How to learn Tai Chi well

How to master Tai Chi well is a matter of concern for fellow martial arts practitioners. As far as I know, there are many people who have practiced Tai Chi for decades but still remain at the empty level of the set of forms. What is the reason that one cannot feel the internal energy and practice martial arts? It's just that no effort has been made in the basic skills. In my opinion, to master Tai Chi well, one should first practice the Wuji Pole Exercise, the Qi Collection and Exhalation Exercise, as well as the single-form auxiliary exercises. Under the guidance of principle, one should practice the internal qi and the limbs. Because Tai Chi is an internal energy martial art, it must be practiced in combination with internal energy. Strengthen your inner self first, and then your outer self will naturally be strengthened. The three methods of research and practice are combined, namely the practice method, the application method and the research method. To master the principles of Tai Chi, one must practice with the correct methods and be clear about the quality and effects of combat and health preservation. Standing in meditation emphasizes stillness; stillness brings vitality; movement gives birth to Tai Chi. Standing in meditation can cultivate one's vital energy. Cultivate the spiritual root, qi and spirit, guard the elixir orifice, take deep breaths, mainly without holding your breath. Exhale gently and inhale continuously, expelling the old and taking in the new, absorbing the essence of the sun and the moon, to nourish your own spiritual energy. The ancients said, "To practice martial arts, one must start from the infinite, and earnestly seek the opening and closing of Yin and Yang." Through the Wuji Pole Practice, one can enhance their Yin essence and energy. Start with Wuji and then move on to Taiji. This is the sequence of practicing Qigong. When practicing boxing, one should also form the standing posture. Standing still is the fixed standing posture, while practicing boxing is the living standing posture. No matter what kind of Tai Chi it is, it requires the movement of the mind and qi, with the mind guiding the qi and the qi moving the body. It starts from the feet, flows through the spine, runs through the hands, and is controlled by the waist. The central qi should be balanced, and the Baihui and perineum should be connected in a single line. The movements should be divided into emptiness and fullness, opening and closing, hardness and softness, tightness and looseness, Yin and Yin, and the movements should be continuous. The mind and spirit should be reserved, opening and closing should be like drawing silk, and the transitions should be spiral and entwined. To achieve the three deficiencies, namely, weakness of the hands, weakness of the benefits, and weakness of the feet, and ultimately reach the state of being deficient and agile everywhere. When practicing boxing, the internal energy flows throughout the body, both inside and out, just like swimming in the air. In reality, practicing boxing is like drawing a Taiji diagram, where the spirit and mind are united, each section runs through, and the body is relaxed and the energy flows smoothly. Without resorting to brute force, it exudes a spirit and form. Especially in Chen-style Tai Chi, apart from the horizontal and vertical circles, arcs can be seen everywhere. The ancients said, "When it comes to chaotic and evil magic, one should strive for excellence. The upper and lower parts should follow each other, and the subtleties are endless. Lead them deep into the chaotic circle, and the four ambiguous parts can move a thousand pounds." Practice the ultimate skill: every movement of the elbow is like a Tai Chi. The eighteen small joints of the whole body, such as the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, feet, chest, waist, abdomen, buttocks and neck, can be rotated synchronously to form a large Tai Chi ball. When fighting, you can apply force just a little bit, each point penetrating to the bone. This is the formation of a mass of primordial energy. Spiral winding is a profound mechanics. Any power moves forward in rotation, such as airplanes, ships, and various carriages. Even the Earth seeks Yin and Yang in its rotation. Therefore, the essence of Tai Chi lies in its flexibility, roundness, vitality, and the swirling and winding. Tai Chi is the crystallization of Taoism, medicine and martial arts, and the intercommunication among the three should be integrated. Taoist studies are internal skills, martial arts are external skills, and medicine is the assistance of both. Those who only understand Taoist skills but not martial arts will have inflexible limbs and lack the skills of quick combat and maneuvering. If one only knows martial arts but does not practice Taoist arts, the internal energy will be insufficient, and the power of martial arts cannot be exerted. Only understanding the internal and external functions without grasping medical principles cannot save lives and heal the wounded. The three are connected and combined to achieve comprehensiveness. The philosophy of Tai Chi is profound. Only by constantly exploring can one achieve the highest level of skill? The Yin and Yang of heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, the universe, the way of Taiji, are all in harmony with the universe. Tai Chi encompasses everything and is a profound form of qigong. In all aspects, one should prioritize the spirit and energy. Whether practicing standing, sitting or lying down, the spirit and energy should always come first. Practicing martial arts also requires that one's spirit and spirit be the sovereign and one's flesh and blood be the subject. Guiding the body with the spirit and energy, the movement of the spirit and energy runs through all the techniques in Tai Chi. The Qi collection technique, the Yuan Mixing technique, the breathing and inhalation technique, the Dan Qiao technique, the Sitting and Lying Technique, and the Single Posture Technique are all auxiliary techniques of Tai Chi. As the ancients said, "If you practice boxing but not martial arts, you will end up with nothing in your old age." Therefore, many martial arts techniques are about cultivating internal energy. When practicing boxing, one must understand nourishment; otherwise, one will get injured. So, if one doesn't know how to nourish oneself when practicing martial arts, no matter how many times one practices, the skills won't last long. Mastering the right way to practice boxing is itself a form of nourishment. Practicing martial arts and boxing are both about nourishing one's essence, energy and spirit. The process of practicing boxing is an active rest. Many people regard practicing boxing as labor, and this is injury. Therefore, nurturing is multi-faceted. First of all, one should practice Tai Chi and Tai harmony, and cultivate one's own noble and upright spirit. One should practice walking, sitting, lying down and doing things just right, neither too much nor too little. Many of the predecessors in the martial arts world had an inner energy of over a thousand jin, mainly due to receiving true teachings and mastering the right methods of practice. It enables the five internal organs, meridians, tendons, bones and marrow to form an qi film to protect the body. During the cultivation of martial arts techniques, it generates high bioelectrical energy and magnetic fields within the body, thereby achieving high efficiency in combat. In martial arts, one can achieve invincibility. May fellow martial arts practitioners contribute their skills to promoting Chinese martial arts to the world and its inclusion in the Olympic Games, benefiting humanity.