The Word of Wisdom on Taijiquan Practice ----Part one

By David Chen. Revised on June 2004. We do Taiji slowly in order to be tranquil.

Tranquility leads to contemplation.

Contemplation leads to clarity.

Clarity leads to comprehension.

Comprehension enables us to dissolve all doubts.

Tranquility leads to contemplation. Contemplation leads to clarity. Clarity leads to comprehension. Comprehension enables us to dissolve all doubts. The best part of Taijiquan is not the external form, but the internal cultivation.

You need to practice the external in order to find the internal.

You need to practice the external in order to find the internal. There's no right or wrong in one's practice, only different levels of understanding.

There's no perfection in one's practice, only different levels of refinement.

There's no graduation in the art of Taijiquan, only different levels of progress.

There's no perfection in one's practice, only different levels of refinement. There's no graduation in the art of Taijiquan, only different levels of progress. Taijiquan should not be a set of habitual movements, rather, moves consciously.

Mindless repetition of physical practice is only a mechanical exercise.

Mindless repetition of physical practice is only a mechanical exercise. The mechanics of Taijiquan can be taught, but the art of Taijiquan can only be comprehended.

of Taijiquan can be taught, but the of Taijiquan can only be comprehended. You cannot enjoy the beauty of Taijiquan if you just practice but dont understand it.

Thirty-percent of understanding comes from your teacher, but seventy-percent from your diligent practice.

Thirty-percent of understanding comes from your teacher, but seventy-percent from your diligent practice. It is our body that calls us to practice, for it wants to be in balance;

Instead, it is our mind that cries out: "Wait---not today!"

Instead, it is our mind that cries out: "Wait---not today!" Dont find excuses not to practice, instead,

Find every opportunity to practice.

Find every opportunity to practice. You have to open your mind first, then your body.

You have to relax your mind first, then your body.

You have to relax your mind first, then your body. Cultivate your body in order to accumulate skills.

Cultivate your mind in order to accumulate wisdom.

Cultivate your mind in order to accumulate wisdom. It is good to have faith in our practice,

but a strong faith needs to be built upon our deep understanding of the art.

but a strong faith needs to be built upon our deep understanding of the art. When you are puzzled, your teacher is the answer.

When you have comprehended, everything is your teacher.

When you have comprehended, everything is your teacher. Indeed, some people feel more relaxed in a couch than at Taiji lessons,

however, they cannot take the couch along with them.

however, they cannot take the couch along with them. The success of many ancient Taiji masters was not from reading but training hard.

In the old days, students were told to practice first, understand later.

Nowadays, students want to understand first, practice later.

Nowadays, students want to understand first, practice later. To study with a famous master does not guarantee that you will be a successful disciple;

you have to make success of your own practice.

you have to make success of your own practice. A master is to teach us to be a student of Taiji, not his.

A master's virtue should be more important than his powerful skill. Skill dies with the master, but his virtue gets passed down.

A masters personal interpretations often became a lineages secret transmission, and with a theory behind them.

All masters believe in their own interpretations, theres no point to compare their differences.