Yang Style trainees/teachers

[Sunrise]

Hi Folks,
I am looking for some people whome train in the Yang style, especialy the style of GM Chu, Gin-Soon (Boston).

What is your experience with the Tai Chi applications? Do you find them usefull? Have you had to use them in real life ?

Regards,
Sunrise

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Sunrise
What is your experience with the Tai Chi applications? Do you find them usefull? Have you had to use them in real life ?

I've only recently begun taking Tai Chi (the so-called Peking national style, based on Yang), but I've found it interesting to see the "earlier" versions of techniques I have studied in karate.

Regrettably, while my instructor teaches the 24 and 88 step forms, and the 42 and 13 step sword forms, she does not teach push hands. She was a competitor in China and won some forms competitions but I don't know why she declines, despite requests, to teach and practice push hands. I suspect that this will affect our ability to apply it, though I study more for academic interest--the "arts" side of the martial arts--than for self-defense.

 

[spartacus]

Taiji in general will give you some useful things, like rooting and sensitivity skills. The Gin Soon school also work some power training. But as far as real life fighitng goes, it is sadly lakcing.
Almost all the training revolves around lerarning one form after another - Im sure you can gather the reasons for that

 

[disciple]

Originally posted by spartacus

Taiji in general will give you some useful things, like rooting and sensitivity skills.

I think you left out cultivating chi and relaxation

Yes I find it useful as far as rooting, sensitivity skills, cultivating chi and relaxation, but for real fighting, I dont think so!

salute
:asian:

 

[Garyr]

Hello,
This is my first post, I look forward to intelligent discussion with all of you! You are all invited to my discussion page as well at www.pressurepointfighting.com


"but for real fighting, I dont think so! "

Im afraid if you are not learning Taijiquan as a combat viable art, then you are not truly learning Taijiquan! When CMC brought Taiji to this country the martial aspects were diminished along with the new age health dance persona assigned to it.
So , YES sunrise TAijiquan is one of the most devastating martial arts there is!! Unfortunately not many teach it properly anymore. Oh, and I have used it to save my life!!
Regards,
Gary

 

[spartacus]

Tai Chi is not that devastating. It has huge gaps in its training and methods. The training is also strung out over years and years of forms. After 10 years you may be ok one on one in a set environment. Outside of of that I wouldnt put money on it.
And yes, I trained for a long time with "real" teachers

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Garyr

Im afraid if you are not learning Taijiquan as a combat viable art, then you are not truly learning Taijiquan! When CMC brought Taiji to this country the martial aspects were diminished

Was it originally practiced principally for self-defense when it was developed (1600s)? Also what is CMC?

 

[KumaSan]

Originally posted by arnisador


what is CMC?

Chen Man-Ching?

 

[Garyr]

"Tai Chi is not that devastating. It has huge gaps in its training and methods. The training is also strung out over years and years of forms"

I would have to disagree with you on this one. You obviously lack the experience to speak from, but that is too be expected the way taijiquan is taught these days.
For example, my student of a year and a half can easily mop the floor with black belts from other styles (no not just TKD) Perhaps you have not been given proper training methods?
What are the gaps?
Have you any concept of fa-jing? Can you do a one or no inch punch? Can you stop a 300 pound man that is running at you flayling punches dead in his tracks WITHOUT yeilding?(of course yeilding is easier.) Well I can do all of the above through Taijiquan. So despite your experiences these things are in the art.
Perhaps until you find a better teacher we can just agree to disagree?

Regards,
Gary

 

[spartacus]

No I do not lack experience. My taiji training goes back over 20 years and inlcudes Chu King Hung, Erle Montaigue and his people and Chu Gin Soon amongst others

Yes I can inch punch, yes I can fa-jing. All very nice in themselves.

Yes taiji does have gaps - ever cover ground fighting, multiple opponents, knife work (sorry, EM doesnt impress in that area), etc etc?

Taiji is fine one on one against another martial artist who plays by the rules or the ocaasional loudmouth drunk. Outside of that - no thanks.

I could go further with what EM considers taiji and what other teachers do, but that is another thread I guess.

 

[Garyr]

"Yes taiji does have gaps - ever cover ground fighting, multiple opponents, knife work (sorry, EM doesnt impress in that area), etc etc? "

Groundfighting is its own entity, I would ask you what art covers all ranges well? That what BJJ is for!! Multiple opponents-accually I have used Taiji against multiple opponents and came out without a scratch! Knife work? Yes, we do cover that, on one occation I disarmed someone and KO'd them.

"Taiji is fine one on one against another martial artist who plays by the rules or the ocaasional loudmouth drunk. Outside of that - no thanks. "

My very experience proves the above statement to be incorret. Im sorry if your training in Taiji is lacking in the self defense area, the only hole that I see is ground fighting.
Regards,
Gary

 

[spartacus]

Granted there are very few arts that cover all ranges well, though personally I find BJJ is more of a tournament than a street oriented style.

You might also want to compate EM's training methods with the family systems, you will find major differences. You see, it has to be altered to make it more adaptable, by adding in silat-like drills and the like.

regards

 

[disciple]

hey I didn't mean to put down tai chi for any reason...heck I practice tai chi myself...what I meant was that if you practice it only for short term it is not very useful for fighting as you have not develop the chi for fajing etc
Garyr, you seem very knowledgable about tai chi. Can I ask your tai chi background?
note: I would like to see a person fighting several others with tai chi

salute

:asian: