Tai Chi Long form - Commence tai chi

Here we will describe our journey through the long form. I will describe what we did in class, and I will add relevant details as we go.

15 May Commence Tai Chi

  This is the beginning of the form. Start with your feet about shoulder width apart. Your hands are at your sides, palms facing into your upper thighs, fingers relaxed but pointing down. Feet are firmly connected to the ground. Feel the connection between your foot and the ground paying attention to the  ball of the foot. When you are ready to begin, inhale and raise your arms until your hands are in front of your shoulders, elbows relaxed, palms not quite completely facing each other. Exhale, then drop your hands. Start by moving the shoulders, then sink the elbows, then sit the wrists. Hands end at the level of your waist.

  From Boonchai –

  “During practice even if you practice wrong it’s better than if you don’t practice. If you never practice you will never learn. Practice. Practice for yourself. Practice to remember. Practice to “get it”. Just practice what I teach you, until you can do it smoothly. Practice until you forget it. You practice until you don’t need to think, just let your muscles move. Practice to get it, practice to forget it.”

  From Boonchai, on “Commence Tai Chi” –

  “Stand with the feet apart. How big is the distance? The feet are parallel – the distance of one of your feet between. They must be parallel. Inner shoulder width. And then straighten the legs but don’t lock the knees. Put arms at the side. Fingers are straight. Then have a deep breath in. Pres to the tan tien. And once you have another breath in, breathe in and raise arms. When we raise the arms, lock the wrists. Never lock the elbows. Hands are in front of the shoulders so they are shoulder width apart. When we raise the arms, we breathe in. When we raise we don’t just raise we have to slowly rotate the arms to bring them face down. When we finish at the shoulder level the wrists finish rotating.”