I Am New: Start Your Tai Chi Journey at CBTA USA

Every master was once a beginner. But not every beginner starts at the origin. 

If you are new to Tai Chi, choosing where and how you begin matters more than you may realize.

Many modern institutions introduce Tai Chi through slow movements or simplified forms, often detached from its original purpose and internal principles. While such approaches may appear accessible, they frequently overlook the very essence that made Tai Chi an ancient and complete system for healing, awareness, and longevity.

Choosing to begin your journey with Chen Family Taijiquan from Chenjiagou—the birthplace of Tai Chi—is a wise and discerning decision.

This is not about learning “slow movements.”
This is about learning how Tai Chi actually works.

[Why We Begin with Fang Song]

At Chen Bing Taiji Academy, all beginners—regardless of age, background, or prior experience—are guided first through:

Tai Chi 100: Fang Song

“Fang Song” (放松) means true release—not collapse, not softness, but intelligent relaxation that awakens internal awareness.

This practice represents the core methodology of Chen Bing Taiji Academy itself.

Fang Song is derived directly from the Old Frame First Road and Second Road of Chen Family Taijiquan.
Master Chen Bing distilled the most essential internal principles of these mother forms into eight fundamental methods, creating a complete system that:

• Releases the entire body from head to toe 
• Encourages deep, natural Dantian breathing similar to the breath that emerges during deep sleep 
• Activates the Yin quality of Tai Chi—the ability to listen, observe, and restore
   

Through Fang Song, practitioners learn how to:

• Observe their own body with clarity 
• Identify areas of tension, imbalance, or pain 
• Cultivate the capacity for self‑regulation and self‑healing 

Even practitioners who have trained Tai Chi elsewhere for many years often experience a profound shift when encountering Fang Song, because it reveals something commonly missing:  how to use Yin to truly understand the body.

[Not a Compromise—A Foundation]

Fang Song is an entry practice, but it is not a beginner’s shortcut.

The depth of one’s Fang Song determines the depth of one’s Tai Chi.

This is why:

• Beginners experience relief from daily pain and stress 
• Intermediate practitioners refine internal awareness and breath 
• Advanced practitioners return to Fang Song to deepen their root and internal power

Many students report that Saturday Fang Song alone is sufficient to:

• Reduce chronic discomfort 
• Improve sleep quality 
• Accumulate Qi for daily life
   

[A Clear Path Forward]

We recommend the following progression:

1. Begin with Tai Chi 100: Fang Song
   Learn how to relax correctly, breathe deeply, and observe your body from within.
    
2. Continue through Public Membership
   For those who wish to go further, the Public Membership offers structured access to Chen Family Taijiquan’s foundational methods, forms, and training logic.
    

This step‑by‑step approach ensures that your practice is:

• Rooted in authentic lineage 
• Safe, effective, and internally coherent 
• Aligned with the original intent of Tai Chi as a complete life practice
   

[Supported by Modern Science]

Modern research echoes what traditional Tai Chi has known for centuries.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, Tai Chi has been shown to:

• Improve balance, flexibility, and muscular strength 
• Support mental clarity and nervous system regulation 
• Be effective across all ages and physical conditions 

Harvard experts often describe Tai Chi as “meditation in motion,” emphasizing that its benefits arise from the integration of movement, breath, awareness, and relaxation—not from external form alone.

At Chen Bing Taiji Academy, these benefits are not incidental.
They are the direct result of practicing Tai Chi as it was originally designed.