Hi, new MAs enthusiast here! :)

[Nachi]

Hi everyone!

I am a 33 yo from Europe who loves training and learning martial arts.

And as for my introduction, to say more than a simple hi, let me tell my MAs story
(It turned out to be longer then I planned, sorry. I tend to be long-winded.)

My main art is Goju ryu Karate I've discovered 10-11 years ago.
I fell in love and soon started to go to all the classes and assisted with the children ones or generally when needed.
As time passed, our instructors eventually got busy with work and/or starting families, and we took over their spots. Our main sensei teaches still, but has less time and unfortunately doesn't teach any advanced classes. Therefore, I gradually started feeling a bit stuck, not knowing how to improve, losing motivation.

Five years ago, just after obtaining my black belt, I saw a group of people demonstrate a Chen taiji form and I really admired it and wanted to learn. So next week I signed up for classes
I planned to do one class a week, just learn a bit for fun. But then covid struck, I had to change classes and met the head instructor of the school. He was really nice to me, I felt like I started getting a bit of a special treatment, which, however, meant he'd often make me stand in front of the class to be a reference or help people out. Sometimes for a group of people actually more advanced than me, which was honestly rather stressful But that stress and the teacher's constant corrections also pressed me to work harder and improve. In a positive way. Eventually I also started helping as an instructor and teach some classes and started trainig taiji more than karate.
However, I couldn't not see parallels between taiji and karate and soon taiji started improving my general skills, mobility and karate as well, which made me really happy and helped me find more motivation for both.

In karate, I realised that if I wanted to learn more, I couldn't just passively wait for sensei to become less busy one day.
I figured it is not him, but myself, who is responsible for my training and as they say: If there's a will, there's a way. And I was looking for one.

Being a part of a huge international karate organization, when I got the opportunity and the means, I recently started to travel a lot to various international seminars taught by amazing senior instructors. It is incredibly inspiring, it gave me direction and more things to work on than I could actually manage. Not to mention I made many international karate friends Last but not least I also got new ideas on what to teach in our dojo and generally became very motivated again

Recently, sensei, being the kind and supportive teacher that he is, gave me and the fellow instructor a push and support to grade, since we traveled and trained dilligently. As a result of his inquiries, we were invited to fly to the UK as international guests at their organization's general black belt grading, where we successfully passed our Sandan (3rd dan) under a committe consisting of 6 senior instructors ranging from 7th to 9th dan, which was a big honor.

And because somehow I still found potential gaps in my training schedule, recently (6 months ago) I gave in to my curiosity about BJJ as I heard so much about it and also because I wanted to learn some grappling to compliment my karate. After the beginner course I switchted to a gi class, where I am (most of the time) the only woman.
Basically, so far I learned to tap well! But the instructor is really sweet and kind, the guys are nice, and although I am a bit worried about injuries, I am having fun


I am looking forward to learning and talking about martial arts, meeting fellow martial artists and learning from your experience

 

[HighKick]

Welcome to Martial Talk.

 

[_Simon_]

Huge welcome, and a wonderful introduction into your journey! Awesome to have another Goju ryu practitioner here (I'm also Goju). Great to have you here and your journey sounds so inspired and authentic

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Welcome to MartialTalk!

 

[Nachi]

Huge welcome, and a wonderful introduction into your journey! Awesome to have another Goju ryu practitioner here (I'm also Goju). Great to have you here and your journey sounds so inspired and authentic

Thank you.
Oh, awesome! How long have you been training in Goju and where are you from (if I may ask?)? It's nice to meet people from the same style

 

[_Simon_]

Thank you.
Oh, awesome! How long have you been training in Goju and where are you from (if I may ask?)? It's nice to meet people from the same style

Yeah it really is . Have been training Goju for about 3 years (my journey was interesting and I trained Kyokushinkai karate for close to a decade before finding and really falling in love with Goju ryu). Our style incorporates Shorin ryu and forms stemming from White Crane/Hakutsuru ken too. I love that you've found Taiji to be such a compliment.. I've heard this alot too. The founder of our style was also big into Taiji as is my own instructor, I'd love to train it one day. Am from Australia

 

[Xue Sheng]

Welcome to MT

 

[Buka]

Welcome to Martial Talk, Nachi.

My path in the arts is so eerily similar to yours I was laughing by the end of your post, thinking I was imagining it.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Welcome To the group.

 

[Nachi]

Yeah it really is . Have been training Goju for about 3 years (my journey was interesting and I trained Kyokushinkai karate for close to a decade before finding and really falling in love with Goju ryu). Our style incorporates Shorin ryu and forms stemming from White Crane/Hakutsuru ken too. I love that you've found Taiji to be such a compliment.. I've heard this alot too. The founder of our style was also big into Taiji as is my own instructor, I'd love to train it one day. Am from Australia

Oh, that is interesting. I do not know anyone doing Kyokushinkai personally. Much less anyone switching to Goju. I would be curious what led you to it and what the similarities/differences are
Oh, so many Taiji-karate people! That sounds nice. I hope you'll have the opportunity to try it

 

[Nachi]

Welcome to Martial Talk, Nachi.

My path in the arts is so eerily similar to yours I was laughing by the end of your post, thinking I was imagining it.

Is it? Now I am curious. What are the similarities and differences? Let me laugh, too

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

However, I couldn't not see parallels between taiji and karate and soon taiji started improving my general skills, mobility and karate as well,

Taiji uses slow movement to develop "body unification" that all body parts start/stop to move at the same time. Karate can use slow movement to achieve the same goal as well.

Taiji uses compress and release to generate power. Karate can also use the same power generation principle too.

 

[Nachi]

Taiji uses slow movement to develop "body unification" that all body parts start/stop to move at the same time. Karate can use slow movement to achieve the same goal as well.

Taiji uses compress and release to generate power. Karate can also use the same power generation principle too.

Yep
Also the movement starts in the lower part of the body - from the ground, from tanden/tan tien and then goes into the upper part, even in fast movements, fajins, which is true both for taiji and karate. A strike is not created from one arm/limb, but the aim is to generate force from the whole body and create a chain movement in the joints through relaxation and a split moment of tension at the end of the strike.

Yes, compress and release or stretch and release. Generating power from the contrast of relaxed and tense, soft and hard - go and ju, yin and yang.
Working and using center of gravity to stay grounded, and to generate power. Moving around the body axis trying to keep it vertical for keeping balance and getting rid of redundant movements that slow us down. Absorbing force by good posture and through soft movement in the joints. Learning to find where the tension in the joints is to use to our advantage. Etc.

Also, both Chen taiji and Goju ryu have plenty of circular movements, which may add to the similarities.

There are many, many similarieties in the principles. I find them fascinating, really. And something I am trying to work on, but obviously, there's a long journey ahead I am learning to focus on some of these more in taiji and my karate benefits and vice versa

In a karate seminar earlier this year, the sensei picked me to try and demonstate what was basically taiji push hands. Pushing relaxed hands randomly while keeping the center firm, not by force, but by structure, trying to push the other. The feeling I got from trying this with the sensei was exactly the same I get from my taiji teacher. That was really awesome.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Also the movement starts in the lower part of the body - from the ground, from tanden/tan tien and then goes into the upper part, even in fast movements, fajins, which is true both for taiji and karate.

What's the difference between a Taiji front kick and a Karate front kick?

I have asked this question many years ago in this forum. Even today, I still have not obtained a satisfied answer yet.

If you also add in footwork and transfer "static punch" into "dynamic punch", you will then find out that there is only the right way and the wrong way of doing thing. There is no Taiji way, or Karate way.

If you cross train Taiji and Karate, when your punch meets your opponent's face, is that a Taiji punch, of is that a Karate punch? Can you throw a Taiji punch with your right hand, and throw a Karate punch with your left hand at the same time?

 

[Nachi]

What's the difference between a Taiji front kick and a Karate front kick?

I have asked this question many years ago in this forum. Even today, I still have not obtained a satisfied answer yet.

If you also add in footwork and transfer "static punch" into "dynamic punch", you will then find out that there is only the right way and the wrong way of doing thing. There is no Taiji way, or Karate way.

If you cross train Taiji and Karate, when your punch meets your opponent's face, is that a Taiji punch, of is that a Karate punch? Can you throw a Taiji punch with your right hand, and throw a Karate punch with your left hand at the same time?

This sounds more like a philosophical debate.

From my understanding the punch would basically be the same. The only style-specific differences I learned about would be about stance and how far you'd move/turn your hips.
In a karate punch in a long stance, I'd turn my hips all the way, tighten my butt and hamstring, stretch my knee completely. Push from the heel.
In taiji, I'd also push from the heel, but hips wouldn't turn completely square, I would keep my knee slightly bent. I don't want to turn my joints all the way. Taiji doesn't usually stretch the arm and leg completely as if you want to put everything you got into the strike. I would think it is more like a wave, you want to give and expect to receive. The movement isn't linear, but rather, circular. Always moving, always cahnging. That is what we learn through the form about the general principles.
But I heard shaolin kung-fu for example aslo stretches the rear leg to reach as far as possible. Other than that, it should be basically the same as in taiji. Just that taiji shows its principles more in the stance.

While if the punch was to be done in a shoulderwidth square stance, it would probably be the same as in karate. On the other hand, the taiji principle would be lost there, I suppose. There is no stance with weight equally on both feet as the energy is supposed to always shift. With this kind of stance, it would probably be also more liek shaolin ( am guessing here, I know nothing about shaolin kung-fu).
So I feel taiji is more about the principles of movement rather than isolated technique. As long as there is the principle, it is taiji, no matter if the technique is the same in karate. From my limited understanding.

It would be the same for the front kick. I haven't really seen the same kind of front kick in a taiji form, but if it was an isolated technique, I can't see why it couldn't be used in taiji.
Probably. My knowledge isn't as deep...

 

[_Simon_]

Oh, that is interesting. I do not know anyone doing Kyokushinkai personally. Much less anyone switching to Goju. I would be curious what led you to it and what the similarities/differences are
Oh, so many Taiji-karate people! That sounds nice. I hope you'll have the opportunity to try it

It's a wonderful art and definitely has its strengths, but I believed there had to be more than just "hardness" in martial arts. I desperately wanted to and needed to learn softness haha, and it very much mirrored an internal journey regarding my whole life here too. Kyokushin is very much still in my blood, and I am still returning myself to that style of training every now and then, just not on a consistent basis.

I guess the similarities would be that Kyokushin does indeed have Goju kata in its system, albeit performed very differently. Not only technical differences, but the quality of movement is different too (much harder and less flow). Goju we soften alot more and focus on relaxation a great deal, but use appropriate tension. Power generated through first being relaxed rather than muscling through it. Very much deeper internal connection (with ground, feet, knees, hips and centre etc etc) rather than external focus.

That being said there are many Goju styles that seem more Go-Go rather than Goju haha.

Also Kyokushin we did zero bunkai and application (I think I can say there was just one time we did bunkai/application in my whole time there), whereas we focus on it quite a bit in my current dojo.

Kihon-wise much much more repetition (which can be quite hard on the legs!). My current dojo we do kihon just not as huge a variety and less volume.

Kumite was full contact (no punches to head) and is a style on its own. I'm still catching up with some of my old dojos for sparring practice. Current dojo we spar light to medium contact depending on who you're with, and sparring is not as heavily emphasised.

Kyokushin emphasises forging your spirit and the mental side, the spirit of osu and perseverance under pressure, so that has never left me. It's funny that I moved on from Kyokushin but find myself coming back to it in a fresh way, with a new perspective and trying to apply it with my new approach gleaned from years of introspection, solo training and my current system, deep relaxed and quality movement, learning fluidity and flow etc. I don't plan on returning formally, but would like to keep it in my life. To leave behind what I needed to leave behind, but to foster and nurture the benefits I gained from it. I even went to a Kyokushin fight night a few months ago (a night of many rounds of just sparring) just to see how I would go and approach it with my current state and trajectory, went really well and was insightful .

These are all generalities of course and differs depending on the dojo, but it's been my experience.

Ps. Oh also our lineage of Goju does kata quite different to other Goju ryu so that's another thing altogether haha

 

[_Simon_]

Yep
Also the movement starts in the lower part of the body - from the ground, from tanden/tan tien and then goes into the upper part, even in fast movements, fajins, which is true both for taiji and karate. A strike is not created from one arm/limb, but the aim is to generate force from the whole body and create a chain movement in the joints through relaxation and a split moment of tension at the end of the strike.

Yes, compress and release or stretch and release. Generating power from the contrast of relaxed and tense, soft and hard - go and ju, yin and yang.
Working and using center of gravity to stay grounded, and to generate power. Moving around the body axis trying to keep it vertical for keeping balance and getting rid of redundant movements that slow us down. Absorbing force by good posture and through soft movement in the joints. Learning to find where the tension in the joints is to use to our advantage. Etc.

Also, both Chen taiji and Goju ryu have plenty of circular movements, which may add to the similarities.

There are many, many similarieties in the principles. I find them fascinating, really. And something I am trying to work on, but obviously, there's a long journey ahead I am learning to focus on some of these more in taiji and my karate benefits and vice versa

In a karate seminar earlier this year, the sensei picked me to try and demonstate what was basically taiji push hands. Pushing relaxed hands randomly while keeping the center firm, not by force, but by structure, trying to push the other. The feeling I got from trying this with the sensei was exactly the same I get from my taiji teacher. That was really awesome.

Really great points, and it mirrors where my direction is too!

Oh yeah and we also do taiji push hands in our dojo! It's so incredibly beneficial, love it.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Compress = soft
Release = hard

It's just simple physics that's common among all MA styles.

 

[Buka]

Is it? Now I am curious. What are the similarities and differences? Let me laugh, too

I tend to be long winded, too.

I started in Goju. Greek Goju-Ryu.

It became too difficult to get to, an hour and a half each way by public transportation, I didn’t have a car at the time so I stopped going.

An American Karate dojo opened up in the town next to me so I went there.

There were two classes, beginners class and the regular class. I’d take the beginners class and stay to watch the regular class.

Once I was in the regular class I kept going to the beginners class as well.

The place was getting busy, it was the start of the boom in Martial Arts of the early seventies.

One day the instructor said to me, “Do me a favor and teach these six new guys how to tie their belts, the dojo rules and the stances we use.” So I did.

A month later I was the one teaching the beginners class. I was still a white belt but the instructor was in his office to answer any questions I didn’t know the answer to.

Then I started teaching the kids class.

Within a year I was teaching the regular class most nights.
I was a yellow belt then, and like you, some of the people in class were higher ranks.

The more I taught the lazier the instructor got. He gave me a key and I started opening up for him every day. I didn’t actually have a clue what I was doing but I knew how to explain what a movement was supposed to do.

Like you, I realized I couldn’t wait to learn more and would have to do it myself. There was a boxing gym that opened a block away from the dojo, so I joined. I’d train there until it was time to open the dojo.

My dad gave me the family car because he was getting too old to drive.

Now I was mobile! I started to go to tournaments to watch. Finally entered and got my butt handed to me. But I met people and they invited me to visit their dojos. So I went. Learned a lot and went on a semi regular basis.

Eventually, years later, like you, I found out about BJJ. I was still training in American Karate but studying JKD as well. My JKD instructor told me to come on Sunday for a BJJ seminar, so I went. That changed a lot of things.

So, as I was reading your post I was saying, “yeah, I know what that’s like. And, “I did that, too.”

And like you, I realized I was going to have to be responsible for my own training.

 

[seasoned]

Welcome to Martial Talk. We hope you enjoy your time here and that it is rewarding....See you around the site.