Notes for Toronto Workshop Jan 17-20, 2013

1. Time never goes back. When we move in positive circle, use 3 different parts to complete the 3-count circle.
2. You can do whatever you want as long as you don't move.  (Joke: You can give your money to anyone as long as he is me.)
3. Power goes to movement. Water goes down. Heat goes up.
4. Find the source of power, and put a wedge in it.
5. Rules of Engagement: Think about how you will put a screw into the wall. Tap a bit to get the tip into the wall. Align the screw driver. Don't move the handle of the screw driver, Don't deviate, and rotate into the screw into the wall.
6. 车轮飞转不离中轴
7. Train the part that normally moves to not move. Train the part that normally doesn't move to move.
8. When pushing hands, focus on the opponent's ming men.
9. Making the opponent fall forward is a mechanical (real) fall, making him fall backward is a mental fall (because he is scared to fall backwards as he has no eyes on the back of the head).
10. Stepping up requires the use of the toes to grab like a claw, and stretch the knee to make the knee not move.

A Life of Taiji - Hong Junsheng

http://pullupachair.wordpress.com/2007/02/21/a-life-of-taiji/

Notes for Body Part Functions 2012 Video

http://practicalmethod.com/2013/01/body-part-functions-2012-online-video-trailer/

Notes for this video:

1. The energy will be floating with no root unless the front knee goes backward and the front kua goes forward.

Notes for Toronto January 2012-1 Video

http://practicalmethod.com/2012/12/toronto-january-2012-1-online-video-trailer/

Notes for this video:

1. You have to know the application, otherwise you will make things up in your form.
2. The body appears to move together, but there is always one leader.
3. Hands and feet are for set up to make your moves meaningful.
4. At 7:25, "Punch to the Chest" exercise to train for timing of contact.
5. Turn with pressure, don't get away, never retreat.
6. It's the opponent's punch that turns you, not you turning yourself.
7. Fighting requires a surface that your opponent can attach to. If you are a ball, there is only one dot in the foremost point of the ball surface, the above, below, right or left of that point is 45 degrees to the incoming force.
8. For training, wherever you touch don't move it, move something else to cause 45 degrees.
9. Creating a centre on the opponent, rather looking for one. Force one to be there, so the opponent can't escape from you.  How to create a centre? Two ways: Push or Pull. When the opponent is weak, you push. When the opponent is strong, you pull.
10. Don't change the words given to you. In fact, you are allowed to change it however suitable as long as when it is passed to others, others can still replicate the action that the original words are meant for. It is really safer not to change it.
11. Taiji moves are in a different dimenion than normal moves.  Yin and Yang are in different dimensions.  If someone is coming horizontally, we need to react vertically, so that the horizontal force is irrelevant to the vertical action.
12. The Practical Method movement is 3 dimensional, and is like a ball with a fixed centre.
13. The centre gate (中门) is a projection of dantian to the floor.
14. 5 points are outside and everything else is inside. Inside must stay inside, outside must stay outside. Inside has surface, and outside has no surface (a ball has no surface that one can hold on to).  If inside comes out, one can hold on to the surface. If power regardless of being large amount or little has nothing to attach to, it becomes irrelevant.
15. The knees aim outward, but the knees don't move.