https://Pateo.NL/Qigong

太極氣功

Tàijí Qìgōng

十八式

Shíbā Shì

The Chinese philosophical concept of Tàijí ( 太極 ), also spelled Tai Chi, is a condition arising from Wuji ( 無極 meaning Primordial Limitlessness) which gives rise to the dichotomy of Yang and Yin. It can therefore best be translated into English as the Supreme Ultimate, as it embodies all potential. Furthermore, Qìgōng ( 氣功 ) means the meritorious accomplishment (Gong) of Vital Energy (Qi, also known as the Life Force). Thirdly, Shíbā Shì ( 十八式 ) means Eighteen Forms. In the video embedded below (recorded on 25 September 2023), budoka Johan Oldenkamp performs the first set (第一套 Dì Yī Tào) of these 18 forms of Taiji Qigong. To keep the length of this video as short as possible, he performed these eighteen forms considerably faster (and each form only four times). Furthermore, he prefers to perform Form #14 (Extended Arm Punch) with open hands, not clenched fists.

These 18 forms are:

起勢調息 – (Breath Control) – Commencing Form : Activating the Chi
開闊胸懷 – Opening the Heart
揮舞彩虹 – (Waving the Rainbow) – Painting an Energy Arc around the Crown
輪臂分雲 – Dividing the Clouds with Arm Wheels
定步倒卷肱 – Repulsing the Monkey : Reverse Reeling Forearm
湖心划船 – Rowing the Boat in the Middle of the Lake
肩前 – Shoulder Ball : Raising the Palm diagonally in front of the other Shoulder
轉體望月 – Turning and Gazing at the Moon
轉腰推掌 – Turn the Waist and Pushing the Palms
馬步雲手 – Brush the Clouds from the Sky
撈海觀天 – Scooping up the Ocean and Looking at the Sky
推波助浪 – Helping the Waves
白鴿展翅 – White Dove Spreading its Wings
伸臂沖拳 – (Extended Arm Punch) – Forward (Open-Hand) Thrusting
大雁飛翔 – Wild Geese Flying
環轉飛輪 – Rotating Flywheel
踏步拍球 – (Step to Shoot the Ball) – Bouncing the Ball : Simultaneously lifting Hand with other Knee
按掌平氣 – (Calming down by Pressing the Palms) – Balancing and Storing the Chi

藏地五式

Five Tibetan Rites

The Five Tibetan Rites are commonly referred to in Mandarin Chinese as 藏地五式 (Zàng dì wǔ shì), which literally translates to: Tibetan Land ( 藏地 Zàng dì) Five Forms ( 五式 wǔ shì). These five forms (orignating from the Land of Tibet, often called the “Roof of the World”) are actually Rites. If these health exercises are performed every morning, it will slow down the aging process and even stimulate the rejuvenation process. That is why practicing these ancient anti-aging secrets is also called the Five Rites of Rejuvenation or the Fountain of Youth exercises. Do each exercise three times initially, then gradually increase this to 21 repetitions. The order in which these five exercises are performed is crucial. The Five Tibetan Rites can be described as follows:

Stand upright with arms extended horizontally, then rotate clockwise on the spot without moving arms.
Lying on your back, raise both legs straight up, simultaneously with the head and neck, while the arms remain on the floor next to the upper body.
After sitting upright with your palms on the floor, bring your upper body horizontally above your extended arms and bent legs.
Sit up straight from the knee, supporting yourself on the ball of your foot, and then bend back.
While lying on your stomach, support yourself on your extended arms and the balls of your feet, arch your back as much as possible and then raise your lower body.

Breathe in slowly during the first half of each exercise, and out slowly during the second half. By consciously breathing, body and mind become better attuned to each other.

The above embedded video was recorded on Monday afternoon, 9 February 2026. At the time, Johan Oldenkamp was still a beginner in these exercises (as can be clearly seen). This video recording was made solely to raise awareness of these important vitality exercises, and emphatically not to demonstrate an exemplary performance. And furthermore, based on the shape or movement of the body, he has established a relationship with each of the five Energetic Essences of Wholly Science.