erlu

Sitting in the Shade

I enjoy relaxing outdoors in the late afternoon and evening hours.  Our summer daytime temperatures in the North Sacramento Valley near Red Bluff, California, are normally in the upper 90's.  We often have a mild breeze coming from the south in the afternoon.  After 4 pm, I sit in the shade by our small pond.  Large eucalyptus trees shade the area. 

Large cottonwood trees line the north edge of this small ditch pond. 

Today, the irrigation ditches were flowing freely and we had nine hoses

slowly watering our trees.   

I sip iced tea and relax.  Sometimes my cat joins me.

Today I listened to Lee Riley's shakuhachi flute music,

"Music for Zen Meditation."

Looking to the north gives me a grand view of many trees and shrubs. 

The ground is quite dry and all the spring grass is now brown and

shriveled away.

"I exist as I am, that is enough,
  If no other in the world be aware I sit content,
  And if each and all be aware I sit content.
  One world is aware, and by the far the largest to me, and that is myself,
  And whether I come to my own today or in ten thousand
        or ten million years,
  I can cheerfully take it now, or with equal cheerfulness, I can wait."
-  Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1855, I Celebrate Myself, Line 413 

Sitting: Quotes, Sayings, Poems

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Standard 24 Movement Form

Taijiquan Standard Simplified 24 Movement Form in the Yang Style

Research by Michael P. Garofalo

- Bibliography, Links, Online Videos, Resources

- List of 24 Movement Names in English, Chinese characters, Chinese Pinyin, French, German and Spanish. Source references for movement names.

- Descriptions of each of the 24 movements with B&W line illustrations.

- Performance times, sections, quotations, notes on learning.

- Standard, simplified, Chinese National, Orthodox, 24 Movement Form in the Yang Style of Taijiquan.

- List of Movements

Single Whip Posture of Taijiquan

"Single Whip strikes a majestic pose.
Unobstructed are the mai luo passageways.
The spirit perked, the form alert.
Arms like a snake span East to West.
Attack the head; the tail swings to defend.
Attack the tail; the heads springs to counter.
Attack the center; head and tail jump to act.
Top and bottom and the four sides are thus guarded.
With the readiness of a stretched bow.
Where is the source of this ingenious posture?
Follow the backbone joints to its core."
- Chen Village Taijiquan Song
Translated by Sim and Gaffney, Chen Style Taijiquan, p. 72

Chen Style Taijiquan: The Source of Taiji Boxing. By Davidine Siaw-Voon Sim and David Gaffney. Berkeley, CA, North Atlantic Books, 2002. Index, charts, 224 pages. ISBN: 1556433778. Provides an excellent introduction to Chen style Taijiquan history and legends, outlines the major forms, discusses the philosophy and foundations of the art, and gives very good information on training methods, push hands, and weapons. Very well written, highly informative, and a unique contribution to the field. Essential reading for all learning the Chen style of Tai Chi Chuan.

Arriving Where We Started

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploration
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
-  T. S. Eliot, Little Gidding

I the practice of Taijiquan we begin and end in the Wuji posture. 

Guardians of the Gates: Warrior Kings of the Buddha

"Virudhaka, Guardian of the South Gate, 
The Boundless Diamond King, Tseng-chang Tian, with shimmering sword in hand,
Blue as the Great Sky,
Spurring growth, increasing grandeur,
Subduing demons, frightening evil ones, cutting through ignorance,
Vowing to help everyone master limitless approaches to Dharma.  
Dhritarashtra, Guardian of the East Gate,
The Powerful Diamond King, Ch‘ï-kwo Tian, in tune with the Wise,
White as the Shining Sun,
Protector, Energizer, Honoring the Three Treasures,
Keeping Treasured Kingdoms whole, Saver of the Earth, 
Helping unravel the illusions of self, and freeing the slaves of Mara,
Vowing to aid all who strive to achieve the Supreme Awakening.
Vaishravana, Guardian of the North Gate,
The All Hearing Diamond King, To-wen Tian, listening to the endless sorrows,
Yellow as the Mystic Rose,
Seated and Silent, Compassionate,
Silencing the falsehoods, Singing the Dharma, Preserving the Word,
Vowing the eradicate vexations without end.  

Virupaksha, Guardian of the West Gate,
The All Seeing Diamond King, Kwang-mu Tian, unblinking in the face of death,
Red Eyed and Ever Vigilant,
Visionary of the Diamond Kings, Seeing the Unseen,
Subduing serpents of vice, keeping enemies in the dark, holding the Sacred Vajra,
Vowing to help Enlighten Sentient Beings without number.  


These Four Diamond Kings protect all Earthly and Sacred Worlds,
Faithfully Guard the Four Gates to Shambhala's Realm,
Active day and night on Mt. Sumeru and in the Ten Thousand Realms,
Rewarding the good and reforming the evil ones,
Overcoming all obstacles,
Fearless Defenders of the Middle Way,
Bodhisattvas ferrying followers to the Other Shore,
Grinding potions with mortar and pestle to Lessen the Pain, 
Sending Dragons into the deepest seas, riding Tigers to the Mountains,
Moving the Vast Clouds with Their Hands;
Yet, the Four Diamond Kings all bow in deep respect,
Honoring the Great Dharma Lord they forever serve."
-   Mike Garofalo, Above the Fog

The Bodhisattva Warriors.  The Origin, Inner Philosophy, History and Symbolism of the Buddhist Martial Art within India and China.  By Shifu Nagaboshi Tomio (Terence Dukes).  Boston, MA, Weiser Books, 1994.  Index, bibliography, extensive notes, 527 pages.  ISBN: 0877287856.  VSCL.   


Learning the Chen Style of Taijiquan: Section I, Movements 1-6

Cane Weapon in Tai Chi Chuan

I practice with my cane every day.  It is the only weapon I use.  A wonderful Taijiquan tool. 

Way of the Short Staff

Chen Taijiquan Old Frame First Form (Lao Jia Yi Lu)

Chen Style Taijiquan, Old Frame First Form, Lao Jia Yi Lu.  By Michael P. Garofalo.  140Kb+.  2007-2011.  Detailed bibliography of books, media, and articles.  Extensive selection of Internet links.  List of movement names in English, Chinese characters, Chinese Pinyin, French, German, and Spanish; and citations for sources of the movement names.  Detailed list of DVDs and videos available online.  Extensive notes on the author's learning the Old Frame, First Routine, Lao Jia Yi Lu; and on learning Chen Style Taijiquan.  Record of performance time of this form by many masters.  Breakdown by sections of the form, with separate lists for each section.  General information, history, facts, information, pointers, and quotations.  

Section I, Movements 1-6, Chen Taijiquan, Old Frame, First Form 

 

Out of the Blogging Loop

Both Karen and I have had numerous health problems and surgeries in the last few months.   All our efforts have been focused on helping each other recover and regain our health.

California laws changed in June 2011 with regard to webmasters with Amazon.com associate accounts.  California now demands that Associates pay California sales taxes.  We, of course, paid California income taxes in the past on all Amazon income.  Amazon has chosen to refuse to pay any California sales taxes.  Amazon has now stopped paying Amazon Associates in California for all our link referrals from our websites and blogs that lead to purchases at Amazon.  Amazon, of course, continues to benefit from all link advertising referrals from former Associates; it just does not pay them anything.  This has resulted in a decrease of our web based income by $150 per month.  What a disappointment for us!  We feel ripped off by both Amazon and the State of California.

No Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, or Internal Martial Arts publisher, business, author or teacher has ever given us any money to advertise their products or services.  Nobody has ever financially sponsored our non-gardening websites or blogs in any way. 

We are semi-retired, working four part-time jobs, and may need to prune back and discontinue our websites or blogs that cost us annual fees for web hosting and domain registration.  We may, like thousands of others, just bow out gracefully from any more blogging or webpage creative work.