Sifu Robin Gamble demonstrating the Flowing Water Floating Clouds Set in front of Bodhisattva Guan Yin and Shaolin Wahnam students at the Blue Mountain

The ?Flowing Water Floating Clouds? Taijiquan set is a hallmark of Wahnam Taijiquan, and displays many of the characteristic features of our style of Taijiquan. It is presented here in video in three parts as follows.

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At the beginning of the set some time is spent in ?Wuji? or the ?Great Void? to achieve a Chi-Kung state of mind, demonstrating that Taijiquan is being practiced as Chi-Kung, a skill of energy and mind, and not just as a gentle physical exercise which is common today.

From Wuji, internal chi flow expands and stimulates movement symbolized as ?Taiji? which moves into the pattern ?Cloud Hands'. Shortly after there is the ?Her-it? shout when performing ?Immortal Pounds Mortar? which develops more focused internal force and can be performed at some speed. This may surprise many people who are used to seeing Taijiquan performed as a slow dance.

Taijiquan utilizes the yin-yang philosophy. Therefore, as well as soft and slow movements it also includes fast and hard movements. Indeed in combat Taijiquan can be incredibly fast.

Fa-jing, or exploding force, is used in many of the patterns like ?Single Whip? and ?Big Bird Flaps Wings?. This again trains the use of internal force, which starts in the feet, travels through the legs, is controlled at the waist to be expressed in the hands.

In this clip, patterns such as ?Throw Knee at Chest? demonstrate that as a martial art Taijiquan may use the knee to strike an opponent while simultaneously gripping him.. The last pattern in this clip ?Pressing Elbow? maybe used to strike or to grip and break an opponent?s arm.

But off course Wahnam Taijiquan is also spiritual cultivation, promoting kindness and righteousness. In our international family of Taijiquan we would much rather help people than harm them.

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Many people may notice the athletic nature of this segment. In Wahnam Taijiquan. Yin-yang harmony is of great importance. Therefore as well as having force and techniques we also need to be quick, agile and full of energy, as past Masters were.

In patterns like ?Emptying Rucksack? you can clearly see throwing techniques. There are also continuous punches in the patterns ?Rolling Punch?.

Many may also be surprised at the great variety of kicks included in this form. They include thrust, snap, side, jumping double and organ seeking kicks. Theses kicks are not commonly seen in most modern styles of Taijiquan (apart from the Chen style, and maybe some fast forms). This is due to their demanding nature and because most students in the recent past have been more interested in attaining health benefits from Taijiquan and not martial prowess.

This is however a touch ironic, because to train Taijiquan in a martial manner as great masters have done in the past, one would surely become more vital, agile, fresh, energized and generally more healthy than if one were to leave out the martial aspect. This is because the martial and health aspects of Taijiquan are connected. This is in fitting with the philosophy of ying-yang harmony.

Some people may be thinking ?I am interested in health, not in martial arts?. But the benefits of practicing Taijiquan are so numerous that you don?t have to defend yourself to enjoy them.

Imagine having

• Mental clarity when put under pressure at work
• Feeling confident as you walk down the street
• Having more energy for work or to play with your family

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This clip begins with ?Separating Fists?, again displaying the dynamic nature of Wahnam Taijiquan. After the charmingly named patterns of ?Beautiful Girl Plucks Flowers? and ?Cannon Towards Sky?, is the pattern ?Cloud Hands?.

Here you can see that the mind moves the chi and the chi moves the form, therefore speed and power can be generated without becoming tired and out of breath. This skill is often mentioned in Taijiquan classics that were written by past Taijiquan grandmasters. At an intermediate level all Wahnam Taijiquan is performed like this.

After ?bringing the chi to the dantien? you can see that performing ?Flowing Water Floating Clouds? has generated a strong chi-flow. Chi-flow can be used for cleansing energetic blockages to achieve radiant health and happiness. After chi-flow is the return to Wuji ?The Great Void?, to enjoy the deep stillness and inner peace of standing meditation.

Some may expect to be panting or tired after performing such a set but on the contrary training Wahnam Taijiquan leaves you feeling calm, energized and vital.

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