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ARTICLE ARCHIVE

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Abdominal Breathing

Learning to breathe correctly is crucial to developing your chi.

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The Alchemy of Chi

Spiritual alchemy is perhaps Tai Chi's most important gift to the practitioner.

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Attention and Intention in Tai Chi Chuan

In Tai Chi, the mind is the most powerful weapon.

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Auras

Some people claim they can see auras of light surrounding other people. Can they, and if so, how?

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Beyond Boundaries

Most psychic phenomena are a complete mystery, but maybe it's as simple as one-two-chi.

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Chang San-feng: His Life and Deeds

An apocryphal biograpy of the legendary founder of Tai Chi Chuan.

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Chan-ssu Chin: An Introduction

One simple exercise can help empower your Tai Chi.

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Christianity vs Chi

Some Christians claim that chi is a demonic energy. They couldn't be more wrong.

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Digging the Vibes

The body's biofield, being composed of energy, is affected by other energies that impinge upon it.

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Early Yang Style Photos

Photos from a Tai Chi book in Chinese by Chen Wei-ming

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Following Jin

Is Following Jin simply a learned skill, or is something else going on beneath the surface?

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A Historical and Personal Perspective on Tai Chi Chuan

A look at the background and functioning of this timeless martial art.

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The Infinity Twist

There are a lot important aspect to Tai Chi Chuan. The Infinity Twist is one of the foremost.

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Invest in Loss

In the Tai Chi, the loser wins.

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Jack McGann

My friend died too soon, but he did love Tai Chi.

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Kung Fu's Number Two

David Carradine may just be the second most important actor in martial arts cinema.

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Longevity and Tai Chi

Among the many benefits ascribed to Tai Chi Chuan is that of longevity. What, exactly, does this mean?

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Mass Marketing of the Martial Arts

Mass marketing has been an element of the martial arts for centuries, but in this century, it has reached new heights—or depths.

 

Natural Patterns

Mathematical and mechanical systems that exhibit Tai Chi behavior

 

Not Lost in Translation

Translator Paul Brennan is quietly making a big splash.

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The Paradox of Violence

Where does the truth of the martial arts lie? Is it in perseverence and dedication to form or in gut-level, spontaneous violence and backlash?

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Sit Down!

The next time you stand up to do Tai Chi, sit down!

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The Speed You Need

There are a lot of reasons to practice Tai Chi slowly, not the least of which is to develop speed.

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Symbolic Movement: The Taijitu and Tai Chi Chuan

The tai chi symbol holds many secrets.

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Tai Chi's Structural Bows

Tai Chi Chuan’s correct operations are dependent on the practitioner assuming a solid foundation.

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Toying with Tai Chi

Toys and play that exhibit Tai Chi behavior

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Under the Tai Chi Lens

Let a lens magnify your Tai Chi.

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Lessons in Tai Chi can come from many aspects of reality. This series explores some of the ways that reality grants us insight into the art of Tai Chi.

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1. Introduction

2. Oaken Limbs

3. The Twist

4. AirDancers

5. The Waist Is the Commander

6. Floating with the Waves

7. Tai Chi in the Driveway

8. Mutual Interaction

9. Doppler Style Tai Chi

10. Tesla's Oscillator

11. Cycling

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TAIJITU RESOURCES

Links to sites with good information, mostly on the taijitu:

 

Definition, Background, and Manipulation

 

Taijitu

The Wikipedia article on the tai chi symbol.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijitu

 

Yin and Yang

An excellent and detailed article on the taijitu and many of its aspects in the Chinese Buddhism Encyclopedia.

http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/Yin_and_yang

 

Zhou Dunyi’s Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate Explained (Taijitu shuo): A Construction of the Confucian Metaphysics

by Robin R. Wang

This appears to be an in-depth academic work that originally appeared in the Journal of the History of Ideas (v.66,#3, July 2005), but only a brief summary is free here.

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/188687/pdf

 

The Genesis of an Icon: The Taiji Diagram’s Early History

by François Louis

A 27-page book chapter on the taijitu.

http://www.biroco.com/yijing/louis_taiji_diagram.pdf

 

About the Taijitu: Sacred Symbol of Taoism

A sort of New-Ageish view of the taijitu and Taoism, but not without merit.

http://salishcircles.org/iching/taijitu.php

 

Where Does the Yin Yang Symbol Come From?

An interesting mapping of the taijitu onto solar and seasonal cycles from Chinese Fortune Calendar.

http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm

 

Taoist Visual Symbols

by Elizabeth Reninger

An excellent slideshow with definitions of a number of important Taoist visual symbols, including the taijitu.

http://taoism.about.com/od/visualsymbols/ss/taoist-visual-symbols.htm

 

Drawing the Taijitu

 

Drawing the Taijitu

This page presents a simple yet mathematically precise way to draw the taijitu to exact specifications using only a ruler and compass.

http://www.1728.org/taijitu.htm

 

Drawing the Taijitu

Jim Bumgardner presents a program that will instruct a computer to draw the taijitu, but it also is possible to use the techniques to draw one with a compass and straightedge.

https://krazydad.com/tutorials/circles_js/showexample.php?ex=taijitu

 

Bisection of Yin and Yang

A visual catalog of different ways it is possible to equally divide the taijitu into to two parts, each with an equal amount of black and white areas, using only a compass and a straightedge.

http://www.cut-the-knot.org/pythagoras/YinYangBisection.shtml

 

General Reference

 

Chinese Internal Martial Arts Dictionary

A glossary of major terms and concepts used by the internal Chinese martial arts. Following the glossary is an extensive list of links to a great deal more information on the internal martial arts.

http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/gloss1.htm

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