Understanding Taoist Classics


Interpreting the Ancient Codes

Interpreting the ancient codes shrouding the esoteric Chinese arts is one of the great challenges facing any serious student or teacher of Taoism. Download the free paper now.

Chen Tai Chi Chuan Seminar Part 4 Yin Yang and Kung Fu

Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is based on Yin and Yang theory. Taiji refers to the two poles of Yin and Yang, especially the interrelationship between them. This relationship is called the Yi principle – or change principles. One of the meanings of Kung Fu is “skill obtained through hard work.” Both of these topics are discussed [...]

Qigong Exercises and Forms

Check out the new trailer for our Qigong Exercise DVD.

The video is designed to let you follow the movements in your own daily practice. It includes eight complete Qigong sets. These sets are the core forms in first level of the TCCII Professional Qigong Certification course series.

About “Moving with the Tao” Qigong Practice DVD

The Five Animal [...]

Crazy People

I recently got a question from someone asking advice on “How to deal with crazy people?”

There are all kinds of people in this world. Some people are angels, others are assholes. Most people are somewhere in between. But this spectrum (should we call it the A-A spectrum?) is not all there is to defining what [...]

Good Enough for Rock and Roll

Most people want to be perfect. Not everyone, but most.

I recently took my 4 year old son to get pizza at one of the local re-developed town centers around Washington DC. These places, though very commercial, are often great fun for the young ones. That evening they happened to feature a local band which was [...]

China 2010: Day 9: Wei Bao Shan

Day 9, Saturday, April 24 (Xizhou)

I went up to the terrace at 7:30 AM to practice my Yang Style 108 Form Tai Chi with the sight of people working in the fields and barren 13,000 ft. mountains rising in the background. It was absolutely beautiful and peaceful with clouds seeming to brush the tops of [...]

Dragon and Tiger Kung Fu

The Dragon and Tiger have long been totems of internal Kung Fu and symbols of Taoist internal cultivation. The highest levels of internal Kung Fu provide an entry point to Internal Alchemy (Nei Dan) cultivation. Here is a video of Dragon and Tiger free movement performed by Mr. Shawn Cartwright, TCCII Executive Director. It was [...]

Chen Tai Chi Yi Lu Form by Shawn Cartwright

For every Yin there is a Yang. In this case, the Yang is the Chen Tai Chi Form performed by Mr. Shawn Cartwright, Executive Director of TCCII. This form shows the obvious hard and soft, fast and slow movement of the original style of Tai Chi Chuan. Mr. Cartwright is a 20th generation Chen Tai [...]

Ba Gua and Xing Yi on a sacred Taoist Mountain in China

Bagua and Xingyi (Pa Kua and Hsing I) are two of the most famous Chinese internal Kung Fu systems (after Tai Chi Chuan.) Bagua is generally based upon the eight trigrams of the Yi Jing (I Ching) while Xingyi is based upon the Wuxing (Wu Hsing) five element theory. Here is a demonstration of Xingyi’s [...]

Wei Bao Mountain and Taoist Temples

Today we travelled to Wei Bao Shan (Wei Bao Mountain), considered one of the major Taoist mountains in China. The drive took a couple of hours and we travelled on a newly built highway through the mountains. This region is home of the Yi people, who wear a distinctive green costume. They sometimes walk their [...]

The Flowers are Beautiful in Southern China

With another foot of snow and white out conditions here in Washington DC, it’s easy to reminisce about the beauty of southern China.

When we travel in China, it’s mostly to train with our teachers and occasionally do a little business. But we always try to fit in a little time to absorb some of the [...]