Many Taijiquan Masters are not the real thing in Asia nowadays. I have tried many schools and very few have a syllabus or any useful martial arts/self defense knowledge. If you are truly seeking a proper Master then you have to develop a very discerning eye and be prepared to try out many, many classes in the quest for the true.



Self Defense Courses are good fun because they allow a woman the opportunity to practice concerns that are aimed directly at women fighting men.

Wearing office attire for Gongfu class is great. Initially there is a feeling of vulnerability and exposure but after a while this wears off and I feel confident using my legs to fight.

Women often feel intimidated by the martial arts and this is usually because they pick the wrong art. Taijiquan is perfect because machismo is not required.

Taijiquan makes women more womanly and men more manly

“You know it is love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you’re not part of their happiness.”

- Julia Roberts



I like that Taijiquan gives me so much energy.

“Ask yourself what problem you have right now. Not next year, tomorrow or five minutes from now. You can always cope with the now, but you can never cope with the future. Nor do you have to. The answer, the strength and the right action will be there when you need it. Not before or after.”

- Eckhart Tolle

Taijiquan is widely known to help with PMT which is good news for me.

It is known that a Teacher who talks endlessly about Qi probably knows nothing at all.

Taijiquan is more than Qi. It requires a deep understanding of human skeletal mechanics.

I am saddened when I finish a Taijiquan class having just copied the Teacher all night. This is just following and it is not teaching. I read an article by which said that such methods are poor and would not be accepted in mainstream teaching i.e. a School or University. Leading is not teaching.

“A man who has attained mastery of an art reveals it in his every action.”

- Gogen Yamaguchi

I love Wushu but I know it is not Gong-fu. Most people cannot tell the difference. Taijiquan is prone to the same problems with most classes teaching a Wushu-esque version such as Beijiing 24-step or similar and not the actual martial art.

Taijiquan is about the completion of the self.

A punch on the nose is a punch on the nose. Fighting has no time for chatting.

“Even the most powerful human being has a limited sphere of strength. Draw him outside of that sphere and into your own, and his strength will dissipate.”

- Morihei Ueshiba “The Art of Peace”



So feminine...

Many people think that Asian women are weakened by their femininity but I consider the opposite to be true.

Power Dressing 101: The Asian Way

I have trouble with 13 postures because they are not postures at all.

Can I dress like a woman but feel like a hero?

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”

- Bruce Lee

Taijiquan is a silent battle with yourself.

“Practicing qigong is so simple and so powerful. You cannot do it wrong. You can only do it good, better, or best.”
- Chunyi Lin

I think of being a Warrior of Wudang, a hero of the bygone age... Romantic thoughts in a lost age?

Do all Asian girls wear pantyhose (tights)? Yes. In my experience it is uncommon not to wear them. It all comes back to the old saying 'Only a Monkey shows it's feet'. You know this one? Bare feet are ugly whereas stocking feet are alluring. 

Breathing is important in Taijiquan but many people not fully understand need for naturalness and allowing.



“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”

- Anais Nin

Taijiquan is a salve for modern life.

Thusness is a confusing concept in Taijiquan.

Are Asian women as obedient as people think? In my experience we are more prone to naughtiness than compliance.

Taijiquan is grace and beauty in motion.

What can a beginner really have to say about Taijiquan? It is hard work. This is true.

Modesty!

“Ever since my children were born, the moment I looked at them I was crazy about them. Once I held them I was hooked. I am addicted to my children sir. I love them with all my heart and the idea of someone telling me I can’t be with them, I can’t see them everyday. Well, it’s like someone saying I can’t have air.”

- Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)