http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYRz_lHGN1Y
It brings me great pleasure to finally be able to show some taiji daoyin on youtube. This is the style of Xiong Wei 熊衛 as performed by one of his top disciples, Alan Chen 陳慶華, and a student of Alan’s. As you can see, the moves are blended together and show the range of motion that is achievable through these exercises. This daoyin exercise system is excellent for relaxing and opening the body. It will make you incredibly soft and pliable.
Again, I had a session with one of Xiong’s other disciples and I simply couldn’t get him in any qinna. He was able to release any hold I got on him at will. There simply was nothing for me to lock. He let me get a really solid chicken wing on him and then the tension in his shoulder simply disappeared as he spiraled effortlessly out of it. This ability was gained from the taiji daoyin exercises like those in this clip.
The people that practice this stuff have amazingly pliable joints, which they can open and close at will. I did push hands with this other disciple and he was able to… “disappear” is the only way I can describe it. Through body control, he was able to move out of my range of motion without me seeing that he did. So there was nothing to push when I thought there was. It was a very strange experience.
Anyway, more info on Alan Chen’s version of taiji daoyin is available here.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Hermann // Aug 21, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Yeah, this system is really great to open up all our joints, the whole body. There are 2 sets one can learn, all available on DVD and books, but what I most treasure are extracted exercises specializing on the kua area, down on the ground. I’m not so much into learning new forms, but of course, there is so much more room for relaxation.
I know advanced students of Daoyin can escape nearly every qinna, they have the wipping jin of Chen-style, but my question is: Can they still deliver quick straight inner force from the ground, like in Yang-sytle? Any experiences, Dave?
My teacher is also a Wang Zihe-student, so no problem in this area!
By the way, now you nearly have covered all I learned here in Taiwan, seems that we in deed have some common tast.
2 Flagon // Aug 21, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I saw a performance of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (based in Taiwan I think) on TV recently. The artistic director mentioned Taiji Daoyin as iether an influence or form of training. I wasn’t sure what it was. After watching this video, the similarities to the dance are striking and beutiful.
3 Hermann // Aug 21, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Yes, Master Xiong Wei even went to Spain with the group, but finally they parted ways again as both try to accomplish different gouls (my guess!)
4 chessman71 // Aug 21, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Hermann,
We do, indeed, have similar tastes! This style is one of the best that is unique to Taiwan IMO. About the power thing you mentioned, I’m sure that if someone only did these exercises, they would likely lack power. They just don’t build that. But the person I pushed with was also a disciple of Wang Yen-nien of YangJia MiQuan fame, and at least one or two other people. He had trained taiji seriously under the bets teachers he could find, so power wasn’t a problem for him.
Flagon,
Yes, Cloud Gate has been heavily influenced by taiji daoyin. I should have mentioned that in the post.
That’s actually become a bit of a problem IMO. Because of Cloud Gate, many dancers now want to learn taiji daoyin and I feel that the system is slightly starting to cater towards them rather than the common folk. So advanced moves, rather than what us normal folk could do, are sometimes emphasized depending on who you learn from.
5 Darius // Aug 22, 2007 at 8:23 am
Yes, Hsiung Wei’s system is pretty amazing for opening joints, developing a very mobile root and creating impressive flexibility. I learned his basic sets from one of his disciples and also practiced push hands with several of his students in 1992. I was incredibly impressed with their whole-body yielding and ability to neutralise almost anything. Unusualy and amazing skills. I don’t think these exercises are for everybody as I think they can easily lead to injury if one is not very careful. Some of these exercises could be very hard on the knees if done frequently and repeatedly the way Hsiung Wei teaches them, especially if one does not take it slowly and/or lacks basic flexibility.
As for power, I didn’t feel that the people I practiced with had much structural power. Their joints feel almost non-existent and their bodies so pliable that I had the feeling that it would be difficult to alight everything in a stable way. If you already have a background in something else, I think this can only improve your skill.
6 Hermann // Aug 22, 2007 at 8:34 am
I totally agree with Darius, feel that hyper mobility is a danger here for over enthusiastic practitioners. The knee problem is correctly stated as well, same with structural power. And some teachers of the system don’t look too healthy.
So I take it very easy, select carefully, but still get a lot out of it.
7 Darius // Aug 22, 2007 at 8:47 am
of course meant to say ‘align’, not alight….
8 chessman71 // Aug 22, 2007 at 9:52 am
I agree. The movements can be taxing on the knees and some of them do lack power. But otherwise, it seems like a great system.
BTW, I read in an English interview with Xiong Wei that he’s never successfully taught a foreigner the system. Curious, eh?
9 Hermann // Aug 22, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Dave, Xiong Wei even said that he could so far help no freign student to get rid of any tensions.
That is the reason I hesitate a lot to follow my teacher’s invitation to pay Master Xiong a visit, even try to discuss some (philosophical)points or conduct a kind of interview.
Maybe in 10 years, when I’m a little more relaxed, hahaha.
10 chessman71 // Aug 22, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Yeah, that gives me pause as well. My feeling is that certain assumptions are built into how taiji daoyin is taught and the system hasn’t expanded beyond that yet.
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