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What is meant by authentic Yang style ?
Around the world, there are many variations of Yang style tai chi, and many modifications to suit people with various interests. Quite often, modifications were made to be able to teach and learn a tai chi form quickly and easily. Although this is quite useful for people with very little time to learn the art, or who just want a very basic idea of tai chi, it does not represent a comprehensive study of tai chi.
At the Niagara Taiji Center, we teach a comprehensive curriculum of tai chi, as passed down from the founder Yang Lu Chan, to his grandson Yang Shou Hou, and eventually to Liang De Hua, a direct lineage holder of this line. The Yang-style includes standing meditation postures, chi gong, nei gong, supplementary exercises, forms (Large Frame, Fast/Application Frame, and Old Frame), push hands and interactive partner work.
Watch the video link below, to get a glimpse of what is taught at the Niagara Taiji Center:
What is chi (qi) ?
In Chinese, chi or qi has multiple meanings and can be used in many contexts, but essentially refers to 'energy'. In Tai Chi, we refer to chi as life energy. People, animals, plants, and all life have a certain conscious or intelligent life force within them. Through various training methods such as Tai Chi, chi gong, and yoga, we generate more chi within us and increase the flow through energetic paths called meridians or jin lu.
In chi gong, this energy cultivation increases not just health, but vitality. Normally, in the West, people consider health as merely being free of disease and limiting conditions. In the East, health means having vitality, including strength, suppleness, mental acuity, an abundance of energy, and a zest for life.
A common phrase is "Tai Chi is chi gong, but chi gong is not Tai Chi". Meaning, when you do Tai Chi, you are doing chi gong, but when you are doing chi gong, you are not necessarily doing Tai Chi - which is a more comprehensive system. This does not imply that focusing on chi gong is in anyway inferior to Tai Chi. What you practice depends on what your goals are, as well as the time and energy you are willing to commit to a daily routine!