The Practice of Tai Chi and Qi Gong Will With Regular
Practice Yield The following Benefits:
Tuition is $80.00 per month. It is due on the first day of the month. Some months have five weeks. No problem. It is still $80.00 per calendar month.
The tuition is the same regardless of how many classes you may miss on a month. Thus, if you are going on vacation, your tuition remains $80.00 for the month.
Why?
Well, when you go on your vacation, do you have the house, car or life insurance pro-rated? Do you have the healthclub not deduct the monthly fee for membership? Of course not.
Why then should your teacher take less?
The issue of tuition is one that has become a thorn on my side. Students often think they are “paying” for the instruction I give. Fact is, you cannot pay me enough for the wealth of information and life changing material I give to you. Thus, tuition is not a form of payment for the classes. It is but small token of appreciation for what I share with you..
Please understand that tuition is on subscription basis and will be deducted from your credit or debit card each month. More details are found here.
Not at this time. My teaching approach is not suitable for children. Tumbling, gymnastics, soccer, swimming are better choices. If a parent insists on his/her child studying martial arts, then Aikido is the best choice.
The study of Tai chi is one that should not be taken lightly. It is a serious study that takes time, perseverance, commitment and vision. Just like any other art form, tai chi is taught and learned in stages with each new level building upon the physical, emotional transformation and mental understanding brought about from previous instruction and practice. There are no short cuts in tai chi study and only with constant practice along with proper instruction will the student be able to reap the many benefits the art has to offer.
The curriculum I present to you on this site is based on my own experience with my teachers and on my own development both as a student and instructor of the art. I must admit that my current pedagogical approach to presenting tai chi has evolved partly from mistakes I made years ago as a younger instructor and from my own experiential awareness as I continue on my own studies.
It has been said by those who came before us many years ago, that tai chi chuan is not a beginner’s art. The early masters of the art would only teach tai chi to those students who already had some form of martial arts background. Thus the saying, “ The gates to tai chi are through Shaolin kung Fu”. It was then considered that a new student of the art would already have trained his body and mind in other disciplines such as kung fu as a preparatory step towards the more physical and mental demands of tai chi chuan study.
I’m fully aware that most prospective students do not have the prerequisites expected to commence tai chi training. To this end, I have designed a curriculum through which a new student can train his/her body and mind in preparation for tai chi practice. The current program takes around 5 to 8 years to complete. I’m equally aware that such lengthy process can be intimidating to the uninitiated and could potentially turn away those who want to just “try it” out of curiosity. It is not my intention to discourage anyone from studying tai chi. On the contrary. It is my wish that those seeking the art eventually integrate its principles into their daily lives. However, I feel it is my obligation as one who wishes to transmit a tradition, to inform newcomers of the task ahead.
The term Tai Chi dates back several thousand years. It is necessary to understand that the terms, Tai Chi and Tai Chi Chuan, while they share some common ground in that they are both rooted in Taoist philosophy, they are not necessarily the same thing. Tai Chi is a philosophical construct where the concept of Yin and Yang are clearly defined.
Tai Chi Chuan on the other hand, is a martial art which exemplifies the principles of Yin and Yang while in combat. A difference that should be understood.
Yang Style
The Yang style tai chi form taught at our school consists of 108 postures. This long form is taught only to those students who have completed the basic training curriculum and taught only one on one private classes. At this stage we build upon the foundation laid during the jibengong or basic training studied in the months past.
The form is divided into three sections. Each section consists of around 18 to 25 postures each. Some postures repeat throughout the solo form set. Careful attention is given to proper body alignments, relaxation, breathing, rooting and centering. Each student is required to learn the names of each posture. The set takes around 12 to 18 months to complete and the rest of our lives to refine..
My approach to teaching tai chi is very practical and physical in nature. While I’m aware of the healing, meditative and energetics aspects of tai chi, I chose not to focus on this items during early stages of learning. In my view, what matters in the begining is proper body mechanics and relaxation. It is only when the postures are performed in relaxed and properly aligned body, that the flow of energy becomes available through the acupuncture channels. To focus on energy flow in the beginning is equal to the saying “reaching the far while ignoring the near”.
Rainy Day Tai Chi
Cloudy Day Tai Chi is a short form based on Yang Style of tai chi chuan. The form is a very short form that only requires a few square feet to perform. I learned this form from one of my teachers, Master Zhen Kang Sun in Newark, Delaware. Master Sun’s family is responsible for the creation of the Sun Style of Tai Chi Chuan and I was fortunate to have had him as my teacher while living in Newark.
Master Sun learned this form from famous martial artist Grandmaster Zhang Wenguan who was the form’s creator and the person who introduced Tai Chi to the Western world at the 1936 Olympics in Germany. It was the first time that a Tai Chi form was performed for an international event outside of China. You can read a little bit about this event here
Rainy Day Tai Chi is taught to all students who have completed both the Jibengong and the Yang 108 postures form. Senior students are not required to have learned the long 108 solo form. However, jibengong is a requirement.
Jibengong is a term used in Chinese martial arts that means ‘basic training’. This is an important and necessary process which should be carefully observed if any benefits are to be derived from tai chi practice. All arts have this process. Music, dancing, painting, you name it, some basic training is essential for further study and tai chi is no exception to this rule. The aim of jibengong, is to prepare the body in various ways. Physically, the body needs to be strong. The legs play a very important role as they are the foundation upon which all upper body motion springs from, and their strength facilitate slow, even and smooth movement. Basic training is what we in the West call “paying your dues”. Jibengong helps the new student generate a sense of balance, develops root and centering. It is only through jibengong that one learns to relax, breathe properly and to move as one unit. Through this stage, the student needs to keep a vision in order to endure the training. It is easy to become discouraged and give up. However, with perseverance and a vision, basic training can be very invigorating and refreshing. Basic Training is divided into two categories. 1)External training (Wai Gong), used in some Kung Fu and Karate systems. Often the training includes hardening the muscle/skeletal system in order to be able to receive high impact strikes. 2) Internal training. The latter is further divided into two categories: Qi Gong and Nei Gong. The jibengong taught at our school is of the second class.
This is the core of our early basic training. The Chinese term “Zhan Zhuang”, is a composite of two characters depicting a stake placed deep into the ground. It is often addressed as “Standing like a tree” “Pile standing” , “Universal Post” or, as we call our school, “Standing Post”. The practice involves the sustaining of static postures for a determined amount of time. During the early stages the postures are held for a few minutes and as the student progresses the length of time increases. There are eight basic postures plus two additional postures I borrowed from Hsing-I and Ba Gua, two sister arts of tai chi. Zhan Zhuang practice is also a form of meditation with the emphasis on cultivating stillness. The system belongs to the “Internal Training” or “Nei Gong” branch of jibengong. The outside is still while internally the Qi or life-force, flows through the acupuncture channels and collaterals. In my Chinese medicine practice, I have used Standing Post methods to help intractable lumbar pain in patients who did not respond to acupuncture or massage. The mechanism lies in the realignment of posture to gravity. I have also prescribed the practice to ladies who wish for an alternative approach for the treatment of osteoporosis. Standing practice is paramount for generating power in the martial arts while in combat. Through years of practice, the student learns to issue power from the ground through the body. All students are required to learn and practice Zhan Zhuang in order to advance in tai chi studies. The seemingly “static” practice of Zhan Zhuang yields “dynamic” results to those who persevere. To facilitate Standing Post practice, I’ve made a recording of music to meditate by with the sound of a gong every 5 minutes. Thus at 10 minutes the practitioner will hear two gongs and three at 15 minutes and so on. It is important to practice with some means of keeping time. If interested, send me an email with a request including your name. I will respond with a link to the download. Please note that this offer is made to students of Standing Post School
Chan Si Jin, Or Silk Reeling Cocoon Energy is a set of 30 Qi Gong excercises from Chen Style Tai Chi that trains the body to move in a spiral fashion from the feet through the legs, waist, torso and arms. The essence of tai chi movement is expressed through Chan Si Jin. Through tai chi practice the body is in a constant state of coiling and uncoiling, opening and closing, empty and full. These qualities are aquired and expressed through Chan Si Jin practice. The Silk Reeling Energy principle derives from the way that the silkworm spins a cocoon. It is also taught that the metaphor points to the way that silk is pulled with a loom, in a spiral fashion. Regardless of which analogy one employs, the principle of spiral movement is the same. During the early stages of tai chi study, the student is introduced to Standing Post (Zhan Zhuang), and to Silk Reeling Cocoon (Chan Si Jin) training. This early level can take between 9 to 12 months to complete.
Ba Duan Jin, or “Eight Pieces Of Brocade”, is an ancient set of exercises created by Lingqiushan, a monk in the Shaolin temple. The set is highly regarded by practitioners of all internal arts as a complete system for physical and energetic development. Ba Duan Jin practice promotes the flow of Qi through the channels, improves overall circulation, stimulates the glands, helps digestion, calms the mind and promotes overall general health. The system is easy to learn and long term practice awakens the spirit.
Bu Fa means Footwork. At this stage of learning the student is introduced to the “5 Steps” (Jin, Tui, Ku, Pan, and Zhong Ding) of tai chi and to tai chi walking. This aspect of tai chi practice is often overlooked due to the slow performance of the tai chi form. However, as a martial art, tai chi is not employed in a slow fashion. The practitioner needs to be able to make quick footwork changes in accordance to an opponent’s movement. Furthermore, later, when the student is introduced to push-hands (Tui Shou), footwork will facilitate tai chi principles such as following, sticking, adhering, and neutralizing. Bu Fa is essential training and should be given considerable attention. By learning footwork prior to form study, the student is able to concentrate on root, balance and centering without being distracted by form mechanics such as positioning of the hands, tucking of the pelvis, and other tai chi body alignments.
Ba Jin Ba Ji or “Eight Energies”, builds upon tai chi “5 steps” and together represent the “Shi San Shi” or “Thirteen Gates” of tai chi. The Ba Jin are: Ward off (Peng), Lu (Roll Back), Ji (Press), An (Push), Tsai (Pull Down), Lieh (Split), Chou (Elbow), Kao (Shoulder). While the Eight Energies are also postures in the tai chi form, they are also qualities or state of being. At the early stages of learning, these are taught as postures. First the student learns the mechanics of the postures by holding the postures in a static position. Correction of body alignments are made and as the student practices, the body gradually creates an “image” of the postures configuration. Next, the student learns the postures in a dynamic state. Meaning that the postures are practice with movement combined with the footwork (Bu Fa) previously learned. In the beginning this is taught in a very physical and calisthenic manner. Later the student flows into meditative/energetic aspect of practice.
Tai Chi Sword Tai Chi sword is taught to students who have been practicing the Yang long form or the Cheng Man Ching short form for at least 3 years. Sword form takes tai chi practice to a new level of body alignments. It also serves as a form of meditation and teaches the practitioner who to extend energy beyond the hands through the blade. Traditionally, there's a sequence for learning weapons in Tai Chi Chuan. There's a classic Chinese martial arts saying illustrating the increasing complexity and mastery needed for different weapons: it takes about 100 days to get proficient with a spear (Qiang), 1,000 days for a saber (Dao), and a demanding 10,000 days (years) for the elegant, precise straight sword (Jian), emphasizing foundational skills before advanced techniques, with the sword requiring the longest dedication to truly master. Unfortunately, to learn the spear, plenty of space is required. Remember, traditionally, tai chi was taught outdoors with a few selected students to be under the master's teaching in his house—the so called "indoor students". The type of sword form studied is the Tai Chi double edged sword or “jian” . This sword is often called the King of Weapons. A specific sequence of postures and transitions of movement are learned slowly which is essential for proper sword practice..
Tui Shou or Push-hands, is a link between solo form practice and martial application. The practice adheres to tai chi principles and is based on the “Shi San Shi” learned in previous lessons. It is practiced with a partner in an interplay or exchange of techniques learned during solo form study. Through tui shou practice the student learns to “listen”, “stick”, “follow”, “adhere”, “neutralize” and “discharge”. By relying on these principles, the student learns to use softness in order to overcome strength. Without push hands practice, the student cannot appreciate the martial content within the solo form. Push hands is learned in stages and it behooves the student to follow each level carefully to avoid habits he/she will later regret.
Good question! First, I'm a primary health care provider. I opened my first practice in Chicago in 1988. I am National Board Certified and licensed to practice in Florida and Colorado. I am also a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist. Second, I have practiced Tai Chi and other martial arts for over 30 years, and opened my first school in 1991. About the Practitioner/Instructor Old City Tai chi is under the guidance of Shirfu Fernando Bernall, DOM, who has been studying martial arts for over thirty years and practicing Chinese Medicine since 1988. His studies include Korean Hap-Ki-Do, Taijiquan, Xingyiquan and Qi Gong.He has also been exposed to Indonesian arts such as Kun Tao Silat through Willem deThouars, Tae Kwon Do and Kosho Ryu Kempo. During the last 20 years he has focused his attention on the Chinese martial arts with particular emphasis on Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. Fernando is the creator of Heqiquan™, a step by step protocol for teaching and learning empty hand combat based on his studies of martial arts and combat oriented calisthenics. He has also developed, from his studies in martial arts, anatomy and fitness, a joint mobility method he calls “The SpiralFlow Method of Joint Mobility”. He has won a number of tournaments including the prestigious events by the International Kung Fu Tournament held in Baltimore, MD in 1999 where he won the National and International Tai Chi Push-Hands (Tui-Shao) competitions. In May 25, 2008, in the International Chinese Martial Arts Championship held in Orlando, Florida, he took the Gold medal in the men's heavyweight Restricted-step push hands division. As student and practitioner of Chinese Medicine, Fernando is licensed to practice acupuncture in the states Florida and Colorado and holds national board certification by the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). Along with acupuncture, he practices Shiatsu, TuiNa and Chinese herbal medicine and holds certification in Blood Chemistry Analysis. He has completed postgraduate training on Acupuncture for the treatment of drug addiction at Lincoln Medical Center in the South Bronx, New York. Fernando is also a certified microbiome analysis and has authored a book on the subject of gut health. His book, In The Belly of Darkness: A Journey Through The Microbiome and Its Secrets, is available at Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. Fernando is a CrossFit Certified Kettelbells Instructor through Jeff Martone, and has completed intensive Personal Training program through the W.I.T.S (World Instructor Training Schools) at the University of North Florida (UNF). I also completed the Chicago Marathon in 1984 Fernando lives in St.Augustine, FL with his wife and two children and is available for workshops in Qi Gong, self-defense and Tai Chi’s push handd. He can be reached at: 904-806-7123