Tai Chi

About Grandmaster Xiu, Zhan - 3rd Generation Wu Style Tai Chi Inheritor

A native born in Laizhou in 1947, Grandmaster Xiu is now chairman of Wu Style Taichi Association of Laizhou.  Wu Style Taichi was initiated at the end of Qing Dynasty by Wu Jianquan, son of Quan You, a Manchurian, together with Wang Maozhai from Laizhou after years of practice and study.  As a student of Wang Maozhai, Xiu’s father Xiu Chengxun practiced with his grandmaster for tens of years in Beijing.  Grandmaster Xiu has been practicing Wushu Style Taichi for more than 40 years since he started it with his father at 14.  Moreover, he is also good at Taichi Broadsword, Mamei Broadsword, Taichi Sword, Taichi Staff and Taichi Spear.  His career covers the champion of spear of Provincial Wushu Competitions in 1983 and Wu Style Taichi Champion of National Wushu Competitions in 1986.  In recognition of his martial arts and spirit, grandmaster Xiu was included in Grandmaster of Chinese Kung Fu in 1994.  As a result of over 20 years of teaching in provinces Shandong and Heilongjiang, thousands of students have trained with him.

Si-fu Frank has become one of his students, he has had the privilege and honor of becoming one of grand master Xiu direct understudies. And is certified as a 4th generation practitioner of Wu style Tai Chi.
 
About Si-fu Frank:
Si-fu frank has been involved in the official practice of Chinese martial arts since 1976. His first grading past and completed on 15 January 1977. Being the son of grand master Leo Sebregts his training did start a lot earlier. He has competed in both national and international competitions since 1989. Excelling in all forms of competition, his major strength was in the semi and full contact fighting where he has won every national title while competing and numerous world titles in USA, Europe and China. He started the practice of tai-chi in the mid 1980’s in a family style derivative of baggua zhang, but as this style was not commonly practiced it made it difficult for students who traveled to train at other schools which practiced more popular forms of tai chi. So from 1993 he started training in the more popular and simplified forms of tai chi such as 24step, 48step broadsword, straight sword etc.

Students wanting to learn tai chi would normally be taught by a grand masters seniors or instructors. Si- fu Frank has had the honor and privilege to be taught directly under grand master Xiu in Wu Style Tai Chi and other forms of Tai chi. Such as push hands. (Tuishou).


Basics of Tai Chi
The directions in which you move in tai chi are given in terms of the hours on a clock. Your starting point always being 12 o’clock making 6 o’clock directly behind you. Meaning that 9 o’clock will be to your left and 3 o’clock to your right. Making a turn to 1 o’clock a 30-degree turn to your right and a turn between 1-2 o’clock a 45-degree turn to the right etc.

Your posture and body axis is also very important when doing your routines. Your head must be kept erect and your torso straight making your body axis in line. Your waist is kept relaxed and when stepping into a stance your knee must be in line with your toes and your back leg extended naturally. Keeping to the basics of the three internal and external harmonies of Chinese martial arts. External being Hand to Foot, Elbow to Knee, Shoulder to Crotch. Internal being Mind to Intention, Intention to Chi, Chi to Force.

Summing it up, students practicing tai chi should pay attention to the following points.
1.    All your movements should be guided by consciousness. You must concentrate your thoughts on every movement that you perform. You must not be distracted look around or allow your mind to wonder when exercising your movements.
2.    Your movements should follow one another in a continuous flow without any stops. Your movements must be circular relaxed and soft, but not loose and sloppy. When doing your movements it should be as if you floating through the air or like a flowing stream.
3.    All your movements need to be well coordinated. Let your waist act like a hinge to allow your torso to lead your limbs. Do not let your body rise and fall abruptly. Breathing needs to be deep and even, and in harmony with your movements
4.    You will mostly move at a slow even pace.
5.    Finally the more you practice the easier and the better you get. With more time spent on tai chi you will improve and reap the rewards that it has to offer.

Health Benefits of Tai Chi

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese system of slowly flowing movements and shifts of balance that strengthens the legs while conditioning the tendons and ligaments of the ankles, knees, and hips, increasing their range of motion and making them more resilient, less prone to injury. The constant shifting of weight, trains balance and body awareness, leading to confident ease of movement within the form and in everyday life. Tai Chi is a physical exercise that focuses the mind, while conditioning the body. Practicing twenty minutes a day dissipates stress and reduces stress-related debilities, increases stamina, and strengthens the body and will.

Western Science recognizes the following benefits of practicing Tai Chi: increased oxygen uptake and utilization (more efficient breathing), reduced blood pressure, slower declines in cardiovascular power, increased bone density, increased strength and range of motion of joints, greater leg strength, knee strength, and flexibility, reduced levels of stress hormones during and after practice, improved immune function, and heightened mood states.

Science and Tai Chi
Tai Chi cultivates health benefits beyond those studied by western medicine. Tai Chi conditions the sleaves between muscles and nerves, the films that separate and support the organs, the facia. The acupuncture meridians of Chinese Medicine run through the facia. By conditioning these boundary layers between tissues, Tai Chi reduces chemical cross-linking, cellular rust. Move it or lose it, the Taoists say. The turning of the trunk flexes the spine, producing some of the same benefits as twists in Yoga (improved spinal flexibility, release of tension on the perispinal muscles, alleviating imbalances that can lead to back pain while improving blood flow to the discs). And like Yoga, Tai Chi conditions the psoas, that deep muscle of balance that underlies the lower abdominal organs and mediates the relationship of the spine to the pelvis and legs. Proper Tai Chi practice places certain demands on the body: The sinking of the weight, over time, tells the legs to add muscle and bone mass, while the turning of the body, in conjunction with deep abdominal breathing, "wrings out" the organs, flushing blood out as they're compressed and allowing it to flow back in when the movement compresses another part of the torso. This flexing and unflexing reduces pockets of stagnation in the various organ systems.

Physical strength peaks in the mid-twenties, declines modestly to age 50, and steeply thereafter. Studies show a loss of one-third of lower extremity strength by age 70. In advanced age, few people are able to stand on one leg for more than a few seconds. Premature decline need not be the case. Tai Chi exercises all the joints and major muscle groups in a slow, rhythmic, mindful way, priming the body for whatever demands the day may make. Leg strength increases with practice, which pays off every step you take, every time you stand in line, every time you climb a flight of stairs. Your joints stay loose and flexible, so everyday chores around the house and garden don't take as much out of you. When you practice Tai Chi in the morning, it's just easier to move for the rest of the day, and concentrate on what you have to do. You waste less energy and attention on body static, so you have the stamina to ride out crazy days and long hours at work and still have something left for your family, your mate, your art. Tai Chi is for anyone who wants to move with greater strength, grace, and ease as they get older.

Studies have shown that even people in their 70's and 80's can learn a simplified series of Tai Chi forms, and benefit tremendously: Study subjects show a marked decrease in injurious falls, reductions in blood pressure, and improved measures of balance and confidence. If Tai Chi can do this for geriatric beginners, think of what it can do for someone who starts a few decades sooner, and stays with it.