Very sophisticated. One would have to be almost calm to be attentive and sensitive enough to pull that off. Devious would be another word for that type of fighter. Which is probably the most dangerous type. Great explanations as usual. Great lesson.
Agree! Calm and devious! A teacher of mine said a good fighter is not a brawler but a hunter. Patient and cunning. Good qualities! Thanks for your comment. 😃🙏
Excellent tactical thhinking. Time is the ultimate measure of efficiency. Yet, it needs speed, our speed to keep up with the opponen´s rate of movement, let alone of his way of thinking or intentions. With all respect, and with over 30 years spent on the tatami, let me suggest not to discard distancing, - a beginner´s best choice is too keep hoimself or herself as war away as possible, - then comes the phase of medium distance mirroring and finally - short distance, where only high level reflexes can help play with time. Best regards. Paul.69, retired instructor of Karate.
great stuff as usual Chester. In the video around 11.55 you showed how you can stop the opponent momentarily by 'putting your Song into it' is this just a complete whole relaxation moment or your internal Peng Jin acting and what happens during this brief moment> Is his force sunk or floated up or does it just redirected by being spread over your body?
Time and distance are interconnected, when we understand time and distance we can discover the “place”. The place is the thing the opponent gives you based on your manipulation of time and distance. It can be a position relative to the opponent, or a postural miss alignment, or a vulnerability like a vital point. Great lesson thank you.
Very well instructed. Something a lot of schools, even very good ones, dont spend enough time on is the entry. Entry makes or breaks a fight. How does one lead an encounter to advantage? A very challenging thing to master.
You’re so right! This video was 10+ minutes and only barely scratches the surface of the vast art of the entry! But if it helps people start thinking about this aspect of the game, then perhaps it has been a nice “entry” in its own way. 😆 Especially in Kungfu Tai Chi where people tend to fixate on the dramatic finishing moves but have not mastered how to get to that opportunity. Thank you for your thoughtful comment! 😃🙏
Good work, as usual. And accurate. Have you heard the teaching around the root of the arm..? If so, I would love to see some videos on that. I have my own ideas but it would be good to see what you think. If you've never heard of this, it doesn't matter.
I don’t think I’m familiar with this root of the arm. Some Kungfu schools divide shoulder elbow hand into root trunk and branch. But you are probably talking about something different. 😃
@@phoenixmountaintaichi Actually, that is what I am talking about. Pa-gua uses it as well as some aikido people (rarely). I can't think of the reference now but I think I read it in a taiji context. The area just above the elbow on the outside can be used as a pivot to control the opponent. ;)
precision beats power, timing beats speed is something conor macgregor said. btw, is this related to bridging techniques from a lot of southern kungfu styles? i remember terms like seeking bridge, crossing bridge, breaking bridge etc
Yes that’s a wonderful quote! Thank you for pointing it out. I think most bridging techniques are seeking a similar purpose and may use similar or different approaches depending on the exact style. Some are more forceful, or spatial, and some are more grinding and some are more gliding. And some Southern style masters have become some of the most skilled Taichi masters too. Hopefully some expert can comment and shares their knowledge about them! 😃🙏
@@phoenixmountaintaichi thank you for the answer. i watched a video about the difference between south and north kungfu styles, in it the practitioner said south ones focus on the bridge while north on occupying space, so got reminded of that by your video :)
Great video! Aikido also capitalizes on the moment when intention bubbles up in the attacker, before it becomes movement. Or I’d even say that in Aikido the timing being sought is right before that, where the attacker kinda loses it for that brief moment right before they act out in violence. That unrooted, subconsciously pre-intention state is what Aikido wants to capitalize on in order to affect its technique. At least among the folks I’ve learned from. It’s not the only way Aikido is done but it’s often something people strive towards. At that point Aikido works similarly to what you’re showing here. The forward weighting as a lure feels especially familiar. In Aikido the best folks can take that wave of energy right from the attack’s subconscious and sweep them into a throw or lock. Or redirect it into an empty space and leave the attacker hanging, which can feel really weird! Even the single push hands shape you’re showing in the video, with the turning at the wrist, that’s in Aikido movements too. Beautiful. The way it was passed on to me by my teachers is that you start looking for the intention to attack, then over years learn to pick it up earlier and earlier into the exchange. In time it gets refined to the point that you’re picking up the stirring in the attacker’s subconscious, before their conscious mind is even aware that they are about to attack. The feeling to the attacker is that they’re being sucked into a black hole along a gust of wind. It sounds so woo-woo the way I’m describing it, but I swear in real life it’s just a developed skill. It’s more like a boxer that has ultra predictive head movement. I mean, Nicolino Locche??? Oof.
Kung fu is optimized for 2-3 second engagements, even Tai Chi, especially Tai Chi. If you plan on taking longer pick a different style, BJJ, boxing. Tai Chi works best when you're moving faster than your opponent's thoughts, 2-3 seconds, that's it.
Yes it’ll definitely work best when you’re moving faster than your opponent’s thoughts! Beyond that situation we can also look at some circumstances in which that may not be the case, and be prepared accordingly right? About 2-3 second engagements, there are techniques and methods for quickly and efficiently defeating opponents who are less skilled and less prepared than you. This is especially useful and important where there are multiple opponents of lesser skill. My teacher called this battlefield combat. There are also techniques for facing opponents of equal or greater skill and preparation. In these cases it’s not realistic to expect them to be defeated in 2-3 seconds, and you will need all of your techniques, tactics, and cunning to maximize your chances of prevailing. My teacher called this dueling combat. There is room for multiple approaches and different priorities, in the vast world of martial arts. And there is time for your personal preferences and personal expression, and that is the art of martial art. Thanks for your contribution, an important perspective in its own right! 😃🙏
@phoenixmountaintaichi agreed, just an observation, kung fu thrives at exploiting subtle gaps in an opponents defenses, usually in the midst of his own attack, Chinese styles do this best in my opinion, but lack the defensive and evasive measures of more "sport oriented" combat styles. So if looking to maximize real world kung fu, training inside of 2-3 second time frames completely focuses a practicioner's intent with substantial benifits. In other words, what works given only 2-3 seconds. The obvious answer is exclusively targeting an opponent's vital areas and throwing blocking, closed fist strikes and excessive footwork and most kicks completely out the window. Then what's left? Shoulders, knees, elbows, wrists, head butts, palm heels, and fingers, the solutions start to present themselves under the 2-3 second time constraints and they start to look a whole lot like Taijichuan, only combat effective Taijichuan, 2-3 second engagement mindset is super crucial, after which time gaps in skill, experience, strength, speed etc. come back into play. But the game is the first to devistate a vital area within 2-3 seconds wins the fight, full stop.
I do enjoy competitive push hands! Have not entered any formal competitions but I would like to, as well as bring some students to experience the skill and power of other tai chi players out there. 😃🙏
Tai Chi Ba fa is featured Tai Chi close range techniques but not all. Any one seriously treat Tai Chi as a combat martial art needs to be good at any range, boxing, kicking and of course close range. Do not limit the training at push hands.
Nice vid. Really filled in some blanks in my thoughts around single hand. Thank you.
Very sophisticated. One would have to be almost calm to be attentive and sensitive enough to pull that off. Devious would be another word for that type of fighter. Which is probably the most dangerous type. Great explanations as usual. Great lesson.
Agree! Calm and devious! A teacher of mine said a good fighter is not a brawler but a hunter. Patient and cunning. Good qualities! Thanks for your comment. 😃🙏
In Taiji our MMA is "meditation martial arts"😊 🙏🙏🙏
This is next level. Taking notes.
Haha play with it a bit and let the notes become a part of you! 😃🙌
Thanks for sharing so much valuable Taichi informations and techniques !
Thank you for sharing your kind comment! I’m very glad you find it valuable! 😃🙏
Brilliant as always. Thanks for sharing. Some lovely things to work on there. 🙏🏼🙂☯️
Let me know your experience as you work on them! 😃🙏
@ will do 🙂🙏🏼
Excellent tactical thhinking.
Time is the ultimate measure of efficiency. Yet, it needs speed, our speed to keep up with the opponen´s rate of movement, let alone of his way of thinking or intentions.
With all respect, and with over 30 years spent on the tatami, let me suggest not to discard distancing,
- a beginner´s best choice is too keep hoimself or herself as war away as possible,
- then comes the phase of medium distance mirroring and finally
- short distance, where only high level reflexes can help play with time.
Best regards. Paul.69, retired instructor of Karate.
great stuff as usual Chester. In the video around 11.55 you showed how you can stop the opponent momentarily by 'putting your Song into it' is this just a complete whole relaxation moment or your internal Peng Jin acting and what happens during this brief moment> Is his force sunk or floated up or does it just redirected by being spread over your body?
Time and distance are interconnected, when we understand time and distance we can discover the “place”. The place is the thing the opponent gives you based on your manipulation of time and distance. It can be a position relative to the opponent, or a postural miss alignment, or a vulnerability like a vital point. Great lesson thank you.
Very well said! Sounds wise and simple at the same time. Thank you for sharing! 😃🙏
Very well instructed. Something a lot of schools, even very good ones, dont spend enough time on is the entry. Entry makes or breaks a fight. How does one lead an encounter to advantage? A very challenging thing to master.
You’re so right! This video was 10+ minutes and only barely scratches the surface of the vast art of the entry! But if it helps people start thinking about this aspect of the game, then perhaps it has been a nice “entry” in its own way. 😆 Especially in Kungfu Tai Chi where people tend to fixate on the dramatic finishing moves but have not mastered how to get to that opportunity. Thank you for your thoughtful comment! 😃🙏
Good work, as usual. And accurate. Have you heard the teaching around the root of the arm..? If so, I would love to see some videos on that. I have my own ideas but it would be good to see what you think. If you've never heard of this, it doesn't matter.
I don’t think I’m familiar with this root of the arm. Some Kungfu schools divide shoulder elbow hand into root trunk and branch. But you are probably talking about something different. 😃
@@phoenixmountaintaichi Actually, that is what I am talking about. Pa-gua uses it as well as some aikido people (rarely). I can't think of the reference now but I think I read it in a taiji context. The area just above the elbow on the outside can be used as a pivot to control the opponent. ;)
@@kingofaikidooh that is definitely a great thing to point out! Thank you for sharing. I could do a video about that some time. Awesome idea! 😃🙌
Push hands techniques almost useless in a boxing range. Tai Chi Quan is a unique body driving mode, not just its external movements.
precision beats power, timing beats speed is something conor macgregor said.
btw, is this related to bridging techniques from a lot of southern kungfu styles? i remember terms like seeking bridge, crossing bridge, breaking bridge etc
Yes that’s a wonderful quote! Thank you for pointing it out.
I think most bridging techniques are seeking a similar purpose and may use similar or different approaches depending on the exact style. Some are more forceful, or spatial, and some are more grinding and some are more gliding. And some Southern style masters have become some of the most skilled Taichi masters too. Hopefully some expert can comment and shares their knowledge about them! 😃🙏
@@phoenixmountaintaichi thank you for the answer. i watched a video about the difference between south and north kungfu styles, in it the practitioner said south ones focus on the bridge while north on occupying space, so got reminded of that by your video :)
I am deeply disappointed that your video ended at 13:12 and not 13:13 ....
Anyway! Great video again, SIfu
Haha good catch! Please report back on your experience trying it on your students! I love to hear how people are making use of Tai Chi. 😃🙌
Merry Christmas to you all.🎉
Great video! Aikido also capitalizes on the moment when intention bubbles up in the attacker, before it becomes movement.
Or I’d even say that in Aikido the timing being sought is right before that, where the attacker kinda loses it for that brief moment right before they act out in violence. That unrooted, subconsciously pre-intention state is what Aikido wants to capitalize on in order to affect its technique. At least among the folks I’ve learned from. It’s not the only way Aikido is done but it’s often something people strive towards.
At that point Aikido works similarly to what you’re showing here. The forward weighting as a lure feels especially familiar. In Aikido the best folks can take that wave of energy right from the attack’s subconscious and sweep them into a throw or lock. Or redirect it into an empty space and leave the attacker hanging, which can feel really weird!
Even the single push hands shape you’re showing in the video, with the turning at the wrist, that’s in Aikido movements too. Beautiful.
The way it was passed on to me by my teachers is that you start looking for the intention to attack, then over years learn to pick it up earlier and earlier into the exchange. In time it gets refined to the point that you’re picking up the stirring in the attacker’s subconscious, before their conscious mind is even aware that they are about to attack. The feeling to the attacker is that they’re being sucked into a black hole along a gust of wind.
It sounds so woo-woo the way I’m describing it, but I swear in real life it’s just a developed skill. It’s more like a boxer that has ultra predictive head movement. I mean, Nicolino Locche??? Oof.
You can apply the 5 elements of Xingyi in this.
Oh yes that’s a great point! Thank you very much for pointing it out! 😃🙏
My Taiji Sifu called this “first touch” skills, this combines sticking and following and enveloping skills.
Well said! You really did have great, as well as traditional, teachers. 😃🙌
I greatly appreciate your content, it is extremely confirming. As I said before, if I lived anywhere near you, I would study with you.
Kung fu is optimized for 2-3 second engagements, even Tai Chi, especially Tai Chi. If you plan on taking longer pick a different style, BJJ, boxing. Tai Chi works best when you're moving faster than your opponent's thoughts, 2-3 seconds, that's it.
Yes it’ll definitely work best when you’re moving faster than your opponent’s thoughts! Beyond that situation we can also look at some circumstances in which that may not be the case, and be prepared accordingly right?
About 2-3 second engagements, there are techniques and methods for quickly and efficiently defeating opponents who are less skilled and less prepared than you. This is especially useful and important where there are multiple opponents of lesser skill. My teacher called this battlefield combat.
There are also techniques for facing opponents of equal or greater skill and preparation. In these cases it’s not realistic to expect them to be defeated in 2-3 seconds, and you will need all of your techniques, tactics, and cunning to maximize your chances of prevailing. My teacher called this dueling combat.
There is room for multiple approaches and different priorities, in the vast world of martial arts. And there is time for your personal preferences and personal expression, and that is the art of martial art. Thanks for your contribution, an important perspective in its own right! 😃🙏
@phoenixmountaintaichi agreed, just an observation, kung fu thrives at exploiting subtle gaps in an opponents defenses, usually in the midst of his own attack, Chinese styles do this best in my opinion, but lack the defensive and evasive measures of more "sport oriented" combat styles.
So if looking to maximize real world kung fu, training inside of 2-3 second time frames completely focuses a practicioner's intent with substantial benifits. In other words, what works given only 2-3 seconds. The obvious answer is exclusively targeting an opponent's vital areas and throwing blocking, closed fist strikes and excessive footwork and most kicks completely out the window.
Then what's left? Shoulders, knees, elbows, wrists, head butts, palm heels, and fingers, the solutions start to present themselves under the 2-3 second time constraints and they start to look a whole lot like Taijichuan, only combat effective Taijichuan, 2-3 second engagement mindset is super crucial, after which time gaps in skill, experience, strength, speed etc. come back into play. But the game is the first to devistate a vital area within 2-3 seconds wins the fight, full stop.
Have you ever competed in any Push Hands competitions?
I do enjoy competitive push hands! Have not entered any formal competitions but I would like to, as well as bring some students to experience the skill and power of other tai chi players out there. 😃🙏
Tai Chi Ba fa is featured Tai Chi close range techniques but not all. Any one seriously treat Tai Chi as a combat martial art needs to be good at any range, boxing, kicking and of course close range. Do not limit the training at push hands.
1st 😊
Ah dang it!
You’re on it! 😃
Try it in a real sparring see whether it works.
This is fake. This will not work. I'll challenge anyone to do these methods in an mma fight.
You can apply the 5 elements of Xingyi in this.
Very good point! The geometries make a lot of sense for the trajectories of the five elements. Good eye! 😃🙌