Jumping Rope and Gliding

I have been practicing T’ai Chi Chih for four years now, and it has been my pleasure to be able to teach it for two years. In my classes I try to find easier ways for my students to do the movements and to remember them.

Wrist Circle Concept – Loose Wrists

Jumping Rope: I have found, in doing “Bird Flaps Its Wings,” they seem to understand the wrist circle concept faster if I have them make believe they are holding a rope and are jumping with it as they did as children. Then, I have them open and soften their hands, and I get a perfect wrist circle for this movement.

Weight Shifting – Yinning and Yanging

Gliding: To get a more even yin-yang flow I tell them to pretend that their torsos are on a rod that is on a glider and their legs are the only things bending so as they move back and forth in the yin-yang movement they do not lean forward or backward, but stay in the up-right position.

I hope these hints will be helpful to others as they have been to the few teachers in my area.