Grandmaster Jou was famous for his uncanny youthfulness at an advanced age and after conquering a history of illness. Here we go over his special daoyin taiji diagram stretch that he only taught in his chan si jin workshop. This stretch works very fast to...
Tai Chi History & Your Tai Chi Lineage (Master Jou Tsung Hwa)
What are the “5 Elements in the Feet” of Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan)?
The Tai Chi Classics mention that their are “Five Elements in the feet,” and are referred to as the “Five Steps.” What does that mean? Let’s first examine the Taoist five elements, and then we’ll discuss how they are used to symbolize the five steps, or...
What are the Eight Gates of Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), and How Are They Used?
Every posture of tai chi chuan has at least one of the eight gates (or, bamen) dominating the movement. This is how tai chi was originally constructed, as stated in the Tai Chi Classics. Each of the 8 gates has a certain martial "energy." Each of these martial...
Oriental Culture Has Has the Concept of Qi, Chi Or Ki Energy for Thousands of Years- But What Is Qi?
Qi is a concept unique to the East Perhaps the first time the masses of the western world got a thorough exposure to this concept was in the movie “Star Wars,” in which it was referred to as “The Force.” It’s an elusive, though not too difficult concept. If you are...
What Does “Tai Chi Chuan” Mean, and Why is It Also Spelled as “Taijiquan?”
"Tai chi chuan" 太極拳 - casually referred to as "tai chi" - is a deep, meditative, internal Chinese practice. At its original core, it is a martial art, but is nowadays commonly practiced and taught in a manner that strengthens and promotes the mind/body health of...
Master Jou’s 3 Taoist Rules for Making Progress in Tai Chi (or anything else for that matter!)
Master Jou taught mentioned three Taoist rules of success that helped him develop an incredible life, despite having survived a brutal war and experiencing the resulting deaths of family and friends. He lost everything he had in his homeland China in World War II. He...
The Biography of Jou Tsung Hwa – The Root of Internal Gardens’ Traditional Tai Chi Lineage
In the year of 1917, China was going through a tumultuous transition. With the last emperor of the Manchu Dynasty ousted 6 years prior, China saw the end of its 2000 year old imperial system. In the following years, Japan would make demands for special...