Understanding the tai chi frames in a mis-informed world. Tai Chi chuan is a martial art that is fast and slow, hard and soft. There is a developmental process for the body and mind. If you want kung fu, if you want the real neigong, you have to go deep into the large frame for many years with the scrutiny of a master and get regular corrections. Not seminar, not if a master passes through town, or you go to a master on vacation, it is regular daily training with corrections and details. The large frame makes changes deep to the bone marrow and stokes the ming men fire (for moving fluids and blood). The classics say you must first open before you close and reverse. Yin and yang need to be in balance. If large frame is not learned in your youth then this will make things harder. Bones, muscles, tendons (li) as well as vital organs (Qi), and brain and nervous system (yi), all need to be trained at a young age. The cadence needs to be smooth and slow with then connection of low and upper body. Large frame needs small frame hand in hand to create the martial. Train big, but fight small. Circling is not a principle, it is find the square in the circle and vice versa. Small jin, the jin li dian, large jin, chan si jin, need to be trained.

Talking points on the frames:

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9zqwpvLm-yQ?si=DnKQ1PfSEk1B-cUR

There are too many false history and false claims being made up in regards to Yang Banhou and Yang Shaohou and their frames. These masters traveled and may have taught a short time in a city, but the locals there did not get regular training, long term corrections, establish long term family connections to the source where as real disciples got decades of personal and oral instruction. These false people did not Bashi into the yang family, so why are we in the social media world allowing them dominate these discussions? No one really knows the truth really what was happening long ago, but we have records of who trained the longest and with which master (don’t believe everything in wikipedia for example, people are just putting in BS left and right).

The frames changes as the masters get older. The Master in his prime age of 50’s his frame changed to medium/middle frame. The change of process because of aging, the change in height of stance. The progression of life comes with progression of physical changes. We have to change our frame size as we change with age and to assist people at their physical level. For example an elderly person joining a Tai chi class cannot do deep large frame stances, a higher and smaller frame will suit them better. The progression of consistent training using stance, height, speed, softness to deal with minor aches and pain from daily training. Moving different as we age, difference between young and old, and how it changes the way you practice. Use frames to assist the learning process of beginner. KISS (Keep is simple stupid). Training the muscles, tendons, bones, build up the bone matrix and immune system. The fire below the heart and circulation of the power of the heart is in relaxation. Nerves and skin health is in the winding and rotation, coiling movements of the body and limbs. Bragging about frame is tacky, it has no honor wude, and lacks integrity. Speed of the mind and the intricate movements of Tai Chi develop the mind in tai chi kung fu. Learn all the frames and you need to be everything all together as in the I-Ching, the ability to change from one frame to another.