Tai Chi; push hands forms.

[Korkenzieher]

Many moons ago, I did quite a lot of Tai Chi and had advanced onto the Da-Lu (pushing hands 2-person forms) which I had more or less completed.

I'm interested in taking that up again. It is quite a bit more advanced than the basic 37 position (Yang) form.

Does anybody out there know anything about it? The problem with a 2 person form is that - well, it takes 2 people! If so, and might be interested in looking into it, then please contact me.

Personally, I'd be re-learning almost everything it from scratch, but I studied it for quite a while so I don't really see that being too much of a problem to get at least the Yang short form down fairly quickly, and hopefully to move on from there.

[belaruswe]

Hi,

I am doing different sports for many years, and I will stay in Hua Hin for 8 month. My dream is to learn Tai Chi. )))
Please, add me on facebook, then we can talk more. I am up to start from Monday next week, but dont really know any of schools. If you have any advice, write me.
Alex Oleg Istrom

[Korkenzieher]

Hi Alex,

In Hua Hin, as far as I am aware, the only people offering Tai Chi are the Palapon people in Khao Takiab. My own feeling is that their focus is more on Wing Chun (which I also have experience of, but no wish to re-learn). They are at 'Camp Palapon' and are sponsors of this site - you can find their link on the right hand side 'Palapon Fitness'.

My own interest - da-lu - is quite a bit more esoteric / rarer, and it really is not easy to find people with experience outside of Taiwan, and perhaps California. The couple I learned it from in London in the 80's had themselves learned it in Taiwan.

Once you are here, I suggest you contact the Palaponn people and see if they have something that suits your ideas - there are various styles of Tai Chi, and they may be able to explain in more detail the benefits on one style over another.

I hope that helps, and feel free to mail me back with questions.

[LolaBeltran]

Tai Chi Chuan is the style I learned but it is impossible to find a teacher here. I have tried for years. Some people have admitted to knowing it, but noone is in a position to teach it. I dont know about the other styles, but Tai Chi Chuan is not time-consuming or difficult. It is a wonderful daily practice with great benefits to general bodily health, flexibility and peace of mind. I believe some hotels offer it to guests, Hilton did a few years back, but for a non-guest they wanted something like 500 baht per session!! I have asked around the @letic gym, but there is no interest there. I live much too far from Takieb to make that trip a regular part of my schedule.

[Korkenzieher]

Tai Chi Chuan is a generic name - Chuan just means 'fist'. The styles generally are Yang Style (by far the most common outside China), Chen, Wu and Sun and are quite markedly different. I did Yang Style short and long forms, as well as a handful of lessons of Wu style, plus da-lu and push hands and made a start on sword form. In all, I suppose I was taking lessons 2-3 times a week for about 3 years during my post-graduate years.

In parallel I also did Wing Chun for perhaps a year or so, and found Yang style much more directly applicable to that than wu style was. I believe (though I am not certain of this) that the teacher at Palapon offers Chen style, which doesn't interest me. If Takiab is too far though, then that is no use to you. I also asked at @Letic - maybe someone there should get the message!

[LolaBeltran]

My instructor simply called it Tai Chi Chuan.
No clue how it fits into the grand scheme of Asian martial arts and no idea what any of the things you list even look like.
The routine as I remember it was about 36 moves. Mostly pushing and pulling, balancing and arm moves with a hop near the end. The instructor I had was wonderful. Did a lot of explaining of the background, the proper mental focus etc.
He also did not charge a fee. We were allowed to make a donation in any amount we could afford.
His overall attitude was closer to that of a monk than a moneymaker . . and his presentation of Tai Chi bordered on the spiritual.
He gave us videos of the series to follow once the classes stopped, but I found them impossible to follow. I do remember small parts of it but not the order or the correct form which really requires a teacher.

[Korkenzieher]

It sounds like Yang style - the others are more strenuous and more similar to a 'fighting' move. Chen, which is the next most common - but a distant second - is much more aggressive and martial in its movements. The 'calisthenics / yoga' in motion style will almost always be yang style, though people do develop changes in the routines regularly.

There is a 'combined' style, which is just called something simple like Tai Chi Chuan Combined Style (fairly obviously...) that is used for things like competition for the purposes of comparison and the like. Unlikely to be that though.

[yookhuahin]

I used to learn Yang Style Tai Chi and would like to find someone to push hand.
Are you still in Huahin?

[LolaBeltran]

I am certainly still interested in Tai Chi Chuan!
Considering its popularity in Bangkok ( I believe Lumpini Park features people doing some form of Tai Chi by the thousands every morning . .and considering the interest here in Hua Hin in all sorts of martial arts, muay thai and the like it is surprising to me that there are no local practitioners or teachers.
Yoga classes in Hua Hin are a dime a dozen but my limited experience with yoga left me cold.

[yookhuahin]

Is it possible for us to meet each other somewhere, maybe we can exchange our experience.
I learned Yang Style from grand student of Cheng Mun Ching in Bangkok.
My contact no. is 086-166-1149.

[Wado-Karate]

If you get anything arranged, please bear me in mind. I am very interested.

Back in the UK I used to practice Tai Chi as well. Many of the moves are an excellent compliment to karate.

[yookhuahin]

I always be around Huahin Market Village every day until 11 pm.
When you guys are around this area, you can call me any time.

[cyril_p]

Hi guys, just want to refresh the topic.

If you're in town we can arrange a meeting, Hin Lek Fai viewpoint is a great place, we can do some forms, qiqong and chat.