Dao House... Practical Dao

"...the art of utilizing internal energy, Chi, for various applications." Sections on the arts of meditation, healing, and fighting. Each section offers step-by-step exercises and additional resources. [Popup alert]

Practical

Therapeutic

Political

"Taoists conclude that the way to learn about the universe is to look inside our body, and the way to understand more about our body is to observe the universe, the Tao."

www.observer.co.uk/life/story/0,6903,636217,00.html

Sermons

From the weekly Observer (UK) column by the charismatic "Barefoot Doctor." To him, Daoism:

Tao of...

Resources

"...is not a religion, but provides a personal operating system which you install in your body-mind's hard disk by regular practice of psychophysical exercises ranging from t'ai chi and the other internal boxing forms, chi gung, calisthenics, meditation and inner 'alchemy' all the way through to observing the correct feng shui in your home and workplace, clearing your meridians with acupuncture or shiatsu and even how you make love with your partner."

Beyond Ch'i: Body Energy Frequencies in Traditional Chinese Medicine

www.jadedragon.com/archives/tao_heal/bydchi1.html

Two-page article by Dimitri Kostynick (New School for Social Research, NY) discusses the jing (ching), qi (ch'i), and shen energies. See also Kostynick's article, "What is Ch'i Gung (qigong)?"

"Shen is generally translated as 'spirit.' In the West, we have inherited a medical system that follows the Catholic Church's decision in the Middle Ages to separate the healing of the soul from that of the physical body..."

The Five Elemental Energies

www.spiritual.com.au/articles/healing/fiveenergies_llieske.htm

Clearly written account by Lee Lieske (Phoenix, AZ) of the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) and how they interact in the cycles of nature. [Popup alert]

"As manifestations of yin and yang on earth, the Five Elemental Energies represent various degrees of 'fullness' and 'emptiness' in the relative balance of yin and yang within any particular energy system."

The Five Elements: Ancient Model of Body-Mind-Spirit Transformation

www.consciouschoice.com/2000/cc1312/thefiveelements1312.html

Long essay by acupuncturist Justin Pomeroy on the use of five element theory in medicine and health. From Conscious Choice, The Journal of Ecology and Natural Living. [Popup alert]

"It is our birthright to explore and experience the primordial purity of that true inner self and to accomplish the necessary work that allows our lives to be organized and maintained from a position of self-leadership. This was the original teaching of Daoism, from which the ancient medicine sprang -- that there is a way of life that allows for a healthy alignment of the body/mind to the inner Spirit."

Taoist Long Life Diet

www.seahorsearts.co.uk/diet2.htm

Chee Soo's dietary guidelines (basically macrobiotic). From the Taoist Cultural Arts Association site (Warwickshire, UK). Lists foods to add to your diet and those to avoid.

Food Energetics

www.acupuncturecare.com/food.htm

Scott Suvow (acupuncturist, herbologist, NY) describes the role of the "energetic properties of food" in Chinese diet and medicine, with several examples of how food is classified.

"These qualities include - taste, color, temperature, meridian entered, direction, yin-yang, organ nourished, and treatment principle."

The Three Worms

www.ancientway.com/Pages/ThreeWorms.html

On the other hand, there's the ancient Daoist tradition of avoiding grains, based on the theory of The Three Worms that must be eliminated from the body. Kevin O'Neil (acupuncturist, herbalist, writer, Klamath Falls, OR) presents some interesting "Historical and Theoretical Background" on this aspect of Daoism.

"Most people stop at an amused appreciation of the legends [of Daoist Immortals], and see no benefit from exploring the practices which claim to bestow immortality on an aspirant. However, as Chinese Medicine grows in popularity around the world, and Western scholars go beyond the Communist-synthesized TCM, it becomes apparent that the Daoist roots of Chinese Medicine are of extreme importance historically, philosophically, and even clinically."

A Modern Taoist Lifestyle

www.themetaarts.com/archives/200308/chinesemedicine.html

O'Neil's article from The Meta Arts online magazine examines ancient and contemporary practice, especially the Daoist herbal tonic tradition. This and a subsequent article, "Is Chinese Medicine a Science?," conclude with the author's list of "the top 10 herbs to learn about and use." See also his article on "Traditional Chinese Herbal Categories."

"History focuses too much on the failed experiments and the mistakes of a few alchemists and rarely pays respect to the alchemical discoveries of distillation, metalurgy, dye-making, and pharmaceutical science."

Taoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine

www.purifymind.com/TaoismMedicine.htm

Brief overview from Hank Fu's Purify Our Mind site. Originally from the Taoist Sanctuary of San Diego.

"The earliest practitioners of healing were the Wu, shamanic practitioners who were usually women. Their methods involved exorcism and trance states that were used to formulate healing ceremonies and rituals... The outgrowth of these practices was carried into the traditions of the Tao shih, or the Taoist priests, and their ritual and healing practice. The Tao shih used dance, song, and meditation-visualization to comprehend and treat diseases."

The origins of Chinese Medicine

www.zhenjiu.de/Literature/Fachartikel/englisch/origins-of.htm

In a well-written paper, Imre Galambos (University of California, Berkeley) discusses the early classics of Chinese medicine, and argues that:

"...the materials found in the Mawangdui tombs confirm that even during the early Han, Chinese medicine was still far from that comprehensive and subtle universality which became its main characteristics during the next millennium."

Huangdi neijing, "The Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine"

www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Daoists/huangdineijing.html

Excerpts from the c. 200 BCE treatise, as translated by Maoshing Ni (Yo San University, Santo Monica, CA). From Ulrich Theobald's ChinaKnowledge site.

"During his reign, the Yellow Emperor discoursed on medicine and health, lifestyle, nutrution, and Taoist cosmology with his ministers..."

Yin and Yang in Medical Theory

http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/yinyang.html

Excerpts from Mark Coyle's translation of the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine, introduced by Patricia Ebrey. From Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. On Paul Halsall's Brooklyn College site for "Core 8, Chinese Culture."

"By observing myself I learn about others, and their diseases become apparent to me. By observing the external symptoms, I gather knowledge about the internal diseases. One should watch for things out of the ordinary. One should observe minute and trifling things and treat them as if they were big and important."

Classical Chinese Medicine: The Science of Biological Forces

www.medicalacupuncture.org/aama_marf/journal/vol12_2/article2.html

2000 journal article by Edward S. Garbacz (M.D., Atlanta, GA) and Sean C. Marshall (Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine, Sugar Grove, NC), with opening sections on "The Role of Daoist Philosophy in Chinese Science and Medicine" and "Daoist Philosophy and Modern Physics," followed by discussion of Yin Yang, Wuxing, and Bagua as qualitative measures.

"Western science functions in a context of reductionism, linearity, and causality; individual events are isolated from their whole and subjected to the 'scientific method' to see how they may interrelate... Chinese science, a qualitative science, derives from a context of inclusion, concurrence, and indirection. Events are seen as initially interconnected..."

an introduction to chinese medicine: an owner's manual for anybody who has a body

www.jungtao.edu/ccm/articles/manual.html

Sean C. Marshall and Bonnie L. Wal set forth the basic principles.

"A science is by definition rooted in its system of philosophical beliefs: for Western science, it is the Greek-based philosophy of reductionism (separating into parts in order to understand the whole), as opposed to the unified theory of Daoist philosophy: the difference between observing segments as opposed to observing systems, moelcules as opposed to universes."

Acupuncture FAQ

http://qi-journal.com/TCM.asp?-token.SEarchID=Acupuncture%20FAQ

From Qi: The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness, a multi-part article on frequently asked questions about the history and principles of acupuncture.

"...Western science has never been able to reconcile how Acupuncture works. They can prove 'that' it works, but not 'how' it works... Since Acupuncture is based on Daoist (Taoist) Oriental theories like 'yin' and 'yang' and 'the five elements,' a Chinese diagnosis may seem strange and unprofessional to Western physicians."

The Dao of Acupressure and Acupuncture

www.heilendestao.at/lit_en_taa.htm

Introductory section from a book for practitioners by Achim Eckert (Austria) provides basic information on traditional Daoist medicine, levels of healing, the Five Elements, and analysis of the Lung Meridian.

"...it can be assumed that traditional Chinese medicine in the Daoist sense - except in Taiwan - is most likely to be found in England, Holland, California, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Australia: in countries which were influenced by Chinese culture long before Mao came to power..."

Conceptual Systems of East Asian Medicine

http://kangsi1957.hihome.com/~kangsi1957/kangsi1957-1-23.html

Well-written paper by Shinik Kang (University of Wales Swansea) explores the contrasting conceptual structures of Eastern and Western medicine and how differences might be overcome.

"The word Tao has been a common source of misunderstanding for western thinkers though. They tend to see the universe composed of this world and the other world, and apply this conceptual framework to the Asiatic understanding of the universe... the basic attitude of East Asian medicine [is that] There are no dichotomies such as subject/object, norm/practice, creator/created, theory/practice, body/mind, to know/to do, and arguably epistemology/ontology."

External Qi Healing

www.newhopeclinic.co.nz/diagnosis.htm

Excerpt from Misha Ruth Cohen's (Doctor of Oriental Medicine, acupuncturist) book The Chinese Way to Healing: Many Paths to Wholeness. How to select a Chinese medical practitioner and what the initial examination entails.

"The Taoist system of belief is not some fancy window dressing that can be cast aside. It is part and parcel of Chinese Medicine treatments. No particular Chinese Medicine therapy, such as acupuncture or herbal remedies, can deliver its full healing potential if it is separated from the philosophical context of the Tao."

Essentials of Taoism and the Taoist Influence on Herbal Medicine Literature

www.itmonline.org/arts/taoism.htm

The first third of this long, informative page by Subhuti Dharmananda (Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, OR) discusses the core teachings of Daoism, as found in the Daodejing (Gia-fu Feng's version); the middle third focuses on "Practical Applications" of Chinese medicine and the ancient "crooked road" of ingesting metals to attain immortality (internal alchemy); the appendix contains excerpts from the works of Joseph Needham and others.

"The fundamentals of Taoism may well be correct in many ways, including benefiting health and lifespan. But the pathway that a group of early Taoists pursued towards immortality (rather than simply longevity) via alchemy, and even herbal remedies, appears to have been a crooked road leading to a dead end. One should therefore be cautious in reading traditional herbal literature to avoid being led astray. Still, we may find that some of the non-toxic remedies that the Taoists promoted, such as ganoderma, lycium fruit, and chrysanthemum flowers, might have health benefits that include prevention of disease and slight prolongation of life span."

What's in a Name? Free and Easy Wanderer's Powder

www.itmonline.org/arts/xiaoyao.htm

Dharmananda's case study of one tonic herbal formula, which takes the name of Zhuangzi's (Chuang-tzu) first chapter.

"The key is to depend on nothing at all, that is, to be free of all rigid concepts, all obstructions to movement through life, to have one's mind and body move according to the Tao... This roaming is not referring to actually traveling about the countryside; it refers to what goes on within the mind, either during meditation or in daily life."

The Philosophical Principles of Chinese Tonic Herbalism

www.qualitychineseherbs.com/philosophical_principles.htm

This page from Ron Teeguarden's (herbalist, writer, Daoist, Los Angeles) Quality Chinese Herbs site discusses Daoist aspects of Chinese herbalism. The site is a treasure-trove of information, including voluminous descriptions of more than 100 herbs.

"In the Daoist tradition which forms the foundation of the traditional Oriental healing and health-promoting arts, there are said to be Three Treasures that in effect constitute our life. These are known as jing, qi, (prouounced 'chee'), and shen. The ultimate goal of all of the Oriental healing and health-promoting arts is to cultivate, balance and expand the Three Treasures."

The Roots of Health. An Introduction to Chinese Herbal Medicine

www.traditionalhealtharts.com/papers/roots.html

2004 article from Qi Journal by Sean Fannin (Center for Traditional Health Arts, Petaluma, CA) explains the principles of Chinese herbalism.

"Identification of the root cause of imbalance takes place through pattern assessment, which includes the traditional diagnostic arts of pulse taking, observation of the tongue and body, and detailed questioning... If the underlying patterns are not identified then a therapeutic strategy or condition can't be effectively developed and the herbal treatment will result in a haphazard effect. When people with a specific complaint choose an herb symptomatically a certain number of them feel better, a certain number feel worse and a certain number will feel no different at all."

Tao of Health - Chinese Herbal Medicine Cabinet

www.jadedragon.com/archives/tao_heal/taoheal.html

Eyton Shalom (acupuncturist, San Diego) writes of alternatives to aspirin, Tums, Robitussin, etc. From the Jade Dragon Online site. See also his articles on "Women's Health - Menopause, Philosophies of the East and West," and "Living with the Seasons - Winter." Check the archives for more.

"The oldest herbal pharmaceutical manufacturer in China today, Tong Ren Tang, established in 1669, is located in Beijing and has been at the same address since 1702, 74 years before George Washington and Paul Revere!"

Tao sexual yoga synopsis

www.hps-online.com/hsexsummary.htm

Everything you always wanted to know about Daoist sex, from the alternative health site of "Jos-hua Medicine man." This page gives a synopsis, or you can click on each of six parts for lengthy excerpts from The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity by Daniel P. Reid. Includes a glossary (cunnilingus = "sipping the Vast Spring").

"For women, frequent intercourse with orgasm is the most efficient method of cultivating sexual essence and energy. For men, frequent intercourse with infrequent ejaculation is the key technique for cultivating sexual essence and energy."

Natural and Unnatural: An Application of Taoist Thought to Bioethics

www.univ.trieste.it/~etica/2004_2/CHENG-TEK_TAI.htm

2004 conference presentation and journal article by Michael Cheng-tek Tai (Chungshan Medical University, Taiwan; University of Saskatchewan) weighs in on Daoist views of life-support machinery, reproductive technology, and euthanasia.

"...the Taoist is uncomfortable with extra-ordinary treatments. But if this treatment could enable the body to restore its ability to function according to the original goodness of Tien [heaven], then the unnatural measures become ways to help return the way of Tao. This treatment thus can be accepted. But if the treatment is a violation of natural process and unable to restore the natural ability of the body to function on its own, this kind of medical treatment would be rejected..."

Daojiao Xinli

www.taoism.org.hk/taoist-world-today/taoism-us/pg7-7-3-14.htm

Livia Kohn's (Boston University) account of the historical development of Daoist meditation techniques. I don't know who put this online because I don't read Chinese, but it's out of Hong Kong, and the text is in English.

"The Shangqing scriptures with their manifold forms of visualization emerge in the mid-fourth century. Here practices include not only the concentration on interior lights and the visualization of gods in the body but also the active interaction with the gods, ecstatic excursions to the stars and heavens of the immortals, as well as the activation of inner energies in a proto-form of inner alchemy."

Taoist Tradition of Meditation: History, Transformation, and Comparison

www.bedegriffiths.com/dialogue/ciew_xiaogan.htm

Summary of a paper Liu Xiaogan (Chinese University of Hong Kong) presented at a Camaldolese Institute symposium. A survey of various Daoist meditation techniques and schools.

"Different from Christian meditation, which means to appeal to God, Taoist meditation is essentially inward... reached through one's concentration on mind or internal organs..."

Meditation

www.taichichuan.co.uk/information/articles/meditation.html

Long essay by Dan Docherty (notable taijiquan instructor and writer, London) describes a dozen methods of Daoist meditation, and links them to taijiquan. Includes sections on terminology and various other interesting observations.

"Some people say the longer the meditation the better, with a minimum of thirty minutes. I don't like to be so dogmatic. I have practiced Tai Chi Nei Kung [internal strength] for between fifteen minutes to three and a half hours for almost twenty five years, but when I practice Nei Kung sitting meditations, it is rarely for more than ten minutes... I actually believe that long practice of sitting meditation can be bad for you..."

Taoist Meditation Methods

http://1stholistic.com/Meditation/hol_meditation_taoist_meditation.htm

Basic guidelines from the Holistic Living site. The same site has directions for "Microcosmic Orbit Meditation."

"Taoist meditation methods have many points in common with Hindu and Buddhist systems, but the Taoist way is less abstract and far more down-to-earth..."

Taoist Inner Geography

http://linwebsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=377

Brian Kennedy (San Chung City, Taiwan) explains (and others comment on) how he uses the ancient "Nei Jing Tu" diagram of inner qi channels in his practice and teaching. See one version of the diagram here. From Derek Lin's Tea House 2.0 discussion forum.

"...I will look at a part of the diagram, close my eyes, then visualize the diagrams image in the corresponding part of my body. While doing this I will also check/feel for tension in that area of the body. Usually by simply being aware of the tension and watching it with my attention for a minute or so, the tension will disappear."

Wu Chi - The Power of Stillness

www.naturalhealthweb.com/articles/richrobson1.html

More on standing meditation, by Rich Robson (The Kung Fu Academy, San Diego).

"When you practice Wu Chi you enter a state where the things of the material world lose their power to sap your energy. You go back to a more primal state where desire and craving lose all meaning. You transcend yin and yang and therefore rise above likes and dislikes, preferences and aversions, wants and don't wants. In Wu Chi you are complete, without lack."

The Internal Renewal Practices of Chinese Medicine

www.traditionalhealtharts.com/papers/practices.html

Sean Fannin's article from Tai Chi Magazine discusses "moving practices" and "quiet practices," and the four areas of the body that are most often cultivated. (More on cultivating the Ming Men area here.)

"Located on the soles of the feet, the Bubbling Springs points are the first point on the kidney channel... the primary function of the Bubbling Springs points is to draw down and secure energy and heat that has risen to the upper body..."

Transcending Reality

www.anunda.com/support/walk.htm

Fiona Tulk and Christopher Wynter (Tasmania) describe a simple walking meditation exercise "taught to me by a Taoist Priest."

"As you place one foot in front of the other, allow yourself to become aware of your walking - the pressure of the individual points on the ground, the flexing of the tendons and muscles, the movement of your skin..."

Interview with Scott M. Rodell

www.grtc.org/articles/articles-and-interviews/scott-m-rodell/an-interview-from-the-journal-of-well-being/

Howard D. Parks interviews Rodell (Great River Taoist Center, Washington DC, Baltimore, Russia) on various aspects of Taijiquan and Nei Gong (Daoist meditation), including questions of lineage and differences in men's and women's practice. From The Journal of Well-Being. Do check Rodell's Articles and Interviews page for more good stuff, including "The Martial and the Civil in Yang Style Taijiquan."

"Just to practice Taoism for health is missing the point of what it's all about. That's sort of like getting your college degree in mathematics so you can balance your checkbook. Certainly you should be able to balance your checkbook... certainly you'll be stronger and healthier if you follow the Taoist way and pay attention, but that's the small way."

The Tao of Breath

http://users.erols.com/dantao/breath.html

Sat Chuen Hon (Dantao Center, NY) speaks of Qigong and Taijiquan, Windy breath and Raspy breath. More articles at home page.

"In my more than 30 years of practice and observation, I have met only a handful of masters with the ability to maintain a flowing state of Resting Breath while practicing Taiji or Qigong forms."

Qi gong

www.apophaticmysticism.com/Qigong.html

Book chapter by Luc Theler (Hunyuan Gongfu Institut Internet Magazine) on "the fundamental principles of Hunyuan Qigong." Qi, quantum physics, natural science, history -- meaty stuff! From Raymond Sigrist's site.

"Be it the DNA double-helix spiral or the galactic spiral, a spiral encompasses the energy of creation... The Daoist learns from the embryo of a human being or an animal, or from the cat or sleeping snakes, to store energy at the center of the coiling spiral in a restful or sleeping position..."

A Qigong for all Reasons

www.taiji-qigong.co.uk/Articles/reasons.htm

Article by Erle Montaigue (Taijiquan and Qigong instructor, UK) gives detailed descriptions of basic Qigong stances, with photos. And see his article index for over 100 articles on martial and healing arts.

"As you breathe in for the first time deeply, imagine that the breath is coming into your body from the ground into your rear heel. (The Qi is actually coming in through the Qi input point of K 1 (Kidney Point No. 1) on the base of your foot. However, it is the heel just forward of it, that is the 'activation' point for this point."

Qi Gong Energy Practice

http://qi-journal.com/Qigong.asp?-token.SearchID=QigongFAQ

Multi-part FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) from Qi: The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness describes forms of Qigong, guidelines for posture, breathing, and quieting the mind, and beneficial health effects of the practice. Click on the boxes for other interesting articles.

"An electro-encephalogram for a normal person in an ordinary waking state shows a great quantity of low amplitude, high frequency waves of about fifty micro-volts, with different regional brain waves showing poor synchronization. The brain waves of a Qigong practitioner, however, shows large frequency 'A' waves of around eight hertz with amplitudes as high as 180 microvolts, as well as a tendency towards greater synchronization of regional brain waves."

Qigong as a Portal to Presence: Cultivating the Inner Energy Body

www.embracethemoon.com/perspectives/portal_to_presence.htm

2003 journal article by Gunther M. Weil (psychologist, educator, organizational consultant) in which he shares his insights on the spiritual foundations of Qigong and how "to simply and directly access deeper levels of being." From the Embrace the Moon site.

"...it is very easy for students of Qigong or meditation to become lost in a forest of techniques, symbols, arcane language, rituals or authority and thereby ignore the simple and direct realization that lies at the very heart or genesis of most formal systems. This essential realization, which we could describe as Presence or Being, is in complete alignment with the core of Taoist principles."

Kung-Fu, or Tauist Medical Gynmastics

www.sacred-texts.com/tao/kfu/index.htm

This 1895 illustrated treatise by John Dudgeon (1837-1901, British physician and translator) is a treasure trove of 19th-century Chinese medical and movement practices. (Though Dr. Dudgeon calls it "a mass of rubbish" in his conclusion, he presents the material without undue editorializing). The "Eight Ornamental Sections" is basically the "Eight Pieces of Brocade" Qigong that I practice every day!

"The Yang and the Yin are so united among themselves that they are in a state of reciprocal dependence, and they possess only a certain power of reaction proportioned the one to the other, a power dispensed by the T'ai chi. It is in the maintenance of this proportionality, of this species of static, physical, chemical, and intellectual equilibrium, that the will, the moral power, and the acts by which this will manifests itself, ought to tend incessantly. Now, Kung-fu has been instituted for this object."

The Tao Te Ching, Kung Fu and Asian Martial Arts

www.calpoly.edu/~jlynch/SOFTNESS.htm

Essay by Craig K. Ihara (Cal State Fullerton, Philosophy) draws on a scholarly work by D. C. Lau to explore the yin and yang of various martial arts. From the site of Joseph Lynch (California Polytechnic State University, Philosophy).

"In some forms of Asian martial arts, usually classified as 'soft styles,' softness is associated with the use of ch'i in contrast with muscle power which is 'hard.' In such styles power comes either from speed and the relaxed whip-like movements of arms, legs, or even head, or directly from the use of ch'i power, or ch'i kung. Relaxation is the form of softness often valued in these 'soft' styles."

Steve Jackowicz Interview

www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/pri/spirit/shows/104interview.html

Ellen Kushner (Sound & Spirit radio program) talks with Jackowicz (Taijiquan instructor, Boston) about the principles, practices, philosophy, and application to life of Taijiquan, especially the "push hands" form.

"Yielding means not being there. Standing there and getting hit, or standing there and getting pushed, or standing there and just letting yourself be smooshed by whatever's coming along is not really yielding. Yielding means giving up the space, because if your partner wants this space, why would I be so attached to this space that I shouldn't step away from it, and let the person have it?... They think that they want this space. When you yield that space, they realize they don't want it."

Taiji Diagram and Yang Style

www.oocities.org/meiyingsheng/taijitu.html

Article by Mei Ying Sheng (retired M.D., Taijiquan coach, Chengdu, China), translated by Ted W. Knecht (gold medalist in Taijiquan competition) details the characteristics of the familiar taiji figure and its role in Yang style Taijiquan.

"From the most simple lifting of the hands to the complex stepping postures, all moving sequences within the Yang style contain at least a portion of the Yin and Yang diagram..."

T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classics

http://scheele.org/lee/classics.html

From Lee N. Scheele's Online T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan) Notebook, selections from nine classics, including the Taijiquan Jing (T'ai Chi Ch'uan Ching), attributed to Zhang Sanfeng (Chang San-feng, c.1278-1386) and Expositions of Insights Into the Practice of the Thirteen Postures, Wu Yu Xiang (Wu Yu-hsiang, 1883-1936).

"The whole body should be threaded together through every joint without the slightest break." [attributed to Zhang]

Ignorance, Legend, and Taijiquan

www.nardis.com/~twchan/henning.html

Journal article by Stanley Henning, from Terry Chan's Chinese Internal Martial Arts site. Interesting history on the origins of Taijiquan.

"The 'external' school and Shaolin monastery represented foreign Buddhism which symbolized the Manchu aggressors, while the 'internal' school and Zhang Sanfeng represented indigenous Taoism, which symbolized the Chinese, who would overcome their oppressors."

Theater of combat: A critical look at the Chinese martial arts

http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ADM/holcom.htm

Long footnoted essay by Charles Holcombe (University of Northern Iowa, History) examines the obscure history of the martial arts in Chinese military, religious, and performance traditions. From the Digital Buddhist Library and Museum.

"By the end of the Han dynasty Taoists had come to believe that they could ward off injury just by carrying a rare sword. In more modern times, this translated into the belief in being impervious to bullets, a trademark of the martial arts."

History of Tai Chi

www.peacefulwolftaichi.com/body_history.html

Excerpts from Master Jou, Tsung Hwa's "The Dao of Taijiquan: The Way to Rejuvenation." From the website of David Shaver (Taijiquan instructor, Colchester, UK).

"After the death of his parents, Zhangsanfeng resigned from his government position and returned to his birthplace long enough to give his property away to relatives... he set out to wander the mountains for thirty years visiting old temples in the hope of meeting a wise man... In 1314 at the age of sixty-seven, Zhangsanfeng finally met a Daoist, Huolong whose name means 'fire dragon.'"

Daoist Theories in the Practice of Tai-Ji

www.taijicommunity.com/OurCommunity/Articles/2004/072004-DaoistTheories-Part1.html

Two-part article by Dale Brown, from the Chattanooga Tai Ji Community site, presents interesting background material on the etymology of the term Taijiquan and the role of Zhang Sanfeng, the Daodejing, and the Yijing in its development.

"Also of importance in the Daodejing are the concepts of spontaneity (ziran) and non-intervention (wu-wei). These two concepts appear in the practice of taijiquan when a practitioner has performed the solo routine so many times that s/he can naturally perform the routine without conscious effort of recalling the movements..."

Master Chang San-Feng [Zhang Sanfeng]

www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/chang1.htm

Michael P. Garofalo's (Valley Spirit Taijiquan Club, Red Bluff, CA) long page includes quotes, legends, poems, bibliography, artwork, links, and more. One of numerous well-researched pages on his Cloud Hands site, including this page on Eight Section Brocade Qigong, and this one describing all 108 movements of the Yang style long form Taijiquan. And don't miss this page on breathing practices.

"After reaching for the needle at the bottom of the sea, / I looked up, one summer's eve, / to see old Chang San-Feng open the garden gate, / and join me for Tai Chi."

Writings on Tao by Master Chang San Feng

www.kungfuclub.it/code_e/tao_chansanfeng.html

Translated by Thomas Cleary. Includes several of Zhang's commentaries on meditation classics. From the Hung Ga Kung Fu Club (Florence, Italy) site.

"Use the mind on all things like a sword. Think of worldly things as of no benefit to you; then both craving and irritation will disappear, without any attempt to get rid of clinging."

Tai Chi and Taoism

www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/tao-chi.html

From the Yang Style Tai Chi site. Christopher Majka writes a little on the historical, cosmological, and numerological background of Taijiquan.

"One can see these influences [of softness and effortlessness] in the names of certain movements in the Tai Chi form, such as: ~Cloud Hands ~Wind Rolls the Lotus Leaves ~Brush Dust Against the Wind..."

the power of yielding: getting it done by not doing it

www.jungtao.edu/ccm/articles/yielding.html

1975 essay by Fred Lehrman (martial arts instructor) from the New Age Journal, on the Jung Tao site.

"Taiji does not teach you how to do something. It teaches you how to do. It teaches you how. It teaches you."

Chen Style Xin Yi Hun Yuan Taijiquan as a Legacy of Chinese Culture

www.taijichinesemedicine.com/legacy.htm

Yaron Seidman's article traces Hun Yuan Taijiquan to its roots in Daoism, Chinese Medicine, and Nature. From the USA Hunyuan Taiji Academy site.

"'Tai' means to reach, 'ji' means the extreme limits. 'Tai Ji' is thus to reach the extreme limits".

The Evolution of the Yang School of Taijiquan

www.hereandnow.be/e/yang.htm

By Gu Liuxin (1908-1991), renowned martial artist and historian. From the Taijiquan Ezine, on Martin Rapp's Here and Now site (Koh Tao, Thailand).

"The Yang style movements are relaxed, even and graceful like the drifting clouds and flowing stream... and always moves in a circular path, just like 'reeling off raw silk from a cocoon.'"

Wu Style Form Tai ji quan

www.wfdesign.com/tc/

From Webbed Feet Design, instructions and diagrams for some basic moves.

Shen Style Tai-Chi: The Yin and Yang of Tai-Chi

www.taomartialarts.com/tji/tji_shentaichi.html

Ichen Shen (School of Tao Martial Arts, Lake Tahoe) writes of the Yins and Yangs, the Eight Jings and five directions...

"In Tai-Chi practice, how heavy the hands push is not measured in terms of numbers of force-unit but by the 'feeling' of how heavy the feet push the ground. Jing must be used to suppress such heaviness..."

Push-hands and Wuwei

www.northstarmartialarts.com/articles_pushhands.html

Article by Scott Phillips (North Star Martial Arts, San Francisco) on this two-person version of Taijiquan.

"It's like this, if you charge straight into the surf from the beach, the wave may knock you down. With a little practice, and experience with waves, you may get better at keeping your balance in the face of a crashing wave, but this is not the point!--The point is to be like the water, to become one with the ocean."

Bruce Lee: The Tao of Gung Fu

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ray.d8/essay1.html

I don't know who put this cool site online, but Lee's six essays from the 1960s are worth your while even if you don't plan to delve into the martial arts. Turn up your sound! And see this page of Lee quotes from I. Frost's Ariga site.

"Art is the expression of the self; the more complicated and restrictive a method is, the less opportunity there is for expression of one's original sense of freedom."

The Spirit of Bruce Lee

www.becoming.8m.net/bruce01.htm

Biographical essay cites the Daoist influence in Lee's life and work. From the Becoming site. See also their page on "The Philosophy of Bruce Lee." [Popup alert]

"Bruce did not believe in learning by accumulation, but instead believed that the highest form of mastery was one of simplicity, or 'stripping away the inessentials,' much like Lao Tzu believed in the need to disband all schools of formal learning. Indeed, Bruce disbanded his own school system shortly before his death, lest his way be taken as 'the Way.'"

Bruce Lee (1940-1973)

www.hermenaut.com/a187.shtml

Want to know more? Here's the scoop, from Joshua Glenn, editor of the Hermenaut magazine ("The Digest of Heady Philosophy").

"Perhaps Lee's greatest contribution to philosophy is his refutation of the idea that anger and passion are wrongful states which hold us back from liberation. In a college paper, Lee writes, 'People imagine that Zen and Taoism are soft and passive modes of being. [On the contrary,] anger, emotion, everything is part of the whole.'"

T'ai Chi Glossary

www.ronperfetti.com/glossary.html

Ron Perfetti's (T'ai Chi Ch'uan Association, Hawaii) encyclopedic rundown of 19 terms and concepts basic to Taijiquan mastery, such as the Three Treasures:

"The Taoist approach is very methodical. It is like building a house; first you lay a strong foundation, then build the walls, and finally the roof. The Ching is the foundation, the Chi is the walls, and the Shen is the roof. Achieving this state of richness in the Three Treasures is what would be considered 'mastery' in the Taoist tradition."

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