The essence of Tai Chi push hand kung fu

[_Simon_]

Firstly... you Taijiquan guys are freakin' awesome. And bonkers. But in a really good way! I learn alot from reading your discussions, and I very much hope to practice Taijiquan one day. I feel it would benefit my karate practice deeply.

It is very hard for me to use my Taijiquan, because I only use it when I least expected it. And when I use it, not even I know what I will be doing. Often, I do not even know what I am doing while I am doing it. However, I experience something strange -- Almost like a weightless motion, or a void of motion, and instead the entire universe bends around my body to snap into the correct position. I often say it is like two magnets snapping together but thats not the right analogy somehow.

I've experienced similar things when doing karate forms... what do you suppose are the preconditions for this sort of experience? I feel like it's something that can't ever be forced... but being in a certain space of receptivity, attentiveness and listening in your own being... like you can only provide the groundwork of appropriate conditions and then something just... opens up. Of its own. Of course, it helps that I'm not practicing solely for utilitarian/practical purposes, but have very much an inquiring, contemplative mind I guess.

 

[Appledog]

what do you suppose are the preconditions for this sort of experience?

Ishi no ue ni sannen~

 

[Badhabits]

It is very hard for me to use my Taijiquan, because I only use it when I least expected it. And when I use it, not even I know what I will be doing. Often, I do not even know what I am doing while I am doing it. However, I experience something strange -- Almost like a weightless motion, or a void of motion, and instead the entire universe bends around my body to snap into the correct position. I often say it is like two magnets snapping together but thats not the right analogy somehow. Therefore, as I have experienced, you can only ever teach people who have the correct morality and the correct intention. Because it is solely based on the intention and morality that the action will be destructive or not. If you allow your mind to wander while training and a wayward thought or a devilish thought appears, you will hurt someone.

What's wrong with the devilish thought? Isn't the point to hurt someone?
Is the first part of what you said because you've internalized your art? If you've internalized it, then will your body react to a non threat, or only react on its own when there is a real threat?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

It is very hard for me to use my Taijiquan, because I only use it when I least expected it. And when I use it, not even I know what I will be doing. Often, I do not even know what I am doing while I am doing it.

Is it strange that we don't hear anyone who talks about how to use his Taiji skill in sparring. Why?

 

[Appledog]

Is it strange that we don't hear anyone who talks about how to use his Taiji skill in sparring. Why?

I don't know, that isn't my experience. You said you trained taiji since you were 7. What is your experience using taiji skill in sparring?

By the way I really like the 'red phoenix enters nest' video you posted earlier. If I could train just one technique for the rest of my life that would be a canidate!

 

[Appledog]

What's wrong with the devilish thought? Isn't the point to hurt someone?

Not while you are training. It is forbidden to hurt your training partner during push hands.

Is the first part of what you said because you've internalized your art? If you've internalized it, then will your body react to a non threat, or only react on its own when there is a real threat?

It's because I didn't train enough or because I didn't have enough experience. If I trained more often I think I could do it more often.

Don't forget that taiji comes directly from "shaolin" style martial arts. Most kinds of pure shaolin style are good foundations for taijiquan. However, if you feel taiji is your bag, at a certain point you should focus on it and not on other things. For me, I like aikido because its supposed to be an art where you dont hurt your opponent as much. I prefer to be peaceful, for daoist and buddhist kind of philosophy.