Formosa Neijia

I’ve gotten several inquiries about this so I want to start responding a bit to those. But the first thing that strikes me is how odd the question is. Why would people who are supposed to be doing an IMA even ask a question like this? Isn’t it bizarre?
Let me respond with a few questions [...]

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I sometimes read about people trying to come up with Western ways of doing internal martial arts and I always scratch my head when I see that stuff. People apparently will not stop trying to re-invent the wheel, in their own image no less.
The Western way is sought because people reject the qi paradigm. I’ve [...]

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It never ceases to amaze me that every time something like standing meditation gets brought up, the only thing discussed is how long someone should stand. And it always starts like this: someone says his teacher recommends standing thirty minutes, and then some other guy gets on there and says you should stand for an [...]

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One of the most persistent myths that we in the CMAs have to deal with is this idea that someone should only hold one stance or do one technique for years before they learn anything else.
Give me a break.
If you’re doing that as a teacher then the truth needs to be told: you aren’t [...]

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I’m always surprised at the number of people that don’t understand why forms are important.
It’s just not enough to have a strong mental intent or a good body to perform motions with. The intent has to take a shape — a technique — in order to transfer power to the opponent. (I’m going to rule [...]

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This is an interesting piece about the Yang style taichi five bow theory. Interestingly enough, the comments were made by Feng Zhi-qiang (a Chen stylist) during a seminar.
Curved line is better than straight line. Even when your limbs are lengthened, they should also be curved. The body is the same. It should never be too [...]

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This is in response to my post about flavors. How do you avoid running into “mixed-flavor problems” when you do more than one art?
There’s several traditions that practice all three arts of taiji, xingyi, and bagua together. Descendants of Zhang Zhao-dong, Chen Pan-ling, Sun Lu-tang, Zhang Jun-feng, etc. all have historically practiced all three of [...]

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I see some people training with this person this month, and another person the next month. They does this art for a while, then that art. For beginners, it’s necessary to get acquainted with what is out there. I realize that. But beyond the introductory stage, it’s necessary to decide what you’re going to train.
In [...]

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This is more info on training with the seasons. If you guys aren’t taking the seasons into account regarding training, you might want to do a bit of research on the subject. It might change your mind. Of course, this doesn’t apply to Singapore or areas like it since they have one season all year. [...]

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So how many times have you heard “that goes against the taiji classics” or “that violates taiji principles.” I just cringe every time I hear something like that.
Let’s be honest — are those statements just snobbish attempts at one-up-manship?
Consider the following questions:
1. Do ALL taiji groups follow the same classics?
It’s obvious that they don’t. The [...]

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