Question or Picture

Issue

Page

Issue 1

What is Tai Chi Chuan?

1

1

What is the origin of Tai Chi?

1

2

Is Tai Chi standardized?

1

2

How can Tai Chi help me achieve good health?

1

2

Why should I do Tai Chi instead of some other “maintenance” program?

1

2

What is “yielding” in Tai Chi?

1

3

What is Internal Power (Nei Kung) and how do students develop it?

1

4

Is Tai Chi self-defense well suited for women or smaller people?

1

5

How do I go about learning Tai Chi?

1

5

What is the basic curriculum one follows in the study of Tai Chi?

1

6

Does it become boring to practice the same form every day for the rest of your life? Isn’t there something else to learn?

1

6

If Tai Chi is a complete martial art, why should I also practice meditation, Chi Kung, and Nei Kung?

1

8

Sifu in Bow and Arrow Stance

1

1

Line drawing of Chang San-feng

1

2

Sifu and M. Ballantine doing Push-Hands

1

3

Kate and Akiko demonstrating an application

1

4

Sifu in Horse Stance

1

6

World Tai Chi Day Eternal Spring Class

1

7

Issue 2

Part I: Tai Chi Postures

2

1-4

Why lean forward and round the back?

2

2

When do we lean back in tai chi?

2

4

Part II: Tai Chi as Martial Art

2

5-6

How can we learn to fight by practicing in slow motion?

2

5

Slow and Fast Tai Chi practice for fighting application

2

5

Tai Chi vs Other Martial Arts

2

6

Part III: Tai Chi and Sex

2

6-7

What is the Taoist view of sex

2

6

How does Tai Chi affect sex

2

6

Sex and fighting arts

2

6

Sex and health

2

7

Part IV: Questions from Subscribers

2

7

Nei Kung, Weight Training and muscle strength in the upper body

2

8

Do you recommend a particular translation of the Tao Te Ching

2

8

P Sifu demonstrates brush Knee application 1983

2

1

P Sifu doing Horse Stance

2

2

P Series of old masters leaning fwd

2

3

P Series of Sifu and Dan N. doing Push-Hands

2

4

P Sifu and Dan N. close-up leaning fwd

2

5

P pic from page 1 smaller

2

5

Issue 3

Part 1: Practicing Tai Chi:

3

1

I’ve completed the Short Form and a correction. What should I do next?

3

2

After the Short Form, are there other forms to learn?

3

2

Besides Push Hands and Fighting 1, what other classes are there?

3

2

Part Two: Tai Chi as a Martial Art:

I always thought that the reasons to do Tai Chi are only for health benefits. Is that all there is?

3

2

In the June 2006 newsletter you mentioned rootedness in selfdefense.
What exactly is it?

3

3

So far you mentioned three elements in self-defense: yielding, Nei Kung or internal power, and rootedness. Is there anything else?

3

3

Why should one engage in a practice aimed at hurting others?

3

4

Does Tai Chi develop confidence in fighting?

3

5

Part Three: Taoist Meditation:

What kind of Taoist meditation does Master Chu teach?

3

5

Why is “quiet sitting” good for us?

3

5

What other benefits does one gain from this type of meditation?

3

5

Part Four: Questions From Subscribers - More on Tai Chi and Sex

Can sex without release increase the body’s chi?

3

6

Are there any scientific studies done on this subject to prove the theory?

3

6

P Master Chu Demonstrates Rootedness in his Tai Chi
Studio in New York City,

2) “Resist” Demonstration,

3) Close-Up of Hands from the Above Demonstration,

4) Yield,

5) Uproot,

6) Master Chu's Letter to the New York Times

Issue 4

Part 1: Tai Chi and Health

4

2

What is the definition of health in your view?

4

2

Part Two: Slow Movement in Tai Chi

4

2-3

What is the importance of smoothness in practicing Tai Chi?

4

2

How do you coordinate breathing to slow movement in Tai Chi?

4

2

Can the slow movement of Tai Chi benefit the cardiovascular system?

4

3

In what way does slow movement benefit the cardiovascular system?

4

Part Three: Taoist Meditation:

4

4

Can you further elaborate on the benefits of Taoist meditation
practice?

4

4

Part Four: Questions From Subscribers - I Ching and Numerology:

4

5-7

Was the I Ching developed separately from the Tao Te Ching?

4

5

Do the two books correlate and does the I Ching relate to Tai Chi and other kung fu?

4

5

You’ve written that the number 36 has special significance in Taoist
numerology. What is that significance?

4

5

Please explain in more detail (and, if possible, with photos) the three stages of developing the back (lower, middle, & upper) in Embracing Horse.

4

6-7

P Sifu Demonstrating Horse Stance

4

1

P Two pic series of Sifu doing Slant Flying

4

3

P Three pic series Sifu demonstrating high, medium, low Horse Stance

4

6-7

Issue 5

Part One: Tai Chi as a Martial Art:

5

2-3

How many years of practice are required before one can successfully apply Tai Chi fighting techniques in the outside world?

5

2

It seems that Tai Chi does not emphasize discipline to the degree that other systems do.

5

2

Tai Chi has an image that is very different from what most people associate with “martial arts.”

5

3

Part Two: Pain during Practice:

5

4

Should there be any pain when practicing Tai Chi?

5

4

Part Three: Further Benefits of Meditation:

5

4

How does having a strong mind help us in our daily life?

5

4

Part Four: Questions from Subscribers:

5

5-7

On Taoist Meditation:
I realize that I am fearful of emptying my mind, even though I have gone past that stage in meditation, and have been able to do it. Every time I get to that point, it feels terrifying even though I know everything is going to be okay once I do it. I guess it seems like a little “death,” to empty the mind of thoughts. What’s this all about?

5

5

On Push Hands:
People have such different types of energy. While yielding though, I feel like I am losing myself: I become a chameleon, adapting to each person. How do I yield but also maintain my own goal and energy?

5

6

On Tai Chi Practice:
We learn the tai chi form very meticulously. How do we bridge the gap between including all the details of the form and achieving smoothness?

5

6

Does sex without release work the same way Nei Kung does in increasing chi?

5

7

If sex is a natural part of life why do Taoist monks practice celibacy?

5

7

P Sifu demonstrates Iron Vest – punched by Dan Z.

5

1

P Sifu uses Heel Kick to defend against punch from Dan Z.

5

2

P Sifu demonstrates Iron Vest – punched by Dan Z. (bigger)

5

3

Issue 6

Part One: Learning Tai Chi

6

2

Can I learn Tai Chi from books or videos?

6

2

Part Two: Yang Style Tai Chi:

6

2

Are some styles of Tai Chi better than others?

6

2

Is Yang the most popular style because it is the easiest to learn?

6

2

Part Three: Various Aspects of Tai Chi Study:

6

3-5

How can I see if a teacher or school incorporates the primary elements that make for “correct” Tai Chi?

6

3

Are there good Tai Chi teachers who don’t teach fighting?

6

3

You mentioned that we develop our “subconscious awareness”. What do you mean by this?

6

4

If the ideal training regimen is meditation first, then Nei Kung and then Tai Chi, why aren’t the classes at the Tai Chi Chuan Center taught in that order?

6

5

Part Four: Questions from Subscribers:

6

7

On Tai Chi Practice:
While it seems very important to practice the form smoothly, at a constant pace without interruptions, is there also value in stopping at the end of a movement and checking/ correcting your alignment and holding? Or is that the exclusively the domain of standing practice like Nei Kung?

6

7

On Horse Stance:
What should “lasting forever” feel like?

6

7

On Horse Stance:
If you are in correct alignment, should your legs be feeling relaxed or is it normal to experience some degree of muscle strain?

6

7

1) Brush Knee and Twist Step (at Eastern U.S. Kung Fu
Federation, Chinatown, NYC, 1983)

6

2) Leaning Forward and Rounding in the Horse Stance

6

3) Dong Hu Ling,

6

4) Yang Chen Fu,

6

5) Dong Yie Jieh,

6

6) Wu Jian Quan,

6

7) Shift & Twist Demonstration,

6

8) Lean back like the tall grass,

6

9) Prepare to strike,

6

10) Lean forward & attack with Brush Knee and Twist Step,

6

11) Lean forward & attack: Detail

6

Issue 7

I live far from the city and can only come to tai chi class for corrections occasionally. What is the best way to enhance my practice?

7

2

What makes martial art fighting different from a bar fighting?

7

2

What are the benefits of doing the form low, medium and high?

7

2

What are Silk Reeling and Spiral Power? Are "The Compass," "Rhino Gazes at the Moon," "Owl Turns His Head" and "Wave Clouds (Stationary feet)" examples of Silk Reeling exercises?

7

3

Why is the qua so important?

7

4

There is more to practicing the fast form than just doing the form faster. What else should we concentrate on?

7

5

What are Master Chu's views about consumption of intoxicants/medicines/supplements, etc. especially alcohol or other chemicals either prescribed or not?

7

5-6

Issue 8

Can the amount of chi be measured?

8

2

What do Tai Chi and Nei Kung do to the bodily system?

8

2

What are the tai chi classics

8

2

Previously, you spoke about doing the form low, medium, and high. What about Horse Stance?

8

3

How does one judge his progress in Tai Chi, Nei Kung, and Meditation?

8

3

What are some of the main differences between the way people train today and in the past?

8

4

Why are some postures done only on one side? Is this unbalanced?

8

5

If Tai Chi is a fighting art, why are some of its movements so flowing and pleasing to the eye?

8

6

Is too much yielding bad or unbalanced?

8

6

What is the best course for a student to take in order to fully realize the Tai Chi Chuan principles and make them applicable?

8

6

Master Yang Cheng fu

8

1

Meridian chart

8

2

Correct Horse Alignment

8

3

Incorrect Knee Alignment; Knee over toe alignment

8

4

Master Yang Cheng fu demonstrating the Yang style push

8

5

Master Chu demonstrating the fighting application of Brush Knee

8

6

Master Yang Cheng fu demonstrating Pi’Pa

8

7

Issue 9

What is the concept behind the Continuous Form?

9

2

How does Push Hands training strengthen the tai chi form?

9

2

How does a relaxed fist that is trained properly penetrate deeper than a stiff one does?

9

3

Please explain the difference between Nei Kung and Chi Kung.

9

3

How do we know if we are practicing too much Nei Kung?

9

3

How do Nei Kung and Tai Chi exercise the organs?

9

3

How does one move the chi within his body with his mind or will? Is this a dangerous practice?

9

4

How can one achieve quietness in the city where it is noise and hectic?

9

4

Are there any other steps I can take to achieve quietness?

9

4

Have you ever had to use self-defense in real life?

9

5

P Master Chu demonstrating Fan Through Back

9

1

P Master Yang Cheng Fu demonstrates Snake Creeps Down

9

2

P Master Yang Cheng Fu demonstrates Da Lu push hands

9

2

P Master Yang Cheng Fu demonstrates a Single Whip application

9

3

P Master Chu demonstrates Tai Chi Groin Punch

9

3

P Eternal Spring Class

9

3

P Nei Kung Pi Pa posture

9

3

P The Cover of Master Chu’s groundbreaking Book of Nei Kung

9

4

P Chinese Character for Chi

9

4

P Full Lotus position in Times Square

9

5

Issue 10

Why should I do Tai Chi?

10

2

Is it true that Tai Chi Chuan slows down the aging process?

10

2

Is Tai Chi for everyone?

10

2

How do you get the most from a teacher?

10

3

Can you give another example of following curriculum?

10

3

Do some students take a long time to learn the form?

10

4

Do some students learn the form faster than others?

10

4

So what would make an ideal student?

10

4

P Master Chu demonstrates Golden Rooster

10

1

P Master Yang Cheng Fu spread Tai Chi Chuan worldwide.

10

2

P Eternal Spring Class

10

2

P Nei Kung alignment.

10

3

P Master Chu giving essential correction.

10

3

P Characters for the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu’s philosophy is the heart of Tai Chi Chuan.

10

3

P Master Chu leads a group of students in a demonstration of the fast form in Bryant Park.

10

4

Issue 11

How do exercises like running or weightlifting compare with Tai Chi Chuan?

11

2

In fighting, do we ever set a trap to lure an opponent?

11

2

When striking an opponent, what is the correct distance for maximum power?

11

2

Does Nei Kung strengthen the knees?

11

3

How can I reach a higher level in Tai Chi and Nei Kung?

11

3

What kind of meditation do you teach?

11

3

What is Taoist meditation?

11

4

Is it easy to discovery your individual Tao?

11

4

Is meditation an important part of Tai Chi training?

11

4

P Master Chu demonstrates Full Lotus position in Times Square

11

1

P Chu student and fighting champion John Signorello demonstrating his heel kick.

11

2

P Chu Tai Chi students sparring.

11

2

P Master Chu demonstrates Horst Stance.

11

3

P 2006 Chu Tai Chi fighting and push hands Champions.

11

3

P Master Chu and Signorello after his 2006 victories.

11

4

P Half Lotus meditation posture.

11

4

P Chinese characters for ‘the benefits of meditation.’

11

5

Issue 12

What’s the difference between learning Tai Chi for health and for self-defense?

12

2

Am I missing something if I don’t learn Tai Chi as self-defense?

12

2

Is Tai Chi fighting something I can pick up quickly?

12

2

But what if I am not interested in learning self-defense?

12

3

How does Tao Chi fighting compare to other styles of martial arts fighting?

12

3

Does high level Nei Kung training strengthen the body’s weakest points?

12

4

What does meditation have to do with self-defense?

12

4

P Master Chu demonstrates Tai Chi Chuan self-defense against a double knife attack with a knee strike.

12

1

P Master Chu demonstrates “Brush Knee and Twist Step” at Exhibition in Chinatown, New York City.

12

2

P Master Yang Cheng fu demonstrates application of Single Whip.

12

2

P Master Dong Yieh Jie demonstrates the knee strike from the long form.

P Akiko demonstrates a “Roll Back to opponent’s head” instead of the arm.

P Chu student and fighting champion John Signorello demonstrates his tournament-winning heel kick.

Issue 13

I have been studying Tai Chi for a while – why is fighting application rarely mentioned in my classes?

13

2

Do the smaller parts of a move become one move later on?

13

2

Has Tai Chi been refined over the years?

13

2

What is Tai Chi’s place in the history of martial arts?

13

3

What’s the difference between Horse Stance and sitting Meditation?

13

3

Why is alignment so important in Tai Chi?

13

4

In what order should I practice Meditation, Nei Kung, and Tai Chi?

13

4

P Master Chu and a student demonstrate Snake Creeps Down.

13

1

P Master Chu demonstrates Tai Chi Opening.

13

2

P Master Chu always gives essential one-on-one corrections in class.

13

2

P Master Chu demonstrates “Seven Stars Kick” in Bryant Park.

13

2

P Master Yang Cheng-fu demonstrates “Snake Creeps Down.”

13

3

P Master Wu Jian-quan demonstrates “Snake Creeps Down.”

13

3

P Master Deng Yieh-jie demonstrates “Snake Creeps Down.”

13

3

P Master C. K. Chu demonstrates “Snake Creeps Down.”

13

3

P The Taoist philosophical principle of ‘Tai Chi’ is the root of Tai Chi Chuan.

13

3

P Master Chu gives a thorough introduction and step-by-step guide to meditation in his book, Chu Meditation.

13

4

P Nei Kung alignment from Master Chu’s classic The Book of Nei Kung.

13

4

Issue 14

Do we get a good cardiovascular workout from Tai Chi?

14

2

Can you elaborate on how slow and fast Tai Chi affect the bodily systems?

14

2

Should we wear weighted hand bands or leg bands while practicing Tai Chi?

14

3

What are some exercises other than Tai Chi for strengthening the whole body?

14

3

What is the difference between postnatal and prenatal breathing?

14

4

Why do we open our mouths and breathe out audibly in between Eternal Spring Chi Kung exercises?

14

4

What is the purpose of Roaring Lion in Eternal Spring?

14

5

P Chen Wei Ming, one of the great tai chi scholars of the early twentieth century

14

1

P Chen Wei demonstrates Fan Through Back.

14

2

P A student demonstrates fast form.

14

2

P Iron Palm training bags at Chu Tai Chi.

14

3

P A student demonstrates knuckle push-ups.

14

3

P A meridian chart.

14

3

P Breathing illustration from Master Chu’s classic The Book of Nei Kung.

14

4

P Eternal Spring Roaring Lion form.

14

4

Issue 15

What should our state of mind be while doing Tai Chi?

15

2

Can you give a specific example of how slow Tai Chi helps the body?

15

2

Should we learn meditation first, before learning Eternal Spring, Tai Chi or Nei Kung?

15

3

Does thinking use up a lot of energy?

15

3

What does it mean to short circuit the system?

15

4

Does positive thinking drain the body?

15

4

How long does it take before someone experiences chi during meditation?

15

4

Can you describe some examples of feeling chi?

15

4

Do you feel chi along the meridians?

15

5

Can we visualize the chi going through our bodies as we meditate?

15

5

Should we try to move the chi throughout the body?

15

6

Besides chi, what does meditation do to us?

15

6

P Hand position for meditation from the book, Chu Meditation.

15

1

P Famous tai chi master, Wu Tunan, demonstrates Slant Flying.

15

2

P Dong Hu Ling demonstrating Step, Forward, Parry and Punch.

15

2

P Full Lotus meditation posture.

15

3

P Alignment illustration from Master Chu’s classic The Book of Nei Kung.

15

4

P Master Chu gives a thorough introduction and step-by-step guide to meditation in his book, Chu Meditation.

15

4

Issue 16

Is Nei Kung some kind of bulletproof vest?

16

2

How will I know if my Nei Kung practice is paying off?

16

2

I’ve been practicing Nei Kung for a while. What else can I do to improve my practice?

16

3

Why does Nei Kung work?

16

3

Is it important to follow the order of the exercises in Nei Kung?

16

4

P Master Chu’s groundbreaking book, The Book of Nei Kung, was the first to reveal the secrets of Nei Kung to the West.

16

1

P Master Chu demonstrates Horse Stance.

16

2

P Master Chu demonstrates P’i P’a.

16

3

P Breathing illustration from Master Chu’s classic The Book of Nei Kung.

16

4

P Dong Hu Ling demonstrates Push.

16

4

P Master Chu demonstrates the Nei Kung posture Hitting the Tiger in Bryant Park. 

16

5

P Meridian Chart.

16

5

Issue 17

Why have you decided to offer teacher certification?

17

2

Whom do you hope to certify?

17

2

This program doesn’t seem very traditional. Why not just stick with the old system of apprenticeship?

17

2

What do you mean when you say that teaching and learning tai chi should resemble a university system?

17

3

Could you talk more about how teaching could help my own practice?

17

3

I’ve been studying with you for a long time and have been an assistant at your school. Why should I get a certificate?

17

4

Why must I study Nei Kung, Meditation, and Tai Chi when I just want to teach Eternal Spring Chi Kung?

17

4

How much does the certification program cost?

17

4

When I teach Eternal Spring, how much personal interpretation or deviation should I provide?

17

5

P An ad in the Times Square Subway Station evoking what people know the world over: Tai Chi is good for health. Send us your photos of tai chi in daily life.

17

1

P Master Chu teaching Brush Knee at CK Chu Tai Chi.

17

3

P Master Chu explains the way to fix back problems using tai chi during an Eternal Spring Workshop.

17

5

Issue 18

Why Tai Chi?

18

1

Eternal Spring Chi Kung

18

2

What is the concept behind the order of the exercises?

18

2

What are the Supplemental Exercises?

18

3

Can I visualize colors or use specific tongue positions to enhance my chi kung training?

18

3

How can I maximize my chi kung training?

18

3

Tai Chi Form

18

4

Do corrections ever end?

18

4

What, specifically, is the best path to progress?

18

5

Is the tai chi form continuous from beginning to end?

18

6

Teaching

18

7

I am just beginning to teach tai chi to a small group of students,
how can I interest them in Eternal Spring Chi Kung?

18

7

Why does posture and stance differ from student to student within the school and among the teaching assistants? How should I handle that as a student?

18

7

P A possible cover of Master Chu’s forthcoming book, Why Tai Chi?, available soon from Sunflower Press and CK Chu Tai Chi.

18

1

P Eternal Spring Chi Kung Workshop, 2003.

18

2

P Dan Zegibe assists an Eternal Spring Class in Bryant Park, NYC.

18

3

P The Mawangdul Dao Yin Poster showing an artists reconstruction of renderings on silk archeologists found in a tomb.

18

3

P Master Chu leads people in the short form in Bryant Park, NYC

18

4

P A demonstration in Columbus Park, 1978.

18

5

P Sweep Lotus demonstrated by Tung Ying-chieh (1898-1961).

18

6

P Another possible cover for Why Tai Chi? coming soon form CK Chu Tai Chi and Sunflower Press.

18

8