What can I study?
Tai Chi is an excellent aid to general fitness and it also promotes mental and physical relaxation. The underpinning ideas of Tai Chi are based in the theory of YinYang. It is full of philosophic ideas and becomes an elaborate exercise with much variety. Yielding is its primary characteristic.
Hsing I is also a good exercise with health benefits. It takes its structure from from Chinese five element theory. It's form is very simple in comparison to Tai Chi and provides relatively easy access to the system. It is also commensurately unforgiving - requiring much repetition and exactitude. It is very direct and spirited.
Chi Kung is simply exercise that promotes the wellbeing of your chi (your energy). This involves the training of its vessel, your body, and the discipline of your mind harmonising your Chi. It is a vast subject and contains much variety. My Chi Kung area is in general health rather than spiritual, martial or medical Chi Kung. But all Chi Kung contains these aspects to a greater or lesser extent.
All three exercises can be learnt in different 'styles'. If you like, each one is a kind of game (i.e. ball game, field game, throwing game) and within each there are different kinds (i.e. tennis, squash, racquets). In this site I write a little about the kind of Nie Jia I have practiced and what I teach.
Both Tai Chi Chuan & Hsing I Chuan are martial arts. Both have a significant health and fitness aspect. Both also serve as a kind of Chi Kung. My interest in them tends toward the softer aspects. This is very common in the West. I have never entered a competition and do not train students for competition. Though I have learnt much of the martial aspect I harbour little interest in fighting.
Both Tai Chi Chuan & Hsing I Chuan are martial arts. Both have a significant health and fitness aspect. Both also serve as a kind of Chi Kung. My interest in them tends toward the softer aspects. This is very common in the West. I have never entered a competition and do not train students for competition. Though I have learnt much of the martial aspect I harbour little interest in fighting.
