The Tai Chi of Chen Panling

CHEN PAN-LING T’AI CHI CH’UAN
By Brian Bruning

The Chen Pan-ling T’ai Chi Ch’uan is a synthesis of the pre-World War II era styles of Yang, Wu, and Chen, as well as influences from the miscellaneous family styles existing at the time. The unique beauty and practicality of the Chen Pan-ling T’ai Chi Ch’uan Form makes it stand out in the field of synthetic or combination Forms created in the last century. If T’ai Chi Ch’uan is one of China's Treasures, then the Chen Pan-ling Form is one of T’ai Chi Ch’uan's treasures. As Robert W. Smith said (in his foreword to the 1998 English version of Chen Pan-ling’s T’ai Chi Ch’uan Textbook) ”though eclectic, it is grounded in the traditional forms and brimming with the ancient spirit.”
The Form was based on the knowledge Chen Pan-ling gained from being chairman of a committee, formed in 1941 in Chungking by the Chinese Nationalist government’s Departments of Education and Military Training, and his extensive training in the Chinese martial arts of his time. The team of Martial Artists that contributed to the eventual creation of this rare but increasingly more well known form, was headed by probably one of the most knowledgeable kuo shu practitioners of 20th century China. The committee was composed of many distinguished martial artists and specialists formed to develop curriculum for kuo shu texts and to standardize martial arts. Three years later more than 50 different kinds of standardized textbooks were written, along with 40 wall posters and illustrations. The material they collected was lost during the eventual Communist takeover of the mainland.
Master Chen Pan-ling certainly had some of the best credentials one could have, learning from some of the most well known Masters of the time, with his reputation following him from the mainland to Taiwan. Chen Pan-ling, born in 1891, was trained by his father, in the Shaolin arts, when he was young. Later some of the best martial artists of the day trained him in T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Pakua, and Hsing-i. His T’ai Chi Ch’uan teachers were Yang Shao-hou, Wu Chien-chuan, Hsu Yu-sheng, and Chi Tzu-hsiu. He also traveled to the Chen family village to study the Chen style in 1927- 28. He was vice-president (founder of Henan Province school) of the famous Central Martial Arts Academy of Nanking, and later Chung King. Master Chen was also one of the main coaches of the Chinese demonstration team at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin. On Taiwan he was head of the Chinese Boxing Association from 1959 until his death in 1967. During those years he taught and published books on the Chinese martial arts, including Shaolin,T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Pakua, and Hsing-i.
He published his T’ai Chi Ch’uan Textbook in 1963 in the Chinese language and asked his senior student, Y. W. Chang to translate it into English. This was accomplished in 1998 with his co-translator Ann Carruthers and help from many others, as noted in the Introduction to the Translation. A quote from that introduction the essence lies in the journey, not at the destination defines the spirit of the T’ai Chi Ch’uan Form presented in the textbook.

The Form itself follows the large frame sequence of the Old Yang style, before any of the changes that eventually came about when it became much more widespread in the rest of the world. The performance of the postures looks to be more obviously martial than some of the modified forms that have been created in recent years for health purposes. They are detailed with many possible applications and techniques that include parrying, punching, kicking, striking, and throwing, as well as chin na grasps and releases, close quarters grappling, and twisting. The strikes and kicks may be performed with vigorous execution compared to the soft movements, but not to the degree as those from the original Chen style.
The old Wu style is represented well in this form, using modified versions of the postures "lift hand", "turn around and cast down with fist and palm", "left and right striking tiger", "dodge and kick", "turn around and kick", "press face with palm", "brush knee and punch at underbelly", "left and right separate instep kicks", "turn around and press face with palm", "bend bow to shoot tiger", "step back and repulse monkey", and "step back and ride tiger".
Many of these postures are shared by the Old Yang style, showing how closely linked the old styles of Yang and Wu really were in the early 20th century. Some postures also use a slight forward incline with a rounded back, not always a plumb erect stance.
The old Chen style's influence is evident throughout the form in the characteristic low twisting postures, and use of "corkscrew" strength and "silk reeling" energy. Power is issued by twisting of the waist and sinking of weight into legs, coordinating with the rest of the body. The open palm formation of the hand, or "tile palm", is also adapted from the Chen system as well as the direction of the "press" being in a downward vector. There seems to be influences from Hsing-i and Bagua in some of the footwork, as in "step circularly" near the end of the form and also in the "3-legged" stance of the posture "step forward and deflecting shove". One interesting feature of the Chen Pan-ling Form is the pivoting of the rear foot, done on the ball of the foot rather than the heel, as in the Yang style. This adjusts the weight distribution to a 60%/40% in the legs and therefore gives more stability to the forward stances, and is also easier on the knees. The breathing is done in the "natural" way with breathing out on the execution of a technique, contracting the tan tien. When preparing to strike or withdrawing from one, the tan tien expands with the breath sinking down. The Form can be performed in the slow manner in which many Yang styles are, and also with some speed, maybe double time, and can be performed as fast as you can, while maintaining proper T'ai Chi Principles and execution of the forms. This gives your practice versatility, keeps it interesting, and adds to your training capability. When one performs the Chen Pan-ling Form with the proper spirit, it takes on a unique flavor all its own.

Brian Bruning is a student, teacher at The Rochester T’ai Chi Ch’uan Center Rochester NY. He teaches the Chen Pan-ling Long Form.

Foods That Heal (part 1)

This one is by Sue Gilbert, MS who is a nutritionist from health.ivillage.

Foods to Heal What Ails You

You've done all you could to not get sick. You've taken your vitamin C, gotten plenty of rest, exercised, eaten right, buttoned up....and here you are anyway, feeling lousy! If only mom were here to wipe your fevered brow. Mom always knew which foods to feed when you weren't well: ginger ale for your tummy ache, chicken soup for your cold, and fluids for your flu. Although she probably didn't know the mechanism, mom was making good use of food pharmacology.

Over the years, scientific research has been able to determine why certain foods aid your physical recovery. The following list covers several food "medicines" you can use once a malady has struck. Some treatments are backed by clinical evidence, others are widely accepted by practitioners of herbal medicine. Most listed below are not cures, but rather are methods to alleviate symptoms.

• What Ails You: The Common Cold
  Food To Treat: Chicken Soup
  Dosage: Small amounts frequently as the effects last only a half hour or so.
  Why it Works: Several studies prove chicken soup helps break up congestion and ease the flow of nasal secretions. It seems to inhibit the white blood cells that trigger the inflammatory response that causes sore throats and produces phlegm. Chicken contains an amino acid called cysteine, which is released when you make the soup. This amino acid is similar to the drug, acetylcysteine, which is prescribed by doctors to patients with bronchitis. It functions by thinning down mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough out. Hot chicken vapors have been proven more effective than hot water vapors in clearing out the cold in your nose. To increase the effectiveness of chicken soup, add lots of hot and spicy ingredients, like cayenne pepper, fresh garlic, and onions.

Part 2 of the baguazhang series-Gao Style Baguazhang

Gao Yisheng, also named Gao Deyuan, was born in Shandong province, Wuli county, Dashan village in 1866 and died in 1951. At an early age he followed the practice of his family's martial art, Dahongquan (Big Red Fist). After that he also began to study Xingyiquan, later coming under the instruction of the famous teacher Li Cunyi. At the age of thirty, he met Wuqing Wafang village's Zhou Yuxiang. Zhou Yuxiang was a highly skilled pupil of Cheng Tinghua. His skills were very deep, especially in fighting. He was so adept at the use of his palms in attack that he earned the nickname “Peerless Palm.” Upon the first meeting of Gao and Zhou they decided to compare each other's martial arts. In this first contest, Zhou soundly defeated Gao three times in a row, immediately after having Zhou's skills proved to Gao beyond all doubt, he bowed down and asked Zhou Yuxiang to become his teacher. Because of their ages being similar, Zhou desisted and instead took Gao Yisheng to Beijing to formally introduce him to his teacher, Cheng Tinghua (known to the martial world as “Eyeglasses Cheng.” Based on the basic palm movements that his teachers taught him, after 40 years of refinement and organizing the system, it became Cheng Branch, Gao style Baguazhang, also called Swimming Body Continuous Baguazhang, with its own unique style.

The martial arts of our school began being passed down since the time Zhang Zhunfeng arrived in Taiwan in 1947. Zhang Zhunfeng was extremely strict when teaching, especially in fighting and training the body. Every time he had class he led the class on his own and he would pass along the forms on his own. Therefore many of Zhang's students had solid and real fighting skills. Real fighting is the tradition within this school.

This system has two parts, the first, Xiantianzhang ( Pre-heaven palms ), is done walking in a circle; the second, Houtianzhang ( Post-heaven palms ), is done in straight lines. The research methodology for the system is that of the Pre-heaven palms being the foundation of the Post-heaven palms and the Post-heaven palms being the application of the Pre-heaven palms . The Pre-heaven palms takes the Single Palm Change as the head of the dragon and the eight lines evolve from there, the contents of the Pre-heaven palms are:

Snake form smooth body palm

Dragon form piercing hand palm

Returning body, strike the tiger palm

Swallow overturning covering hand palm

Turn the body over the back palm

Twist the body searching horse palm

Overturn the body, through the back palm

Stopping body, move and hook palm

The tail of the dragon is the form of wulongbaiwei (Black Dragon Swings Tail), which ends the form.

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Inside the Pre-heaven palms are neigong methods of cultivating the body, the eight large opening hand methods and the eight throwing methods.

The Post-heaven palm methods concentrate on practicing the forms of attack and defense. They take the eight palms and eight lines of the Pre-heaven palms to become the sixty-four palm methods. Each palm is then expressed alone as a single movement principle. The essential point of single movement practice in the Post-heaven palms is to catch the situation and fajing (emit power). The main point in practice is to catch the situation and then use the situation. The main point behind the practice of each line of the Post-heaven palms is as below:

The first line – key methods

The second line – hitting methods

The third line – skillful methods

The fourth line – sophisticated (subtle) methods

The fifth line – elbow methods

The sixth line – leg methods

The seventh line – body methods

The eighth line – stepping methods

After practicing hard and diligently for a period of time you can get to the point where the Pre-heaven and Post-heaven palms become one. As soon as your arm comes out, your whole body will naturally react in a rhythm to dissipate and spiral away the opponent's power. How you practice is exactly how you apply it.

Tai chi: Stress reduction, balance, agility and more

This is from Mayoclinic.com:

Tai chi is a series of gentle movements that can bring about stress reduction, improved balance and many other health benefits. Find out what tai chi is all about.

Tai chi (tie-CHEE) is sometimes described as "meditation in motion." Originally developed in China as a form of self-defense, this graceful form of exercise has existed for about 2,000 years. It's becoming increasingly popular around the world, both as a basic exercise program and as a complement to other health care methods. Health benefits include stress reduction, greater balance and increased flexibility — especially for older adults.

What is tai chi?

Tai chi is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise. To do tai chi, you perform a defined series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner. Each movement or posture flows into the next without pausing.

Who is tai chi for?

If you're trying to improve your general health, you may find tai chi helpful as part of your program. Tai chi is generally safe for people of all ages and levels of fitness. Studies have shown that for older adults tai chi can improve balance and reduce the risk of falls. Because the movements are low impact and put minimal stress on your muscles and joints, tai chi is appealing to many older adults. For these same reasons, if you have a condition such as arthritis or you're recovering from an injury, you may find it useful.

Tai chi appears to offer both physical and mental benefits no matter what your age. It's used to:

• Reduce stress
• Increase flexibility
• Improve muscle strength and definition
• Increase energy, stamina and agility
• Increase feelings of well-being

Tai chi hasn't been studied scientifically until recently. Preliminary research shows that for older adults, in particular, practicing tai chi regularly may:

• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Improve balance and coordination, reducing the number of falls
• Improve sleep quality, such as staying asleep longer at night and feeling more alert during the day
• Slow bone loss in women following menopause
• Reduce high blood pressure
• Improve cardiovascular fitness
• Relieve chronic pain
• Improve everyday physical functioning

Types of tai chi

Like yoga, many styles of tai chi exist. Some of these styles include:

• Chen
• Hao
• Sun
• Wu
• Yang
• Zhao Bao
• Chen Pan-ling
  

The intensity of tai chi varies somewhat depending on the style. For example, the Chen style may be more fast-paced than other styles. However, most styles are gentle and suitable for everyone. Talk to your doctor and tai chi instructor to make sure the style you're using is appropriate for your physical capabilities.

Pros and cons

When learned correctly and practiced regularly, tai chi appears to be a very positive form of exercise:

• It's self-paced and noncompetitive.
• You don't need a large physical space or special clothing or equipment.
• You can do tai chi anytime, anyplace.
• It's easy to do in groups as well as by yourself.
• You can add new movements as you become more proficient.

Because tai chi is slow and gentle, it has virtually no negative side effects. It's possible you could strain yourself or "overdo" things when first learning, but with proper instruction, this shouldn't pose a barrier to practicing tai chi.

How to learn tai chi

To gain the full benefits of tai chi and reduce the small risk of injury, learn the correct way to do the postures and movements. Strict attention to your body position and breathing are critical, so it's best to study directly under a teacher rather than with a book or videotape. As you attend a series of classes, the instructor can give you personal guidance and correct any errors in your approach before they become habit. As you practice, you learn how to do tai chi without straining your muscles and joints.

Once you're comfortable with the tai chi basics, you can do it by yourself. You may find it helpful to practice tai chi in the same place and at the same time every day. You'll likely experience some health benefits right away, but they probably won't be dramatic. Be patient. Health benefits accumulate over time.

You can find tai chi classes in cities throughout the United States. To locate a class in your community, contact your local senior center, YMCA or YWCA, health club or wellness center.

Although tai chi is generally safe, consider talking with your doctor before starting a new program. This is particularly true if you have any problems with your joints, spine or heart.

What is Tui-na?

Here's a nice page from Wikipedia about the body work art known as Tui-na:
What is Tui-na?
Our friend, Tom Bisio and his partner Frank Butler teach courses in Zheng Gu Tui Na in NYC. Both are excellant bodyworkers and martial artists. Check them out at
Zheng Gu Tui Na

A Little Intro To Our Qigong Program

As you may know, qigong (pronounced chee-gung) is a system of energy development and health maintenance. At Harmony Healthworks we offer a whole system of qigong. Here's a description of one of our basic sets.

Qigong Programs

Energy Gates

Certain skills must be learned as foundation for more advanced practices. The most basic of these is to develop a relaxed and aligned posture from which you can release your tension. Energy Gates has four components and is an entire system of personal development by itself.

The first of these is Standing Practice. Standing Practice teaches the Inner Dissolving while developing a relaxed and aligned with gravity posture. In addition, you will learn the location of many of the important energetic points of the body. The dissolving process is then used on these points to release blockages in the body, mind, and spirit.

Cloud Hands will teach you how to use the skills developed in the standing practice while the body is in motion. It also introduces the basics of spiraling energy for personal health and power, by unifying the limbs and body.

The Three Swings further open the body and energize the three energy centers in the body.

The Spine Stretch is the introduction to Spinal Neigong and is one of the most important exercises we teach. This gentle relaxation set teaches you to identify and release spinal problems and starts the process of moving the cerebral-spinal fluid for greater health and clarity.

The origins of baguazhang

At Harmony Healthworks we teach a number of health development and maintenance exercises. Among these are the Chinese internal arts of Taijiquan (tai chi) Baguazhang (eight trigram palm) and Xingyiquan (shape of the mind boxing). While we certainly are interested in the self defense aspects of these arts, most people nowadays practice them for the outstanding health benefits they can give you. We will also, in the future, be offering our own Self Defense Awareness (TM) program.
So that you can get a little background on some of these things I'm going to present my senior, George Wood's excellent translation of our teacher, Luo Dexiu's, website. Both Geo and Mr. Luo can be contacted through their sites in the Links section. These first few posts will deal with the art of baguazhang mentioned above.

The Origin of Baguazhang

Xingyiquan, Baguazhang and Taijiquan are known as the three famous internal martial arts. Among these, Baguazhang is a method of internal and external training that was recently passed down.

Baguazhang's founder, Dong Haichuan, was born in the ninth year, tenth month of the Qing dynasty Jiaqing reign. He died in the seventh year, eleventh month of the Guangxu reign. Since he was a child he loved the martial arts. In his youth he became famous in his home village for his gifted strength and martial valor. In the middle of the Xianfeng reign, he left home to travel. He traveled to all the famous mountains and provinces, including southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang, eastern Sichuan and Anhui, looking for famous teachers and gifted martial artists. During this period he became influenced by Daoist training methods and after this he combined the offensive and defensive methods of the martial arts with the Daoist training to create a unique method called Zhuanzhang (Turning Palms), this was the infancy of Baguazhang (Eight Trigram Palms).

After arriving in Beijing, he got a job at the house of the prince of Su. In the house there was a Manchu named Quan Kaiting who saw Dong Haichuan practicing martial arts one day and admired his incredibly high skills. Because Quan Kaiting admired the high skills of Dong Haichuan, he knelt down before Dong Haichuan and begged to become his student. From that time, Dong Haichuan's fame and kung fu began to spread widely. Many students came to study with him. His Baguazhang slowly spread from the center of Beijing out to the other provinces; it spread quickly and became famous in a very short time.

In the beginning, because the movements of Dong Haichuan's art looked similar to that of a man moving a stone rice-grinding wheel, others began to call them Mo Men (the grinding "gate" or sect). Afterwards, he developed eight basic palm movements called the eight palms. Each of these mother palms when changed to move forwards, backwards, to the left, to the right, upwards, downwards and centrally became the sixty-four palms. Because there was similarity to the changes of the Yi Jing (the Book of Changes), Grandmaster Dong and his followers decided to call it Baguazhang. Other modern names that spread for the art are Baguazhang, Bagua Continuous palm, Bagua Swimming Body palm, Swimming Body Continuous Bagua palm, etc.

The core expression of Baguazhang is that of Chuan Zou (piercing and walking, alike darting into a forest and piercing in all directions, footwork moving in all directions) , the body method's appearance will be that of dodging, spreading, jumping and moving. When practicing you move like a swimming dragon, turn your body like a monkey, change your steps like a soaring eagle, thus expressing a combination of internal and external that moves smoothly without breaking.