The Taoist Studies Institute offers drop-in classes in Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), Qigong, and Bagua Zhang, for beginners through advanced practitioners. Additionally, we offer special series classes designed to deepen understanding of these practices, as well as to explore additional subjects in Taoist cultivation.
Drop-in classes are designed as practice classes, and often involve more silence to enable the cultivation of internal skill. There is typically some time for questions at the end.
Series or sequence classes have more verbal instruction, with discussions of technique and additional space for Q&A.
Drop-in classes are designed as practice classes, and often involve more silence to enable the cultivation of internal skill. There is typically some time for questions at the end.
Series or sequence classes have more verbal instruction, with discussions of technique and additional space for Q&A.
What is Taijiquan? 太極拳 (Tai Chi)
Taijiquan (abbreviated 'Taiji' or ‘Tai Chi’) is a system of martial arts, health exercise and spiritual cultivation with its roots in Taoist principles. The basis of Tai Chi practice is to cultivate qi to nourish the body. It is only through nourishing in this way that the profound benefits and skills of Taiji may be developed.
While we prefer the pinyin spelling “taiji”, we often use “tai chi” on the website as it is more commonly known.
Why practice Tai Chi?
People practice Taiji for many reasons. Examples include practicing for health, out of curiosity, to participate with friends, for spiritual cultivation, and for martial ability. No matter the reason people begin their study, once the benefits begin to be realized, an inner sense of wellbeing arises. Those who continue to practice do so because it enhances and enriches their life.
What are the benefits of Tai Chi?
There are many benefits of proper practice of Taiji, commonly including improved overall health, relaxation, increased vitality, inner strength, poise, and balance. Tai Chi is also very enjoyable to practice and beautiful to behold.
What is the relationship between Qigong and Taiji (Tai Chi)?
Taiji is qigong and martial art combined. A traditional proverb says: “Practice Taiji without practicing Qigong: practice to old age and your storehouse will be empty” (i.e., you still will have developed little skill.)
Tai Chi develops upon the foundation of Qigong practice, bringing the skills of Qigong into practical application. Taiji is also called chang quan or continuous boxing. This quality of continuous circulation of qi throughout the body for up to 40 minutes during Taiji form practice confers benefits different from Qigong sets, which involve more stillness.
Where should a student start with Tai Chi at TSI?
The Hunyuan Taiji Simplified 24 Form is the appropriate place to start. This form trains fundamental energies of tai chi as well as postural principles, while introducing movement patterns used in future forms. The best way to learn this form is through a dedicated series class (8-12 weeks). Please check the schedule for an upcoming sequence. You are also welcome to come to one of the drop-in classes.
Once a student has learned the Simplified 24 Form, they can move on to the Regular 24 Form, which involves more circular movements and spirals (chansi or silk-reeling) energy.
What is Qi Gong 氣功 ?
Literally “qi skill,” Qi Gong is a term that, broadly speaking, encompasses the whole of the Hunyuan Taiji system. Our goal as practitioners of Hunyuan Taiji is to cultivate skill with qi (the body’s subtle energy, or life force) in order to promote robust health, martial prowess, and spiritual insight. Thus, when practiced properly, Taiji form and push-hands (two person drills) are qigong practices.
More specifically, the term qigong is also used to refer to certain types of exercises. We practice sets of these qigong exercises to acquire the skill or “gong” required for proper practice of form and applications. The cultivation and use of this skill is what makes Taiji an internal martial art. Fundamentally, qigong practice is the core of the health, martial, and spiritual benefits of the system.
The Hunyuan Taiji system includes four different qigong sets – groups of movements that are practiced in repetition for specific purposes. Hunyuan Gong, Chansi Gong, Fang Song Gong, and Stick & Ruler Gong. Each set takes an average of an hour to complete.
The foundation of all of these is meditation, or “wuji” sitting and standing practice. These qigong methods are more important to practice than tai chi form or push-hands applications. Grandmaster Feng often says, “you can skip practicing quan (taiji form or boxing) for a day, but not gong (internal qi skill).”
Where should a student start with Qi Gong?
Hunyuan Gong and Chansi Gong are best suited for beginners, as they are the most foundational.
Hunyuan Gong is the most important Qi Gong method, designed to accumulate qi from the environment and use it to augment our prenatal qi (our genetic inheritance). This opens the qi-meridians of the body, forms the middle dantian (where qi is stored in the body), and thus promotes health, prolongs life, deepens stillness, and increases power.
Chansi Gong develops silk reeling energy, a kind of spiral movement connecting through the entire body, unique to the Chen-style Taiji system. This set also includes joint opening exercises. When the dantian is full of qi and the joints are open, the spiraling movements of silk-reeling convey qi throughout the channels to connect all of the eighteen pivots of the body together as one. This generates tremendous power and fluidity of movement, a the hallmark of Chen style.
Fang Song Gong, literally “releasing into suppleness” gong builds on a foundation of Hunyuan Gong to increase “sōng” 鬆, the body’s soft, supple, connected throughness. A more advanced practice, but beginners can still gain benefits.
Stick and Ruler Gong is actually two sets of qigong exercises practiced with different devices. The stick is used to train the twisting movements employed in qinna (joint-locking) using internal skill – another hallmark of Chen-style Taiji. The ruler is used to intensify qi harvesting and circulation and to deepen stillness practice. These exercises are auxiliary and not considered as essential for frequent practice as the others, although they yield great results.
(Stick & ruler sets are available to borrow during class or for purchase from the Bookstore.)
Bagua Zhang 八卦掌
Bagua Zhang is an internal system of martial arts similar to Taiji quan. The hallmarks of Bagua are its circular stepping and its marvelous development and utilization of special awareness both within and outside of the body.Bagua Zhang, like Taiji quan, is comprised of a comprehensive system of internal martial arts and meditative practices. Bagua zhang is philosophically related to the Yijing, or “Book of Changes”. In its basic practice, special stepping techniques are used to walk a circle, while various coiling methods are used to change direction around the circle. Bagua zhang is as challenging to learn as it is beautiful.
Taijiquan (abbreviated 'Taiji' or ‘Tai Chi’) is a system of martial arts, health exercise and spiritual cultivation with its roots in Taoist principles. The basis of Tai Chi practice is to cultivate qi to nourish the body. It is only through nourishing in this way that the profound benefits and skills of Taiji may be developed.
While we prefer the pinyin spelling “taiji”, we often use “tai chi” on the website as it is more commonly known.
Why practice Tai Chi?
People practice Taiji for many reasons. Examples include practicing for health, out of curiosity, to participate with friends, for spiritual cultivation, and for martial ability. No matter the reason people begin their study, once the benefits begin to be realized, an inner sense of wellbeing arises. Those who continue to practice do so because it enhances and enriches their life.
What are the benefits of Tai Chi?
There are many benefits of proper practice of Taiji, commonly including improved overall health, relaxation, increased vitality, inner strength, poise, and balance. Tai Chi is also very enjoyable to practice and beautiful to behold.
What is the relationship between Qigong and Taiji (Tai Chi)?
Taiji is qigong and martial art combined. A traditional proverb says: “Practice Taiji without practicing Qigong: practice to old age and your storehouse will be empty” (i.e., you still will have developed little skill.)
Tai Chi develops upon the foundation of Qigong practice, bringing the skills of Qigong into practical application. Taiji is also called chang quan or continuous boxing. This quality of continuous circulation of qi throughout the body for up to 40 minutes during Taiji form practice confers benefits different from Qigong sets, which involve more stillness.
Where should a student start with Tai Chi at TSI?
The Hunyuan Taiji Simplified 24 Form is the appropriate place to start. This form trains fundamental energies of tai chi as well as postural principles, while introducing movement patterns used in future forms. The best way to learn this form is through a dedicated series class (8-12 weeks). Please check the schedule for an upcoming sequence. You are also welcome to come to one of the drop-in classes.
Once a student has learned the Simplified 24 Form, they can move on to the Regular 24 Form, which involves more circular movements and spirals (chansi or silk-reeling) energy.
What is Qi Gong 氣功 ?
Literally “qi skill,” Qi Gong is a term that, broadly speaking, encompasses the whole of the Hunyuan Taiji system. Our goal as practitioners of Hunyuan Taiji is to cultivate skill with qi (the body’s subtle energy, or life force) in order to promote robust health, martial prowess, and spiritual insight. Thus, when practiced properly, Taiji form and push-hands (two person drills) are qigong practices.
More specifically, the term qigong is also used to refer to certain types of exercises. We practice sets of these qigong exercises to acquire the skill or “gong” required for proper practice of form and applications. The cultivation and use of this skill is what makes Taiji an internal martial art. Fundamentally, qigong practice is the core of the health, martial, and spiritual benefits of the system.
The Hunyuan Taiji system includes four different qigong sets – groups of movements that are practiced in repetition for specific purposes. Hunyuan Gong, Chansi Gong, Fang Song Gong, and Stick & Ruler Gong. Each set takes an average of an hour to complete.
The foundation of all of these is meditation, or “wuji” sitting and standing practice. These qigong methods are more important to practice than tai chi form or push-hands applications. Grandmaster Feng often says, “you can skip practicing quan (taiji form or boxing) for a day, but not gong (internal qi skill).”
Where should a student start with Qi Gong?
Hunyuan Gong and Chansi Gong are best suited for beginners, as they are the most foundational.
Hunyuan Gong is the most important Qi Gong method, designed to accumulate qi from the environment and use it to augment our prenatal qi (our genetic inheritance). This opens the qi-meridians of the body, forms the middle dantian (where qi is stored in the body), and thus promotes health, prolongs life, deepens stillness, and increases power.
Chansi Gong develops silk reeling energy, a kind of spiral movement connecting through the entire body, unique to the Chen-style Taiji system. This set also includes joint opening exercises. When the dantian is full of qi and the joints are open, the spiraling movements of silk-reeling convey qi throughout the channels to connect all of the eighteen pivots of the body together as one. This generates tremendous power and fluidity of movement, a the hallmark of Chen style.
Fang Song Gong, literally “releasing into suppleness” gong builds on a foundation of Hunyuan Gong to increase “sōng” 鬆, the body’s soft, supple, connected throughness. A more advanced practice, but beginners can still gain benefits.
Stick and Ruler Gong is actually two sets of qigong exercises practiced with different devices. The stick is used to train the twisting movements employed in qinna (joint-locking) using internal skill – another hallmark of Chen-style Taiji. The ruler is used to intensify qi harvesting and circulation and to deepen stillness practice. These exercises are auxiliary and not considered as essential for frequent practice as the others, although they yield great results.
(Stick & ruler sets are available to borrow during class or for purchase from the Bookstore.)
Bagua Zhang 八卦掌
Bagua Zhang is an internal system of martial arts similar to Taiji quan. The hallmarks of Bagua are its circular stepping and its marvelous development and utilization of special awareness both within and outside of the body.Bagua Zhang, like Taiji quan, is comprised of a comprehensive system of internal martial arts and meditative practices. Bagua zhang is philosophically related to the Yijing, or “Book of Changes”. In its basic practice, special stepping techniques are used to walk a circle, while various coiling methods are used to change direction around the circle. Bagua zhang is as challenging to learn as it is beautiful.
Advanced Elements of the Hunyuan Taiji System
TSI teaches the Chen-style Xinyi Hunyuan Taijiquan system 陳式心意混元太極拳 (abbrev. Hunyuan Taiji), developed by grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang 馮志強, which integrates Taoist internal training, qigong, Chen-style Taijiquan, and Xinyi quan (mind-intent boxing) into a comprehensive system.
Beyond the open-handed tai chi forms and qi gong sets, additional elements include push hands (two-person tai chi), taiji weapons, Bagua Zhang, Ba Duan Jin (Eight Sections of Brocade), and the Five Animal Frolics.
Push Hands
Push hands is a system of two person exercises that develop “listening” ability and continue to develop the internal energies cultivated in the Taijiquan form. These skills, developed in the solo forms, are expanded in push hands to include another person. Push hands is the basic training for martial application in Taijiquan.Tai Chi Weapons
Jian 劍 (Double-Edged Sword)The most refined and elegant of the taiji weapons.
Dao 刀 (Saber)
When using the saber the silk reeling energies, and storing and issuing qualities characteristic of the Chen system are readily apparent.
Spear 槍
The spear is learned during the advanced levels of training.
Qin Guniang Gun 棍
This rare staff method comes out of a branch of the mian quan 棉拳, cotton fist system. It contains components related to Chen-style taiji quan and Bagua Zhang.
Beyond the open-handed tai chi forms and qi gong sets, additional elements include push hands (two-person tai chi), taiji weapons, Bagua Zhang, Ba Duan Jin (Eight Sections of Brocade), and the Five Animal Frolics.
Push Hands
Push hands is a system of two person exercises that develop “listening” ability and continue to develop the internal energies cultivated in the Taijiquan form. These skills, developed in the solo forms, are expanded in push hands to include another person. Push hands is the basic training for martial application in Taijiquan.Tai Chi Weapons
Jian 劍 (Double-Edged Sword)The most refined and elegant of the taiji weapons.
Dao 刀 (Saber)
When using the saber the silk reeling energies, and storing and issuing qualities characteristic of the Chen system are readily apparent.
Spear 槍
The spear is learned during the advanced levels of training.
Qin Guniang Gun 棍
This rare staff method comes out of a branch of the mian quan 棉拳, cotton fist system. It contains components related to Chen-style taiji quan and Bagua Zhang.
