![]() ![]() Does the teacher, teach martial applications from the start? If not ask them why not, ask them if they do indeed teach the martial applications, and if so when would you start to learn them? Even ask them to demonstrate martial application for you, if they are a genuine and able teacher they will not have a problem with these sort of questions or requests and will be happy to both answer your questions and show you martial application.Ībove all my advice would be to reject any teacher that does not teach martial application, or one that tells you that before you can learn the application you must master the form. My advice would be to visit any schools in your area and observe at least two lessons. Yogip, judging by your previous comment, I can only assume that it is the combat techniques of taichi that you are interested in learning. ![]() ![]() The fighting techniques that we are taught are demonstrated every lesson along with an explanation of the underlying principles of taichi in relation to the technique. The teacher at my own school uses uses a principle advocated by Yang Luchan’s son, Yang Jianhou – “principle first, movement second.”īefore we are taught any movement we are first shown the martial application of the movement – the when, where, how and why of it. John, judging by your comments about the guys that did a hard external kung fu style before coming to taichi, I can only guess that your teacher teaches forms first? Before begining my own taichi training I had a background in karate and kickboxing and I too had habits that were the opposite of taichi and hard to break, but it certainly didn’t take years to break them. “but if asked to use parts of the form in a martial application they can pull it off” I know Cartmell is awesome but he’s the world’s greatest tai chi teacher if he can teach tai chi power in a few months. To a learned observer it is apparent that things like ‘sung’ and ‘peng’ are not present in their practice, but if asked to use parts of the form in a martial application they can pull it off. They have old habits that are hard to break and they fail to internalize the tai chi principles. There are a couple of guys at my school (Chen style school) who did hard, external kung-fu training for years and then started tai chi about five years ago. This is what is hard to cultivate and I think takes at least a few years of mindfull training to get just a basic handle on it. IMO, it is tai chi only when the elements of rootedness, connectedness, and relaxation are present and every move originates from the dantien. Kenny, I don’t doubt that one could get some good tai chi instruction, work hard at it for maybe 6 mos, and then be able to use some moves martially to some degree, but I don’t think that necessarily makes it tai chi. If I pour away half my pint of “real beer” and fill the empty space in the glass with lemonade am i still drinking “real beer”? No I’m drinking shandy, because my “real beer” has been changed by taking half of it away and replacing it with something other than beer. Most people don’t train Taiji seriously for combat but some of us do and in fact, many who have visited our classes (from other arts) have been put off by how contact orientated our classes are and how much we knock stuff in from day one.Ĭhris, I don’t think anyone died and yes everything that is real is real, but things can also be changed or transformed so that they become something else. He says it should take a few months and I agree, providing the student works hard. But as Tim Cartmell points out, Taiji should be a quicker martial art to learn than most as it is based on natural movement. If your teacher only teaches you linked forms without applications then yes – it will take a long time. John, I agree that Chen style forms are more dynamic but that is not a guarantee that your teacher will show you how to use it – more and more Chen style teachers are involved in just teaching forms and some people learn just forms through choice.Īs to it taking a long time to learn to fight with Taiji it depends on how you train and who you train with, I agree a good teacher is difficult to find. ![]()
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