Short answer: "There is no difference between styles." I have crossed hands with karateka, judoka, and experts from many asian and non-asian styles. The skills which tai chi is famous for are not limited to tai chi. I think the whole idea of martial "styles" is a bit of an illusion, and leads to many misunderstandings.
Very funny. I have, in fact, seen some very effective martial applications of yoga, hip-hop dance, and ballet. One of my teachers spent 15 minutes demonstrating, in rapid succession, about one hundred martial applications of the Vienna Waltz.
I really needed to see this. Just this week I was applauding tai chi for its therapeutic benefits which I have experienced and which are obvious from so many thousands of testimonies, but when it came to fighting, I was arrogantly stating how ineffective it was.That is, until seeing this demonstration. It really does depend on who you study under. What I need to do is keep my mouth shut and learn like a humble beginner
I think you are right on the money. Redirection requires a degree of certainty that comes from lots of very specific training. Even then, it should not be done in isolation from other methods. If it is trained properly, it can work well against most people, including the barely skilled and the extremely skilled. However, it won't work so well against the blind attack or against the supremely skilled. In those cases you must either dodge and block, or run away.
Hi, great video. This guy knows whats he is talking about, it's nice to finally see a taichi person who knows what "Pung" is. Principles are very important in Taichi. There isn't "better" martials art because a martial art is that, a martial art. There is only a total spectrum of varying degrees of understanding of the same principle. A circle will always seek to return or earth. Taichi is a way to feel physics and not just to understand it on paper. Form can change, but principle can't. Thanks.
The mistake that so many traditional martial artist make, is that they ignore/discount the crucial importance of timing and tactics in real combat. All these valid ideas are moot when you leave this out. If I have superior timing, a simple jab will hit the target every time.
before the surprise attack in real life, all are equal, a tactic depends on the strategy, you will find yourself in a situation that all practical that you did in the hall doing MMA, you will not be applied, so that all of our mind games.
Theoretically, as long as you don't get caught, if they don't have sensitivity training, you should be able to connect, conform, and control them safely. They're going to go for linear motions (muscles) and you'll be able to curve out of it every time if you trained well.
This video just grows on me every time I see it, it is such a nice and lucid introduction to the basics of the martial aspect of Tai Chi. I keep recommending it to those of my students who are interested in this part of the art.
I've removed comments which deteriorated into vitriol and obscenity. This video is not meant to espouse the superiority of any martial art. It is a demonstration of principles & training methods common to many styles. Please avoid disparaging comments about MMA, Boxing, or any other sports or martial arts. (MMA fighters are some of my best students.) And watch your language. Little old ladies watch tai chi videos. So, if I think my mom would find it offensive, I will delete it.
@Tomymdobson No. It is a matter of preference (and sometimes of availability). For me, what I wear is usually a matter of luck, or what my wife will let me leave the house in. Sometimes she leaves before I do. When that happens, I take my chances.
Very nice, Strong insight into application and nature of some of the eight energies. I like the small frame applications the most, and body alignment is the biggest part. Nice work.
You are correct. This is a demo. As for the redirection, it is a tactic used in boxing, wing chun, bagua, xinyi, karate, and just about every other style. We also teach blocking, even though blocking is a bit of a waste of time.1
The sooner I respond to the intent, the less physical the encounter becomes. For maximum physical effect, I try to sense the attack long before the physical manifestation, but move only when the opponent moves and change direction when their intent changes. This means being able to change you mind about 11-27 times per second. "If my opponent is till, I am still. If my opponent moves, I move first." Of course, if you move really early, there is not fight. Move even earlier, there is no enemy.
Nice stuff Mr. Sinclair. This is Christian Auger, we met at the end of last century on Bowen Island. Was just browsing Taichi videos and stumbled on yours. Nice to see your skills.
Excellent work. So many cool demos and points made in this vid. I see you have developed your sensing jin to a high standard where by you can sense the students intention to move and therefore move as he does or just before him.
I think this video is pretty good. However, for the sake of some commenters, I would like to point out a few things. First of all, there is no "hard side" to Tai Chi. Just because it has debilitating, sometimes fatal, strikes does not make it hard. Second, that is correct: an opponent would not push on your forearm, the forearm is lifted in response to an attack so the Tai Chi practitioner can control the situation. Once they have attached, they are in the advantage. Also, the idea of Tai Chi having a "yielding quality" stems from the philosophy of balance. When the opponent comes out with an attack, it is foolish to meet it head on. You must yield as much as is necessary until the opponent is no longer in an advantageous position. This is how the Yin Yang symbol works: At the extreme of one, the balancing opposite may begin.
I am the first to admit the superiority of Canada's real national sport. I grew up playing lacrosse. But, I wasn't tough enough to handle it past the age of 16. "There is no crying in lacrosse!" Lacrosse players do very well in Taijiquan. I love teaching them. Of course, I usually get them when they r old and battered. They usually train harder & longer, & are better at taking hits than most martial art students. The have the agility, speed, tenacity & spirit. They can even learn to relax.
@kosombi You seem to me to be a bit depressed. I can relate, and I'm sorry for that. I train in both "internal" and "external" martial arts, and have been fortunate to have some of the best teachers in the world. But I travelled far to learn from them, and often had to question the truth and value of what I was learning. Now, after 30 years, I am finding my own way and am grateful for their guidance.
i ben in wing chun a cuple years now and it is great to see the same thing explained fom the perspective or a nuther art like tai chi,,now i look for the things that unifi the martial art's not the seperations. thats amazing to presereve his center with sutch a small movement. best explination i have seen yet,,,thnx 4 the vid
You present this information very well. The misconception that tai chi is only about yielding is unfortunately very pervasive. My original teacher, Cheng Man-ch'ing, spoke of "seeking the straight in the curve," which is another way of expressing this. Yielding is useless unless you are using it to "find a way in," as I tell my own students. I've found tai chi fencing to be a particularly effective way to teach this, because you can't reach your opponent, much less cut them, without it.
That was fucking awesome!! I can clearly see the strength of your peng jin and your opponents energy going down to the ground. I can peng jin from my waste so my arm structure does not collapse but cannot yet direct the energy to the ground properly so i have to step back if pushed too hard. Thanks for your videos, they are most helpful.
Thanks for demonstrating deeper theory. Simple gongfu techniques are interesting, but this gives information which can be explored through any technique. :o) Always appreciated.
I've started learning Wudang tai chi, it's so much fun! I was motivated by the aggression management training session we had to do because I'm a student physiotherapist. I was interested in learning how to defend myself in a fight without the risk of getting a criminal record for assult ect. because you can't have a criminal record if you care for people then it clicked, my dad does tai chi and he just started this course AWESOME :D
tai chi is great, i started a few months ago. the only thing is that i think there needs to be a more realistic approach to tai chi self-defence because some tai chi people neglet the external aspect of tai chi and are too soft (unbalaced yin/yang) consequently they get beat up by hard styles like karate , san shou boxing ... etc
All true Martial Arts (those not watered down) are founded upon similar principles. It is those fundamental similarities that make the variations of such great interest to me. There are so many different paths up the same mountain. This is why true martial arts are, according to certain laws, classified as "art" for municipal zoning in Canada.
Wow. I didn't know tai chi could be used this way. I have been learning Yang style tai chi from the DVDs of Dr. Paul Lam because where I live there's no classes for it. Very interesting video. Makes me want to continue on with my journey even more.
note taijiman7777's comment " I travelled far to learn from them, and often had to question the truth and value of what i was learning" It takes time and takes effort, Im also of the same mind of taijiman and thank him for this video excellant work
@TianWuJie Thank you for your kind words. I'm in Canada, however. I do get to the USA every once in a while, though. I'm happy to teach seminars almost anywhere. Where do you live?
Ah, finally someone, who is wise in these regards, I agree very much with you vandonderen, I myself try to dissuade people from putting down other martial arts when they do, as it is not constructive and because of the saying "pride comes before a fall"
@wautomarocks Respond to symmetry with asymmetry. Neutralize one of the "arms." The neutralization, when done correctly, affects the opponent's centre. So, one arm becomes impotent when the other is neutralized. Also, remember that neutralization happen in 8 planes. It is possible to redirect in any of the 64 directions. Thus a 2-arm push is only slightly more of a challenge to 64 angles than a 1-arm push is.
tai chi was taught to me as the defense aspect of wing chun. It is being aggressive without being aggressive. It is more about energy control not creating energy as in wing chun.
@11Kralle The fact that most people who play Tai Chi do so for their health and have no desire to learn a martial art is not proof that the art is not practical for "fighting". Likewise, the fact that few teachers have the knowledge or ablity to teach martial aspects, indicates their focus & training, not of the practicality of the art. If the teacher and student are capable and motivated, Tai Chi fighters can be made in a few months or a few years. It does not need to take decades.
Hi It's rare to see kung fu practised this way these days, especially Tai Chi :) I'm from Hamilton so it's nice to see another Canadian guy practising martial arts. I have a question, I practise Wong Shun Leung Wing Chun and was wondering if you feel that Tai Chi and Wing Chun can complement each other? Great video by the way Tom
I used to have a no parking sign that read, "No mercy. No surrender. No whining. No parking. Lacrosse players only!" It was taken from me by a lacrosse player. I let him take it because I haven't played lacrosse for years, and I don't want to mess with those guys.
I expect to do a few "guest seminars" for clubs in Toronto in 2009. The dates are not yet set. I do expect to be teaching a couple of seminars at MMA Expo #4, June 6 & 7, 2009 at the International Centre in TORONTO.
@OZITOMAE Your ready position is whatever postion you are in at the time. Stance training teaches root. When you have achieve root, you don't need a particular stance or technique.
Yes. Your eyes did not deceive you. 鬼佬拳 is the unofficial name of my personal style. After years of people coming to my school and saying, "Where is the old Chinese guy?" I stopped saying, 'He is in the back, smoking a long pipe and playing mahjong. He comes out once in a while to say, "Lower, Longer. More practice."' With 鬼佬拳 on my shirt, I either get laughter or blank stares, or the occasional, "Do you know what that says?"
I operate a small school in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, offering private and group lessons, as well as live online instruction. I also do the occasional seminars throughout Canada and elsewhere. Like many others, I have suspended all activity in the USA until the situation there improves. You can find my website by searching for cloudmountainmartialarts.
@MrAkitaDog Don't forget that a fight has many stages. Facing off, boxing, bridging, wrestling, takedown, groundfight etc. If you have an appreciation for these you can see where Taiji applies. There's no such thing as a bad technique, just a bad time to use a technique. If you trained some of these skills with a good instructor, and then tried them in sparring, if they work for you then use them. If not keep looking for what works for you.
I heard about a guy who fought in a war and stayed calm throughout it because of taiji...if it's applicable to that extreme it can certainly be helpful to the common man.
"Taiji" is "Tai Chi". Both r different spellings of the same word, often an abbreviation of Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan). "Taiji" (or "Tai Chi") is the philosophical concept. Taijiquan is the martial art/exercise based on Taiji philosophy. bigbadboriqua - You are correct, technically, about the application of yin & yang or qi. I have a certain reticence, however, about expressing martial concepts in terms of qi (chi). Qi is often a subjective experience. The word itself can confuse the issue.
for all the people who say tai chi wont be useful in a real fight here is my awser, you can combine many diferent combat arts in one fight, being a beginned tai chi praticent and a student, I have been into fights before , and my strategy is tai chi first, to put the oponent to the ground, let him have the first shot, put him to the ground just like explained then get into boxing ;)
maybe the best explain of Taijiquan-Applications on Net! What i like most r the clearly explain of the energies and slowly get more and more free in application... at the end it looks like any "block-conter" martial-arts, but infact it is the Taijiquan-evergies used such free, that u cant c them anymore... VERY nice!
People use tai chi in MMA. But then it looks like MMA, not like tai chi. The best way to examine the uniqueness of tai chi is in a controlled demonstration, which is what I tried to do here. In combat, tai chi would look much like any other style. If the there is a big difference between the skill levels of the combatants, it would be short and clean. If they have equal skill, it will be messier. If they are extremely good, there will be no observable fight.
note taijiman7777 comment " I travelled far to learn from them, and often had to question the truth and value of what i was learning" It takes time and takes effort, Im also of the same mind of taijiman and thank him for this video excellant work
I agree, they all have the same important template, like rooting and body alignment to name a couple. Unfortunately people are too attached to their own martial arts to see the similarities in the "differences"
@geezzerboy Yep. 300 hoplites against at least a million Persians. One would expect them to loose. The point is that the Persians could still not prevail in a direct assault, in spite of their incredibly superior numbers and resources. Their mistake was to assume that numbers and brute force could prevail against superior position and strategy. They only achieved victory when the abandoned that approach for a more efficient one.
@crabhunter3 No offense is taken. Your insight is appreciated. UA-cam has a 10 minute limit for videos. This video was heavily edited to get it down to 9:59. More in depth discussion of internal principles such as you mentioned will be included in later videos, and available to subscribers.
great explanation. i practice alone. i do zhang zhuang on bricks, and hold postures against the weight of a punching bag from different angles. i also practice silk reeling, with the intent of "filling my suit" with air at the center, and just letting my hands and body follow that central movement. i try to make the movements smaller and smaller... is there anything else i can do to develop root on my own? i know, no substitute for an opponent or partner, but...
hey man - nice video -- I haven't trained tai chi, but I like the management of the opponent's pushes and straight punches - not sooo different from wing chun strategies :)
Short answer: "There is no difference between styles."
I have crossed hands with karateka, judoka, and experts from many asian and non-asian styles. The skills which tai chi is famous for are not limited to tai chi. I think the whole idea of martial "styles" is a bit of an illusion, and leads to many misunderstandings.
Love the way you explain Tai Chi. Many teachers know only the soft side. Keep this going before the martial part of the art is lost.
Thank you for this. I try to explain this to my students but you seem to put it into words better than I.
one of the best lectures on this concept that I have heard… And all in english!
its cool how something so relaxing can be used to do more damage than someone actually throwing punches out of anger
Very funny. I have, in fact, seen some very effective martial applications of yoga, hip-hop dance, and ballet.
One of my teachers spent 15 minutes demonstrating, in rapid succession, about one hundred martial applications of the Vienna Waltz.
I really needed to see this. Just this week I was applauding tai chi for its therapeutic benefits which I have experienced and which are obvious from so many thousands of testimonies, but when it came to fighting, I was arrogantly stating how ineffective it was.That is, until seeing this demonstration. It really does depend on who you study under. What I need to do is keep my mouth shut and learn like a humble beginner
Excellent teaching. Very clear and simple explanation of a very complex art. Much respect sir.
After 20 years I must say I have never heard this explained in such an efficient manner. I tip my hat to you. Very good.
I think you are right on the money. Redirection requires a degree of certainty that comes from lots of very specific training. Even then, it should not be done in isolation from other methods. If it is trained properly, it can work well against most people, including the barely skilled and the extremely skilled. However, it won't work so well against the blind attack or against the supremely skilled. In those cases you must either dodge and block, or run away.
Hi, great video. This guy knows whats he is talking about, it's nice to finally see a taichi person who knows what "Pung" is. Principles are very important in Taichi. There isn't "better" martials art because a martial art is that, a martial art. There is only a total spectrum of varying degrees of understanding of the same principle. A circle will always seek to return or earth. Taichi is a way to feel physics and not just to understand it on paper. Form can change, but principle can't. Thanks.
Very insightful, thank you for posting this.
The mistake that so many traditional martial artist make, is that they ignore/discount the crucial importance of timing and tactics in real combat. All these valid ideas are moot when you leave this out. If I have superior timing, a simple jab will hit the target every time.
before the surprise attack in real life, all are equal, a tactic depends on the strategy, you will find yourself in a situation that all practical that you did in the hall doing MMA, you will not be applied, so that all of our mind games.
Theoretically, as long as you don't get caught, if they don't have sensitivity training, you should be able to connect, conform, and control them safely. They're going to go for linear motions (muscles) and you'll be able to curve out of it every time if you trained well.
I understood everything you said. Love it, Ian. Sir.
This video just grows on me every time I see it, it is such a nice and lucid introduction to the basics of the martial aspect of Tai Chi. I keep recommending it to those of my students who are interested in this part of the art.
I've removed comments which deteriorated into vitriol and obscenity.
This video is not meant to espouse the superiority of any martial art. It is a demonstration of principles & training methods common to many styles.
Please avoid disparaging comments about MMA, Boxing, or any other sports or martial arts. (MMA fighters are some of my best students.)
And watch your language. Little old ladies watch tai chi videos. So, if I think my mom would find it offensive, I will delete it.
You explained so much in this video. This should be a must watch for anyone who practices Tai Chi.
@Tomymdobson
No. It is a matter of preference (and sometimes of availability).
For me, what I wear is usually a matter of luck, or what my wife will let me leave the house in. Sometimes she leaves before I do. When that happens, I take my chances.
Very nice, Strong insight into application and nature of some of the eight energies. I like the small frame applications the most, and body alignment is the biggest part. Nice work.
You are correct.
This is a demo.
As for the redirection, it is a tactic used in boxing, wing chun, bagua, xinyi, karate, and just about every other style.
We also teach blocking, even though blocking is a bit of a waste of time.1
:->
Think of me as the Penn and Teller of the tai chi world.
The sooner I respond to the intent, the less physical the encounter becomes. For maximum physical effect, I try to sense the attack long before the physical manifestation, but move only when the opponent moves and change direction when their intent changes. This means being able to change you mind about 11-27 times per second. "If my opponent is till, I am still. If my opponent moves, I move first." Of course, if you move really early, there is not fight. Move even earlier, there is no enemy.
This video saved a lot of time and gave the correct fundamental info about Tai chi. Thanks a lot sir. Excellent work,
Nice stuff Mr. Sinclair. This is Christian Auger, we met at the end of last century on Bowen Island. Was just browsing Taichi videos and stumbled on yours. Nice to see your skills.
An inspired video. Your students have a lot to learn from you and are lucky to have you as a teacher.
The philosophy is a hands-on study.
Likewise, the key to developing martial skill is a thorough understanding of the nature of yin and yang.
Excellent work. So many cool demos and points made in this vid. I see you have developed your sensing jin to a high standard where by you can sense the students intention to move and therefore move as he does or just before him.
Thank you for showing that an art Form that's known by most a soft flowing health exercise, can also be a powerful self defense.
You are a very good teacher and your "helper" was a good sport :) Well spoken, clear lesson and thank you for sharing :)
Important concepts that seem to be missing in a lot of modern Tai chi, thank you
Welcome back!
Thanks for sharing!
I think this video is pretty good. However, for the sake of some commenters, I would like to point out a few things. First of all, there is no "hard side" to Tai Chi. Just because it has debilitating, sometimes fatal, strikes does not make it hard. Second, that is correct: an opponent would not push on your forearm, the forearm is lifted in response to an attack so the Tai Chi practitioner can control the situation. Once they have attached, they are in the advantage. Also, the idea of Tai Chi having a "yielding quality" stems from the philosophy of balance. When the opponent comes out with an attack, it is foolish to meet it head on. You must yield as much as is necessary until the opponent is no longer in an advantageous position. This is how the Yin Yang symbol works: At the extreme of one, the balancing opposite may begin.
I am the first to admit the superiority of Canada's real national sport. I grew up playing lacrosse. But, I wasn't tough enough to handle it past the age of 16. "There is no crying in lacrosse!"
Lacrosse players do very well in Taijiquan. I love teaching them. Of course, I usually get them when they r old and battered. They usually train harder & longer, & are better at taking hits than most martial art students. The have the agility, speed, tenacity & spirit. They can even learn to relax.
@kosombi
You seem to me to be a bit depressed. I can relate, and I'm sorry for that.
I train in both "internal" and "external" martial arts, and have been fortunate to have some of the best teachers in the world. But I travelled far to learn from them, and often had to question the truth and value of what I was learning. Now, after 30 years, I am finding my own way and am grateful for their guidance.
i ben in wing chun a cuple years now and it is great to see the same thing explained fom the perspective or a nuther art like tai chi,,now i look for the things that unifi the martial art's not the seperations. thats amazing to presereve his center with sutch a small movement. best explination i have seen yet,,,thnx 4 the vid
Great philosophy and lesson!
I do enjoy your videos! A very clear explanation and well delivered. Thank you!
Thank you for this video and may God be in your presence always
Great! One of the best explanations i came across. Thank you!
Very eloquent and inteligent description, thank you!
You present this information very well. The misconception that tai chi is only about yielding is unfortunately very pervasive. My original teacher, Cheng Man-ch'ing, spoke of "seeking the straight in the curve," which is another way of expressing this. Yielding is useless unless you are using it to "find a way in," as I tell my own students. I've found tai chi fencing to be a particularly effective way to teach this, because you can't reach your opponent, much less cut them, without it.
Thank you thank you!! 🙏. Very lucid and very helpful!!
Blocking is a waste of time.
Clear, well-explained. Thanks for sharing.
Very cool. Thank you, sir.
Beautiful presentation, Ian
Great demonstration and explanation!
That was fucking awesome!!
I can clearly see the strength of your peng jin and your opponents energy going down to the ground. I can peng jin from my waste so my arm structure does not collapse but cannot yet direct the energy to the ground properly so i have to step back if pushed too hard.
Thanks for your videos, they are most helpful.
This is truly a wealth of knowlage. A suprime education in the Art.
Thanks for demonstrating deeper theory. Simple gongfu techniques are interesting, but this gives information which can be explored through any technique.
:o)
Always appreciated.
I've started learning Wudang tai chi, it's so much fun! I was motivated by the aggression management training session we had to do because I'm a student physiotherapist. I was interested in learning how to defend myself in a fight without the risk of getting a criminal record for assult ect. because you can't have a criminal record if you care for people then it clicked, my dad does tai chi and he just started this course AWESOME :D
Great demo and explanation, regarding the elusive "center line", that we keep hearing about. Can you more on this?
its about damn time someone puts up a decent tai chi video even if it is really basic at least he knows what hes doing
tai chi is great, i started a few months ago. the only thing is that i think there needs to be a more realistic approach to tai chi self-defence because some tai chi people neglet the external aspect of tai chi and are too soft (unbalaced yin/yang) consequently they get beat up by hard styles like karate , san shou boxing ... etc
All true Martial Arts (those not watered down) are founded upon similar principles. It is those fundamental similarities that make the variations of such great interest to me. There are so many different paths up the same mountain. This is why true martial arts are, according to certain laws, classified as "art" for municipal zoning in Canada.
Wow. I didn't know tai chi could be used this way. I have been learning Yang style tai chi from the DVDs of Dr. Paul Lam because where I live there's no classes for it. Very interesting video. Makes me want to continue on with my journey even more.
note taijiman7777's comment " I travelled far to learn from them, and often had to question the truth and value of what i was learning" It takes time and takes effort, Im also of the same mind of taijiman and thank him for this video excellant work
Simply one word to comment on this: Wooooooow!
Great video. Well described. Thanks!
@TianWuJie
Thank you for your kind words.
I'm in Canada, however. I do get to the USA every once in a while, though. I'm happy to teach seminars almost anywhere.
Where do you live?
Ah, finally someone, who is wise in these regards, I agree very much with you vandonderen, I myself try to dissuade people from putting down other martial arts when they do, as it is not constructive and because of the saying "pride comes before a fall"
@wautomarocks
Respond to symmetry with asymmetry.
Neutralize one of the "arms." The neutralization, when done correctly, affects the opponent's centre. So, one arm becomes impotent when the other is neutralized.
Also, remember that neutralization happen in 8 planes. It is possible to redirect in any of the 64 directions. Thus a 2-arm push is only slightly more of a challenge to 64 angles than a 1-arm push is.
tai chi was taught to me as the defense aspect of wing chun. It is being aggressive without being aggressive. It is more about energy control not creating energy as in wing chun.
Nice insights on the Tai Chi principles. I like it.
Great explanation, thanks for posting
@11Kralle
The fact that most people who play Tai Chi do so for their health and have no desire to learn a martial art is not proof that the art is not practical for "fighting". Likewise, the fact that few teachers have the knowledge or ablity to teach martial aspects, indicates their focus & training, not of the practicality of the art. If the teacher and student are capable and motivated, Tai Chi fighters can be made in a few months or a few years. It does not need to take decades.
Hi
It's rare to see kung fu practised this way these days, especially Tai Chi :)
I'm from Hamilton so it's nice to see another Canadian guy practising martial arts. I have a question, I practise Wong Shun Leung Wing Chun and was wondering if you feel that Tai Chi and Wing Chun can complement each other?
Great video by the way
Tom
I used to have a no parking sign that read,
"No mercy. No surrender. No whining. No parking.
Lacrosse players only!" It was taken from me by a lacrosse player. I let him take it because I haven't played lacrosse for years, and I don't want to mess with those guys.
Very detailed explanations! Thank you.
I expect to do a few "guest seminars" for clubs in Toronto in 2009. The dates are not yet set.
I do expect to be teaching a couple of seminars at MMA Expo #4, June 6 & 7, 2009 at the International Centre in TORONTO.
Thanks from France !
Je vous en prie!
that very good teaching, very simple and plain
@OZITOMAE
Your ready position is whatever postion you are in at the time.
Stance training teaches root. When you have achieve root, you don't need a particular stance or technique.
Yes. Your eyes did not deceive you. 鬼佬拳 is the unofficial name of my personal style. After years of people coming to my school and saying, "Where is the old Chinese guy?"
I stopped saying, 'He is in the back, smoking a long pipe and playing mahjong. He comes out once in a while to say, "Lower, Longer. More practice."'
With 鬼佬拳 on my shirt, I either get laughter or blank stares, or the occasional, "Do you know what that says?"
I operate a small school in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, offering private and group lessons, as well as live online instruction. I also do the occasional seminars throughout Canada and elsewhere. Like many others, I have suspended all activity in the USA until the situation there improves. You can find my website by searching for cloudmountainmartialarts.
If you ever come to the Caribbean, Barbados specifically and do a seminar, I'm definitely in..
@MrAkitaDog Don't forget that a fight has many stages. Facing off, boxing, bridging, wrestling, takedown, groundfight etc. If you have an appreciation for these you can see where Taiji applies. There's no such thing as a bad technique, just a bad time to use a technique. If you trained some of these skills with a good instructor, and then tried them in sparring, if they work for you then use them. If not keep looking for what works for you.
your tai chi is not bad from what I have watched on UA-cam for western practitioner. In fact, I would say is very good.
very very clear. Thank you!
I heard about a guy who fought in a war and stayed calm throughout it because of taiji...if it's applicable to that extreme it can certainly be helpful to the common man.
"Taiji" is "Tai Chi". Both r different spellings of the same word, often an abbreviation of Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan). "Taiji" (or "Tai Chi") is the philosophical concept. Taijiquan is the martial art/exercise based on Taiji philosophy.
bigbadboriqua - You are correct, technically, about the application of yin & yang or qi. I have a certain reticence, however, about expressing martial concepts in terms of qi (chi). Qi is often a subjective experience. The word itself can confuse the issue.
for all the people who say tai chi wont be useful in a real fight here is my awser, you can combine many diferent combat arts in one fight, being a beginned tai chi praticent and a student, I have been into fights before , and my strategy is tai chi first, to put the oponent to the ground, let him have the first shot, put him to the ground just like explained then get into boxing ;)
maybe the best explain of Taijiquan-Applications on Net! What i like most r the clearly explain of the energies and slowly get more and more free in application... at the end it looks like any "block-conter" martial-arts, but infact it is the Taijiquan-evergies used such free, that u cant c them anymore... VERY nice!
Crudellis Martial Arts - it's actually a series - and a really good one on top. This guy travells the world and introduces different martial arts.
People use tai chi in MMA. But then it looks like MMA, not like tai chi. The best way to examine the uniqueness of tai chi is in a controlled demonstration, which is what I tried to do here. In combat, tai chi would look much like any other style. If the there is a big difference between the skill levels of the combatants, it would be short and clean. If they have equal skill, it will be messier. If they are extremely good, there will be no observable fight.
note taijiman7777 comment " I travelled far to learn from them, and often had to question the truth and value of what i was learning" It takes time and takes effort, Im also of the same mind of taijiman and thank him for this video excellant work
Excellent video :)
If you had a dojo around here, I would definitely stop by.
a true master
Excellent Teaching !!!!!!
The straight line is in the circle. A flurry cannot beat an immediate and constant pressure.
I agree, they all have the same important template, like rooting and body alignment to name a couple. Unfortunately people are too attached to their own martial arts to see the similarities in the "differences"
Very nice!!! Thank you
This is incredible..
@geezzerboy
Yep. 300 hoplites against at least a million Persians. One would expect them to loose. The point is that the Persians could still not prevail in a direct assault, in spite of their incredibly superior numbers and resources.
Their mistake was to assume that numbers and brute force could prevail against superior position and strategy.
They only achieved victory when the abandoned that approach for a more efficient one.
Doing martial arts is a passion, stop comparing all sorts i would say. Im do jujitsu myself, but i think this stuff is fantastic.
are you planning on having a seminar anytime in the near future in Toronto?
@crabhunter3
No offense is taken. Your insight is appreciated.
UA-cam has a 10 minute limit for videos. This video was heavily edited to get it down to 9:59.
More in depth discussion of internal principles such as you mentioned will be included in later videos, and available to subscribers.
great explanation. i practice alone. i do zhang zhuang on bricks, and hold postures against the weight of a punching bag from different angles. i also practice silk reeling, with the intent of "filling my suit" with air at the center, and just letting my hands and body follow that central movement. i try to make the movements smaller and smaller... is there anything else i can do to develop root on my own? i know, no substitute for an opponent or partner, but...
Meditation, standing and form
Good , hope see more
hey man - nice video -- I haven't trained tai chi, but I like the management of the opponent's pushes and straight punches - not sooo different from wing chun strategies :)