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Walk like a cat. —The T’ai Chi Ch’uan Classics | Beginners I We practice Cheng Man-Ching’s short form of the Yang family Tai Chi Chuan (often shortened to Tai Chi). Beginners I is a class for people who have little or no experience of Tai Chi, who have studied a different system of Tai Chi, or who wish to review the choreography of our form. Whether beginners have experience or not, participation in the more advanced classes requires that they know the Tai Chi postures and the transitions between postures as done in our school. Beginners I is the place where students learn the postures and transitions used in Cheng Man-Ching’s Tai Chi. It is also the place where students begin comparing their own practice with the Tai Chi principles. Two of these principles important at the start, and throughout the study, are rootedness and release of tension. Every movement and posture requires rootedness and release. Using the principles as the guide to correct Tai Chi is the path to a fulfilling practice. Beginners I starts in September and meets Mondays at 6:00. New students can join through October. |
Beginners II A Beginners II student knows the sequence of postures and their names. At the intermediate stage, the effort is to polish the form by working at a greater level of detail. Emphasis is placed on principles such as “one part moves, all parts move” and “the waist is the commander.” Ed once said that the form is a box into which you put your study. At the Beginners II level, the form is developed to the point that one is beginning to study the principles using the form as an aid. A Beginners II student has gone from the beginning stage where the principles govern practice to the intermediate stage where the practice is an expression of the principles. Often this is the point where the student understands from experience that the principles can apply to many parts of life beyond Tai Chi practice. Beginners II students will learn the positions not covered in 2025-26 and deepen their understanding of the whole Tai Chi form. Beginners II starts in September and meets Mondays at 6:00. |
Study At the advanced stage, the principles of “wu wei” and “use mind, not force” become central to the study. Attention is paid to the character and location of intention and its movement and change. The classes go more deeply into the role and kind of intention used in the form and in everyday life. In addition to deepening understanding of the form through instruction and practice, from time to time students will have the opportunity to hear presentations on aspects of Chinese culture related to Tai Chi, such as traditional Chinese medicine or the meaning of Chinese characters related to Tai Chi. The Study class meets Mondays at 7:00. |
Push Hands More advanced students can (and are encouraged to) learn the pushing hands exercise. Professor Cheng commented in one of his books that this is where the difference between muscular force and resilience becomes clear to the student. It is the place where the error of using force against force, even if that is no more than an attitude, is studied. We do push hands as an exercise that benefits both parties, not as a contest in domination. Push hands study will usually be conducted in the hour immediately following the advanced class. This way, new understandings of the principles and their effect on movements in the form can be directly applied to the movements of push hands. During Push Hands study, students new to Push Hands can learn the basics, while others who know the choreography can receive further instruction. Opportunities to improve are plentiful, since it’s equally possible to learn from engaging with instructors and students who are more advanced than you are, students at the same level, and less advanced students. Push Hands is done in the spirit of cooperation and mutual learning. Some part of the final hour may also be devoted to open practice of the sword form and fencing. This class runs Mondays from 8:00 to 9:00. |
Class location James V. Harmon Community Center 44 Main Street, Hastings-On-Hudson, NY Walking directions from the Hastings-on-Hudson train station |