Tag: bafa wubu

Bafa Wubu–Eight Energies, Five Directions

annebower

On June 20th a large group of Tai Chi Vermont instructors attended a certification workshop focused on this enjoyable, short style of tai chi. The workshop was led by Marty Kidder and Lisa Hilaire. We were in the beautiful Charlotte Congregational Church and not only learned from Marty and Lisa but from each other as well, with lots of mutual encouragement and a good bit of laughter too.

Bafa Wubu is now the new standard introductory form of tai chi in China. It takes very little space which means you can practice in your office, kitchen, garage, almost anywhere! It combines moves from the major traditional tai chi styles. The first half involves movements that engage the core, but the feet are stationary. During the second half we move forward, backward, right, left, and at the end there’s a one-leg standing posture to represent “up.”

Now that I’m certified in this form I look forward to teaching it; exactly how to fit it into the current teaching schedule? Haven’t figured that out yet!

BaFa Wubu

annebower

The newest official tai chi form from China is designed for small spaces and only takes about 3 minutes to perform once you know it. Created in 2018, it is now being taught in many places around the world. It’s fun–combining moves from the 3 major tai chi families: Chen, Yang, and Sun. The first half is performed without moving the feet, although the torso and arms are very active. The second half uses the same motions but in a different order and includes stepping and weight shifting. BaFa means 8 energies–that is, different ways of directing your energy. Wubu means 5 directions–forward, backward, to the left, to the right, and up. I’m enjoying learning this form and look forward to teaching it one day.

There’s always more to learn, whether you’re adventuring into something brand new or deepening your understanding of something you already “know.” Both kinds of growth are good for the body and mind, and I do believe learning is one of the things that makes us humans happy!