What is Taijiquan?
(pron. tie-chee;
alternative spellings: Tai Chi, T’ai Ch’i Ch’uan, Taiji)
 
Taijiquan is one of the most respected practices for exercise, meditation and martial arts in the world. The varied and exquisitely crafted choreography we see today in parks & practice halls all over the world originated in the seventeenth century with the Chen Family. This original Taiji gave birth to other prodominate family lineages, Yang, Wu, Hoa, Sun with other interpretations of the principals and movements emerging into modern day.
 
Numerous studies in both Eastern and Western scientific frameworks show Taijiquan is ideal for the musculo-skeletal system, the endocrine and immune systems, stress and cardiac fitness, balance and bone density, as well as the neurological system. The immediate benefits of studying Taijiquan are better balance, more relaxation and fun! Some of the long term benefits of studying Taijiquan include increased body alignment & awareness, greater strength, more refined hand-eye coordination, reduced blood pressure, stronger immune and endocrine systems, increased overall energy, reduced pain from arthritis and other outcomes of aging, greater mental clarity and emotional balance and a deepened feeling for the interconnectedness and harmony of life.
 
Kim Ivy has been studying Taijiquan for over 23 years. Kim is ranked 5th Duan Wei by the International WuShu Association and is a direct student (formal disciple, 20th Generation) of Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang, the inheritor of the Family Art. As such Kim and Embrace The Moon enjoy a strong relationship with the Chen Family, with annual visits from Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang, his brother Chen Xiao Xing, and most recently, nephews Chen Bing and Chen Ziquan. Kim also travels to China for in-depth training and an understanding of the deep cultural roots from which Taijiquan emerged. Embrace The Moon is one of the few schools in the country with this direct lineage and the only school in the Pacific Northwest to host the Chen family during their US visits. As such students who study at Embrace The Moon receive the most authentic and up-to-date training & research available. Each student can count on a straightforward, authentic & sustainable learning opportunity as well as opportunities to become a skilled teacher in this rich tradition.
 
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Intermediate Chen Family Taijiquan

Students wishing to develop further expertise & deepen the benefits that Taijiquan offers will want to continue on to learn the entire sequence of the Laojia traditional form. This further study shapes both form & student together in ways that flow elegantly, and like music, are both slow and continuous and punctuated by quick and spirited phrasing. The Laojia is a rewarding lifetime study in and of itself and it is the springboard for more advanced work in the continuing curriculum: the Erlu or "Cannon Fist" and the Xinjia "New Frame," both available to students at Embrace The Moon as skill & interest direct. Additionally, the interactive aspects of Tai Chi are intersperced in classes when students have a solid foundation in their practice and are also offered in greater depth during Master workshops for fun & to gain insight into the larger scope of Taijiquan. Interactive practice is useful in understanding the movements learned in the solo forms as well as more subtle componets of dynamic energy & application techniques.

The Chen Family Weapons
 
At this time, Embrace The Moon offers advancing students the opportunity to study two jewels of the Weapons curriculum, the Straight Sword and the Broadsword. Undeniably one of the most compelling forms, not just in Taijiquan but in all movement disciplines, the Straight Sword is elegant, powerful and expressive. Study of the straight sword allows the student to experience at once further extension of body, energy and mind and power and grace. Straight sword study is arduous but draws out a clear mental state in ways that few other practices do. The Broadsword is a short, quick, no-nonsense form that is pure fun to learn and practice. It trains the body to jump, turn in mid-air and land with focused vigor. Studying the Broadsword will clean the cobwebs out of your muscles & your mind and teach both to be clear & direct. This winter: Double Broadsword!
 

Yang Style Taijiquan
 
The Yang Long form emerged directly from the Chen Laojia Yilu by Yang Lu Chan, the father of Yang Taijiquan, who studied with the Chen Family. It was further developed by Yang, Chen Fu in the 30's and has influenced much of modern Tai Chi to date. This class is now closed to new students and is a place for those who have been studying the form to challenge their knowledge and application of its deeper elements. The Wind Chasing Fan Form an impressive demonstration and/or competition form. Kim Ivy had the great fortune of learning it from master teacher Jane Hallendar. In addition to its elegance, it is especially useful for joint locking and wrist flexibility and techniques. The Fan form is offered in workshops & private lessons.

Taijiquan (Tai Chi) For Health (TCA)™

Tai Chi for Health (TCH) is a movement set, designed by Dr. Paul Lam and a team of medical experts, based on Sun Style Tai Chi. Like most Tai Chi forms, TCH consists of fluid, gentle movements that are relaxed and slow in tempo. What makes TCH unique was that it was simplified primarily for health purposes. Dr. Lam chose movements that he considered safe to learn and yet challenging enough to preserve the Tai Chi principles. TCH has been adopted and endorsed by the Arthritis Foundation as a method to help relieve joint pain and muscle stress as well as increase flexibility, balance, strength and range of motion.  Studies have been found TCH to be safe, easy to learn and beneficial for good physical and mental health.  This class includes warm-ups and cool-downs, Qigong exercises (internal Chinese meditative practice), and the  Sun Style Tai Chi set.  For a fun and easy to learn Beginners Class, give Tai Chi For Health a try!