Click here to watch Laojia Yilu Part One

Laojia Yilu:  Pleasure or Punishment?

OK, I will keep this article short and sweet…

FACT:  Taijiquan movement is based on taijiquan principles/theory.

FACT:  During daily practice, one must focus full intention every moment to manifest these principles and theory.

That brings us to the subject of this article:  Laojia Yilu 老架一路.

What is Laojia Yilu?

Is it simply a sequence of 75 taijiquan postures to be memorized and “look pretty” (in effect, look “pretty empty”) for the judges?

The answer is NO!

Laojia Yilu is the ultimate encyclopedia of everything that is taijiquan.

It is through one’s daily concentrated practice of Laojia Yilu, under the strict guidance of a bonafide master, that one learns HOW to manifest the essence of taijiquan and WHY it is so.

It is by strictly following the rules that define taijiquan that one gains true taiji skill (gongfu)  太極功夫  – no matter what one’s reasons for practicing (or possibly one’s delusions about what taijiquan is!)

To do this, requires full effort, concentration, dedication… and being fully capable of letting go of one’s vanity and false ego, which prevents one from truly learning, absorbing, and understanding!

To do this, one’s body will work harder than it ever did before – and one will surely, definitely feel it!

BUT…

and this is where this article’s title comes into play –

It is not merely practicing the form over and over until your legs are burning and trembling…

It is about discovering who one is, and what one decides to do about it…

When one practices Laojia Yilu, one must be patient, and take however much time is needed to understand every little detail.

And you may ask, what does this take?

This is when the question arises:

“Is Laojia Yilu Pleasure or Punishment?”

Ultimately, you will have to answer this question.

I wish everyone good luck on this journey!

Sincerely,

Dr. Bacher