Tai Chi

[HisArpy]

Ok, I went and added the next 3 forms. That means that I'm done with section 1.

1. Commencing Form
2. Ward off
3. Grasp the Wild Bird's tail
4. Single Whip
5. Raise hands
6. White Crane Spreads it's Wings
7. Brush Knee Push - Left
8. Play the Pipa
9. Brush Knee Push - Left (#2 of this form)
10. Brush Knee Push - Right
11. Brush Knee Push - Left (#3)
12. Play the Pipa (#2 of this form)
13. Brush Knee Push - Left (#4)
14. Turn and Chop with Fist
15. Step Forward, Parry, and Punch
16. Apparent Closing
17. Cross Hand and Return Tiger to the Mountain
Close section

I can do all of these in order without sticking although I still have to think about what move to do next and how.

As you can see from the list there's a lot of repeated forms in this section. Mostly this is "warmup" for the following sections although those also have repeats in them.

Something I learned; depending on how you count the forms, the total is either 108 or 88. The 20 form difference is probably all the repetition.

 

[HisArpy]

Up to form #26 as of today. Still a lot of repetition of earlier forms.

18. Grasp the Wild Bird's tail (#2 of this form from beginning of prior section)
19. Single whip (#2 of this form from prior section)
20. Fist Under Elbow
21 to 23. Repulse the Monkey (left, right, left)
24. Diagonal Flying
25. Raise hands (#2 of this form from prior section)
26. White Crane Spreads its Wings (#2 of this form from prior section)

I did learn 2 completely new forms - Fist Under Elbow and Diagonal Flying. These are completely new to me as they are not part of the Yang 24 or Wudang 28. That makes THREE new forms I didn't already know.

I still need to set the entire 26 form sequence in my head before I can move on to the next form(s). Form 58 is the end of this section so I have a long way to go yet before I can even say that I'm halfway.

 

[HisArpy]

Added 4 more forms since my last post to bring me up to 30.

27. Brush Knee Push (again)
28. Needle to the Bottom of the Sea
29. Fan through the back (Another new form!)
30. Turn body and chop with fist (repeat of #14 in first section)

I'm forgetting small bits of earlier forms (mostly the transition for Fist Under Elbow, I'm not stepping to the right or doing the front kick before setting my heel on the floor) so I'll need to wait to add more forms until I have all of these down solid. Getting to that point may take all this next week.

I also watched some videos for "push hands". I'll need to find a partner for that if I go in that direction.

 

[HisArpy]

Well, this sucks. I tweaked my right knee and now have to wear my brace until I heal.

No more Tai Chi for at least 2 weeks. I can't even walk through the forms.

 

[HisArpy]

Ok, it's been a week and a half and my knee is recovering. Still not ready to go full bore; but still getting better, such as it can.

During my downtime I've continued to watch videos of more forms. I'm now up to form 50 of the routine. So to continue on with the set:

31. Step Forward and Punch
32. Step up and Grasp the Sparrow's Tail
33. Single Whip
34 - 36. Wave Hands Like Clouds
37. Single Whip
38. High Pat on Horse
39. Snap Kick with Right Heel
40. Snap Kick with Left Heel
41. Turn 180* and Snap Kick with Left Heel
42. Brush Knee Push Left
43. Brush Knee Push Right
44. Step Forward and Punch Down (new form)
45. Turn and Chop with Fist (repeat #30)
46. Step forward and Punch
47. Heel Kick (repeat #39)
48. Strike the Tiger Right (New form!)
49. Strike the Tiger Left (Another new form!!)
50. Heel Kick (Repeat #39)

Right now I'm just walking through the forms to set the sequence in my mind. No extensions, low stances, or pivots at all. Once my knee stops telling me it doesn't love me anymore, I'll start pushing for proper execution of the forms again. That should happen next week if everything continues to improve as it has although I'll never be able to do form #41 properly. For me, it'll be more like "spin on toes like a ballerina" rather than the way the form is supposed to be done.

 

[HisArpy]

I now have all 50 forms set in my head and can walk through them without sticking or forgetting any of them. I'm still working on setting the forms / form numbers totally into my head. Which means I can't quite start mid-sequence yet and come around full circle but I will. It would be cool to be able to begin at, say, some random form number and complete the entire 108 forms without having to think about what form 31, or 67, or 89 is so i could start. At that point I'd KNOW the full routine.

I'm not there yet. Where I am is that I'm going to start actually doing the forms again and see if my knee will hold up to it. If so, I move onward.

 

[HisArpy]

Well, the knee says it's too early still. Just a warning, but a warning I'll heed and wait another week.

Back to just stepping through the forms.

 

[HisArpy]

Just a couple of updates.

I stopped doing any/all Tai Chi because of my knee due to the pain. Then I got into writing the latest trilogy and procrastinated since it was easier than finding time. I'm now writing a commercial novel and still not doing my forms other than occasionally doing the Yang 24 and I have no balance with my eyes closed again. That SUCKS!!!! because I thought I'd fixed that.

Now for the bad news. The guy who was posting videos of the forms for the 108 form routine that I was learning hasn't posted a new video since late August. The last video was form 101 out of 108 so I can probably find the remaining 7 forms somewhere else, but that totally sucks balls.

Anyway, Happy Halloween.

 

[oneblueye]

hey...

I used to do Tai Chi for those with restricted mobility because of damage to my spine. Now even that is beyond me because I am unbalanced and cannot stand unassisted.

When I did it, within my limitations, I found it helpful in maintaining the limited flexibility I had, but I soon reached a point beyond which I couldn't progress.

Now I can't do the simplest movements except when sitting down.

the day that Lou Reed died, his wife said that that morning he was doing his forms while sitting up in his bed...
Doing his forms in his head was just like doing it standing on the floor.

 

[Chernosoth]

Various doctors recommended yoga for daily exercise. I decided nah, I'll do tai chi. I do this 5 minute routine now. The instructor recommends this routine for 100 days before moving on to more advanced stuff.

 

[oggbashan]

Various doctors recommended yoga for daily exercise. I decided nah, I'll do tai chi. I do this 5 minute routine now. The instructor recommends this routine for 100 days before moving on to more advanced stuff.

I can't even do the walk she started with. Twenty yards with a stick; 400 yards with a four-wheeled walker is my limit (on a good day)!