by Sifu Dennis Pounall

Taichi is a abridged name for the art and discipline of Taijiquan, which may
be closely translated to mean the “Supreme Ultimate Fist” one of the three
forms of high level internal martial arts. Is a discipline that has it’s focus on
individual development and self protection. The aspect of Taijiquan aka
Taijiboxing lies in the field of the application and development of close
quarter self defense techniques and the implementation of the skill of Tui
shou (push-hands technique).

This year I was fortunate to attend my inaugural Canadian Open
Taijiquan Championships held in Toronto at the Chinese Cultural Center.
This event with a phenomenal turnout of Taijiquan enthusiasts was
sponsored by the Canadian Taijiquan Federation and hosted by C.O.T.T.A.

"Tiger creeps Down Yang Saber Form"

Pleasure to see so many people holding the art of Taijiquan in such a high
regard cherishing the moment. I had the opportunity to compete in five
various events and had the pleasure to acquaint myself with a number of
interesting people. My successful placement had earned me a Gold Medal in
Taiji long weapons, two Silver Medals for Taijiquan in empty hand form and
Taiji saber form. I wasn’t as triumphant in two other events -Taiji Tui shou
fixed step and Taiji Tui shou moving step.

This personal disappointment was a rather humbling experience that
prompted an insight into what the ancients meant by “ investing in loss”. I
was duly defeated in both: fixed step push hands (Tui shou) and moving step,
push hands.

The fiasco descended partially because the rules were new to me but mostly
because I had not invested in loss and had failed to properly practice the
skill of “listening” and understand the concept of “stillness in motion.” This
was a grave letdown yet an excellent lesson.

I went home to study, and realized that I had gone into the game
equipped with the wrong attitude and insufficient tool box. I was taught the
classical way of push hands and accustomed to this being a shared
opportunity to acquire the skills of “listening, adhering, sticking, connecting,
following and disengaging. The presentation at the competition was a mixture
of loose judo, weak shou Jow (wrestling) with very little demonstration of
eight trigrams in the arms and five phases in the legs (the thirteen powers or
thirteen energies of Taijiquan).

The eight forces of CAI, Peng, Ji, Kan, Li, Lieh, An, Zhou, and the five
directions of the feet, central equilibrium, right step, left step, forward step,
and backward step. These traits are not easily seen or achieved under the
current standard rules of push hands.

These martial art skills take a whole life time to acquire and eternity to
master. Luckily for all Taoist taijiboxers, we believe in the concept of
“immortality”. The idea of Taiji Push hands, as being a competition is a
oxymoron. This game or skill be akin to soft style “free sparring” to be quite
inappropriate, according to my beliefs.

The purpose of close quarter training is a necessary adjunct to a
complete rounded system of self defense. The application of these “quiet
skills” can prove to be essential in a real life situation for self defense and
survival. If the rules of engagement were to be more suited to real life self
defense, then the game of balance and push or (push hands) as it is so

quaintly known, would need to be revised. With the application of such
principles as, stillness and motion, and softness over coming hardness. And
demonstrate how 4oz can deflecting 1 thousand pounds!

If the function of Tui shou is to be fully regained, then the application
of all the push hand skills, of listening, adhering, sticking, connecting,
following; disengagement must be allowed to be developed. With this in mind
the ability to understand softness overcoming hardness, and the complexity
of silk reeling may gradually unfold. Many instructors advocate these
classical concepts, but find it difficult to demonstrate this in a practical
manor. Maybe the skills of Tui shou and Nien shou, Tui Tui ( push legs and
trapping feet) are the residing vestige of these skills.

Therefore the application of soft Chi Na , Shui Jiao, Tui Shou, and of
course Fa Jin can only be truly developed and demonstrated if it becomes
part of the universal Taiji curriculum. The standardization or cooperative
agreement to introduce “real push hands” into the arena of Taijiquan
demonstrations would greatly improve its mutual acceptance as a legitimate
martial art with practical applications and proven benefits.

This would mean adjusting the current standards of play and for a time
categorizing the skill level of the players into beginner, intermediate and
advanced. By adding this paradigm to the open public playground, we would
honor the forefathers and grandmasters who have dedicated a lifetime to the
transmission and preservation of the supreme ultimate fist. Taijiquan as a
eloquent sophisticated martial art and philosophical discipline.

These additional skill would benefit both the recreational players and
the Taijiboxers, because the practice of push hands helps each
individual to deal with fear and anger, hardness and softness, internal
and external connectivity. It also teaches benevolence, courage,
patience, persistence, practice and calm intuition.

These traits are useful for everyday living and help to cultivate the spirit and
allow us to be better human beings and acquire a natural zest for life with a
zip of vitality.

Sifu Dennis Pounall resides in Elliot Lake, Ontario with his wife Jane
and works in a medical field as a Flight Paramedic. He competes nationally as
well as internationally and takes a credit for founding Well Aware Taijiquan
Academy.
Sifu Dennis can be contacted at dennis_pounall@yahoo.ca or
taijiboxer@ bell.net  and seen on www.youtube.com under dpounall.
You’ll find some more interesting articles on my web-site @www.taijiboxer@bell.net
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and look forward hearing your feedback.
Please feel free to share your point of view please watch:::  ( .Production 1 The art of fighting without fighting Taijiboxing!! )

Peace Sifu Dennis Pounall

The 2008 International Kung fu Taiji Quan Championship

My name is Dennis Pounall. I am a  50 year old traditional Chinese martial arts practitioner. I practice Yang style Taiji boxing and  Southern Style Pai Gi Noon gung Fu.

This year, I was fortunate enough to attend the 10th annual invitational Traditional Chinese Kung Fu Championships held in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. at the magnificent Gaylord Palms resort five- star complex on Memorial Day weekend, May 23 – 25th.

I’m a member of the International Chinese Kung Fu Federation (I.C.K.F.),  and also the National Canadian Chinese Martial Art Fellowship (C.C.K.S.F.), founded by Grand Master Sigung Ron Williamson of Atado School of Kung Fu Taiji and Defensive Arts. I was both excited and honored to represent Canada at this auspicious international event.

I live and work in Northern Ontario as a full time Flight Paramedic and also part time Land Primary Care Paramedic. This keeps me quite busy but I find time to train, mostly on my own with a few students who study various Chinese and Korean Martial Arts.

In this year’s International Tournament, all aspects of Chinese martial arts were represented, from Taiji to San Shou, Internal Styles, Xing Yi ,Bagua, Lihue Bafa, Praying Mantis, Grappling Push Hands, and Whusu. To top it all, there was a Masters’ Demonstration with Kung Fu Masters from all over the world. Their demonstrations were amazing and breath-taking.

Approximately 1500 competitors were expected from 8 different international countries. The team selection was held in April in Kitchener, Ontario,  hosted by Sigung Ron Williamson in Waterloo, Ontario.

We invited every registered traditional Kung Fu school across Canada to participate, and it was open to all styles of Kung Fu, Whusu, and Taiji,  giving every one a fair chance to be selected. Unfortunately, many people didn’t take advantage of this opportunity, not committing to this cause. So, once again, a few brave Canadians tightened their belts and their pockets and stood up to the challenge.

We were hoping that some members from the Canadian Taiji Federation would be on hand to join us, but that wasn’t the case. Jill Heath did attend our Qualifier and participated in our tournament,  providing information on the Canadian Taiji Federation and demonstrating a wonderful Sun style Taiji form and Fan form. Also Jonathan Krehm did a beautiful sword form and Yang form. I’d also like to thank the others from the Federation who provided their loyal support. I am getting side-tracked. Now, back to the story!!

The event started with all the countries being paraded with their flags before the officials. The spectacular event resembled mini Olympics. Sigung Ron gave us all a speech about the legendary twelve Shaolin monks, who defeated the three thousand invaders, to instill confidence in us. His leadership had a great effect on all of us. Puerto Rico, Canada, Italy Cuba, Panama Russia, Jamaica, U.S.A. and a small contingency from China competed for world class recognition. The rest of the Chinese delegation were detained for some unknown reason at the U.S.A. customs office and never got to participate in representing their homeland.

The Tournament’s opening ceremony started with a good luck traditional Lion Dance and the events went ahead as scheduled. We all wore Canadian uniforms with the country’s flag theme and individual wrist bands with our registered event numbers. The event looked more like a logistical nightmare than well-planned spectacle. The most important task was to stay focused. “In the midst of  adversity all is clarity”. We all did our best and encouraged each other to do their best possible performance.

I had entered a grueling six events, ranging from Southern and Northern Weapons and Empty Hands to Taiji Hand Forms,  Weapons and Push Hands. Most participants appeared tired and overwhelmed by the sheer grandiosity of this event. Although the co-ordinators did their best, the chaotic pace resembled a busy day on Wall Street’s stock exchange.

Wherever I looked, there was action in progress… jumping kicks, slow Taiji forms, practitioners wielding giant Bague Broad swords and swishing Kwando weapons…. a veritable cornucopia of martial arts disciplines, but, to me, it was poetry in motion.

For my part, I was awarded a Gold medal for my Pang Gi Noon Southern Gung Fu form and Silver for my Northern Style Fanzi Quan Lightening Fan form, and a fourth position in Restricted Step Push Hands. I was proud of my accomplishments, even though the rules for Taiji forms and Push Hands were rather frustrating. Most of the Yang forms in the advanced division had very low stances and very high kicks… something between Chen Style and   Wudang style Taiji.

I found it interesting that in the Push Hand division, no grabbing with the thumbs was  allowed, and neither was soft Chi Na nor any percussive pressing or uprooting.  So, the only techniques that worked were short Jin, ward off with straight arm, slanting, flying, and Pluck with re-direction and press. I did a lot of  “investing in loss” and now, I’ve acquired a better understanding of what is meant by “four ounces can deflect one thousand pounds”. This was a tremendous opportunity to learn and be humbled. I hope to see more of all of you on the International stage, honing your skills and honoring your lineage to the wonderful, diversified, beautiful arts of Kung fu, Taiji Quan, Qigong, and Whusu.

Despite limited funding and minimal coaching, these twelve athletes of team Canada managed to bring home twenty seven medals and seven titles, through dedication and discipline. Each athlete gave 110% to make Canada proud!! I would like to thank my beautiful wife for being my judge and jury in perfecting my forms, and encouraging me with love and patience through the year to keep practicing!! Thanks to Christine Brunet, who allowed me to use the Dance Studio to practice at ungodly hours to perfect my forms.

Thanks for reading my story

Peace,

Sifu Dennis Pounall.

For more details, workshops and Seminars contact
Sifu Pounall at:dennis@taijiboxer.com

Equilibrium means:

A condition in which all acting influences are canceled by others, resulting in a stable, balanced or unchanging system.

Mental and emotional balance; poise.

Physics : The state of a body or physical system at rest or in unaccelerated motion in which the resultant of all forces acting on it is zero and the sum of all torques about any axis is zero.

Chemistry : The state of a chemical reaction in which its forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates, so that the concentration of the reactants and product remain stable.

Equilibrium is a concept that embodies some of the highest attributes of a effective martial arts discipline. It is uniquely embedded in the intricacies of Taijiboxing as it demonstrates the essence of the art form.

In many forms of Taijiquan they often refer to the theory of Yin and Yang, without any concrete example of it in the real world. There is often many references to conceptualized application for both, self defense and energy work or Qui kung training. I believe both are one in the same in the fact that both the idea of softness overcoming hardness can not fully be experience with out real life application.

With this new skill of equilibrium it is possible to be one step closer to the appreciation of simplicity of the supreme ultimate fist theory for health longevity and effective self defense. This can be utilized in the form as a discipline for life and an artful expression in daily Taijiquan practice. In the practice of Tui shui, most people learn push hands in the traditional way and start very gently with one hand, and eventually both. With time, patience and diligent practice, few venture into the competitive area of push hand competitions.

But what does this really teach us?

Most of the players are usually players with some martial arts background, are competitive and don’t mind a bit of contact. The more seasoned the player, the better off they tend to perform.

So, what are they really better at?

I believe that push hands is a skill that is a integral part of Taijiboxing art, a successful addition to practice self defense. When and only if practiced in the correct context, true benefits yield. If push hands is practiced in arena of fixed rules and stipulations, then it is not realistic. As in the natural environment, there are no fixed rules or stipulations. The real world is dynamic and variable just as the practice of push hands should be.

The interpretation of the classic always maintained this: the idea of soft overcoming hard, slow defeating fast, parables adopted by students, observing the masters. Over time, some of these popular statements became included as part of the chronicles of Taijiquan. The reality is if you move fast, I move faster. This claim has little to do with speed alone, but on perception and preemptive movement. This is where the soft skills of listening adhere, stick, follow lead and attack are most useful, through a developed sense of natural equilibrium. These principles were always developed through experience and real time application. Full force full speed, sometimes discomfort, pain or even injury.

Henceforth, the age old adage ‘invest in loss’ doesn’t necessarily mean that Taijiboxing or any martial arts should be become a Macho art with Gladiatorial writes of passage.

Realistic approach to training embodies personal protection, prevention of injury and enlightenment for a better quality of life.

This is what might’ve meant by the title of the Supreme ultimate fist and may have nothing to do with the idea of being the best as the only method designed to achieve longevity.

Maybe the practice of Taiji quan is one of the better ways to stave off disease and live in harmony with oneself, and the environment.

We must try to achieve a state of natural equilibrium that allows us to move with ease, thus balancing our emotions, attitudes and belief systems.

We should know when to be to be strong, when to be hard (if necessary) for self preservation. Soft but supple, compassionate, reasonable, intuitive . . .

The natural way for equilibrium to work is also known as harmony.

This may well have been what the ancients called enlightenment – the ability to utilize the theory of yin and yang

in everyday life . Through the practice of moving meditation the taijiform and the application of principles for

self development, preservation and protection. Equilibrium is the essence of stillness and motion and motion

in stillness, these traits embody the essential tenants of Taijiboxing and Taijiquan for a fuller, more vital lifestyle.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and look forward to sharing and discovering of new wisdom from the

ancient teachers.

Dennis Pounall lives and works as a flight paramedic in Northern Ontario Elliot Lake, competes (inter)nationally

in Chinese Martial arts weapons and of course Taijiquan demonstrations and competitions. His wife of twenty years, Jana, is a yoga instructor and a novelist.

Peace Sifu Dennis Pounall.

For more interesting articles check out www.taijiboxer.com. for videos www.youtube.com@dpounall.

E-mail to dennis@taijiboxer.com.

Workshops and seminars: dennis_pounall@yahoo.ca

6272009 114157 Nan dao sword form The art of taijiquan is much like the art of being a masterful magician. It requires a subtle skill and a balanced blend of techniques and tools that come together to form a state of “synchronicity”.  Just like being a magician, there are many layers to your craft. A magician may employ the skill of illusionist, or the skill of being an escapist, then there is the slight of hand techniques, and of course, the masterful  ” vanishing act”. All these skills require dedication, practice and discipline, just like the art of taijiquan. Each facet of training should be intricately woven together so the final product appears to be flawless and limitless. The tools of a taiji boxer are hidden in his training and his ability to glean the skills from his daily practice, knowledge and interpretation of the classical text, with developed natural ability and persistent  dedication to his craft.  A demonstration of true synchronicity is like the quiet workings of a very exclusive watch. On the outside, the watch serves a basic function that is to measure and determine a constant known as time, but the mystery lies in the synchronicity of the unseen working parts, …the gears, springs levers and, of course, the power plant, the quartz crystal.A basic watch can only tell the time, (in hours, minutes and seconds).  The more sophisticated watch can not only keep track of time, but also the month, the lunar cycle, direction, and dual time zones, speed and distance travelled, to name a few things. 

 The point is, it all starts with the same basic components, just as the practice of taijiboxing starts with the basic structure of the ” form”. The “set or form”,( as it is often called) is a wealth of hidden skills waiting to be rediscovered.

This wisdom of the old masters is a gold mine of treasure waiting to be revealed.   If you choose to search for gold, you will need the right tools to find the treasure that is buried below the surface.  

1. The taijiboxer bag of tricks!!.

The ability to use taijiquan as a martial art lies in the understanding and application of  its fundamental principles.  Most of these concepts may be found in the theoretical interpretations of “taiji classics”, but most are found by trial and error.

“Invest in loss.”

A) The skill of relaxation.   The first key is to understand what it means to be relaxed. Relaxed does not mean collapsed.  It means to have a relaxed awareness with a flexible but supple body, mind, and spirit. By achieving this skill both your attention and intention will be in a state of harmony allowing your awareness to expand beyond the obvious and the immediate.  Consequently, you will gain the ability to focus without being easily distracted or in mindless isolation.

B) “Emptiness and fullness”. With this skill, it requires you to incorporate  the principles of yin and yang, and the application of the  “thirteen powers” (the five phases in the legs and feet), and eight triagrams in the arms and  hands.

C) “ Evenness and slowness“.  When using the principles of evenness and slowness, it means to match your opponents movements, while using  the concept of” silk reeling”, thus creating a feeling  of purposeful movement with balance and stability and continuous natural flow. (We practice slow to move fast,… you move fast, I move faster.)

D)  “ Rooting and stability”. Conceptually, rooting means to be still, but not immobile. Rooting does not mean you become rigid and stiff. You should still be light on your feet. Mastery of this skill allows you to have maximum stability with minimal effort, allowing you a greater range of flexibility and upper body mobility to attack and defend, spontaneously and simultaneously.

E) “Coordination and centering”.  It requires many years of practice and more years of patience, coordination, relaxation and complete awareness in order for  the body to move as one complete unit. By mastering this skill, your movements will not be premature or telegraphed, and you should not be tense or stiff. This negates the tendency to rely on speed, power and aggression as your only means for self-defense. Quite the opposite, all your movements are connected in a natural coordinated continuous flow, just like  the natural way a shark moves in water or a bird flies in the sky (nothing is wasted and nothing is needed)…

Economy of Motion

a) Breathing and Qi kung. The use of breathing is unique but not exclusive to taijiquan. Most disciplines of martial arts and competitive sports utilize the inherent benefits of proper breathing. The one major difference is that, in taijiquan, the purpose is dedicated to a breathing system known as “ Nei kung”.

This specific method of breathing is called the “internal merit system”. The application of this specific style of breathing allows each practitioner the full benefits of his every breath, both for healing himself or others, and protection (as in self-defense and fa jin).

 This is accomplished through a specific method of visualization in meditation, diaphragmatic breathing techniques, concentration, attention and practice of mental, spiritual and physiological cues that allow the process to take place over time.

 The taijiboxer combines all the tools and skills to create a system of unlimited phases in  power, speed , stillness and motion.

These skills provide the ultimate expression of synchronicity, and like the magician, allow each practitioner an opportunity to have a full bag of tricks to be used and shared at their discretion. Thanks for taking the time to read my article. I hope it helps and empowers you on your journey of self discovery in the wonderful art of taijiquan.

Peace Sifu Dennis Pounall.

The metamorphosis of a Taiji player to a Taiji boxer is a subtle but enlightening shift in both perspective and potential. It could be assimilated as the pupae and the butterfly; all the essential ingredients are consolidated within. However, only with clear intention and mindful attention, will this subtle change occur.

This transition requires patience, persistence, acceptance of pain and perseverance of the disciple, a road less traveled by the majority of Taiji players.  Most Taiji players practice the form (the form or set of 108 movements) with little attention to its martial roots or its philosophical heritage. It requires adept tutelage, natural ability and, above all, patience, in order for the miraculous conception to take place. This is the mystery of the metamorphosis from Taiji player to Taijiboxer.
If we examine ourselves daily with mindful meditations and mental alertness, checking our thoughts, motivations, and their external manifestations in our behavior, it may be possible to occasionally catch a glimpse of the secret change in process. Looking too hard will most certainly evade your awareness. There lies the beauty of the Taiji symbol and the wisdom of the ages.

If you spend your life and energy to focus only on the inward journey, (the Taiji sequence or set) it is like staring at your fingers pointing to the moon. Do not concentrate only on your fingers. Then you will miss all the heavenly glory of the Taiji boxer’s journey. Form without function is a functionless form. The movement without the meaning is mindless movement. Therefore, the Taiji form without the boxing is incomplete, like a bicycle without gears. You never reap the maximum benefit of the bicycle with all its innate potential. With diligent practice you will grow to understand that stillness is the foundation, and action is the use. Action then becomes the fulfillment of stillness, known as the spirit of vitality. Such blending of stillness and motion is a foundational part of the change related to the Taoist principles of yin and yang.

Another part of the subtle change is the rule of the hard becoming soft and the secret of cotton and steel. It is an important transition that all Taiji boxers understand softness overcoming hardness.

Hard things become brittle, and brittle things break. Too soft can be too weak, therefore I believe “Be soft and sensitive on the outside and strong and supple on the inside” just like cotton over steel. The practice of silk reeling and bone marrow washing and tendon changing skills helps this part of the transformation.

The integration of the thirteen powers, as well as practice and applications of the push hands theory, helps to solidify the “quiet skills”{ Chi Na ,Shuai Jiao, Fa Jin, Kicking skill, and striking techniques}.
The Taiji boxer’s martial skills round out and solidify with the addition of weapons’ training and Qui Kung techniques.

With this basic formula combined with a minimum of 15 years of dedication and diligent practice, the disciple will be on his way to the completion of their metamorphosis.
In the stillness and motion of our daily lives, the Tao of being enhanced with martial discipline and clarity of the Buddhist mind is essential to living a compassionate and vital life.

These treasures, discovered by the ancient Taoist sages, are as relevant now as they’ve ever been. All we need to do is apply them. This may be the reason for Taijiquan to be known as the supreme ultimate fist.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I believe that partaking and sharing our knowledge is the way to achieve our own individual vault of immortality.

Sifu Dennis Pounall

The Elusive Art of Taiji Boxing… the Road Less Traveled

Today, many people practice “Taiji” as a form of natural exercise but with quite limited knowledge of its self- defense applications. Could it be that they favor “Recreational Taiji” over “Taiji boxing?” Even though “Recreational Taiji” has undeniable appeal for its health benefits, the combat aspect must be remembered and emphasized as an equal part of this complete system.

The origins of Taiji Quan vary, depending on the source. However, it is generally accepted that the art was developed circa 12th century by a Taoist priest named “Chang Sen Feng” who studied Buddhism and martial arts at the Shoalin monastery on Wu dang Mountain.

The grandfather of Taiji not only combined but also refined principles, philosophies and techniques using Taoist natural laws and Buddhist Chi Kung methods to perfect the Shaolin combat techniques and strategies. This new technique was proven to be very sophisticated and classified as a high skill level martial art.

Today, it is still one of the most popular forms of openly-practiced soft forms of “Internal martial arts”, later on known as the “Supreme Ultimate Fist”. Unfortunately, due to the elusive integration of “Taiji boxing” techniques found within the “Taiji forms”, most of the hidden benefits may have been lost in translation. Consequently, a number of the younger generation may not be fully aware of the ultimate benefits found within Taiji Quan as a martial art.

Not to undermine the highly publicized “Ultimate Fighting Challenge” phenomenon, the concept of “mixed -up martial arts” has been reduced to a sequence of basic fighting techniques and, in my observation, lacks the depth of a complete system of martial arts etiquette.  However, in this venue, it seems to me that the essence of true martial art has been replaced by commercialized street fighting for profit.  The absence of martial art decorum, self-control, compassion, benevolence and dignity has resulted in a distorted view when it comes to the true meaning of traditional martial art values.  The focus of self-mastery, and self control found throughout the traditional martial art disciplines has taken a back seat to aspirations of monetary gain, two minutes of fame and flamboyant physical prowess, appealing especially to the impressionable younger generation. Unfortunately, this may be the reason why the glory of gladiator style fighting has put traditional martial arts on the back burner! This presents a challenging dilemma for attracting the next great generation of “Taiji boxers”. It is important to encourage Taiji enthusiasts to rediscover this elusive art of “Taiji boxing” and unravel the mystery entwined in the “Taiji form to make it, once again, a practical form of self defense and a respectable martial art.

The wisdom of the ages may once again bring about the resurgence of the “Supreme Ultimate Fist of Taiji Quan” as an effective self defense and natural health promoting system with this renaissance of knowledge, and the combined effect of the re-introduction of Taiji boxing, (with  the inclusion of Chi Kung training), and the deciphering of the”Taiji form” as a moving meditation “.  This reincarnation may be just be the spark required to re-ignite the flame of  Taiji Quan’s secrets of the “Supreme Ultimate Fist”.

By Sifu Dennis Pounall

Sifu Dennis Pounall lives and works in Elliot Lake, Northern Ontario as a Paramedic  and has been practicing martial arts for over 28 years. He has studies in Okinawa Karate, Pang GI Noon Gung Fu, Kali Jujitsu, Kook Sol Won , Korean martial arts and Traditional Yang combat style Taiji Quan.  He competes nationally and internationally, and is available for workshops and Seminars.

He can be contacted at www.dennis_pounall@yahoo.ca

Stillness and Motion Taijiboxing through Osmosis

Central equilibrium and with Maio Dao saber

The gradual absorption: the gradual, often unconscious, absorption of knowledge or ideas through continual exposure, rather than deliberate learning  Students seem to pick up a working knowledge of Taijiboxing by osmosis over the years of practice!

roundhouse to the left and hook kick to the right

The art of Taijiboxing is a discipline that is acquired after many years of tireless practice. It demands  patience and persistence that only the few can maintain. The essence of this art is in its subtle application and innate assimilation, much like the process of osmosis.

The beauty of this discipline is that, by a gradual approach, through patience as the way and consistency as the key, many people can benefit from Taijiquan’s inherent benefits. With diligent, yet integrated, practice the implementation of the skill of taijiboxing is available to all players.

Stillness and motion natures osmosis

The method of osmosis, however subtle, is blatantly palpable as beginners practice and learn the “set” or form. Regardless of the family style, Chen Wu Yang or Sun, the congregation of mind, body and spirit, brought together with clear “Intention” and focused attention, creates the right ingredients for Passive osmosis. When you add a sensitive, experienced Instructor, you add the additional element of Facilitated Diffusion of knowledge, energy and purpose. This is an essential mixture for success.

If you continually refine this mixture, you reach a state of expanded, collective awareness that allows each student to perceive and receive the feeling and flow of Universal Qi …and connect with their own methods for manifestation and direction of Qi.

Taijiboxing has the potential to promote longevity, vitality, creativity, compassion and freedom of expression, which many other disciplines of martial arts do not focus on.

Thank you for taking the time to allow me to share my thoughts and ideas with you. I hope it stirs the flames of wonder, so that you may continue to grow to know and question your martial art practice and your appreciation of life.

                        Peace Sifu Dennis pounall