xinyitaichi

Two more video clips posted by a gentleman on another forum. The first clip shows Ma Chang practicing with her dad, a Chen Style Tai Chi Master. (1:32) Tribute to Sifu Ma Chang "Tai Chi Super Star" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ypg3yuvQQ She tried to popularize Tai Chi among the young people, using pop culture and entertainment formats they can relate to, to help them re-discover the ancient art. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4pKGID3sOI

This is actually a very sad story, so I apologize in advance if it bothers you... The young lady, Ma Chang, was the daughter of a 12th generation Chen Style Tai Chi master. She began practicing Tai Chi when she was very young, and won 20+ gold medals and dozens of silver medals in Tai Chi competitions. People called her the "most beautiful Tai Chi champion". Unfortunately, she was killed in a car accident - the driver lost control and hit a pole, and the sedan rolled over and went airborne before crashing down. There were four passengers in the car, and she was the only one who died. She was 24. Her dad was devastated. With all respect and sympathy to her family, please enjoy her performance. Chen Style Tai Chi - 56-move national competition form Chen Style Tai Chi Sword - 49-move form The adorable young Ma Chang

I have seen quite a few couples in the Tai Chi classes I am taking. Beginner's Tai Chi classes focus on forms, so there is no sparring. I see a dad training together with his son and daughter, both under 10. Another couple brings their teenage son. The kids are learning the same Tai Chi forms as their parents. But there is no belt ranking system in Chinese MA schools...

I am not sure if this topic has been discussed here before... Do top students in your class compete for attention? Any interesting story to share?

Great video. Thanks for sharing! What you've done is indeed a milestone event. I wish there were similar events on the East Coast. I am very envious. If you can expand it to include other martial arts in future, that would be awesome. I cannot wait to see more videos.

What a great post! Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

I am not sure if anyone here saw this - I just come across this video and it is awesome. The name of the girl is Xuan Yu Qin. She is only 7-years old. Enjoy!

I always think there is a self-selection process going on. There will always be a small minority of people who are attracted to traditional martial arts for various reasons. They will be the ones to carry the torch and preserve the knowledge for generations to come. I feel these people care more about the "art" prospect. And the majority will just go with whatever is popular now, and they probably care more about the "martial" aspect. And by definition, only a minority of practitioners can become "artists". Others can become effective "technicians" but not "artists".

San Shou (or San Da as it is officially called in China now) has a lot of Chinese Shuai Jiao elements. The difference between Shuai Jiao and other grappling / wrestling arts is Shuai Jiao requests you to take down an opponent quickly while standing on the ground yourself. This is a very distinct technical feature of Chinese wrestling. It emphasizes great technique, quick move, and decisive win, instead of a drawn-out war of attrition. There won't be any lengthy BJJ or Judo moments in San Da. In my humble opinion, this is more useful in real life than BJJ. You quickly throw someone onto the ground and walk away safely. How is that? Qin Na is very useful when you are in a dispute with someone when a lot of grabbing, pushing, struggling is involved. You end up controlling the opponent instead of killing him with excessive force. Chinese law enforcement officers are extensively trained in Qin Na.

Thanks, Harkon72. Nice website by the way. I actually thought about doing some study of Wing Chun, after I learned some basics of JKD. I also happen to think Wing Chun's sticky hand training and Taichi's push hand should be complementary in some way.

Greetings from a Chinese martial arts enthusiast in NJ, USA. I am currently studying Chen Style Hun Yuan Taiji, an internal style martial art. I had prior experience in Shaolin, Qin Na (joint lock and trapping), San Da (Chinese kickboxing), Jeet Kune Do, as well as Yang Style Taiji and some Qigong exercises. I decided to focus on internal arts once I turned 30. I look forward to learning from practitioners of other martial arts, as well as contributing my knowledge to the community!