Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Been involved in Taijiquan for over 30 years, mostly Yang, but a fair amount of Chen with a little Wu and some Sun. At one point, in my Yang Shifu's class, there was about dozen of us martial arts war horses (now I should say dinosaurs) training, working on push hands, how it is used and what it was for as well as working on the martial arts side and applications. At one point I was helping my shifu teach push hands and doing push hands with him regularly after class (occasionally finding myself on the floor looking up),
I watched, as time went on, the number of those interested in the martial arts side dwindle, watched as push hands became thought of as a 2 person moving meditation, and at one point there was a group coming into taijiquan that was literally offended by any mention of martial arts.
I have found a few over the years that were still interested in push hands training and the martial arts of taijiquan, but even there the numbers were and are shrinking. There is a class going on now, that I was part of, that is a good class, and I would recommend it. But it does not go far enough, as my shifu did, and at the moment I can't get there. And that too is a very small group, and to be honest I am not sure how much longer it will survive.
I have tried several times to get a push hands group started, but I think I have just tried for the last time. Spoke with some folks about it, talked about working with what my shifu taught as well as the stuff I learned at YMAA years ago and maybe even looking to work with the Chen version I learned several years ago...... I have tried in the past with a less specific game plan and it fell through, so I thought a game plan might help.... well...it fell through again....so.... I give up.... not saying I give up on push hands, just saying I'm tired of trying to keep push hands and the martial side of taijiquan going, at least as far as Yang style goes, but then, after a talk with my shifu, I have pretty much given up on Yang style all together.
For now, a return to Chen style with side of Sun style seems to be in order. Also there is a very good Chen guy close by, I have done push hands with him before and he is very good, maybe I will talk to him at some point. I am still working on my 13 postures form, but I doubt I will ever show it to anyone. And I am still seriously hoping to be able to return to training with my Wing Chun Shifu in late June.
But to all those looking at taijiquan, particularly Yang style and it derivatives, as only a moving mediation that is good for health, who know nothing about its martial side, and don't want to know.... I surrender..... enjoy the training
I watched, as time went on, the number of those interested in the martial arts side dwindle, watched as push hands became thought of as a 2 person moving meditation, and at one point there was a group coming into taijiquan that was literally offended by any mention of martial arts.
I have found a few over the years that were still interested in push hands training and the martial arts of taijiquan, but even there the numbers were and are shrinking. There is a class going on now, that I was part of, that is a good class, and I would recommend it. But it does not go far enough, as my shifu did, and at the moment I can't get there. And that too is a very small group, and to be honest I am not sure how much longer it will survive.
I have tried several times to get a push hands group started, but I think I have just tried for the last time. Spoke with some folks about it, talked about working with what my shifu taught as well as the stuff I learned at YMAA years ago and maybe even looking to work with the Chen version I learned several years ago...... I have tried in the past with a less specific game plan and it fell through, so I thought a game plan might help.... well...it fell through again....so.... I give up.... not saying I give up on push hands, just saying I'm tired of trying to keep push hands and the martial side of taijiquan going, at least as far as Yang style goes, but then, after a talk with my shifu, I have pretty much given up on Yang style all together.
For now, a return to Chen style with side of Sun style seems to be in order. Also there is a very good Chen guy close by, I have done push hands with him before and he is very good, maybe I will talk to him at some point. I am still working on my 13 postures form, but I doubt I will ever show it to anyone. And I am still seriously hoping to be able to return to training with my Wing Chun Shifu in late June.
But to all those looking at taijiquan, particularly Yang style and it derivatives, as only a moving mediation that is good for health, who know nothing about its martial side, and don't want to know.... I surrender..... enjoy the training
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