Millions of people are doing Tai Chi for its health benefits. Join us today and see it for yourself. Tai Chi Coventry 高雲地利太極拳社 established since 2019.
31/08/2025
Thought-provoking , though some points may invite further reflection. For example, he suggests that the principles of I Ching were never applied to ancient science, yet its influence clearly extended to astronomy, ecology, medicine, and even warfare strategy and deployment. He also views divination as reflecting only the present moment, whereas the hexagrams and their texts also convey the dynamics of change over time. Even so, this introduction offers an original and engaging point of entry into the topic.
Tai Chi finds its roots in traditional martial arts, where the practice of forms has long stood as the foundation of mastery. Within these flowing routines lie not only the essentials of daily training, but also the profound intent and wisdom woven by the art’s originators—carried in every posture and the subtle transitions between them.
In this video, Master Charlie Chang presents the Opening Posture of Wang’s Water Style Tai Chi, illuminating its methods of practice and the principles behind its application.
Spring Within – A Water Style Tai Chi Meditation
(Inspired by Malvern’s Living Wells)
Beneath the hill, the water waits—
Not rushing, not still—
But aware.
Like breath before it forms a word.
I raise my hands, the spring responds.
A current flows—not seen, but felt.
From heel to crown, the wave ascends,
Returning always to the ground.
No force.
No striving.
Only the yielding that reveals the Way.
The water of Malvern—so pure,
So silent—
Has no enemy.
It shapes the stone with patient touch.
In movement, I remember:
The pool does not resist the wind.
The stream does not fear the fall.
And I too—bend, and rise, and flow.
I breathe—and the hillside breathes as one.
I turn—and the stars turn with me.
Between each step,
A stillness deeper than time.
This is Tai Chi—
Not form, but return.
Not strength, but surrender.
Not doing… but being done.
Drink from the well within.
Let the spring renew what thought has clouded.
And when you bow—
Feel the whole sky bowing with you.
Stillness in motion—like drifting cloud and stream,
Words hang in the air; the breath flows back unseen.
Each posture unfolds, the breeze holds no sound,
Ten thousand volumes open as the hands move round.
Pages turn silently, matching every pace,
From the dantian stirs a stroke, like brush in grace.
Say not that writing and martial ways divide—
Tai Chi, too, is a scholar’s guide.
When Niels Bohr was knighted in 1947, he got to design his own coat of arms — and interestingly, he chose the yin-yang symbol, which comes from Tai Chi philosophy. He wasn’t practicing Tai Chi as a martial art, but he was deeply inspired by the ideas behind it.
Bohr was famous for the concept of complementarity in quantum physics — the idea that two seemingly opposite things, like particles and waves, can both be true, depending on how you look at them. That’s a lot like the yin-yang idea from Chinese philosophy, where opposites like light and dark or active and passive are actually interconnected and balanced.
To really drive the point home, Bohr even added a Latin motto to his coat of arms:
“Contraria sunt complementa,” which means “Opposites are complementary".
So, for Bohr, the yin-yang wasn’t just a cool design — it perfectly captured the way he thought about the universe.
12/04/2025
Tai Chi Coventry will pause on 19th April for the holiday and return the following week. Until then, move with ease and let life flow.
The Form (Taolu 套路) is like a living history of martial arts. Each form is like a treasure map, containing the crystallised wisdom of past masters. For example, the expansiveness and dynamism of Changquan (长拳), the unique body method and harmony of Taijiquan （太极拳）, the characteristic evasive footwork of Baguazhang（八卦掌）—these distinctive methods are all passed down through the vehicle of the forms or taolu.
Through the taolu, practitioners get the key to understand the philosophies and techniques of various styles and systems, trace their development, integrate the essence of different periods and regions, and broaden their martial arts horizons.
The taolu is an effective approach that allows more people to access systematic martial knowledge and skills. It provides a standardised method of transmission to ensure that techniques are accurately transmitted without the loss or distortion of skills.
However, the criticisms of forms today are not entirely unfounded. These criticisms primarily stem from situations where practitioners learn only external movements without understanding the underlying philosophy, techniques and training. There is indeed a phenomenon where some enthusiasts are content with merely memorising the sequence and the superficial aspects of a form, neglecting the profundity behind it.
This superficial approach reduces a taolu to mere combinations of movements, stripping them of their original meaning and value. It is akin to reciting the lines of a poem without understanding the concept and emotion—the poem becomes hollow and lifeless. Similarly, practising taolu without the support of techniques and training methods can only offer visual appeal but fail to deliver the true benefits of martial arts in combat, health, and other practical applications.
17/02/2025
The teachings of the Zen Master: the Unfettered Mind - highly recommended for a proper Tai Chi curriculum.
Key concepts and teaching encapsulated in story form for easy digestion.
10/02/2025
"Grasp the Bird's Tail" Step-by-Step Guide (with Chinese and English subtitles)
攬雀尾動作分解。Grasp the Bird's Tail step-by-step guide.Training moments with Master Charlie Chang recorded by the late Daniel Lee (李愷) on October 31, 2009. 王氏水性太極拳...
23/01/2025
A sense of sensitivity towards "sinking weight" and "floating weight" is an important part of Tai Chi training.
The concept of “sheji”舍己 (letting go of oneself), “congdi”从地 (following the ground), and “jieli”借力 (borrowing strength) are not mere technical requirements but explain the important core principles in the practice of Taijiquan. Letting go of oneself is for the purpose of following the ground, and following the ground is for the purpose of borrowing strength.
Letting go of oneself (sheji) is to relinquish one’s subjective bias and views and to resist from acting on one’s own impulses; to let go of the reliance on physical strength and completely release the body and mind from unnecessary tension.
Following the ground (congdi) involves consciously sensing and complying with the force of the ground and avoid fighting against it. Sink downwards naturally by following the pull of gravity (relying on your own body weight). Rise by borrowing the ground’s reactive force (leveraging your sense of lightness).
Avoid shifting along a straight line. This ignores the existence of gravity. Avoid shifting your centre of gravity along an “upward arc”. This manifests in errors such as over-reaching, falling short, resisting and strong-holding during applications. Instead, shift the centre of gravity in a “downward arc”, to maximise relaxation and achieve harmonious integration with the ground force - to achieve the state of “sheji congdi jieli” - touch, connect, adhere and follow the ground force .
Letting go of oneself, following the ground, and borrowing strength require “fangsong” 放松 (releasing tension) that is both a method and a goal. Only through fangsong can one develop sensitivity and accurately perceive both gravity and the ground’s reactive force (heaviness and lightness) in order to achieve overall harmony and smoothly follow the ground force like water flows.
22/01/2025
Wang's Water Style Tai Chi Commencement Form Demo.
1. 起勢預備 Prepare2. 升降浮沉 Sinking and Rising水性太極的五種浪 ：i. 湧浪 Surging Waveii. 翻浪 Flipping Wave iii. 沖浪 Rushing Wave iv. 退浪 Retreating Wavev. 交叉浪 Cross Wave 張希榮老師授...
10/01/2025
Hi, We hope you all have had a refreshing and joyful holiday season. This is a quick reminder that our Tai Chi class will start at 9:30 am tomorrow (Sat, 11th of Jan) at Finham Library. Look forward to seeing everyone back in motion!
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tai Chi Coventry posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
In Cheylesmore Taichi Club, we practise a unique form of contemporary taichi known as Wang’s Water Style. It is called Wang’s Style in honour of two grandmasters: Wang Zongyue (1525~1606) and Wang Zhuanghong (1931-2008).
Wang Zongyue is the de facto founder of Taichi Chuan because of his famous “Treatise on Taichi Chuan”, which has been widely respected in the Taichi circle as the Bible of Taichi Chuan. It portrays an ideal archetype of taichi which has become the holy grail for many passionate martial artists of both past and present times. While the Treatise on Taichi Chuan provides a vivid narrative of what constitutes taichi and what does not, it is not totally clear on how training should be conducted. This has been puzzling learners of taichi for many generations.
Wang Zhuanghong, a scholar and martial artist, was one of the great masters of the fifth generation of the Yang’s Style Taichi. He has been credited with contributing towards our understanding of taiji and how one can tap into the potential of the internal power for not only its martial application but also for health and personal development. His mastery of taichi and his in-depth research on Wang Zongyue’s Treatise has led him to the following discovery:
1. The power of taichi is inherent in everybody. It is not to be acquired by external means. The way to “enlightenment” is by clearing your own clouds and unlearning of old habits.
2. The 13 postures*, as postulated by Wang Zongyue, should not be treated as 13 separate movements as generally believed. They should be 13 postures combined into one grand posture. Every movement in taichi must consist of this grand posture as an integrative energy.
3. The way of taichi is the way of water. Its movement is in the form of waves which is always in alignment with gravity.
Master Wang Zhuanghong went on to create a new style such that the movement would form a continuous flow of waves reflecting the 13-grand posture in synchronisation with gravity. This has become the Water Style as we practise today.
*Note: The 13 postures refer to the eight gates (hand movements) and five steps (footwork): Eight gates: peng (ward off), lu (roll back), ji (press), an (push), cai (pluck), lie (split), zhou (elbow), and kao (lean). Five Steps: step forwards, step backwards, look left, look right, and centre balance.
