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Sifu
[teacher] Arthur Rosenfeld has been practicing and teaching for 30 years. His South Florida tai
chi class began in 1997, and several students who began at that time are now teachers in the
school.
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TESTIMONIALS: "I
always thought that I was too much of a beginner to realize the health benefits of tai chi. Then
one day I recalled how my knees had hurt so much when I climbed the walls of the old city of
Dubrovnik on my visit there three years ago, and now I have no problem with my knees. I attribute
it to the gentle bending and stretching characteristic of tai chi practice." |
| Level I - Internal | ||||
| Degree 1: | ||||
| a.
the concept of wuji b. warm-up rolling exercises for the joints | ||||
| Degree 2: | ||||
| a.
internal version of stepping movements b. stances, including Bow (2 types), Horse, Empty, Half Horse, Cross, and One Legged | ||||
| Degree 3: | ||||
| a.
Solo exercises b. Single Push Hands (focus on following and keeping weight center on bubbling well points) c. sinking chi exercise | ||||
| Degree 4: | ||||
| a.
form must be relaxed, motions large and clear, body straight b. tai chi ch'uan link to the Daoist classic Tao Te Ching must be understood c. Lao Da Jia form practiced 1000 times, or as many times as necessary to feel chi in hands, in preparation for next level | ||||
| Level
II - Advanced | ||||
| There
are three degrees. The focus of this level is opening the four major joints. There are many specific
exercises for the hip and shoulders. Usually we will learn Tai Chi Sword (Jian) form, the basic
pushing hands, and chin na (locking) and chin NA countering at this level. At the completion
of this level, one must be able to handle a simple lock or grapple applied inexpertly. Hips and
shoulders will have loosened significantly at the completion of this level. | ||||
| Level
III - Expert | ||||
| There
are three degrees. The major focus of this level is pure relaxation. This is a very difficult
level to complete, as it requires repeated and precise correction. Chen family tradition holds
that few people reach this level in a lifetime of study. The Tai Chi Broadsword (Dan Dao) and
push hands (sensitivity and combat training) become very practical at this level. Upon completion of this level, the student should be able to contend with a straight line force--in the major direction of any stance--equivalent to 150% of the student's body weight. The idea is not to meet force with force (double-weighting in Tai Chi lingo) but rather to conduct force to the ground without effort. | ||||
| Level
IV - Professional | ||||
| This
level focuses on mastering dantien rotation (Tai Chi specific moving of the hips and body core.)
One must complete the pure relaxation before this will work, otherwise rotation is merely mechanical.
At this level, one usually learns the Spring and Autumn Broadsword (Guan Dao) and Spear (qiang), as well as the Cannon Fist form (Pao Cui.) If you are coming from a Wu Style background, this is where you would learn the fast Wu form. If you come from Yang Tai Chi, you would begin the fajing exercises. At this level, most chin na practitioners cannot lock you because your body will find a way to instinctively counter without thinking. Completing level III means you can handle another's strong force; completing level IV means others cannot handle yours. | ||||
| Level
V - Master | ||||
| The
main idea of this level is to strengthen the dantian. At this level the long staff training is
done, and a great deal of emphasis is given to meditation and other internal work. | ||||
![Lineage of Tai Chi Sifu [teacher] Arthur Rosenfeld](im8/Benefits-LineageLabel.jpg)
