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24/07/2022, 17:22 – +353 87 774 5091: brain freeze doing tai chi sword on my own thurs. Mortified.
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24/07/2022, 17:49 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Hi everyone! This is Tony Berger. Very excited to have a group chat to communicate. Thank you Aamir! 👊🏼☯️
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24/07/2022, 21:59 – +44 7940 519258: Greetings to Aamir and to everyone
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25/07/2022, 12:52 – Aamir Rafi: Hello! Aamir here. Hope this helps everyone in their practice and to stay connected 🙂
25/07/2022, 17:02 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Has anyone found any books on Chen tai chi to be valuable? And if so can you recommend them?
25/07/2022, 17:06 – +1 (347) 410-1597 joined using this group’s invite link
25/07/2022, 21:12 – Robert Bichan: Hi everyone, Robert form Dundee, Scotland – good to be in the community 😎🤜👊🤛😎
25/07/2022, 21:18 – Lei joined using this group’s invite link
26/07/2022, 08:59 – +44 7305 318867: IMG-20220726-WA0000.jpg (file attached)
I’m not sure if this is what you had in mind but I’ve just finished reading The Way of Qigong by Kenneth Cohen and really enjoyed it. It was detailed and interesting.
26/07/2022, 11:52 – Aamir Rafi: That is a great book Emily I highly recommend it to any one interested in Qigong practice.
26/07/2022, 12:06 – Aamir Rafi: Chen Style Taijiquan: The Source of Taiji Boxing https://amzn.eu/d/3FOmWJH

I recommend this book on Chen Tai Chi it gives a good background on history and training of the art if I remember correctly 🙂
26/07/2022, 17:00 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Excellent thank you Emily! That’s exactly what I’m hunting for!
26/07/2022, 17:01 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Thank you Aamir! Perfect.
26/07/2022, 17:32 – +44 7907 046815: Chen Taijiquan: Masters & Methods by the same authors is also interesting.
26/07/2022, 17:33 – Aamir Rafi added Ralph Hob Goblin, +44 7816 313873, +44 7870 630979, +44 7949 108714 and +44 7966 988467
26/07/2022, 17:38 – +44 7907 046815: This message was deleted
26/07/2022, 17:39 – +44 7907 046815: IMG-20220726-WA0003.jpg (file attached)
26/07/2022, 18:09 – +44 7907 046815: I also found interesting by David Gaffney
‘TALKING CHEN TAIJIQUAN
mainly about his journey through Chen Taichi
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31/07/2022, 16:00 – +1 (347) 410-1596: These books are fascinating. David Gaffney is an excellent source of information as a good bridge to the Westerner who is beginning their tai chi journey. Makes me appreciate Aamir even more! 😉
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02/08/2022, 16:54 – +1 (347) 410-1596: https://youtu.be/ZTyIQm-_Bj4
02/08/2022, 16:56 – +1 (347) 410-1596: I thought it would be interesting to watch and discuss some YouTube vids of the modern masters doing their thing. I watched this last night at work. He’s mesmerizing.
02/08/2022, 17:01 – +44 7479 504260: It is sooo controlled :))
02/08/2022, 17:16 – +44 7907 046815: Unfortunately they kept moving the camera on this one:

https://youtu.be/jHFQJT6H2to
02/08/2022, 17:20 – +1 (347) 410-1596: The Four Buddhas Warriors!! Wow!! That’s an amazing thing to see! So inspirational
02/08/2022, 17:33 – +1 (347) 410-1596: I watched some of Chen Xiaowang’s instructional videos on the 8 strengths and their application in push hands play. It was really interesting
02/08/2022, 17:35 – +1 (347) 410-1596: https://youtu.be/hhAoXmZj0ko
02/08/2022, 20:56 – Aamir Rafi: https://youtu.be/vHdhUwaxVOQ

Going to throw this into the mix… This is one of my favourite xin Jia form videos.
02/08/2022, 20:57 – Aamir Rafi: You can see all the deep foundation work aka body mechanics/silk reeling
02/08/2022, 20:57 – Aamir Rafi: This is a great and simple explanation of the 8 methods
03/08/2022, 16:10 – +1 (347) 410-1596: That’s almost hard to follow with all of its little unique differences from how we play it. Great video
04/08/2022, 03:47 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Aamir is there a Chinese tea that helps with sore muscle recovery for martial arts practice that you know of? I’d be very interested in taking less ibuprofen 🤣
04/08/2022, 08:03 – +44 7801 815494: Not sure about tea, but there is a linament for small injuries, called Dit Da Jow.
04/08/2022, 09:01 – +44 7907 046815: This message was deleted
04/08/2022, 09:02 – +44 7907 046815: This message was deleted
04/08/2022, 09:11 – Aamir Rafi: https://plumdragonherbs.com/pages/an-introduction-to-dit-da-jow

All you need to know about dit dat jow
04/08/2022, 09:26 – Aamir Rafi: Over the last 20 odd years I ve taken and been advised to take all sorts of herbs, tonics and linaments to help with training and recovery, at one point I was encouraged to take a 30 day course of deer placenta!

I have personally found a herb called Jiagulon which I drink as a tea as part of my daily routine best for recovery and training performance. In China its known as the immortality herb. I also regularly take Shilajit resin I found this really helps with my recovery and energy levels. For muscle cramps I’ve found taking Irish Sea Moss really helps I notice the difference when I’ve not been taking it.

Not advise just what I’ve found that works for me 🙂
04/08/2022, 16:35 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Great thank you!! We have a student of ours who makes his own dit da Jow which works quite well.
04/08/2022, 16:39 – +44 7305 318867: Tony I guess you might have already tried the old classics of oolong tea and a good rub of Tiger Balm? Neither are specifically martial arts related but have always been firm favourites (apart from the fact that Tiger Balm stains everything yellow 🤣)
04/08/2022, 16:48 – +44 7907 046815: white tiger balm that does not stain available from chemist shop in my area(London)
04/08/2022, 16:50 – +44 7305 318867: Yes but I thought it has a different effect? White for headaches and orange for muscles, but hey, if it works then it doesn’t matter.
04/08/2022, 17:02 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Yes we used a lot of tiger balm in New York City years ago. Oolong tea I haven’t tried for recovery. I will try it out. Watching the Hai Yang videos that Aamir introduced us to on YouTube, he’s always talking about tea. I bet he may have an episode where he recommends one for muscle soreness. 👊🏼
04/08/2022, 17:19 – Aamir Rafi: Tony if you after a tea for recovery Jiagulon is the way
04/08/2022, 17:19 – +44 7816 313873: Second that
04/08/2022, 17:22 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Excellent. Thank you!
04/08/2022, 17:25 – +44 7907 046815: This message was deleted
04/08/2022, 17:26 – +44 7907 046815: Tony has a wide choice now!
04/08/2022, 17:29 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Yes! As I age I am finding those choices are very necessary!! 🤣
04/08/2022, 21:26 – +44 7801 815494: I have jiaogulan gynostemma tea. Is that the same thing? If so, I’ll start drinking more of it 😉
04/08/2022, 21:30 – Aamir Rafi: Yep that’s the same thing
04/08/2022, 21:31 – +44 7801 815494: Will definitely drink more!
05/08/2022, 18:44 – +1 (347) 410-1596: Interesting discussion of Lao Jia vs Xin Jia 🙏🏼
https://youtu.be/GiB2CsmU08Q
07/08/2022, 10:51 – +44 7949 108714: If you only had 1 hour a day to practice what would you do?
Form or weapons? Would you mix it up. One day form, one day weapon. Would you skip a warm up and just ease into practice. I tend to focus on form (no warm up but good stretch after)then feel bad that I’ve not practiced spear enough.
07/08/2022, 12:12 – +44 7895 144133: I would like to learn long form and weapons but it’s a little more difficult to get it right on your own
07/08/2022, 14:25 – +44 7895 144133: This message was deleted
07/08/2022, 16:57 – +1 (347) 410-1596: I try not to skip some version of the warmup each time since Aamir told us how essential it is. It always pays off by centering my mind and opening my joints up.
07/08/2022, 17:01 – +44 7949 108714: So, if you just had 1 hour a day would you spend 20-30 mins warm up and 30-40 mins on form, weapons or 10-15 mins on both or alternate days?
07/08/2022, 17:04 – +44 7816 313873: From my perspective ; it is better to give one thing it’s due on any given day. The standard warm up is a daily essential though.
07/08/2022, 17:30 – +1 (347) 410-1596: I generally warm up and do some basic silk reeling stuff (cloud hands, etc) and 8 form a few times then I choose a form to work on. And when working on a form I usually quickly find something I get a little stuck on and work on that as an isolated move for a while. I like to listen to my body and let it guide me as well. So if something doesn’t feel right I don’t just keep charging through and instead stop and keep working there until it feels right. I like to do a little bit of sword with each workout too because it’s so rewarding.
07/08/2022, 17:34 – +1 (347) 410-1596: (And this is because Aamir generally directs us to practice this way, not because I am any kind of authority on how to practice Chen)
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