Taiji Gala 2022 – Guided Tour of the live stream
Come with us on a guided tour of the Taiji Gala 2022! – and get a chance to dive directly into individual demonstrations you are interested in!
The venue – Tai Chi Studio, Hannover
This year’s gala was part of the 21st International Push Hands Meeting. It has been streamed live from the Tai Chi Studio. Join us for a fast forward through the evening!
The Opening of the Gala
Organizer and host Nils Klug expressing his gratitude and thanks to all participants and teachers of the 21st International Push Hands Meeting for their support.
After this short introduction, the show begins…
Participants and Styles
Karl Bergfors (SE) – Tung Style Form, Slow and Fast
Karl Bergfors shows the Tung family Tai Chi form, both the slow and the fast (mixed speed) variation. The form was transmitted by Grandmaster Tung Kai Ying, the third generation of Tung Family martial artists, the grandson of the famous Tung Ying Chieh, one of Yang Cheng Fu’s most prominent students. The Tung family has been transmitting the Yang Cheng Fu full curriculum consisting of slow set, fast set, sword, sabre, double sticks, pole, partner exercises etc in a direct lineage, always paying attention to preserve the original as much as possible. In addition to this they created their own family form which Karl is demonstrating here.
Birgit Golze (GER) – Tai Chi in the Park: Yang Style 60 Movements
In this short episode, which Birgit Golze created herself, she explores the challenges of the fight for relaxation in midst of nature in a funny way. – Birgit’s humorous anecdotes about the difference between „City Tai Chi“ (ie Tai Chi in Hannover, where she went for her teacher training) and „Village Tai Chi“ (ie Tai Chi in Dassel, a very small city, where Birgit has had her own school for more than ten years) are known to us. But we were are all surprised about this hidden acting talent of hers!
As Birgit Golze is not only a comedian – see above – but also an experienced Tai Chi practitioner, she is back to show the first part of her hand form, the Yang Style 60 movements.
The Yang Style 60 movements are a functional Yang Style short form in the lineage of Yang Chengfu / Cheng Man Ching. The 60 movements in their sequence and their practical applicability for push hands and Tai Chi boxing were created by GM William C. C. Chen. He added missing movements of the Yang long form into his teacher Cheng Man Ching’s 37 form.
Birgit is a student of Nils Klug who is an expert in the functional and biomechanical aspects of this form. She is also an organizer for 10+ years of the International Push Hands Meeting and currently in charge of its beginner’s programme together with Nils.
More about Birgit
Birgit is teaching in Dassel
Maike Duarte de Oliveira (GER) – Tai Chi Fan / Cloud Fan Form
Maike Duarte de Oliveira shows the Tai Chi Fan form as taught originally by Rosa Chen (Taiwan). Maike learned this form from her teacher Luis Molera shortly before he passed away. With this Fan Form which is also called Cloud Fan Form, Maike gives an emotional tribute to her teacher. She wants her demonstration to be understood as a practitioner’s work in progress.
Max Rosenbaum (GER) – Weng Chun Kung Fu: Two forms
Max Rosenbaum is a student (Dai Sihing) of GM Andreas Hoffmann in Bamberg. His style is Weng Chung Kung Fu, a southern Shaolin Style which is traced back to Bodhidharma.
Max first shows the “Sei Mun Kwun“. This form is designed to give beginners or those with limited time an idea what long stick practice is about. Max’s second form this evening is „Fa Kuen“, also called „flower fist form“. This form is generally taught later in the curriculum.
Dan-Patrik Popescu (GER) – Yang Style Sword Form and Handform left-sided
Dan-Patrik Popescu is showing the 54 Yang Style Sword Form – and after that the Yang Style Hand form left-sided. But why? – His answer: Why turn the form around and make it left-sided? – Because as a left-handed person, writing hieroglyphics with your right hand on paper is something that one would not want to repeat in martial arts.
Anny Ploegmakers (NL) – Refined form of Master Huang
Anny Ploegmakers is showing the refined form of Grandmaster Huang Sheng-Shyan, a student of Cheng Man Ching. Anny is a student of Master Huang’s student Wee Kee Jin, New Zealand.
More on Anny
Anny is teaching in the Netherlands
2022 Mauro Bertoli (IT) – Yang Style Handform
After demonstrating his Yang Style hand form, Mauro Bertoli and Ivan Bialli present some connections between postures of the form and push hands.
Mauro’s teaching style is informed by applicability and the imperative of the Tai Chi classics to „study the postures correctly“ as a way to evolve one’s push hands practice.
More on Mauro
Mauro is teaching in Milano
Angela Menzel (GER) – Sha Family San Lu
Angela Menzel is a member of the Sha family, being Tudi of Sha Junjie. The artistic subject of her demonstration is the question of how imagination influences the form.
Angela chose three topics – Lullaby, Battle and the Erotic – for you to discover. Enjoy!
Nils Klug / Fabian Scholz (GER) – From fixed patterns to free Push Hands
Nils Klug and Fabian Scholz are demonstrating the development of Push Hands practice beginning with fixed patterns. They use the four postures as they are practiced in the lineage of Yang Chengfu / Cheng Man Ching / Dr. Tao Ping-Siang, the latter being Nils’ second teacher.
Nils is initiator of the International Push Hands Meeting and has been teaching for almost 30 years in his own school, which also hosts the annual meeting.
Fabian is one of Nils’ longtime students. He also has completed the traditional Push Hands training with Dr. Tao.
The Four Postures (Video)
More about Nils
Nils is teaching in Hanover
The Applause – Special Thanks
Tai Chi Music – Nils Elders
A big thanks to Nils Elders for his wonderful Taiji music, which is a perfect blend between meditative, lively and heroic. As you may have noticed, the music develops its own character between East and West. Nils’ music embraces many styles and approaches as a harmonious background for practice and demonstration.
We are happy to announce that Nils’ music for Taiji practice and demonstration will be in our Taiji Forum shop shortly.
The Live stream of the Taiji Gala – Lights and support
Marius Krauss – We would like to thank Marius for the light show and some additional technical troubleshooting at the Tai Chi Studio.
Eric Lord – Thanks for the technical assistance on the show.
It was fun working with you!
The livestream was planned, filmed and directed by Gabi Kannenberg, the third member of the Hannover Push Hands Team.
The next International Push Hands meeting and the Taiji Gala 2023
The 22nd International Push Hands Meeting will take place from February, 22nd to February, 26th 2023.
And as always: Saturday (2023-02-25) is Gala-day!
We will also be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nils’ School – the Tai Chi Studio – with this event, so watch out for some serious after show partying!
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