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Chinese heritage

Tai Chi Fan

There are certain weapons that are synonymous with tai chi practice, and in the White Crane style the first weapon that students learn is the tai chi fan. However, compared to weapons such as the spear and sword, it is a relatively modern addition to the tai chi arsenal and …

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Three Treasures

In my late teens I spent a few months working in a book warehouse, saving up to go away on another travelling adventure. I wasn’t interested in much else at that age, other than books, so compared to some other mind numbing temporary jobs I had grafted away at in …

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On Emptiness

Emptiness   Emptiness is a core theme throughout the Tao Te Ching, it is the eternal and inexhaustible wellspring from which everything is derived.    In Taoism, emptiness (Wuji) is represented by a circle. From Wuji the Taiji is derived and the polarities of Yin and Yang come into being. …

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Eight Pieces of Brocade Qigong

One of the oldest and most famous of all qigong sequences is ‘Ba Duan Jin’, or ‘Eight Pieces of Brocade’, also known as ‘Eight Treasures’.  Visit parks across China in the mornings and you’ll see individuals or groups practicing a variation of the form which has been passed down and …

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The Subtle Power of Qigong

It’s easier than tai chi and less physically strenuous than yoga. It builds a subtle strength and flexibility throughout the whole body and you feel great afterwards.  Entrenched in Chinese medicine and having stood the test of time (5000 years by some accounts), Qigong might just be the perfect activity …

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Autumn

Looking out of my window as I am settling down to write the weekly WCO blog post and autumn is here for sure. In England, as of the last few days, that has meant rain and getting significantly colder! Downpours aside, I love the change of late summer into autumn …

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Martial Qigong

Welcome to another edition of the weekly White Crane Online blog. Over the past few weeks we have been exploring topics in and around the theme of Taoism. Last week I introduced the core concept of Qi (if you missed it, you might want to read it here first) and …

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Qi

Teacher: ‘Well done today everyone, great class! Does anyone have any questions?’ Student: ‘Yes, I was wondering, what is Qi?’ Teacher: ‘Good question. Have you seen Star Wars?’ Student: ‘Yes.’ Teacher: ‘It’s The Force.’   Being a man, and tai chi instructor, of a certain age there are two cultural …

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The 5 Elements

The previous two blog posts in this Taoism series have explained the concepts of Wuji, and Yin-Yang. Respectively the unseen, unfathomable void from which all existence springs (Wuji), and the duality of natural phenomena which gives it its definition (Yin-Yang).  Our next step in our journey of understanding Chinese thought …

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Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang are fundamental to Chinese cosmology. The symbol is a familiar one, even to us in the West, I remember trying to draw it as I graffitied my school books as a child! Even though I had no clue what it meant… ‘something to do with peace!?’ was …

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