Kongfu (Taiji) Class in Renai

Shanghai Renai Hospital and 9 Clouds Studio will work together to hold a Taiji class in Renai, the coach of 9 Clouds Studio will be invited to teach the basic skills of Taiji, if you are interested in Chinese Martial Arts and Taiji, please come with your friends and apply right now!

When: 2:00-4:00pm, April 8, 2017

Where: Shanghai Renai Hospital International Department, 3rd floor

What: Learn about basic knowledge of Taiji and basic skills of Taiji

Price: Free

How to apply: Send your name + phone number + Taiji class to our wechat to apply or send us email to apply.

Email: info@renai.cn

Address: No.127, Caoxi Rd. Xuhui District ( near Tianlindong Rd )

Taiji Coaches Introduction

• Coach Nils

Taiji practicing: 25 years

Language：Danish (Native), English (2nd Native), Chinese (Fluent)

Nils was born in Denmark, raised in Africa,now living for the past 12 years in China, he has a truly multiculturalapproach to life, learning and teaching. Graduated from Copenhagen Universitywith majors in Classical Chinese, Culture, Language, Philosophy and History aswell as IT, Nils also spent many years studying Chinese Medicine. He first metPatrick Kelly in 1993 and has continued to train with him since. He now learns,teaches and manages the Shanghai branch of nineclouds.

• Coach Crista

Taiji practicing：8 years

Language：English (Native), French (Basic), Spanish (Basic), Chinese (Basic)

Crista was born in Los Angeles, where shebegan practicing Taiji. Recognizing that this art was a lifelong practice, shesought to explore where she might find further expressions of the training. With a working background in early childhood education and visual art, shearrived in Shanghai, where she began training at the 9 Clouds Studio. She is very grateful to participate at 9 Clouds as a student and assistant.

About 9 Clouds Studio

9 Clouds Studio is the important cooperation partner of Shanghai Renai Hospital International Department. 9 Clouds Studio aims to promote traditional Chinese culture through the practice of Taiji modern teaching methods in a fresh, lively, modern, multi-cultural environment, suitable for young enquiring minds, who wish to understand the depths of traditional culture.

The origin of Taiji

The oral tradition asserts that Taiji was created over 750 years ago by the Daoist Sage Zhang Sanfeng (Chang San-Feng), as a practical method for attaining immortality through the cultivation of Qi (Chi) or internal energy. Its principles were those succinctly formulated 2,500 years ago by the Sage Laozi (Lao Tzu), the founder of Daoism, in his book Dao de Jing(Tao Te Ching) and expressed thousands of years before in the book of the YiJing (I Ching).

The 2 characters Tai and Ji, and their meaning, are rooted in the philosophy of ancient China. Tai means great, grand or supreme, while Ji means extreme, absolute or ultimate. Taken together they represent any of the following possibilities: Everything in existence; the Mother of all things; the Field of Yin and Yang; the Earth as an intelligent energy field. In philosophy Taiji preceded, but later complemented the more abstract concept of the Dao. 

When connected with martial arts “Taiji” is commonly translated as “Supreme Ultimate”, then combined with a third character Quan (Chuan, fist) to indicate a fighting art, although Master Huang often emphasised in his last 20 years that he did not teach Taiji but just Taiji– the practical, philosophical, system of internal evolution through the refinement and co-ordination of mind, energy and body.

Three functions of Taiji

Traditionally Taiji has three reasons for being: as a physical exercise that goes beyond the development of speed, strength and endurance; as a martial art where yielding is the central principle and offensive force is returned to the offender; as a system of psychological and spiritual development which centres on the concepts of naturalness, balance and passing beyond all concepts. 

Utilising the refining of the body, the energy(Qi) and the mind (Yi/Xin), Taiji leads people from the everyday state to a position of inner power, inner calmness and inner understanding.