White Crane Tai Chi: 32 count form

Name: White Crane Tai Chi: 32 count form
Rating: 4.9 (9 reviews)

Gentle martial arts for anyone of any ability

Created bySpencer Bolejack

Last updated 2/2021

English

What you'll learn

White Crane Tai Chi, the complete 32 count form, health and wellness benefits, history, individual movements

Course content

1 section • 7 lectures • 1h 44m total length

History, lineage, background, philosophy and purpose20:01
Video one sets the stage for this neat piece of history featuring now passed Grandmaster Chuck Blackburn. Spencer shares his beginning of training with Blackburn in the early nineties and explains some of his teachers vision, philosophy and character. Any proceeds from this course go directly into local causes he believes GM Blackburn would have supported or believed in; particularly reaching local at risk youth. Spencer worked with Blackburn at local adjudicated youth facilities and continued this in various ways over the years. His current program, LOTSWild, has an active scholarship and outreach component to camps, classes and primitive skills courses.
In his own words; Chuck Blackburn12:50
This segment is Chuck Blackburn at a high point in his career as an instructor sharing his purpose and vision for the practice of Tai Chi and white crane in particular.
Warm up and movement one, The Great Circle16:48
This lecture begins our actual practice of Tai Chi in White Crane style.
Arm lift and crouch, empty step, grasping the swallows tail16:07
This section continues the individual movements that make up the complete form of 32 movements
Brush step, single whip, parting horses mane and spear the snakes eyes, ball12:05
The most informative section on single moves, this lecture prepares students for a complete combination leading to the 32 count form. All movements may be practiced individually for some time before creating the form as a whole. Practice can even consist of one or two movements, making it available to all regardless of time and space available.
The complete 32 count form, exercises 1 and 215:40
Here Master Blackburn and his former wife Becky perform the 32 count form in two ways. Students are encouraged to follow along after achieving proficiency with the the individual movements before this lecture.
Complete 32 count form, exercise 310:33
This final segment of the class reveals another way of practicing the form and concludes our training in the basics of White Crane style Tai Chi.

Requirements

This course can be practiced by anyone including those limited in mobility or space

Description

White Crane Tai Chi is a gentle art imparting many benefits of wellness, balance, peace, and inner strength to practitioners of all ages. Grandmaster Chuck Blackburn guides students in this historical film through the basic movements and then combines them to give you the complete form as taught within his 55 year martial arts career.

The class begins with a wonderful discussion on the 'why' of training this ancient art and 'who' it's for. Spencer also shares some of his history learning with Grandmaster Blackburn and how his own training was shaped by Blackburn; Spencer's first teacher beginning in 1992.

Students of all ages and ability can learn and enjoy this style. It is appropriate for diverse students including adaptive ability, seniors, beginners and experts, even those with limited mobility or those healing with physical pain or trauma.

While some styles of Tai Chi claim self defense elements, White Crane as presented here is a wonderful way to balance the body and mind, and rejuvenate our spirit especially when conducted in nature or outdoors. It is a balancing soft art for people who have studied rigid, hard, or combative styles and are looking to round out their whole being.

Chuck Blackburn was a legendary teacher of martial arts, earning his Tang Soo Do black belt in the 1960's under the same instructor who taught Chuck Norris. As he aged, Chuck explored mind body connections and was a forward thinker in applying psychology, spiritual study, as well as survival and preparedness to his teaching. He retired near Asheville North Carolina where he also taught public speaking and other classes at a local community college. His legacy lives on in some form through teachers in Florida and Western North Carolina. He passed away in 2013. Riverside martial arts in Canton, NC, continues to honor his vision and strict adherence to excellence in training and in life.

Blackburn was a sentinel for justice, and always found ways to reach out to others and bring a diverse array of people to Learn, to Grow, and to Share.

Who this course is for:

graceful aging, wellness practitioners, martial artists, dancers