INTRO Time and Place of our Operations

Chinse website: sbntaiji.blogspot.com
English website: ns-shenlong.blogspot.com


This Taichi Chuan class practises twice a week


1。Every Monday & Wednesday,8--9pm


2。Every Tuesday & Thursday, 8--9pm





The address of this class is at:


31-2 Lorong Haruan 5/2, Oakland Commerce Square, Seremban



Please dial the following for enquiries：
Deng Yue Ji 06-6941939


Chen Zhang Sen 016-2927433


Zhong Ping Wen 019-3020606





Fees:RM30 per month

Lecture09/05 Theory Xie Shuang Nian Taichi Chuan is an art of correction

Master Wu’s book contains the following excerpts regarding the art of correction:
The ordinary people has the notion that learning Taichi Chuan should be “Quan doesn’t leave the hands, just like a song doesn’t leave the mouth”, meaning practicing the more the merrier. However, Taichi Chuan looks for the correction of habits, correcting all those posterior habits of ours which run contrary to the principles of Taichi Chuan, e.g Taichi Chuan requires that the foot moves first before the hands move, with one movement the whole body moves, hitting people requires to be soft, handling opponents should be letting go oneself to accommodate others, etc.
If one who learns Taichi Chuan does not correct all these contradictory habits first before he goes on to learn the applications of pushing hands, then the more he practises, the worse it becomes, he will be diverted from Taichi Chuan further and further.
In order to eradicate this sickness, practitioners must first really understand and realize the principles of Taichi Chuan, believing it full-heartedly, and practice it in full accordance with the theory, not practicing it a lot, but practicing it diligently, making life Taichi-oriented, and Taichi life-oriented.
Every step and stance, every little detail, nothing can be wrong. You must practice it little by little, softly, bits and pieces, not writing a huge essay, or eating a big chunk of meat or drinking a big bowl of wine.
Generally, the following are the faults common with most practitioners. We should endeavor to correct them in our pursuit of the art of Taichi Chuan:
Not soft Hands move first
Ups and downs Jin broken, not integral
Double heavy Root at the foot
Not careful Too much strayed thoughts

Lecture09/05 Practice Zhong Ping Wen Taichi Chuan is an art of correction

To say that Taichi Chuan is an art of correction, we mean to follow the principles of Taichi Chuan, to correct many of our habits which are in contrary with the principle of Taichi Chuan, e.g. no moving of the hands, roots at the feet, letting go the self to go with the others, the steps follow the body, etc.
It is not difficult to know the world, but correcting bad habits is difficult indeed. For example, the habits of smoking, drinking and gambling can only be corrected via great impacts and big determinations.
However, the correction of living habits of Taichi Chuan is even more difficult. This is because since birth, people have learnt and acquired many posterior habits which run contrary to the principles of Taichi Chuan. Hence, in order to achieve break-throughs in Taichi Chuan, enabling it to become an ultimate form of martial art, one must have confidence, determination, persistence, humility and patience (Famous quotation of Grandmaster Zheng Man Qing). In fact, the most important is not to have any doubts, doubts about the principles of Taichi Chuan.
In the practice of the Traditional Taichi Chuan, the major faults to be corrected are: The principle of every action, whether big or small, is a reversed action, opposite from the habitual actions of the ordinary people. Habitual actions of the ordinary people are kungfus of the normalcy, but actions of the Traditional Taichi Chuan are kungfus of the opposites, that is, for the physical body to move, it is mandatory that the foot-centre (Yong Quan) moves first, followed by the legs, the body….the forward and backward and maneuvering of the body.
Let me describe an experience of mine in the process of correction. In 1989, Shenlong organized an expedition to Master Wu’s house in Sydney, Australia. I saw the Master Fa Jin(throw off) to an Australian student. With just a touch of the Master, the Australian was thrown off the ground, it was beautiful and marvelous indeed! I also tried my luck. I held the hands of the Australian and twisted myself. The Australian did not budge at all. On the other hand, my hands sprained a bit. This was due to the fact that I did not really understand the Taichi Chuan’s principle of “Root at the foot, monitor at the waist, start off from the thigh and manifest at the hands” (Zhong Shixiong called one fellow shixiong out to demonstrate this). This is a living example of correction in the learning of Taichi Chuan. I hope that all of us will resolve to be meticulous and conscientious in our learning of Taichi Chuan so as to correct our faults continuously.

Lecture09/05 Practice Chen Zeng Xiang Taichi Chuan is an art of correction

First of all, we must know what is Taichi Chuan. In the eyes of the Chinese, Taichi Chuan can be said to be like a dragon, it symbolizes the fragrance of the sun and the moon amidst evils, it has a mythical image and power, it can travel on clouds, it can call upon winds and the pouring rain, it swirls the rivers and tumbles the seas, it is invisible, it smells nothing, it is untouchable, inaudible, concepts that are abstract and feelings of the thoughts of mind, it passes on from generations to generations, thus becoming today’s image of the dragon.
Taichi Chuan talks about letting go oneself to accommodate others. This is the thought process of Buddhism, yet it is the treasure of application of Taichi Chuan. If Taichi Chuan does not let go of oneself to accommodate others, then it is no more Taichi Chuan. This is Taichi Chuan’s kungfu of listening to Jin(force), understanding Jin and warding off Jin. If Taichi Chuan does not have this kungfu of listening to Jin, understanding Jin and warding off Jin, then it is like a blind man with eyes open, all the kungfus about supposedly Fa Jin are null and void.
Coming back to correction. Master always say “Taichi Chuan is an art of correction”. In the process of our learning, we can easily find the following
faults:
First, Basic actions not solidly learnt. The so-called basic actions are Bear Swing, Bird Sway, Cloud Hands, Wiping the knees and step bent, and the Taichi Chuan stances. In the beginning, learners would imitate the physical shapes of the trainer. When he thinks that he somewhat looks the same, he would go on to learn the next stance. Very soon he finishes the whole set of stances. This is in violation of what Grandmaster Zheng Man Qing said in Taichi Chuan. He called it too greedy, meaning you don’t care whether this stance is done correctly or not.
Secondly, not diligent in practicing. Humans are normally lazy, as described by the famous proverb: catching fish for three days but drying net for seven days.
Thirdly, the principles of Taichi Chuan must be understood through and through. Our daily lives generate a lot of actions which run contrary to the principles of Taichi Chuan, e.g. the soft beats the hard, Yin and Yang complement each other, letting go oneself to accommodate others, roots at the foot, the foot is divided into the hard and the soft, no moving of the hands, etc. Have we achieved this?
We all know of the above 3 items. The question is: do we do it? Do we think of it? Do we correct it? Do we practise it? Do we try not to violate it as much as possible? This is what the Master always tells us about “Taichi Chuan is an art of correction”.
In this lecture today, I shall quote the Master’s words as a conclusion. He always hope us to “make Taichi Chuan life-oriented, and make Taichi Chuan life-oriented”.
Lastly, I want to quote an ancient saying: “If I believe it is viable, though it may be as difficult as moving the mountains and tumbling the seas, there must be a day I can be successful. If I don’t believe that it is viable, then even though it is as easy as turning over the hand, it becomes difficult in reality.”
Thank you.

Photo09/04 New student Dato' Rastam playing Taichi Chuan

News09/04 An Interview with a Malay student Dato' Rastam

It is very rare to see a Malay learning Taichi Chuan in this country. Recently one Malay student joined our Taichi Chuan class. We are all very excited over this affair. Dr Law HN of the NS Shenlong Association interviewed Dato’ Rastam as follows:
Law: Dato’ could you introduce yourself please.
Rastam: Thank you. Now I am fully retired. When I was young, I was a Civil Servant. Among the posts I held were the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (1969 – 1971), the Deputy Governor of Bank Negara (1971~73) and the Managing Director of Petronas (1973-1989). .
Law: How do you know about this Taichi Chuan group?
Rastam: I have had a life-long interest in meditational exercises. I have read many books on Yoga, Taichi Chuan, Qigong, etc.
I shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Bandar Springhill, Lukut seven years ago. Now that I am retired and have a lot of leisure time available I thought this was the right time for me to pursue the next stage of my development and learn the practical side of Tai Chi.
I have been asking almost every person I meet whether there is a Tai Chi class in Port Dickson, Lukut, or Seremban but most people are not aware of any. However, about two months ago, a good friend brought me to this place. And so , here I am, happily struggling to learn Tai Chi with my old bones…
Law: What do you expect to get from learning Taichi Chuan?
Rastam: To begin with, as we get older, most people expect to get weaker and to have more health problems. I expect the practice of Tai Chi to reduce these problems for me.
That is on the physical side. On the mental side, I expect Tai Chi to give me peace and tranquility. This mental aspect is even more important to me than the physical aspect.

Law: What do you think is the biggest difficulty in learning Taichi Chuan?
Rastam: To have the patience, the persistence and the perseverance to practice daily, without fail.
Law: What do you like best in Taichi Chuan?
Rastam: The breathing aspect of Tai Chi practice. I had earlier in my reading discovered the importance Yoga attaches to controlled breathing in its practice of Pranayama. Many books have been written on this subject but I find it difficult to narrow down the choices I need to make. But Tai Chi seems to have narrowed them down for me. I am very comfortable with Taichi Chuan’s stress on slow and meditated breathing. For example, in Bear Swing and Quashing the Demon we do a lot of meditated breathing. It’s exactly what I have been looking for.
Law: What is your opinion on Taichi Chuan?
Rastam: I feel that since Taichi Chuan has been passed down by the Chinese people for thousands of years, from generation to generation, there must be some value to it. Otherwise it wouldn’t have survived such a long transmission.
Law: Why do you like Taichi Chuan as practiced here?
Rastam: I feel that Taichi Chuan is run like a club here. Everybody is trying to be healthy himself and is trying to encourage the whole community to be healthy. They say health is better than wealth. So if you can contribute good health to your community you are making a really worth while contribution.
Law: Do you think we can promote Taichi Chuan to the Malay folks?
Rastam: Definitely. Islam attaches a great deal of importance to mental peace. All over the world, when one Muslim meets another, he says: “Peace be on you”. The Prophet teaches his followers the importance of mental peace. He also instructs them to seek knowledge even from far away China. Tai Chi seems ideal for both purposes.

Conclusion:
From Dato’s Rastam’s interview, we come to the realization of a need to adopt a positive attitude when it comes to sharing the benefits of Taichi Chuan with the Malay community. Like tennis and golf Tai Chi is not a religion. It is there for one to take advantage of and to enjoy. If we can contribute to the health of the whole community we certainly should not refrain from doing so.
Many thanks to Dato’Rastam from NS Shenlong Association.

Lecture09/04 Lecture Guiding Principle

《Lecture Guiding Principle》
1 Lecture once a month, the day schedule is ：8.00~~8.30 Practise Taichi Chuan
8.30~~8.45 1st Speaker on Practice
8.45~~9.00 2nd Speaker on Theory
9.00~~9.15 Free Q&A and Exchange of Views
9.15~~9.30 Evaluator Speaks
2 Purpose of the Lecture is:，a) Promote reading & thinking on Taichi Theory
b) Promote writing ability
c) Promote speaking ability
d) Promote mutual learning and upgrading
3 All shixiong/shijie will be designated to be responsible for one topic as listed below
4 Each topic is divided into 2 parts: 1) on practice, 2) on theory based on Master Wu’s book
5 Designated shixiong/shijie will undertake reading and thinking on their respective topics
6 After the speeches, all students are encouraged to raise questions and exchange views freely
7 Designated shixiong/shijie will prepare their speeches in the form of texts to be posted on the notice board in the Society premises
8 Prepared texts will be put onto our websites: //sbntaiji.blogspot.comChinese), //nstaichi.blogspot.com(English)
9 An evaluator assigned in every lecture. He chairs the meeting and makes overall evaluation after the proceedings. Evaluations should be more on praising than criticism. The criteria are:
1 Clarity 20%
2 Raise interest 15%
3 Fluency 15%
4 Integrate with practice 15%
Total 100%






The Topics

1 Taichi Chuan is the correction of errors
2 Taichi Chuan stresses “a little bit”
3 Integration of the Heaven and the Human Being
4 One movement and all moves
5 The basic 8 principles of Taichi Chuan
6 Taichi Chuan is about the whole body being hands and yet hands are no hands
7 The minuscule movement of Dao
8 Taichi Chuan is health-building, self-defense and cultivation
9 Taichi Chuan is an art of self-questioning, questioning what?
10 Internal activation first then comes external movements
11 The major criteria of body movement of Tacihi Chuan
12 Taichi Chuan stresses the root at the foot and manifested at the hands

Photo09/04 Oath Taking of the 5th EXCO

On 20-4-2009 the 5th EXCO members took an oath at the Association premises

Photo09/04 The 5th EXCO

On 12-4-2009 an election was carried out for the 5th EXCO of the Association. The EXCO members took a group photo

News 09/04 Election of the 5th Exco

12-4-2009 The election of the 5th Exco resulted in the following results:

President： Chen Zeng Xiang
Vice President： Xie Shuang Nian
Secretary： Zhou Liang Jie
Vice Secretary： Jian Yong Sheng
Treasurer： Chen Zhang Sen
Liason： Ye Jin Fu
Chief of Education： Zhong Ping Wen
Deputy Chief of Education：Ma Zi Xuan,
Deng Yue Ji
Auditor： Su Qiao Zhu
Exco Members： Chen Tan You Lai Li Li
Gan Ya Mei Chen Gan Shun
Yan Shu Mei Law Heng Neng

News09/04 Oath Taking by the 5th Exco

20-4-2009
The 5th Exco（2009~2010）Oath Taking Ceremony

Script of Oath

We, the 5th Exco members of NS Shenlong Taichi Chuan Association, with utmost sincerity, pledge
that we will be abided by the Constitution of this Association to follow the disciplines and do our best in the development of the matters of the Association and the promotion of Taichi Chuan. Our missions are as below:
Take the Association as our family
Learn Taichi Chuan lifelong
Treat brothers and sisters as co-members
Have interest in the learning of the art
Make servitude as part of life
Let contribution be a challenge
Have culture returning to its root


Hence the oath
All Exco members signed

News09/04 Master Wu displays Tachi Chuan