Why Rank?

[Xue Sheng]

I was referring mostly to the internal accreditation. Though would not be surprised if the Chen family, for instance, has special standards to work with them specifically. @Xue Sheng could probably answer that, though sadly he's taking a break from the site for a bit.

High standards of admission, a reputation for distinguished graduates, and rigorous accreditation?

For what it's worth, I think Tai Chi has cultivated a strong reputation that transcends the internal regulation, but it is in the area of health and wellness, and in particular for senior citizens... so not as much for martial arts. @Xue Sheng has commented on the increasingly rare, martial element in tai chi.

Beyond that, I don't know enough about tai chi to do more than take your word for it.

Hmm…how much trouble do I want to get in here….

If I dood it I gets a whipped’,,,,, I dood it…

I agree with Chen Xiaowang, Taijiquan as a martial art is dead. Because there are so few people that know the martial side as compared to those who have no idea there is a martial side or don’t want to know the martial side, divide that small number by the larger number and it is so close to zero it might as well be zero

But with that said, in my opinion, and this will get many Chen folks angry and likely get me uninvited to the Christmas party, very few Chen folks after the 19th generation know the actual martial side to Chen style. IMO the 20th generation may know it, but they are teaching Chen forms and for fighting they are teaching Sanshou/Sanda.

As for the rest, I doubt there are many, if any, know anything about the Martial side of Sun style, possibly Tim Cartmell and a few others. And to be honest I find this interesting, since IMO Sun, although called an old mans style, is the most obviously martial in posture and movement of the main 5 styles

Wu/Hao style, no doubt it was once martial but I wold be surprised if anyone doing it now knew much about the martial side

Wu style, much the same. But I will say the Wu family in Toronto requires students to learn how to break fall, and if you ever see Eddie WU do applications you will see why, but I am not sure how far the martial arts of it goes with his students or his students students

Yang, IMO, so few it is not worth talking about these days. Many think they might know, but I doubt they could use it in an actual confrontation. Some Lineages may know more that others, but, IMO, most of those are outside the current Yang family





Yang as it comes from Cheng Manching, his students knew it, not sure is students students do. But I will say William CC Chen seems very interested in passing on the Martial arts off it, and many of his students know it, but the generation later, not so much.





Zhaobao….honestly not sure, it is a very rare style in the USA, but I know as little as 10 years ago there were Zhaobao folks taking on challenges





There are also people out there doing taijiquan combined with something else the “Combat Taiji” stuff.





It can be martial and it can work, but it is not taijiquan since it follow almost none of the principles of taijiquan








But with all that, I do not believe any of those that still know the martial side, with the “possible” exception of Zhaobao, require their students to learn the martial side of it. And I believe the majority of their students don’t want to know about it

 

[Praveeny28]

Rank in martial arts serves several important purposes within the martial arts community, although its significance can vary depending on the style and school of martial arts. Here are some of the key reasons why rank is important in martial arts:

Martial arts ranks provide a structured system of progression for students. As practitioners gain experience, skills, and knowledge, they are rewarded with higher ranks. This sense of achievement and progression can be motivating and help students set and achieve goals.

Earning a higher rank in martial arts is a recognition of a practitioner's skill, dedication, and commitment to the art. It acknowledges the time and effort invested in training.
Many martial arts have a strong sense of tradition and hierarchy. Ranks help establish a clear hierarchy within the martial arts school or organization, with more experienced practitioners holding higher ranks. This hierarchy can foster a sense of respect and discipline.