Internal Arts Madeira

02/11/2026

💚 Tai Chi has many layers.

“If one relies entirely on the teacher one will never find the treasure.”
— T T Liang

A good teacher can guide us, share their knowledge, and help us understand the principles of Tai Chi. But we must take what we've learned and discover its meaning through our own diligent practice.

Some of the most valuable “aha!” moments come from practicing on our own.

💬 What is something you've discovered about Tai Chi through your own practice?

31/10/2026

CLASS CANCELLED FOR SUNDAY 01 NOVEMBER 2026

Unfortunately, due to the high probability of bad weather on Sunday - the current forecast predicts an 81% chance of rain - I am cancelling class.

The weather forecast is also predicting rain in Madalena do Mar on Tuesday and Wednesday, but I'll wait to make any decision about those days.

30/10/2026

Rainy Days

The local weather forecast is predicting quite a lot of rain over the next few days.

That means a weekend of indoor training:

Zhan Zhuang

Holding postures from the Tai Chi forms

Qigong practice

Not being able to train outside should never be an excuse to not train inside.

There’s always something that you can do.

29/10/2026

The Brennan Translation

Paul Brennan is an unsung hero when it comes to the topic of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts.

His translation into English of Chinese-language training manuals, articles, and other materials has opened up access to a deep well of knowledge that would have otherwise remained inaccessible to those without the requisite linguistic skills.

You are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t take advantage of these resources.

As an example, here is one of his recent translations of Guo Lianyin’s treatise of the Cosmic Stance of standing practice (Zhan Zhuang).

https://brennantranslation.wordpress.com/2026/10/26/poetry-in-stillness/?fbclid=IwdGRzaAVPZbNjbGNrBU9ld2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHBkb2YFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEfDo6EdxklphHGzPI05NiQ_ru6RzXm3kYlilu7QNlHqcYM6IN74FbmSEAN-r4_aem_7-kvSwOyHiz2CQtUuBDBkQ&sfnsn=wa

– 宇宙樁 COSMIC STANCE 郭連蔭 by Guo Lianyin [published in Taiwan within 太極拳譜 A Guide to Taiji Boxing, Dec, 1962] [translation by Paul Brennan, Oct, 2026] – 左宇宙樁 Left position: 右宇宙樁 Right pos…

18/10/2026

Just a few, short notes I wrote about important details for Zhan Zhuang (Standing Post Practice).

I should probably transcribe these into a more organized, easier to read document.

Maybe even make a video…

18/10/2026

This!

I don't know this instructor, nor have I ever trained with him...but this is the way I practice and teach the opening movements of the Tai Chi forms.

One of the core principles I follow is that movement starts with the body, then continues out to the arms. The arms follow the body, not the other way around.

If I want my arms to go up and forward, then the body must first move down and back, and vice versa when I want my arms to go down and back.

My eyes were first opened to this concept when I attended a seminar where Chen Xiaowang demonstrated how this movement is used to dislodge a double wrist grab. The movement was so much more powerful when the body dropped first to propel the arms upwards.

I've kept that demonstration in mind ever since, even though it took place at least a decade or more ago.

17/10/2026

The first two or three months of learning Tai Chi are actually kind of easy.

You don’t really know what you are doing, and that’s okay. You anticipated - and have accepted - feeling a bit awkward as your body adjusts. You’re just going along with the flow and everything is copacetic.

But then a strange thing happens.

It suddenly gets difficult.

Really difficult!

You expected to know what you are doing by now, but you don’t. You start to feel foolish because when you focus on your legs, your arms go the wrong way, and vice versa. You're frustrated.

Congratulations! You’ve just reached the point where most people quit.

What you are feeling is the price of admission.

Everyone has to pay it.

Keep going.

16/10/2026

If you are learning Tai Chi or Qigong (or both) and there is something you don’t understand, then ask.

Your instructor doesn’t know what you don’t know, and your questions are the best way for them to evaluate gaps in your knowledge.

And those gaps can help your instructor refine their teaching methodology to eliminate any uncertainties.

Also, asking questions is a good way for you to evaluate whether your instructor actually knows their stuff, or are just faking it (and there are a lot of charlatans out there doing just that).

At the same time, understand that your teacher is not omniscient; there’s a lot they don’t know.

The difference between a good instructor and a fraud is the first, when asked a difficult question, will be humble enough to say “I don’t know,” and then diligent enough to go find the answer.

The later will just make something up to keep you quiet, or - even worse - imply you aren’t ready for such secret knowledge, or some such nonsense.

Honesty is always the best policy!

10/10/2026

The map is not the territory, nor are the Tai Chi forms the art.

The forms, the long sequences of movements that are most representative of Tai Chi in popular culture, are a training tool. A technology, so to speak.

They are the most visible aspect of Tai Chi, but there’s more to it than that.

There is an entire methodology of physical training based on movement, coordination, and balance exercises. There is weapons training, partner drills, sparing, etc.

The forms are what most people seek, and that’s fine because there are so many health benefits to be had from practicing those alone.

But the forms are just the entry point, the edge of the map, and there’s so much more territory to explore…

08/10/2026

Outdoor Tai Chi and Qigong practice is best, but indoors is always better than not at all.

As we move into winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, there will almost certainly be days when it’s not possible to practice outdoors due to inclement weather.

In fact, last year I had to cancel my open-air classes many times because the weather wouldn’t cooperate.

I’ve always believed practicing outside is best, but if it isn’t possible, don’t use rain or snow as an excuse to skip your Tai Chi or Qigong training.

A lot of Tai Chi training can be done indoors, even in a small room. Qigong lends itself very well to practice in small spaces.

If you need suggestions, please read the attached article I wrote on this topic a while back, or ask your own instructor on how to effectively train indoors.

Practicing Tai Chi can take up a lot of room, but what do you do when space is at a premium?