Relearning the Chen 18 Taijiquan Form in 2022

Learning the Old Frame, First Form, Lao Jia Yi Lu of Chen Taijiquan in 2022-2023

Notes, Journal, Suggestions, Comments, Research, Progress Reports, Studies, Plans

Notes, Research, and Studies by
Michael P. Garofalo

Cloud Hands Blog     Chen Blog Posts     Chen Style of Taijiquan Forms     Taijiquan     Qigong

Silk Reeling     Chen 18 Form     Chen 74 Form Laojia Yilu     Chen 23 Broadsword    

Breathing     Fundamental Principles     Train the Body Not the Techniques 

Journal of Michael P. Garofalo - Case Study - Learning the Chen First Form - Monthly Notes

Mike Garofalo in 2010 in Red Bluff, CA.

1.  Beginning to Learn the Chen Taijiquan Lao Jia Yi Lu, First Form, in 2022-2023

I began this new Chen Taijquan First Form learning project on September 1, 2022, when I was 76 years of age.  I walk for an hour each day, do many household and gardening chores, read extensively, write frequently, honor family and social commitments, travel only in the Northwest, and practice the Yang 108 and Yang 24 Taijiquan as a solo practitioner.  I retired in 2017 after working till I was 70 years of age.  I am in fair physical health in 2022 for an old man with no joint or limb problems or any surgeries (yet - luck willing) for knees or hips.  I do have arthritis in my right shoulder that has damaged the cartridge, but the daily pain is minor and the range of motion still fairly good.  I don't lift any heavy weights like I did from 1998-2017.  I do have heart disease and problems resulting.

I realize that I will need some additional extra conditioning, strength training, stretching, limbering, etc., to make steady progress in learning the Chen Taijiquan First Form.   

The first four movements of the Laojia Yilu (First Form) are the same as the he first 4 movements of the Chen 18, so my start is easier than other beginners since I learned that short form around 2010.  The Buddha's Warrior Attendant is both expressive and complicated.       

2.  Learning Resources, Strategies and Tactics for Learning

a)  I learned the Chen Taijiquan 18 Form of Grand Master Chen Zheng Lei in 2010. 

b)  I practice various versions of Silk Reeling exercises, qigong, stretching, dumbbell lifting, and walking.    

c)  In September of 2022, I began my serious study and daily practice of the Chen Taijiquan Old Frame, First Form, Lao Jia Yi Lu.  Really getting comfortable with the practice of the entire form up to movement 30, and gaining a basic understanding of this traditional form is my main learning objective for 2022.   I use many books and, most important, instructional DVDs in this order:
 

       1.  Chen Tai Chi Laojia Yilu.  By Sifu Ken Gullette.  5 hours, 2 DVDs. 

       2.  Chen Style Tai Chi Old Frame Routine One.  By Master Jesse Tsao.  2 hours, 2 DVDs. 

       3.  Traditional Chen Village, Chen Style Tai Chi, Lao Jia Yi Lou.  By Shifu Jiang Jian-ye.  4 hours, 2 DVDs. 

d)  Lists of Movements of Chen First Form

     List of Movements, Movements 1-74, Chen Taijiquan, 1840, Old Frame, First Form.  A 2 page document in PDF Printable Format

     Section 1, Movements 1 - 10, List of Movements, PDF format

     Section 2, Movements 20 - 30, List of Movements, PDF format

     Section 3, Movements 30 - 40, List of Movements, PDF format

     Section 4, Movements 40 - 50, List of Movements, PDF format

     Section 5, Movements 50 - 60, List of Movements, PDF format

     Section 6, Movements 60 - 74, List of Movements, PDF format

e)  Learning Tactics: 

I usually begin by watching Jesse Tsao teach the Chen Taijquan First Form.  He is far less detailed in explanations compared with Gullette or Jiang.  This gives me a basic idea of the next movement I am learning in terms of leg and arm movements, angles and directions, waist and groin/gua turning, issuing force, ending posture, bearing, etc.  I try to learn the specific named movement in a general way.  Then, afterwards, I view Gullette and Jiang for more detailed and complete explanations and insights into each movement. 

I keep a spiral bound notebook for making notes, keeping lists of movements, cue words, uplifting quotes, observations, suggestions, etc.  I keep this in the area I am practicing for reference.  Some of these notes I transfer to this Learning Journal. 

I practice at my home.  Indoors, I have a clear space that is 30 feet x 7 feet.  I sometimes need to modify angles of movements to fit into my indoor space.  I also have to modify my practice of the Yang Style of Taijiquan to fit my indoor workout space.  I most often practice indoors when outdoor temperatures are below 50-60F. 

I am a big man, 6'6" and 232 pounds.  Therefore, my indoor form practice is more compact and modified to suit the space. 

Outdoors, my form is more open, wider, and longer, and BIG Frame.  My outdoor form is closer to modeling my Chen DVD teacher.  Some benefits of all Taijiquan training are a greater appreciation and awareness for the space around you, avoiding bumping into other objects or persons, avoiding falls, and avoiding dangers in your environment.  Adjusting my form to indoor space limitations causes me to be more compact, more careful, turn differently, and avoid obstacles. 

Outdoors, I have a large back concrete porch to practice on, as well as plenty of lawn or dirt open areas on our property for practice in pleasant weather over 50-60F when it is not raining.  Vancouver, Washington, where I live, has generally mild weather, not too cold in the winter or not hot in the summer. 

I practice Taijiquan alone at home for a variety of good reasons.  I am open to studying and learning the Chen First Form with other persons for free at my home in 2022-2023. I have offered to help form a Chen Style Taijiquan Study and Sharing Group in Vancouver, Washington, starting in October of 2022. I sent out email invitations and made a Blog post to ask people to learn with this support group.
 

"If one is persistent and practices every day, proficiency in the form will be achievable within half a year."  -  Davidine Siaw-Voon Sim

d)  Moderation, Limitations, Restraints, Simplicity

Don't overdue exercising and working, don't exercise to excess, quit working when you are tired.  Always leave something in your tank, or put less on your plate.  70% is just fine, both in eating and exercising.  You don't want to do extreme training like Bruce Lee did; don't overwork yourself.  If your over 40, be very careful about over-training.  I have read many Taijiquan teachers talk about how demanding and violent their early youthful training in hard style martial arts was (e.g., Bruce Frantzis, Herman Kauz, Peter Ralston, Ken Gullette, etc. ); and how, when over 40, they changed to practice softer internal martial arts like Taijiquan in a more restrained manner. 

Taoist thinkers and authors (e.g., Eva Wong, Deng Ming-Dao, Livia Kohn, Ken Cohen, Hua Ching Ni, Mantak Chia, Stuart Alve Olson, etc.) consistently recommend using moderation and restraint as guides in your training and adopting a beneficial lifestyle.

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons     Virtue Ethics     Taijiquan     Taoism

e)  Wisdom and Knowledge

I strongly recommend that any serious Taijiquan player learn about Chinese culture and history, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Qigong, Chinese health practices and theory, Daoist lifestyle recommendations, Taijiquan theory and practices, and key Classic texts.  You must also train your mind, and improve your knowledge and understanding of the Chinese civilization and history that gave birth to Taijiquan.  A knowledge of Daoist and Buddhist lifestyle and health practices, and 21st Century Chinese internal martial arts, will help you understand Taijiquan philosophy and arts. 

I consider my website on the Tao Te Ching as the best on the Internet, and includes the only detailed Concordance to the Daodejing in English, Spanish, and Wade Giles Mandarin.  I have studied Eastern and Western philosophy, ethics, and religion since 1962, and Taijiquan specifically since 1985.   

Read and learn from Taoist thinkers and authors (e.g., Eva Wong, Deng Ming-Dao, Livia Kohn, Ken Cohen, Hua Ching Ni, Mantak Chia, Stuart Alve Olson, Yang Jwing-Ming, etc.).  For starters, I recommend: Everyday Tao or Scholar-Warrior by Deng Ming-Dao; Being Taoist or Taoism: An Essential Guide by Eva Wong; Tai Chi Classics by Waysun Liao.

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons       Virtue Ethics       Taijiquan     Taoism

3.  Breathing

"When practicing the First Form, you should not try to control your breathing except when issuing.  Simply breathe naturally through your nose.  When issuing, exhale through the nose as you punch, then abruptly close off the exhalation when your waist terminates your travel.  The closing is instantaneous; your breathing should continue normally immediately afterward."
-  Mark Chen, Old Frame Chen Family Taijiquan, p. 90

"Breathing in Taijiquan form practice may follow a pattern, such as to inhale with this movement or exhale with that, but it is not rigid.  A breathing regimen may be helpful to regulate breath, but strict adherence can become a hindrance as one has to adjust readily to a change of tempo.  Breath changes according to the pace and execution of movements.  Naturally, one breathes heavily when short of breath.  But in heavy breathing, the body heaving up and down affects form and internal balance.  Heavy breathing may in natural in the circumstances, but it is not the natural breathing of Taijiquan.  The rationale of natural breathing in Taijiquan practice is for the breath to follow the fangsong relaxation of nurturing qi.  The rule is for breathing to follow the demands of practice, rather than for the practice to be dictated by the demands of a breathing regimen.  In throwing a punch (a fajin), breathing out is natural with the action, sometimes accompanied with a cry of exertion, like a kiai in karate.  So, one breathes out in executing a power action and breathes in to gather energy - xu xi fa hu (inhale in collecting energy and exhale when discharging power.  Also, generally, one inhales in rising and exhales in lowering, and breathes in to open and breathes out to close."
-  C.P. Ong, Taijiquan: Cultivating Inner Strength, p. 259

"The importance of naturalness and spontaneity (zi ran) in breathing cannot be overemphasized.  The Chinese term zi ran literally means "own nature" ― that which occurs by following the rules of its own character.  ...  A common mistake is to put too much emphasis on trying to control the breath during movement.  Left to itself, the body will adjust the breathing to accommodate the activity such as running or swimming, as they put in greater effort, the breath naturally responds to the body's needs. ...  When normal breathing is being employed, the stomach expands as the practitioner inhales and contracts as he exhales.  The breathing method of Taijiquan follows certain principles, such as: inhaling when "closing" or bringing in, and exhaling with "opening" or extending; inhaling when storing or gathering energy, exhaling when emitting energy; inhaling when rising up, exhaling when dropping down.  However, even within these requirements breathing may vary depending upon the circumstance."
-  Davidine Siaw-Voon Sim and David Gaffney, Chen Style Taijiquan: The Source of Taiji Boxing, p.82

When practicing the First Form, "Keep the mouth closed."
-  Chen Zhenglei, Chen's Tai Chi Old Frame One and Two, p. 111. 

"The basic breathing of Tai Chi Chuan uses the nose only, not the mouth. This differs from the common people who use the nose to inhale and exhale through the mouth. The beginner does not have to concentrate upon this breathing technique, but concentrate instead on the forms for the correct movement and postures. The only requirements for beginners are slow movements, natural breathing, and a relaxation of the entire body.  The beginner should let the breathing be natural and not emphasize the breathing technique.  The details of the intermediate method are: when practicing the forms, one exhales when extending the arm and inhales when withdrawing the arm; one inhales when rising and exhales when sinking; to lift is to inhale, to lower is to exhale; when opening up, one inhales, when closing, one exhales.  When turning the body and in between movements, there should be a "little breathing".  A "little breathing" means taking short breaths quickly and has the quality of relaxation and stoppage.  Generally, breathing is used to lead the movement.  The movement must be coordinated with the breathing.  The body opens up and the chi closes.  The chi opens up and the body closes."
-  Master Chen Yen Ling, Tai Chi Chuan Method Of Breathing and Chi Direction

Breathing for Taijiquan by Byron Grush

Breathing and Taijiquan, Cloud Hands Blog

Breathing in Yoga and Qigong by Mike Garofalo

The Eight Basic Methods of Chen Taijiquan by Master Cheng Jincai

Tai Chi Chuan Method Of Breathing and Chi Direction by Chen Yen Ling

3.  Train the Body Not the Techniques

"Train the “body” means to train the capability of the body as a whole. Train the “techniques” means to work on special defensive and offensive techniques of an application. At the beginning stage, most people are interested in understanding the applications of each move. However, such training in focusing on explaining and understanding of the applications of Taichi defensive and offensive techniques will not lead one to the essence of Taichi. The correct process of learning Taichi must involve learning the forms and routines, correct postures and moves, reduce stiffness, achieve softness so as to reach the level when the whole body is coordinated, the internal and external are coordinated and the internal qi is full and solid. Let the skill be part of the body. Taichi training is for the complete ability of the body. According to specific situations in application, Taichi principle is to lose the self to follow the opponent and adapt when situation changes. It never resorts to the specific application of specific techniques. When the internal qi is full and solid, the body is like a well inflated balloon. It responds to any sensation of external impact. It enables the Taichi practitioner to strike with the part wherever is being attacked, such as described in On Boxing: “When achieved, one can counterattack according to the attack without thinking. The application will come naturally and automatically.”"
-  Grand Master Chen Zhenglei, Three Training Principles of Chen's Tai Chi

4.  Fundamental Principles