# Tai Chi



## Xue Sheng (Mar 26, 2006)

Yep another of my Tai Chi post, but at least it is not a rant.

I found this today and I felt it was a good description of Tai Chi as a martial art, the person that said it certainly knew more about the subject than I ever will. 

I just wanted to share this and see what others thought about it.

&#8220;Light here does not mean the body&#8217;s lightness and heaviness. It means the force of attachment or the contact between you and your opponent. When you contact your opponent with light force, then can you be agile. If you contact with heavy, then there is resistance and stagnation. Consequently, your action will slow. Once you can be agile in your movements, then the action can be executed as you wish. When this happens, your techniques will be alive and variable. Once you can move with different variations and skill, you can neutralize any incoming attack. From this, you can see that the first step in learning Taijiquan martial applications is learning how to be light and agile. That means without muscular force.&#8220;

This was said by Yang, Jian-Hou
(Tai Chi Secrets of Yang Style by Dr Yang Jwing Ming.)


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## 7starmantis (Mar 27, 2006)

Thanks for sharing, thats a great quote, and goes for many other CMA's as well.

7sm


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## yipman_sifu (Mar 27, 2006)

Xue Sheng said:
			
		

> Yep another of my Tai Chi post, but at least it is not a rant.
> 
> I found this today and I felt it was a good description of Tai Chi as a martial art, the person that said it certainly knew more about the subject than I ever will.
> 
> ...


 
That's really similar to Wing Chun in some ways. It is regarding the use of speed and control and avoid using your own force. Such systems of these concepts are the best in encounters, but Taichi exceeds Wing Chun in the aspects of meditation and health.


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## Kensai (Mar 29, 2006)

yipman_sifu said:
			
		

> That's really similar to Wing Chun in some ways. It is regarding the use of speed and control and avoid using your own force. Such systems of these concepts are the best in encounters,* but Taichi exceeds Wing Chun in the aspects of meditation and health*.


 
Agreed, I'd love to start tai-chi, just a little confusing with all the available styles and teachers. I'd want to do it for health benefits too. Not that I'm unhealthy, my primary art is Wing Chun also, but I'd like to have a go at tai chi nonetheless.


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## Xue Sheng (Mar 29, 2006)

yipman_sifu said:
			
		

> but Taichi exceeds Wing Chun in the aspects of meditation and health


 


			
				Kensai said:
			
		

> Agreed, I'd love to start tai-chi, just a little confusing with all the available styles and teachers. I'd want to do it for health benefits too. Not that I'm unhealthy, my primary art is Wing Chun also, but I'd like to have a go at tai chi nonetheless.


 
I don&#8217;t know, I have seen some people looking pretty meditative after being hit by a healthy Wing Chun person

As for the styles of Tai Chi; I posted a lot about the different families and gave links to a lot of information in this post; http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31269

If you train Tai Chi for martial arts, you get Tai Chi for health, as long as the teacher you are training with really knows Tai Chi. If you do Tai Chi for health you do not usually get Tai Chi for martial arts.

As for me, The Tai Chi I do Yang style and have done Yang style for almost 15 years. However if I had a choice at the time I decided to follow Yang between the 5 families I knew at that time I would have gone Chen style. I have done a little Chen and Wu and all though Wu is also a very nice style, I like Chen best, even though I do Yang. There just weren&#8217;t any true Chen style around teachers way back then


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## Kensai (Mar 29, 2006)

Xue Sheng said:
			
		

> I dont know, I have seen some people looking pretty meditative after being hit by a healthy Wing Chun person
> 
> As for the styles of Tai Chi; I posted a lot about the different families and gave links to a lot of information in this post; http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31269
> 
> ...


 
I see. Not sure what styles are on offer in my vacinity, but I'll find out. :asian:


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## pete (Mar 29, 2006)

always choose the quality of the teacher over a perception of the style, heresay, or what you may have read.  go out and observe, try and make informed decisions based on YOUR experience.

pete


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## Xue Sheng (Mar 29, 2006)

pete said:
			
		

> always choose the quality of the teacher over a perception of the style, heresay, or what you may have read. go out and observe, try and make informed decisions based on YOUR experience.
> 
> pete


 
Pete is giving very good advice.

Let me add what I should probably put as a signature, I say it enough.

Lineage does not necessarily mean a good teacher. Nor does lack of a lineage mean a bad teacher.

Lineage can be a good indicator, but it is no guarantee.


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## Kensai (May 22, 2006)

Xue Sheng said:
			
		

> Pete is giving very good advice.
> 
> Let me add what I should probably put as a signature, I say it enough.
> 
> ...


 
A valid point, and a good one made by Pete too, however, as most people that are familiar with my posts will concur, I have little concern with lineage in general, the only concern I'd have, is that I have no way of knowing who is a good teacher and who isn't based on a lack of knowledge.


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