Taijiquan Lilun

Taijiquan Lilun is the Journal for the Theory of Wu Tai Chi Chuan. International buyers can order here: Please click here.

And here an article from Magazin 2. Please click here: The 13 basic movements of Taijiquan

New Seminar in Belgium

Info for a new seminar in Belgium with Martin Bachem: Please click here.

My Journey to Wu Tai Chi Chuan

Markus Feichtenbeiner, Berlin

I started martial arts at the age of 13 years. At that time a Taekwondo school had opened in Schwanstetten (a small village in the south of Nuremberg) and I persuaded my father accompany me there. I enjoyed the intensive training, but after some time (about 5 years) we tried a one hour training course in Tai Chi Chuan. I thought that the slow movements were complimentary to the hard training of Taekwondo (and meanwhile also Jiu Jitsu). Thus I started looking for a teacher. I visited a class that offered a 10 week course in the Peking - form; I was disappointed and thought that Tai Chi was probably not for me.

However Tai Chi Chuan came back into my life, when I was studying physiotherapy and saw an advertisement for an intensive course of weekends in Regensburg. The course would begin with an introduction seminar with Ma Jiangbao. So when the day came I attended amongst 30 other people and was full of expectations to see what Tai Chi Chuan is and what we will learn during a one-year intensive training course. We trained for four hours, covering "the double whip" preparation exercise and the beginning of the slow form up to "single whip". Again and again our movements were corrected. After which we were exhausted but full of expectation of what will come next, but there came nothing more. We asked a lot of questions, but we were shown no more form, let alone such a thing as "Pushing Hands".

But something about it fascinated me. And with this feeling I decided for go for the course accepting the driving of 100km back and forth. Only five fellow students began with me and unfortunately after 7 months, none were remaining and so the course stopped. But I had already learned a little bit and could pass it on to my first "pupils" - my mother and my father.

Unfortunately at that time it was not possible for me to teach regularly. Then I was "appointment" to the Artistic-School in Berlin. I had the luck to be taken in even though I was 26 years old. In the beginning my Tai Chi Chuan had to be reduced at the first times at the school. I could hardly move after the first months of instruction. I was full muscular pain. But then it worked and I was looking for a teacher. Unfortunately I couldn't find one in Berlin. Well however finally the rescue came. Through the homepage www.wu-taichi.de I made contact with Martin Boedicker. So I had my first weekend training in Düsseldorf. That was it. So it was that I went as often as possible to the weekends in Düsseldorf in order to learn more.

Since Martin has encouraged me (thanks for it, Martin) to look for students, there is now a small group which trains regularly once the week for the last 2 years. Last year we had our first seminar with Martin in Berlin, in co-operation with Michael Busch. It was a great success and will be repeated (the date is already fixed: 21./22.10.06). Since a half year we train in a Taekondo and a Kung Fu school, where also our seminar took place. The director of the school came to have a look. Martin along with myself gave a spontaneous demonstration - and I flew beautifully through the air. After five weeks the director came and said to me - and I saw a shining in his eyes - that he would had never thought that someone would convince him of the fact that Tai Chi is really a martial art. I am really very glad for the contact to Düsseldorf and am very grateful for what I learn there. I want to thank Ma Jiangbao, Martin and Freya, and last but not least all the many Düsseldorfers, who help me so enthusiastically on the seminars.

Pushhands Fun

Short Form in Shanghai

Fast and Slow Form

Classic: The body, the waist and the crown of the head

From the Explanation of the Method of Taiji (Taiji fashuo), text 8

The body, the waist and the crown of the head, how can you not pay attention to them?
If one of it is lacking, you waste your gongfu (your time and hard work).
The waist and the crown of the head can be studied a lifetime.
If the body follows my wishes, I can extend and relax.
If you give up this truth, what can you finally reach?
After ten years you will still be confused.

Translated by Freya and Martin Boedicker