Getting by Tai Chi knowledge is not so easy. Most teachers (of the far east) are stingy with their knowledge. But it is a dying martial art, so the knowledge is slowly forgotten. And not everybody has such amount of time to learn. So let me share the best learning resources I know.
Me personally I am learning the Yang Style, so these resources will be centered around that.
The image depicts Yang Cheng Fu, grandson of Yang Luchan, the founder of the Yang family style. It is the most popular Tai Chi style, and he is one of the most widely known early teachers.
Learning Resources:
- For every movement in the tai chi form, there is a combat application. Knowing these forms greatly enhances not only the execution of the form, but also the capability for combat. So knowing these applications is crutial.
- Basic movements explained
- Book Recommendations
- I recommend every book from Mantak Chia. He has co-authored a ton of books on Tai Chi and Qi Gong. The books have the almost common issue of these kind of co-authored books from big names. It seems the big name author contributes not as much, while a lot of the substance seems to come from the co-author. Still I found his books very good so far, and I can recommend:
- Inspirational
Last but not least: The concept of the inner teacher. Feel free to give this idea a go, and follow the natural movement of your body. If you go deep enough into this and let go, you will find your inner teacher. He knows everything that needs to be known at every point of your training, and he can gently guide your movement to greater heights.