Tai Chi Yangshuo

Yangshuo has plenty of activities, but Tai Chi (Taj Chi, Tai Qi, Taichi) is not commonly named as one of them. However, Yangshuo is a good place to start exploring the world of Tai Chi.

Long Tou Shan Martial Arts School
Practicing Tai Chi in the Yangshuo park

Almost everywhere in China you will see people practicing this old form of martial arts. Just go out in the early morning or late afternoon to a central square and you will find plenty of people practicing Tai Chi. One could say, it's a social activity for many Chinese.

However, to master the art of Tai Chi takes many years, so do not expect to become a Tai Chi master in a few lessons.

Tai Chi Master Kim in Yangshuo
Master Kim in Yangshuo

Yangshuo has several schools and depending on what you want, they offer different courses.

Ladies practicing Tai Chi in the Yangshuo Park

What is Tai Chi?

Let me explain, I know next to nothing about Tai Chi other then that I see many Chinese practicing in the morning and evening. Thus I need to ask the master, Luo Mei Juan, a former teacher in Yangshuo, now relocated to the U.S.A..

Master Kim in Yangshuo Like many other martial arts, Tai Chi is a way of life. It's about finding balance in everything you do. As Mei explains, there are 6 elements:

The weak overcomes the strong

Mei explains: "The weak overcoming the strong is the ideal of Taichi. How can this paradox be understood? By an other one!"
Non doing

This non-doing, which is at the same time a very central and very controversial notion of the Dao De Jing, should in any case not be seen as a static state. On the contrary, it's the ability of non resisting, like the highest leaf of a tree is able to follow to the slightest breeze. The virtue that Taichi practitioners call , light and alert.
Surrender

So Non doing implies never acting on your own, never forcing anything but instead completely adapting to the circumstances by following your opponent's moves.
No struggle

If one doesn't resist, there can't be any struggle. One doesn't use force and as there is no opposition, the opponent doesn't know where to use his.
Clear vision

As there is no struggle, one is able to relax, both mentally and physically. Mentally because he is not busy trying to find a weakness to exploit in his opponent, nor is he afraid of not being able to block his attacks.

Physically because if the mental is relax, the body follows naturally and one doesn't have to be tense to surrender and follow with fluidity, on the contrary. Therefore, surrender leads paradoxically to a form of freedom...

Being relax and quiet, one's vision becomes clearer and he becomes able to act on things before they grow.
Letting go

When one is quiet and relax, it becomes even easier for him to adapt to circumstances and wait for them to change.

Master Kim practicing Tai Chi in the Yangshuo

Mei concludes: "Instead of cultivating strength and speed like most martial arts, Tai Chi emphases openness, quietness and softness. The first opponent is therefore oneself. How can one vanquish himself? Simple, come to Yangshuo and learn from the master.

Tai Chi with Kim in the Yangshuo Park
Master Kim practicing Tai Chi in the Yangshuo Park

Different schools, different programs

It's hard to say, all schools offer the same program but in general you can study:

Tai Chi (Yang and Chen) for fluidity, balance and coordination.
Qigong for sensations and rooting.
Push-hands for application.
Massage for relaxation.
Yoga for flexibility and balance.

Locations

One of the high qualified teachers in Yangshuo is Wu Heng Dong, Kim for his friends.

Kim with a student in the Yangshuo park

Kim is a good humoured and high qualified master. He works independent (he has no school). Best way to contact him is to give him a call: 13635141507.

Kim does classes in the Yangshuo Park and many other locations.

Another option is Master Fu, located a few km outside the Yangshuo town center.

Both Kim and Master Fu had the same grandmaster teacher, one of the highest level Tai Chi teachers in China.