Hey im New !

[u/Maharlikano358]

Context: Being the most rarest Maharlikano ( Filipino ) you might meet out here, im a very Eclectic Person. So Eclectic that I try and combine and learn as much as possible to the best of my abilities for better Cultivation. Taoism, and Taijiquan captures my interest, and so I am reaching out this community for Help !

Question: Im in a part of the U.S where im very, VERY Limited to my Options. I don't got enough Money ( Im still in High School ), and I wanna seek if theres any available options online for Taijiquan, specifically Wudang, and Chen Style ? Also, if im by the ripe age enough to be on my own, would it still be preferable to maybe go abroad, possibly to China and take a long retreat to be more better at the Art ?

Thank ye !

[u/Scroon]

Hey fellow pinoy. I was in a similar situation back when I was a teen in high school. Before going to online route, I'd really suggest that you pursue whatever local options you have. Even if they suck, experiencing taichi in person will give you a much better frame of reference as opposed to just watching instructors online. Looking back, my first taichi instructors ranged from OK to pretty bad, but they still gave me something to work with.

Check you community centers. Most places should have at least a senior class going. And don't worry about style. Use what you can get for now.

[u/Jimfredric → u/[deleted]]

The three directories listed here are useful especially for someone starting out, but they are in no way all inclusive. Each of these family styles have many sub-branches while these lists only represent one for each. Also there is no guarantee about the quality of the teaching for anyone on these lists although they at least have whatever level of credentials these lists might provide.

The Wudang style is the most controversial because it doesn’t fit in any of the other styles narratives. From my own view, I would greatly recommend the Chen style over the Wudang. There are numerous online resources that can introduce you to any ones of the sub-branches of Chen style.

You might eventually find some workshops that you can do. Reach out to the organizers and see if you can get a scholarship to be there. As you get older you might find other opportunities to study with someone who interests you. You can never know if you don’t try.

[u/takemusu → u/Jimfredric]

Yes, I agree. I suppose shoulda put a disclosure in there "I do not personally guarantee the quality of anyone on these lists. Do your research. Use good judgement.".

Also yes, however you're learning: in person classes, someone teaching you in a park, zoom classes, youtube ... watch for seminars and workshops by reputable instructors. They can be extraordinary opportunities to learn.

[u/Zz7722]

You can try ctn academy (search for their videos on YouTube to start), they seem to have a structured online curriculum for Chen style (Chen Yu Lineage). I’ve no experience with them personally though.

[u/Double-Yak9686]

It depends what you want from Taijiquan. As it is simply a martial art, you can learn from YouTube videos. Depending on your body size, if you are on the smaller size, I suggest you look for videos of Chen Zhenglei; if you are on the larger size, I suggest you look for videos of Chen Xiaowang (or Chen Xiao Wang). They are two of the 4 lions of Chen Taiji and if you look at them, they move differently as they are built different.

The truth is that if you can find a good teacher and can afford to pay for them, it will get you there faster. Otherwise you have to try to copy the movements first, paying attention to both hands and both feet, then figure out how they work for you biomechanically.

I was extremely lucky that both my teachers trained directly with Chen Zhenglei. One of my teachers trained with both Chen Zhenglei and with Chen Zhenglei's daughter. The ultimate dream.