Thomas Campbell

For anyone in the Toronto area who would be interested, later this summer there will be an opportunity to explore silk-reeling in Chen taiji with Wang Fengming (Feng Zhiqiang's son-in-law) and Li Lairen (disciple of both Feng and Zhu Tiancai). Charles Tauber, a student of Li, posted this announcement:

Chen Style Taijiquan & Silk Reeling Seminar
With
Wang Fengming and Li Lairen
July 30 to August 2, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

One of the defining characteristics of Chen style Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is the spiraling action that forms the foundation for all of its movements. The spiraling action, known as silk reeling or chan ssu jin, is what unites the parts of the body to produce whole-body motion and is the mechanism for conveying energy (qi or jin) from the center of the body, the dan tian, to the extremities. Without the foundation of being able to correctly unite the parts of the body in unified spiral motion and convey energy to the point of application, the martial applications of Chen style Taijiquan are largely ineffective. In a series of four progressive sessions held over four days, Wang Feng Ming and Li Lairen will teach the foundation of silk reeling, its use in Taijiquan forms and its martial application.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tvTJ...layer_embedded

In the first session, held on July 30th 2011, instructed by Master Wang Fengming, a small number of isolated exercises will be the vehicle for learning what silk reeling is and how it is used in martial application. By focusing on a small number of exercises, students will be able to obtain an in-depth understanding of what silk reeling is, how to properly perform it and how it is manifest in the martial applications within Chen style Taijiquan. Students will begin by learning the exercises solo and then will be taught how to martially apply what is learned in each exercise while working with a partner.

In the second session, held on July 31st 2011, instructed by Master Li Lairen, a small number of movements from Chen style Taijiquan forms will be taught and corrected in detail, including the silk reeling actions essential to those movements. Students will then work with a partner and be taught how to effectively apply those movements martially, including sparring, self-defense and joint locking (qin na). Although the second session builds upon what is learned in the first, students may attend either one of the two sessions or both.

The third and fourth sessions, held on August 1st and 2nd 2011, will be dedicated to foundational topics and will include refining movement and postures within Chen style Taijiquan.

All sessions will be held at Chen Style Taijiquan Workshop of Canada, 596 Gordon Baker Road, Toronto, Ontario.

Wang Fengming is a disciple of Feng Zhiqiang, 18th generation successor to Chen Style Taijiquan and of Liu Xinghan, 4th generation successor to Baquazhang. He started martial arts training and practice at age eight in China. He has studied and taught martial arts for several decades, and is an internationally reputed practitioner of Taiji, Qigong and Baguazhang, and is a renowned martial arts writer. His full biography can be found at http://www.worldtaiji.com.

Li Lairen began his martial arts training at the age of eight, learning Nanqan, Shaolin Luohanquan and Shaolin Qinna from his grandfather. He later learned Baguazhang and Iron Palm from Xu Jinsheng. Beginning in 1983, Master Li learned Chen Style Taijiquan, first with Zhu Tiancai and then as a disciple of Feng Zhiqiang. Subsequently, he learned internal alchemy, sitting meditation, breathing exercises, Tianyuan Qigong and Hunyuan standing meditation from Master Qingyuan Taoyin. Li Lairen is the founder and principle teacher of Chen Style Taiji Workshop Canada. His full biography can be found at http://www.chentaijiquan.ca.