Tai Chi Article

The Wu style Tai Chi Chuan has very prominent characteristics. Every movement strictly follows the sequence of the “commence, succession, open and close”. By looking at its movement you can easily discover that although there is a consistent intermission between every major connection of movements, the momentum is not in anyway broken but carried through with the special emphasis on the internal movements and the internal strength. Sometimes a few complete movements are grouped into one combination but it still follows the sequence. This is the distinctive characteristic of Wu style.

It is important for you to avoid the ambiguous and incorrect display of the movements and the omission of the necessary sequences in case losing the color of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan. When practicing, it is advisable to practice them separately by breaking the external movements into 4 sequences before connecting them up.

Another one of the characteristics of Wu style is never let your hands extend over your feet. Wu style has the strict requirement that the hands should be corresponded with the feet by not extending over the toes. Many practitioners who are used to practicing other competition routines are not used to this requirement.

Methods to overcome such obstacles: Understand the characteristics of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan first and try to find out the ways in technique. The main method is to practice the angle of the joints, portray it onto the body posture through training and gradually form into a habit.

It is also a difficult skill for the beginners and many practitioners of other Tai Chi Chuan style in not being allowed to overlap the left and right hands. The key is the movement of the waist. You can start from training your body movements such as using signs to guide the trail of the hands. The signs can be the zip of the coat or your chest where you can refer to limit the trail of your hands.

The characteristics of the body movements in the competition routine of Wu style is very prominent. The key points are as the followings: Keep your chest in, stretch the back, round the crotch, protect the wrist, lift your head, hold the crotch, drop the shoulders and elbows, jump, deflect, align the coccyx, sink the “Qi” down to “Dan Tien”, and clarify the emptiness and solidness.