Whether you’re a long time student of ours, or have only seen us online, the Tai Chi Family Gathering has something for everyone interested in Internal Power, Health, and Push Hands
Sigung Clear has dedicated himself to sharing the indoor, rarely seen skills of Tai Chi Chuan with everyone!
Our organization is growing with skilled and licensed instructors all over the world.
During the first annual Clear Tai Chi -International Family Gathering, we saw many of the instructors in one place, and learned directly from them and other long term Clear Tai Chi students!
This is a list of the classes you’ll get access to.
The Power of Softness
with STEVE ROBERTSON
Steve will introduce and help student’s feel the power of Softness and how to use it.
Included will be many exercises and drills that help to demonstrate and teach some of the amazing skills that come from properly training and using softness (soong).
Moving The Center & Internal Hua Jin
with LOGAN SHAW
Tai Chi dissolves the center to be hard to get hold of, and gain superior leverage.
This training will show you easy, safe methods to release the tension in your body- and follow with internal movement training to redirect and dissolve incoming force.
Every Day Training from the Master
with MATTHEW HOLKER
When I started travelling on the road to workshops with Sigung Clear, I needed to get my skills up fast.
With that goal in mind, Sigung Clear invested some personal time and attention into me.
Every day in the office he checked me on ONE THING. He took at least a few minutes testing me and giving me feedback on just One Thing, over and over and over again.
This workshop is an hour long intensive session on getting that One Thing.
Hanging from a Bungee Cord: Puppet Master or Puppet?
with MARK MICHAUD
Hanging from a bungee cord is one of the first things you learn in Clear Tai Chi. It is a component of the Wu Chi ten points and helps in the proper alignment of the other nine points, as well as good Zhong Ding.
- Through this seminar, you will:
- learn to test proper head connection.
- learn to use the Yi to change the length and energetic qualities of the cord.
- Use proper head connection to help attain better alignment.
- MORE SUNG!
Tai Chi Says YES!
with SIFU RICHARD CLEAR
Learn how Tai Chi approaches situations and changes intended outcomes based on an attitude of acceptance.
- This includes:
- How Tai Chi receives and becomes one with a partner or opponent’s force.
(This includes doing it when the situation is particularly uncomfortable) - How to become the Eye of the Storm & be okay with it.
- How to use a partner or opponent’s force.
- The importance and use of proper soong (softness).
Forward Stance / Fixed Step Push Hands
with HARRY LEGG
While there are many ways to practice Push Hands,fixed-step, forward stance is mostly the default type of play you’ll find at Push Hands Meetups and in many tournaments.
You’ll learn the basics of Forward Stance / Fixed Step Push Hands and will then be able to use your Clear’s Internal Push Hands skills in the forward stance method and how to troubleshoot common errors such as using too much force / external type of play that frequently happens among many forward stance Tai Chi Push Hands players.
We’ll also go over Tournament basics for forward stance/fixed step Push Hands.
Rocking and Rolling with Tui Na
with CHAD BAILEY
This class will focus on the Rocking (Yao) and Rolling (Gun) hand techniques of Tui Na and the ability to use Rocking and Rolling to assess a persons energy system and make changes where necessary.
After learning the Rock and Roll massage, we will apply Ting/ Listening to the practice.
Continuing, we will specify our listening to the Meridian system (12 main meridians plus the Ren and Du) and learn various ways to therapeutically adjust the energy flow.
We will discuss two different energy diagnosis methods: The Eight Parameters (simple yin and yang) and The Five Elements (more complex).
We will finish practicing with a Yao Gun Fa treatment on a partner as well as receiving from them. Bring a yoga mat and towel to lay on.
Warm Ups & Starting Exercises
with GEORGE ANTONION
- This lesson will focus on a few things:
- a warm up joint loosening set
- a “waterfall” relaxing exercise to be done before starting form practice… not a Chi Gung set.
- using the “5 bows ” as an introduction to expansion and contraction in the forms and in push hands.
- the importance of being responsible if hosting any “meet up” or open mat type of push hands session.
- There will also be an open question an answer session from the students… what are they doing well, what are they not doing well… open discussion with no criticism.
Supporting Methods for Releasing Tension and Increasing Chi Flow
with SHEILA BELL
Acupressure, essential oils, and facial exercises with Sheila D. Bell.
How high does your sung start?
Have you considered releasing tension in the jaw and face as a component of your relaxation sequence?
Join me for an introduction to increasing your internal energy through acupressure for release of tension in the head and face and opening the sinuses, essential oil use for opening key points on the meridian system, simple exercises for lifting the spirit and focusing inward and downward.
Smiling from the heart without tension, allowing the face to express the joy and peace you feel during your tai chi practice, will increase the depth of your relaxation and make you more approachable!
This is a great calling card for teachers and the perfect disguise for your inner warrior!
Chi Kung for Tai Chi Practitioners
with ART DONN
This session will involve Walking Meditation, the Yi Jin Jing and Five Organ Strengthening Exercises. If time permits, Tai Chi Ruler and Tiger Playing With Ball will also be introduced.
These chi kung methods are useful for Tai Chi practitioners at all levels of skill.
Feeling The Bear
with CAROLINE CLEAR
- Carly will teach Yi skills for sensitivity(Ting) and will scan participants to determine their:
- Capacity for Ting
- Current ability to Ting with their Yi and corrections to help development
- An exercise to develop your Yi(Mind) Ting skill will be taught and how to use it in Internal Push Hands and how to play Yi skill games with a Partner.
Tai-Chi concepts of Yielding, Folding and Dropping in Self Defense Applications
with JIM KELLY
Developing the softness of cotton in Tai Chi fighting through the use of yielding and folding with Tai Chi Forms and movements, while striking with the strength of steel utilizing dropping and the issuance of Fa Jin energy including the benefits of meeting force with looseness or softness to absorb, redirect and re-issue opponent’s energy.
Also, guiding and redirecting opponent’s strikes with your hands, while yielding and dropping to issue energy through the elbows.
- Also covered will be how to issue Fa Jin energy through dropping and testing the effectiveness with elbow, shoulder and hip strikes.
- Tai Chi fighting distance
- Why Tai Chi is difficult to compare in a ring
- The importance of Sung or total emptiness
- The concept of ‘Accepting the gifts’
- Being the ‘First in Motion’
In the Moment – Mindfulness with Clear Tai Chi
with SIFU RICHARD CLEAR
Solo and partner exercises for being in the moment will be presented by Sifu Clear with in-depth explanation and time for Q&A.
In the Moment practice is one aspect of Mindfulness training that is an important requirement for higher level skills including Yi, & Shen, etc.