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The Yang Style became popular in 1928.

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From 1928, Yang style has become more and more popular.

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Today, you see it everywhere.

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Why has Yang style become so popular.

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It is because of its benefits. Its benefits for health are amazing.

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Why is it so amazing?

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Because, when Yang, Cheng-Fu changed the form

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into bigger postures, its became more relaxing.

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People began to experience that
relaxation, it helped to open the joints.

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Also, the body structure gave them center, balance, and root.

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Scientists have confirmed

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that forty, two percent of seniors fall less,

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when they practice taijiquan.

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It has been repeatedly reported, and verified that taijiquan is

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good for the joints, and most importantly, for the bones.

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The older people developed better balance and root.

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Remember, if you don't have balance
and root, you can't find the center.

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If you can't find the center, that is the
reason that people's mind's are in chaos.

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It's very important to find this center.

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Taijiquan helps you do that.

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A very important benefit is to the bones.

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Bones are piezo-electric material.

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Piezo-electric material means that when there

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is pressure, there is electricity circulating in it.

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The Chinese consider this electricity to be qi,

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bio-energy circulating in the body.
In the body, in taijiquan you'll see.

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Let's take this squat for example.

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These sections of the leg create the structure for the foundation

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If these three sections are weak, you
won't have root, you won't have balance.

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When people's legs are weak, they walk like this, and they fall.

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It's very important for anyone interested in building their spirit,

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in finding center, that these three sections have to be strong.

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Taijiquan can help you do that.

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People have told me that their legs are too weak. That's fine,

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start with a high posture, there's no problem.

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Slowly, as you get stronger and stronger,
you can get lower, and lower, and lower.

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When you can get low, that's good. Watch me, I'm sixty-five.

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Practicing at this level is very typical of

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traditional Yang Style Taijiquan.

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The movements are done this low.

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If you can get this low, then your legs are strong.

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You have to be stable. You have to be very stable and balanced.

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An important part of studying taijiquan,

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for a long time, is trying to feel the center.

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Instead of by looking,

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Right now, you rely on visual clues
for balance, to find your center.

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This is an idea of what you could do.

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For example, Peng, Lu, Ji, An, occurs often.

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Close your eyes, feel for your balance,

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feel for the center.

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Move without destroying the center, feel the body's structure.

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If you want to learn to feel the balance

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of your center, close your eyes.

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One of the simple exercises from taijiquan is to stand on one leg,

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with your eyes closed, and see how long you can stand.

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If you can find your center, you have a
good internal foundation of taijiquan.

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Normally do Yang Style Taijiquan for 18 to 20 minutes is good.

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To the martial artist, that is not enough.

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18 to 20 minutes is for beginners.

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The traditional martial artists train taijiquan

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slower and slower and slower.

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You can train so that it takes 1 hour to perform the entire sequence.

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That means that your movements are so slow,

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that it takes 1 hour to do the sequence.

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That means that your breathing is three times longer than normal.

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I have not reached that stage yet. I'm still working on it.

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The mind has to be so peaceful.

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The body has to be in a highly relaxed state

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so that the oxygen consumption is minimum.

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If you don't have that highly relaxed meditative state,

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it is impossible to reach the level of one hour.

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That's the internal training.

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We're talking about the energy circulation in the body.

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The yang side of the training, is to train to go faster and faster.

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When you train to move faster and faster,
it becomes the martial side, applications.

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In a real fight, speed is important.

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You cannot say to your enemy, "Slow down, you're too fast."

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You have to have speed.

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The yang side of the training is to move faster and faster.
It becomes power manifestation.

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Train until you can do the sequence in three minutes.

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For example, Peng, Lu, Ji, An.

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This is Peng at regular speed.

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In a real situation, this is the speed.

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It's fast, every movement is fast.

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You strike, and then you immediately relax.

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How you train taijiquan, how long it takes,

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depends on your purpose.

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For beginner, 18 to 20 minutes is reasonable.

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Many people ask me, If I want to study taijiquan for

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health purposes, why should I have a sense of enemy,

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why should I know the applications?

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I always say, "If you want to learn taijiquan for relaxation, you

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don't need a teacher, you don't need me, you don't need anyone."

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You just need to put on some nice music,

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and don't worry about anything. You are not looking for the

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deeper aspects of the art. Just move your hands and relax.

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But, the movements won't have a deeper meaning.

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If you want to learn the meaning,

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Remember, it is the mind that leads the qi, to circulate the energy.

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If you want to be able to use your mind to lead the qi,

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you have to have a sense of enemy.
Every movement is designed for that.

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If you want to learn taijiquan just for relaxation,

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sorry, you have the wrong place.

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If you want to do taijiquan to train your mind to focus,

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maintain a high level alertness and awareness,

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to learn to lead the qi to circulate in the body,

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that's a challenge, that is deep.

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You have to think about your reason for learning taijiquan.

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Are you learning taijiquan for a lifetime or just for fun?

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If you are learning taijiquan for a lifetime,

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I would say that traditional taijiquan is better.

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Because the more you practice, the deeper it becomes.

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Thank you.