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What you have just witnessed was a demonstration of chi, or internal power.
The ability to shatter the bricks is a physical manifestation of a mental thought.
The internal energy was focused into his palm, which permeated the bricks and caused them to shatter.
I am here to introduce you to Tai Chi, a total self-development program that is practiced today by more people in the world than any other system of exercise.
The essence of Tai Chi is the joining of mind, body and spirit in order to live a more fulfilling life.
Tai Chi exercises are designed to increase your energy and vitality.
Tai Chi naturally aligns your body structure and allows your body to move more freely with increased agility, balance and grace.
The basis of Chinese medicine and health is the balancing of one's flow of internal energy, called chi.
Tai Chi movements balance one's chi flow so that a person can become stronger internally.
By doing the following exercises in a relaxed state, you will attain the chi, the essence of true self-development.
This tape will first introduce to you the foundation of posture, movement and principles of Tai Chi.
These are combined to form more complex movements, like those performed by Sifu Kam Yuen, who will lead the last part of our class.
He is a master of the martial arts as well as a doctor of the healing arts.
Sifu Kam Yuen has been my teacher for 14 years and taught thousands of others.
Learning Tai Chi is a building process. The components must first be learned individually.
Once integrated, the parts are combined to create the complete Tai Chi form.
In an overview of the four teaching sections, the first demonstrates the basic stances, postures and footwork.
The second expresses chi kung, which literally means vital energy.
Chi kung teaches coordination of breathing and relaxation with movement, as well as ways to stretch and strengthen the entire body.
In the third section, Tai Chi individual moves are isolated and repeated several times.
These more complicated moves combine the stances with the upper body movements.
And finally, the fourth section combines the individual movements into a continuous motion, creating the complete Tai Chi form.
Horse stance, legs apart with feet parallel, weight equally distributed.
Push knees out to the sides and bend slightly, toes in, heels out.
Let the structure of this most basic stance keep you in an easy, effortless balance.
You are strengthening and stretching your hips, buttocks, thighs and ankles.
Right forward stance, turn to the right, 45 degrees, hips facing forward.
Your right foreleg is perpendicular to the floor, left leg straight.
Weight should be distributed equally over both legs.
Breathe deeply and evenly.
Right cat stance, weight back on left leg, raise right heel, hips 45 degrees.
All your weight is on your back leg.
Turn your right toe in for more protection.
This stance strengthens the left hip and leg while stretching the left calf and ankle.
Heel stance, easy to figure out.
Weight stays on back foot.
Keep your right leg straight, relax into the stance.
Breathe deeply, back to a horse stance.
Butt in, shoulders down, back straight.
Left forward stance.
The proper execution of the Tai Chi movements is never forced, but rather relaxed.
It is not necessary to experience pain and strain to be successful in these exercises.
Don't push yourself.
Cat stance.
The back leg is strong and stable, while the front leg is light and mobile.
This is the essence of stance training.
Heel stance.
While this stance strengthens the ankle, stretches the calf and Achilles,
and has the added benefit of toning the hips, thighs, and buttocks.
Cross stance.
Cross your left leg behind your right, left knee behind your right.
All of left foot touches the ground, hips face forward.
Keep your weight evenly distributed.
This tones the lower half of your body from the hips downward.
Backs to the horse stance.
Left cross stance.
Keep your hips forward.
Follow the foot on the ground.
All Tai Chi movements involve the entire body.
Strong and stable stances are essential to properly execute the upper body movements.
Back to the horse stance.
Now drop to the left pole stance.
Make sure you keep your feet facing forward and flat on the floor.
This will stretch your groin and ankle while strengthening the hips, legs, back, and knee.
Back to the horse.
Now the right stance.
Remember to keep your back as straight as possible.
These stances work best when done in a relaxed manner, no straining.
To crane.
Stay centered.
Keep your knee on the center line.
Relax your foot and natural.
Right toe towards left knee.
The higher you pull up the knee, the more effective the stance for strengthening the buttocks and hips.
Left crane foot rotations.
Get into a left crane stance.
Rotate your leg clockwise.
Breathe deeply and evenly.
Relax.
Now to the right.
Strive for synchronization of the mind and body.
Tai Chi masters are powerful not only because of their physical prowess,
but because their minds are completely attuned and in control of their bodies.
Back stretch.
Spread your legs shoulder width apart.
Bend forward arching your lower back and neck.
This stretches your spine.
Look forward.
Keep your chin up.
Relax.
This stretch relieves any tension in the back and neck.
The pleasure you will derive from these exercises is directly related to your level of relaxation.
Easy.
Left heel stance.
Bend forward and grab hold with both your hands.
Try to keep your legs straight.
Get your back as straight as possible without undue strain.
Inhale.
As you exhale, try to stretch a little further.
Now rotate your upper body.
This trims, tones, and stretches the waist.
Rotate as large as possible.
Reverse.
Okay, now the other side.
Same thing.
Put both hands on your toes.
Straighten your leg.
Lift your chin.
Keep your spine as straight as possible.
Take a deep breath in.
Now exhale.
Let go.
Let your own body weight pull you down.
Now rotate your upper body.
Feel your muscles being stretched throughout the entire motion.
Reverse.
The moves in Tai Chi work best when the torso is limber.
So make sure you stretch these muscles.
Relax.
Chi Kung was invented thousands of years ago
and is a predecessor of Tai Chi.
These exercises are designed to increase one's energy flow
and strengthen the entire body.
Chi Kung literally means vital energy.
Chi Kung side stretch.
Put your feet shoulder width apart.
Pull your hands up to the center of your chest.
Push and straighten your arms to the side.
Fingers up.
Relax.
As you push out, exhale.
Feel the energy in your fingers.
This exercise will tone and strengthen your upper body.
Breathe deeply and deeply.
Chi Kung overhead stretch.
Raise both arms above the head with your fingers pointed inward towards each other.
Exhale as you push your hands upward.
Relax.
Again.
This exercise works on your neck, shoulders, arms,
especially the undersides, chest, rib, cage, and sides.
Relax.
Don't strain.
As you exhale, try to stretch a little farther.
Chi Kung downward stretch.
Inhale.
Raise both arms and exhale.
Push both hands downward in front of your body.
Inhale as you come up.
Exhale as you go down.
Concentrate on energy circulating throughout your body
and expanding through your hands.
Your body must relax in order for the chi to work properly.
The chi flows in four directions,
descending, expanding, ascending,
and contracting.
This exercise helps the chi to descend.
Chi Kung front back stretch.
Extend your right arm to your front and your left arm to your back.
Keep your fingers up and rotate your torso.
Always exhale as you extend down.
This is a demonstration of the second way the chi flows, expanding.
This stretch trims and strengthens the arms and waist.
Spinal rotations increase circulation,
which in turn remove toxins from the vertebrae
and prevent spinal deterioration.
Exactly.
Chi Kung high-low side palms.
Extend the left.
Extend the right arm upward and the left arm down.
This exercise will stretch your side muscles while strengthening the arms.
Switch.
Feel the energy in your hands and fingers.
Visualize the flow expanding out of your body
and into your arms and hands.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Left crane balance.
Lift your left knee up and pull it into your chest with your left hand.
Raise your right hand overhead for balance.
Keep the fingers pulled back.
Relax.
Feel the energy descend into your right hand,
which is the third way the chi flows.
The Chinese believe that proper flow will preserve the body
and the aging process.
Switch.
Same thing.
Relax.
Concentrate.
A relaxed state is the way to achieve the maximum benefits from this program.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Relax.
Lift your left leg up behind you.
Grab it with your left hand.
Part your back.
Raise your hand for balance.
Relax your right foot for additional equilibrium.
Keep your fingers pulled back to achieve full side stretching.
This exercise also works on the shoulders, arms, thighs, and lower back.
All right, the other side.
Remember to relax.
Lift your knee up behind you as far as possible, arching your back.
The chi can be felt ascending as a result of the outstretched arm.
Stop and rest if you feel strength.
You will be able to hold the stance longer as you practice.
Chi kung, shoulder blade.
Leg shoulder width apart.
Raise both arms to shoulder level.
Hands facing each other.
Pull both arms straight back against your shoulder blades.
This is the fourth and final type of chi flow, contracting.
This exercise stretches and strengthens the upper back.
It is important to keep the back supple and to avoid rounded shoulders and hunched backs.
Good.
Chi kung, shoulder blade.
Wrists in.
Turn your wrists in.
Continue the same.
By turning your palms toward you, you work slightly different back muscles and shoulder blades.
During the course of your daily activities, practice moving your back around.
More advanced students have learned how they can exercise their body doing any movements.
Palms facing each other.
And pull your arms towards your shoulder blades.
Keep your arms straight.
Relax.
Different back muscles are being stretched in this exercise.
Feel the chi in your fingertips.
Relax the mind so that you will become more receptive to different thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
Knee rotations.
Feet together.
Hands on your knees.
Rotate your knees clockwise.
This exercise will strengthen the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage of the knee.
This movement will also enhance your ability to maintain balance and stability.
Side arm rotations.
Feet shoulder width apart.
Arms to your side.
Fingers up.
Rotate your arms backwards.
Reverse.
Feel the energy traveling through the shoulder joints, the arms, and into the fingers.
Head rotations.
Raise your chin to stretch your neck.
Rotate your head clockwise.
Let the stretch leave tension in your neck.
Stress is what causes the body to tire and age.
Let the mental tension leave your body.
Let the negative thoughts go and replace them with pleasant ones.
Wrist rotations.
Extend your arms forward.
Rotate your wrists inward.
Wrists will stretch and strengthen the ligaments, tendons, fingers, and wrists.
The joints will be kept healthy and aligned as a result of rotating in a relaxed state.
Reverse.
Elbow rotations.
Turn the arm inward from the elbow.
Come to me.
Feel the energy in your hands and fingers.
Reverse.
Invented 600 years ago, Tai Chi is a system of exercises for reducing stress and balancing energy.
The following section will isolate and repeat the individual moves for ease of training.
Begin Tai Chi with your legs together.
Take a deep breath.
Inhale.
Raise your tongue up to your mouth.
Exhale.
Let your tongue down.
Take a step to your left to shoulder width.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and shoulders down.
Inhale.
Raise your arms up.
Exhale.
Bend your knees.
Once again, inhale.
Exhale.
As you come up, raise your hands to shoulder height and relax the arms so that the elbows bend slightly.
Fingers point to each other slightly down.
When you lower the hands, turn the wrists so that the palms are down.
Also, as you go down, bend the knees.
Relax.
Move as if you were floating in the water.
Turn to your right in a huge stance.
You should be in a right heel stance.
Imagine you are massaging a beach ball, both hands circulating clockwise, palms facing each other.
By relaxing the right arm, the elbow will bend.
When the hands are away from the body, shift the weight to the right foot.
And as the hands come into the body, shift the weight to the left foot.
Rotate your torso as you move.
Take a step to your left.
Fast the hand by each other.
You should be in a left forward stance.
The hands brush by each other.
The left hand ascends to shoulder level.
The right hand descends to hip level.
Shift your weight slightly back when the left hand reaches shoulder level.
And shift forward when the right hand is forward.
Slightly turn the torso as you shift.
Relax.
Turn the toes out. Step forward.
Looking back.
Look to the right again. Take a step forward.
Circle of motion down with your left.
Always circle of motion with your right.
You should be in a right forward stance, facing 45 degrees off center to the right.
The right palm faces you and the left palm should always face down.
The purpose of these moves is to circulate the chi within the body.
The Chinese believe stagnation of this energy causes illness.
Stop with your right hand at your eye level.
Turn your right hand face down.
Move back.
Circle up to the front.
Move back.
Circle up.
Still in a right forward stance.
Shift the weight back to the left foot as you pull in.
Shift the weight forward to the right foot as you push out.
The palms face down as you pull in.
And the side of the left hand faces the right palm as you push out.
Always make your moves rounded as everything in Tai Chi travels in a spherical path.
Circle of motion, right.
Circle of motion with the right arm.
Walk back and forth.
Shift your weight back as the right hand comes towards your body.
And shift forward as the hand moves away.
Relax the body and you will feel the energy in your hands.
Shift your weight. Feel the muscles of your legs working.
The reason for moving slowly is so that you will move in a relaxed state
and become sensitive to your body and energy.
Breathe deeply and evenly.
Cross the hands in front, pull back, move forward.
Cross, lean back, push forward.
When you pull the hands back, the palms are face down
and the hands brush by the ears as they go by either side of the head.
The hands then push away from the body, palms outward.
Shift back to a right heel stance as you pull back.
And shift to a right forward stance as you push out.
Let the easy, slow movements release the tension from the moving body parts.
Release any negative thoughts and anxiety.
Cross, lean back, push forward.
Step forward, shift left, sweep, switch of stance, repeat.
You should be in a forward stance.
As you turn your body, shift back and forth between the left and right forward stance.
As the hands sweep across, the close hand has the palm out
and the far hand is the palm facing the direction it is moving.
Let your torso rotate side to side.
Get the whole body into the movement.
Relax and feel the air pushing the palms back as you sweep.
Left toe stance, my hand comes down, left hand in, left toe stance.
My hand comes down, fingers together, left hand in, left toe stance.
Relax the right arm and bring it back up by the shoulder in a circular motion.
The left hand also ends up by the shoulder with the palm facing the body.
End up in a toe or cat stance.
The right hand curls down as the fingers bend in, supported with the thumb underneath.
As you become more sensitive to your body, you will be able to control it more precisely.
Strain and tension restricts control.
Whereas relaxation allows the body to move freely.
Toe stance, yep.
Kick.
Keep your hands in the same position.
Take the left knee and extend out the left leg with an outward arcing motion.
End up in a cat stance.
Keep the weight on the right leg so that the left leg remains light.
Relax the right foot for better balance and relax as you throw the kick.
Do not force out the power and speed.
It has to come naturally.
If you're tired of hurting, then stop and continue later.
Let the endurance and strength develop naturally.
There's no hurry.
Step down. Left foot stands.
Circular motion with your left.
Front, back and out.
As the left hand arcs out, keep the palm pointed toward you.
As the left hand comes by the chest, turn the palm out away from you.
The hand travels a circle and a half.
When the left hand is away from you, you are in a left forward stance.
When the hand is by your chest, shift back to a heel stance.
Learn to coordinate your stance positions with your upper body movements.
All of the movements are connecting.
The arms, torso and hand moves are directly influenced by the leg and feet movements.
Breathe deeply and evenly.
Use your breathing to relax.
Left foot stands, turn your front toes out, step forward.
Move your arms in a spherical motion.
As you kick in an arcing motion, slap the foot with the back of the right hand.
Gather the leaves.
Keep your weight centered in your cross stance.
Keep the back straight.
This will strengthen the thighs, hips and buttocks.
As you cross the hands in front of your midsection, lower your stance.
Don't let your weight fall forward.
Imagine your gathering energy in as you cross the hands.
As the hands open up, raise your body.
Visualize a ball of light gathering in your arms.
And then experience the energy circulating throughout your body.
Go down the cross leg stance.
Cross the arms.
Step forward.
Left toe stands.
Arms out to the side.
Right arm up to the front.
In a circular motion.
The left arm is at the shoulder level and directly to the side.
The right arm is directly in front above the head.
The wrists move in an inward rotation.
Bring energy up from your legs through your hips, back, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists to your fingertips.
Now shift to outward circular motion.
You need to feel the energy flowing through every part of your moving body.
Circle motion down.
Straight.
Turn.
The right hand arcs across the body and ends up by the right hip.
Bend the fingers in, supported by the thumb.
The left hand projects past the ear in a sweeping forward motion.
As you finish the turn, lower into the right kneeling stance.
Rotate the hips to the right as you strike with the left hand.
Keep the spine as straight as possible.
No matter how complicated the move seems at first,
remember to concentrate on relaxing the body.
If you are relaxed, the body will naturally align itself.
Left knee up, push down with your left.
Left forward stance.
Push.
Knee up.
Low block with the left hand as you pull the left knee up.
As you push out with the right, rotate the hips so that the entire body gets into the push.
The right hand travels in an arcing motion.
Remember when you breathe to have the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth as you inhale
and at the bottom as you exhale.
This allows you to breathe deeper
and the tongue serves as a connector for the chief flow within the body.
Circle of motion with your left.
Step offside to the right.
Circle of motion with your left.
Step off center to the right.
Step 45 degrees off center into a left heel stance.
The left hand pulls across the body in a circular motion.
The right pulls close to the body.
Both hands then push out with the left hand pushing further.
Relax into the stance.
Let go of any outside thoughts.
The more the mind relaxes, the more efficiently it works.
Your muscles relax and your mind is calm.
Music
In the toe stand position, push down, look to your left corner, push down, right hand push.
Music
Change from a left heel stance to a cat stance with the right arm held higher.
The fingers point up with the palms facing.
Now low block with your left and push out with your right.
Hand up in a left forward stance at 45 degrees off center to your left.
The fingers pull back with the palm facing down.
Right toe stance, right knee up, push down, right corner, left hand push.
This is the same move you just completed, only reversed.
The transition goes from a left forward stance to a right cat stance.
Pull up the left foot, come down and pivot off the ball of the foot.
Turn to a right cat stance.
To do this, pull up the left foot, come down and pivot off the ball of the foot.
Turn to a right cat stance.
Then block low with the right and push with the left into a right forward stance, 45 degrees off center.
The energy in your hands will feel warm and you will know that this same energy is circulating throughout your body.
This exercise will raise your level of energy, not depleted.
Now push with your right.
This calls for the same body alignment as with the previous two moves.
Again, you end at 45 degrees off center to the left.
Breathe deeply and evenly throughout the exercise.
Push down, step to the left corner, right hand push.
Visualize yourself moving as surely and supply as Sifu. Imagine energy surrounding you and radiating from your hands.
End up in a left heel stance directly in front of your body. The left hand arcs across the body and both hands push out with the left arm extending further.
Block low with the left hand in a crane stance.
Step into a left forward push out with the right arm.
It's important to keep the left hand fingers pulled back to feel the energy.
Remember to always round out the moves so that they become more flowing.
Try to move as many joints of the body as possible so as to promote flexibility.
Step into a right cat stance.
Lift the right leg and kick the right leg in a half circle.
Keep the weight back on the left leg.
As you kick, arc the right arm out leading with the back of the right fist.
Coordinate the timing between the kick and arm movements. Don't force the kick too high or fast.
Punch in a spherical trajectory.
The energy starts in the feet, transfers to the waist, which rotates the torso, transferring to the shoulders, arms and finally the fist.
The power of the move involves the entire body.
Left hand, cross under the right arm, bring back, double hand push.
The hands are pulled back on either side of the head at ear level.
Push out with the palms away from you.
As you pull back, rock back into a left heel stance.
As you push out, shift to a forward stance.
Stay in balance. Keep your weight centered even though you are rocking.
Relax and feel the energy push out to the fingertips.
As you turn to the right, open up the hands to the outside.
Everything travels in a spherical motion. You should feel light and energy in the hands as your arms open up.
Drop down, close on.
Drop to a polk stance as you cross your hands in front of you.
Keep your weight centered and your back as straight as possible.
Scoop up the hands and stand up. Push the hands down by your sides.
Keep the fingers pulled back.
Relax.
The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, nothing is weaker than water.
But when it attacks something, hard or resistant, then nothing withstands it and nothing will alter its way.
Tai Chi works in the same way. The power of Tai Chi comes from a constant flow of motion.
Each successive move adds more power to the preceding moves.
The body parts travel in a spherical projectory because no energy is wasted.
Let go and allow the naturalness of the moves to flow together.
The form Sifu is demonstrating is the exact form you have just learned,
except the moves are not repeated but rather flow from one to another.
Pay particular attention to the transitions between the movements.
The complete form is performed without stops or breaks.
The body never stops moving. The energy never stops flowing.
Before you attempt to do the entire form, make sure you are comfortable with the individual moves.
So that you can appreciate the beauty of Tai Chi, Sifu performs again from a different angle.
In sports, martial arts and all the art form, the initial learning process is to be able to mimic as exactly as possible the mechanics of the given art.
The novice seeks to perform the steps exactly to gain control over herself and learn the rules.
After the rules are learned, the novice is now no longer a novice but can begin her own style.
She is then capable of applying the underlying philosophy to her own needs and creativity.
Daily practice of these exercises can bring you benefits of a heightened state of physical fitness,
mental alertness and spiritual awakening in a very short time, regardless of your initial condition.
But don't feel guilty if you don't practice it daily because Tai Chi is both physical and mental.
Your skill level will not regress.
Unlike purely physical forms of exercise, Tai Chi can be enjoyed for the rest of your life.
At this time, I would like to introduce our companion tape, a Kung Fu workout.
It has been designed for beginners, both men and women of all ages.
Kung Fu was developed 2,500 years ago in the Shaolin Temple in northern China.
Kung Fu movements are based on the naturalistic movements of the animals.
The principles of Kung Fu are in accordance with the laws of nature.
The Kung Fu video is divided into five sections, each one being based on a characteristic of the five animals native to northern China.
The first section involves stretching exercises.
The second encompasses stance training.
The third covers kicks.
The fourth section teaches combination exercises.
And the fifth section discusses the spiritual aspects of Kung Fu.
You will find that practicing Kung Fu improves your Tai Chi and likewise Tai Chi benefits your Kung Fu movements.
Thank you for watching.