18 Movements Taiji-Qigong

[Giles]

I feel a need to post something not relating to "the situation", so here's a vid from a couple of months ago: my take on the widespread and fairly simple "18 Movements Taiji-Qigong". In other words, a qigong sequence based more or less on tai chi chuan movements, and where personally I try maintain (and teach) some movement principles of tai chi in the movements. Recorded basically as a learning aid for some of my students. And quite possibly, for viewers here, as interesting as watching paint dry (I love that phrase).

But what the hell.

[windwalker]

When the paint dries it will be interesting to see the color

[edededed]

This set was created by Lin Housheng, ja? I think he based it off mostly taiji movements, but that ball-holding posture looks a bit like bagua!

[Giles]

Yes, he was the creator as far as I know, apparently in 1979 (ah, the year I saw Led Zeppelin! ).

You mean the posture starting at 1:28, Swing the Rainbow ? Good observation, I never made the potential connection to Lion Holds Ball (and here I curve the torso 'too much' with respect to the bagua posture) but I guess you're right.

The move I really like in this set which seems very bagua-ish to me is Rhinoceros Looks at the Moon, starting at 5:10. I do the first few swings in the orthodox way (in terms of the 18 Movements), putting the weight into the leg/foot on the side toward which you turn. This is better for beginners because it stabilizes the knee of the weighted leg - in this move there's a risk of the torsion/spiral in the spine (good) propagating down into the knee joint (not good). Then after a moment I switch to the variant that I prefer and which is also more bagua-ish, putting the weight into the leg/foot on the other side. This frees up the lower back more and enables the torsion to move more into the lumbar vertebrae, but you have to make sure that the load-bearing knee remains in alignment.

Lift the Moon from the Sea (7:08) is also fairly untypical of tai chi movements and might be more bagua-related, but I don't want to labour the point too far...

[edededed]

Of course only Mr. Lin himself would know what is from what!

Rhinoceros Looks at the Moon does look a bit bagua-ish, too, but on the other hand I have seen some taiji exercises that look like that as well. Not sure about Lift the Moon from the Sea - that movement does not look like anything I have really seen in either taiji or bagua!

But Lin Housheng also learned much Shaolin, etc. so it could be from other sources. 1979 is quite a long time ago (for me)!

[Giles]

Rhinoceros Looks at the Moon does look a bit bagua-ish, too, but on the other hand I have seen some taiji exercises that look like that as well.

Interesting. The hands in that move are of course quite similar to Fair Lady Works Shuttles, one of the go-to Yang/Wu style applications.

https://kapwi.ng/c/eVZwmFRo
(my first ever gif, didn't manage to embed it here)

But here the powering rotation comes (mostly) from the turning of the hips, not a twisting of the spine as often the case in bagua. What moves (or what style) of tai chi have you seen that has the explicit spiral in the spine?

[Trip]

Giles, The GIF address is slightly different than the one in your post.
But, here it is.

[Giles]

Thanks, Trip! Although what I made has turned out, um, rather big. I thought it would be more kinda thumbnail...

[Trip]

Your Gif size is 1280 x 720.
Personally, I like the size.

But, half the size would be 640 x 360.
That size usually looks good too.

If you want to make a smaller thumbnail - try 360 x 180 first
and then work down from there to get the look you want.

Your Gif app should give you preset size options.
You can also type in the size you’d like.

Happy Gif making!

[edededed]

Rhinoceros Looks at the Moon does look a bit bagua-ish, too, but on the other hand I have seen some taiji exercises that look like that as well.

Interesting. The hands in that move are of course quite similar to Fair Lady Works Shuttles, one of the go-to Yang/Wu style applications.

https://kapwi.ng/c/eVZwmFRo
(my first ever gif, didn't manage to embed it here)

But here the powering rotation comes (mostly) from the turning of the hips, not a twisting of the spine as often the case in bagua. What moves (or what style) of tai chi have you seen that has the explicit spiral in the spine?

Hi Giles - I have myself only really practiced Yang or Wu styles, no idea about the others! For these, and also my bagua, we did not really emphasize the spine twisting per se, although we let it happen when it happened. Bagua I think likes to have the legs closer to each other though.

[Giles]

Hi Giles - I have myself only really practiced Yang or Wu styles, no idea about the others! For these, and also my bagua, we did not really emphasize the spine twisting per se, although we let it happen when it happened. Bagua I think likes to have the legs closer to each other though.

Thanks, ed (ededededed...?), I get you. I guess that once the turning of the waist, opening and closing of the hips/kua are all integrated, then more spine rotation can come into the mix in a good way. Tai chi beginners often tend to twist their spine in a 'negative' way and neglect use of the hips, for instance in a move like cloud hands. Once the basic connections are solid, you can probably do just about anything...