Our Approach to Tai Chi & Qigong
At Long Tou Shan, Tai Chi and Qigong are not treated as separate systems to be learned independently, but as practices that develop together over time. Rather than focusing only on learning movements, training here emphasizes how the body functions from the inside out.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi (Taijiquan) is a traditional Chinese internal martial art that combines continuous movement, structure, and awareness. It is practiced both for health and as a martial discipline.
At Long Tou Shan, Tai Chi is the primary focus of daily training. Under the guidance of Master Zhou Da Zhu, students develop:
- structure and alignment
- coordination and whole-body movement
- the opening and integration of the joints, including the kua (hips)
- the connection of tendons and fascia
Forms are taught, but they are not the end goal. They are a vehicle for understanding how the body moves and functions as an integrated whole.
Qigong
Qigong is a traditional practice that works with breath, awareness, and internal regulation. At Long Tou Shan, Qigong is not typically taught as a separate, extensive daily curriculum. Instead, its principles are gradually introduced and integrated into training over time.
As students deepen their practice, elements of Qigong begin to emerge naturally through:
- relaxation without collapse
- sensitivity to internal movement
- the relationship between breath and structure
In addition, Master Luo Mei Juan (Mei), founder of the school, occasionally offers dedicated Qigong intensives and workshops, providing students the opportunity to explore these practices more directly.
Integration Through Practice
Rather than dividing training into separate categories, the approach at Long Tou Shan allows understanding to develop through consistent, daily practice.
Tai Chi provides the framework through movement.
Qigong supports the internal conditions that give that movement depth.
Over time, these are no longer experienced as separate practices, but as different expressions of the same principles.
A Different Way of Learning
Many approaches to Tai Chi focus on memorizing forms or external choreography. At Long Tou Shan, the emphasis is on building a body that can express the art. This means:
- learning through feeling, not imitation
- developing internal connection alongside external movement
- allowing understanding to unfold over time, rather than forcing it
Learning tai chi depends on knowing what the movements are used for, the interdependence of hardness and softness, and the use of the soft to overcome the hard. We will discover the secret of Yin and Yang movements in Tai Chi: graceful, like floating clouds and flowing water, natural and smooth; the instinctive use of energy and breathing to fully attain relaxation and vitality and improve balance and sensitivity. This leads the Qi (life energy) and blood to flow more smoothly, clearing the meridians of obstructions to health. Blood is the mother of the Qi.