This form is created strictly based on Chen style tai chi postures and self-defense applications, especially the Silk Reeling and Xinjia's small circles leading to large movements.  All moves are clear in practical martial arts meanings from authentic Chen family tai chi.  Dr. Jesse Tsao presents this routine to honor his Chen tai chi lineage, Sifu Grandmaser Chen Zhenglei, as well as other grandmasters such as Chen Xiaowang and Zhu Tiancai.  Dr. Tsao gained inside knowledge from hosting them across man y workshops since the early 2000s.  Demonstrations are given in front and back views, and Master Tsao gives a detailed description of each posture's martial meaning.   (Difficulty: Beginner through advanced Levels). (60 minutes)

Tai Chi staff in Yang Style Form 24 is totally based on the popular Simplified Tai Chi in Form 24.  It is easy to learn for people who know the barehand form.  The purpose is to use the staff to train your neigong and neijing, your internal power.  Strike with the staff to create vibration force, kicking back to your body to improve your structural alignment and balance.  This is created for Tai Chi Healthways' instructor program and continuing training curriculum, and is also made to honor Professor Li Deyin who is the icon of Tai Chi Form 24.  Dr. Tsao trained under him for 10 years in Beijing, China. Demonstrations are given in front and back views, and Master Tsao gives a detailed description of each posture's martial application, and showed where it comes from the original barehand form.   (Difficulty: Beginner through advanced Levels).  (60 minutes).

Traditional Tai Chi Eight Immortals Cane is a very special Tai Chi routine.  A walking cane is an everyday, common object, but is also a handy weapon in self defense!  This routine is based on the characteristics of Tai Chi postures with the traditional Taoist "eight immortals" cane/stick martial function.  It is fun for any age level to learn.  Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai created the Chinese brush writing calligraphy for this routine.  Detailed instruction by Master Jesse Tsao is in English with front and back view demos, as well as martial arts applications.  It is a good reference for home study, or a resource for instructor's teaching preparation.  Suggest 30 class hours. (Difficulty: Beginner through Advanced Level)

This is a therapy (or preventive practice) for people with carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, or Parkinson's Disease.  The stick provides you with a focal point to help  with hand-eye coordination.  The twisting moves can stimulate energy circulation in your fingers and wrists, prevent frozen shoulders, and improve the elasticity of the tendons around your elbows.  Combined with various tai chi postures, it stretches and tones your muscles, activates the hip and knee joints, improves the flexibility and strength of your spine, and  prevents lower back pain. The practice is adapted from the tai chi joint locking techniques of qin-na, a traditional  secret training approach for developing spiral inner energy.  Therefore, this routine can also be used as a martial arts drill.

Compact Tai Chi Sword in Mixed Styles blends Tai Chi with various sword techniques, including Wudang sword, Ming Dynasty General Qi Jiguang's (1528-1588) long saber (Miao-dao), Yu Chenghui’s two-handed longsword, and Medieval long-sword methods. Both Qi and Yu hailed from Penglai, China, my hometown, where the historical use of longswords in martial arts training is abundant. This routine serves as my homage to this tradition. Its core focus is utilizing the sword as a tool for body conditioning and harnessing inner energy, emphasizing dragon and tiger strength, while also integrating practical sword defensive and offensive techniques. Notably, there's a seamless connection between weapons and tai chi bare hand routines. While a standard-sized sword suffices, a heavier longsword facilitates training the back, waist, and hips for blade movement, minimizing reliance on arm muscles.

Weighted-ball Strength Training in Sun Style Tai Chi, created by Dr. Jesse Tsao of Tai Chi Healthways, is one of the most effective ways to enhance your energy circulation and improve your balance, endurance, bone density, and core strength. Moving the ball around your torso massages your inner organs and reflects the inner dan-tian rotation. The weight helps develop your rooting and leg strength. Momentarily extending the ball away from the torso will improve your arm strength It can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. Strong muscles lead to strong bones, and strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis. It can also protect vitality, make everyday tasks more manageable, and help you maintain a healthy weight. Harvard Health Publications remarks that “a combination of age-related changes, inactivity, and inadequate nutrition conspire to gradually steal bone mass, at the rate of 1% per year after age 40.” As bones grow more fragile and susceptible to fracture, they are more likely to break after a minor fall or even a simple everyday activity such as bending over to tie a shoelace. Six out of 10 people who break a hip never fully regain their former level of independence. Even walking across a room without help may become impossible. Numerous studies have shown that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss, and several studies show it can even build bone, offsetting age-related declines in bone mass. Practicing tai chi with a weighted ball puts healthy stress on the bones and can promote the activity of bone-forming cells. The result is stronger and denser bones. This video compliments Dr. Jesse Tsao and Jason Weil’s book Practical Tai Chi Training: A 9-Stage Method for Mastery, published 2021, the #1 Best Seller on Amazon new books on Tai Chi and martial arts.

Tai Chi Ball Strength Training in Yang Style

Weighted-ball training in tai chi forms is one of the most effective ways to improve your balance, endurance, bone density and core strength. It can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. Strong muscles lead to strong bones, and strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis. It can also protect vitality, make everyday tasks more manageable, and help you maintain a healthy weight. Harvard Health Publications remarks that “a combination of age-related changes, inactivity, and inadequate nutrition conspire to gradually steal bone mass, at the rate of 1% per year after age 40.” As bones grow more fragile and susceptible to fracture, they are more likely to break after even a minor fall or far less obvious stress, such as bending over to tie a shoelace. Six out of 10 people who break a hip never fully regain their former level of independence. Even walking across a room without help may become impossible. Numerous studies have shown that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss, and several show it can even build bone. This is tremendously useful to help offset age-related declines in bone mass. Practicing tai chi with a weighted ball puts healthy stress (tugging and pushing) on bones and can nudge bone-forming cells into action. The result is stronger and denser bones. This DVD video compliments Dr. Jesse Tsao and Jason Weil’s book Practical Tai Chi Training: A 9-Stage Method for Mastery, published 2021, the #1 Best Seller on Amazon new books on Tai Chi and martial arts.

Joint locks (Qin-na ��拿 ) are a key element of tai chi self-defense and are based on the tai chi principles of adhering and sticking. Tai Chi Bang Qin-na Joint Locks in Chen Style, created by Dr. Jesse Tsao, provides you with an effective training method to develop your grasping ability with spiraling inner strength. Not only for tai chi practitioners, the training methods develop fundamental skills that can augment the practice of Aikido, Jujitsu or Judo techniques.  The short stick simulates the opponent's forearm, and training with the stick facilitates the development of coordinated hand movements 两手相搏相系 that are integrated with the tight spiraling action of the torso, providing highly effective and powerful self-defense reactions 太极圈要越练越小紧凑. It is also an excellent therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritic hands, strengthening and stretching the muscles and tendons for improved range of motion and dexterity.

Tai Chi Hiking Staff for Self-defense

Weapon training is an important aspect of Tai Chi, with the sword being the most popular weapon. However, in modern life, it’s impractical to carry or use a sword in public spaces. The Tai Chi Hiking Staff offers a practical alternative, combining an everyday tool with Tai Chi’s graceful movements. Its portability makes it ideal for exercise and self-defense, bridging ancient martial arts with modern fitness. The hiking staff can be switched to handle position swiftly between single and double-handed grips because it is bladeless, and it can also mimic long-handled weapons like the spear or Guandao, providing a full-body workout and cardiovascular benefits, which is why I’ve integrated these postures into the routine.