Ben Lo's 5 Tai Chi Principles

Click here for a short video of one of Master Lo's students explaining the 5 Principles. Deja vu?

Benjamin (Ben Lo) was the top student of Cheng Man-ch’ing. Master Lo moved to San Francisco in 1974 and began an international teaching career that lasted until his death in 2018. Lo often summarized his teaching into "Five basic principles for the development of good Tai Chi Ch'uan skills .... 1) Relaxation. 2) Separating Ying from Yang. 3) Turning the waist. 4) Keeping the body upright. And 5) Maintaining the hand like a beautiful lady s hand."

Above all, he emphasized the need for practice.

Master Lo taught that he was not a special person and that if he could do it, you could do it, too. He said Tai Chi is made of everyday, ordinary stuff. For example, what could be more ordinary than breathing and gravity? The difference, he said, is that the Tai Chi person gives those ordinary things extraordinary attention over a long and constant period of time.

Tai Chi Chuan World Champ 2019

I know, WHAT??!!!??? A Tai Chi contest??

Don't we study Tai Chi Kung for personal awareness, understanding and development. "Tai Chi is not a contest! Your practice is highly personal and can't be compared with anyone else's." And, yet, . . . See if you can watch this video without preconceptions, judgments and expectations. Follow along each moment, feeling your own tan-t'ien, breathing in sympathy with the movements, letting in the visuals, the audio and overall effect. Settle down, open up, and en-joy. I hope you are touched and inspired in your own practice by the high Art that is demonstrated here.

Gravitas and Levitas

Gravitas is the Latin root for the English "gravity." It means weightiness, substance, dignified demeanor and has overtones of ground, earth, roots. When we have gravitas, we are coming from a deep and connected place.

Levitas is the Latin root for our words "levity" and "levitate." It means lightness, playfulness, spontaneity and has overtones of space. When we have levitas, we are not too serious and we are not stuck.

To encourage gravitas, use the yinning and yanging of the legs exercise and other grounding methods; think before speaking; act with special care. To encourage levitas, "shibabo!" Use the opening the crown exercise, smile, giggle, quip, let go . .