It was hard!!!

Master Chen demos White Crane Spreading Wings

Due to a popular demand, Master Chen Huixain of Kansas City came back to St. Louis for a weekend workshop on April 10 – 11. After 6-hour daily training for two days, many of the students commented that “they were exhausted”. Their bodies and their brains were worn out. It was simply that Master Chen has a wealth of knowledge of Taichi and she generously shared it with her students during the workshops. It was an information overload, in addition to physically challenging work. Regardless, the students loved it. They are asking her to come back in a couple of months to continue the teaching of the Chen Style Old Frame (Lao Jia) Routine One (Yi Lu).

Master Chen was born in Chen Village, the Mecca of the modern Taichi. She is a 20th generation descendant of the Chen Family. With talent, hard work and intensive training with many masters, she became a senior instructor at Chen Village Taichi Training Center of China and a disciple of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei. In late January 2010, she was invited to host two workshops in St. Louis by Bally’s. She received extremely favorable feedback and was invited back by Bally’s to teach three seminars this time.
 

Master Chen demos the side stepping

Methodically, Master Chen built upon the January workshops and taught new movements and applications on Taichi Ba Fa, Silk Reeling and Push-hands. She included stepping forwards, stepping backwards, and stepping side ways in the curriculum and did some drilling and toning with the students on Saturday to prepare them for the Sunday class of Old Frame Routine One.

According to Chen Style Taijiquan, Sword and Broadsword, authored by Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, the Old Frame was created by Chen Changxian, a 14th generation descendant of the Chen Family. The first routine (Yi Lu) is extended with a large frame. It emphasized softness and gentleness of Taichi Chuan. Underneath the fluid graceful look, there are serious martial art applications. Master Chen is well-versed in Taichi Chuan theory, and she enlightened the students with the essence of the Lao Jia Yi Lu. She emphasized being light and agile as the keys of the Form. All the stepping in Lao Jia Yi Lu needs to be light and the foot has to land on the ground softly, also it should be sliding smoothly on the ground. To carry out a proper body advancing movement, a practitioner with strong legs needs to bend the knee of a solid foot (carrying almost the entire body weight) first, relax the kuo (hip), and turn the waist then step out the empty foot. It is extremely important to define a solid foot versus empty foot in all stepping.
 

Mr. Barbatti shows the Roof Tile hands

Why is being light and agile is crucial for Lao Jia Yi Lu? Master Chen explains that once a practitioner achieves this level, it represents that he is extremely strong in the legs having great stability and his upper and lower body are well coordinated, and he is ready for self-defense if attacked. Not to mention, stepping softly can prevent foot injury from heavy landing.

During the practice, Master Chen continuously reminded students to keep the head suspended, uplift the spine in the upper body, relax the shoulders, sink the elbows and form the hands like roof tiles. As an experienced Taichi coach, Master Chen is creative with her teaching methods. During a reception after the Saturday workshop, when asked what a roof tile hand is, she asked Mr. Dan Barbatti to hold two plastic glasses in his hands to simulate the correct hand posture.  She is also a very thorough instructor and provided hands-on adjustments to the students.

There are options as far as which stances to take while practicing Yi Lu. Master Chen advises that in most cases people should practice with high and medium stances. But advanced practitioners can take it lower.
.