dtstiachi

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Welcome apobiosis. This a great site

Check with your local law enforcement agency about restrictions and laws in your state.

Correct Fallen Milkman. Doing the form slowly is much more difficult than doing a form quickly. It takes more control and strength to do properly.

I don't get it either. Sorry

hey gang, For all of you Tai Chi practioners, (or Bagua or any other style that has set postures in the differnt forms) what is your hardest posture to perform? It could be getting into or out of this posture or it could be the stance itself. My 2 most challenging postures are Separate foot, (balancing on one leg and kicking with the other is difficult) and Snake Creeps down and Spits poison (also known as squatting attack or low form). This is very challenging on the legs. Thanks for the info.

My knees have hurt in the past Goju_boi, but part of that was my fault. I was standing with my feet positioned improperly. This gave me some knee pain for a few days. Once I spoke to my assistant instructor at school about my problem they were able to observe what I was doing and correct the problem. I have not had any pain since then.

We do these to build up power in our legs at the school. Try doing them on a 5 count. 5 seconds down, then hold for 5, then up for 5. Try doing 25 like that and let me know what you think. Make sure the tops of your legs are parallel with the floor. If you squat lower than that, you are resting and that is cheating. When you get good at that, try holding one in this position for 5 minutes. This is my most hated excersize, but it does build strong legs. Let me know what you come up with. Thanks.

We do these to build up power in our legs at the school. Try doing them on a 5 count. 5 seconds down, then hold for 5, then up for 5. Try doing 25 like that and let me know what you think. This is my most hated excesize, but it does build strong legs. Let me know what you come up with. Thanks.

Hey everyone, I saw this weapon on a chinese traditional weapons website and it looks pretty interesting. It is called the Heaven and Earth blade. Could somebody tell me how it is used and what MA uses it? If anyone out there uses it and would like to comment on it, please feel free. Thank you.

Check with the local police as to the laws concerning lethal force, self defense, and guns in your state. They can answer you questions.

Correct Italian Guy, Our grandmaster has told us that in Tai Chi, one is still a beginner until he or she has reached their 6th year of training. After you develop several hundreds of training hours can you begin to understand the true effectiveness of Tai Chi Unlike some schools where one can make it to "black belt" in a year or 18 months, Tai Chi is a slow process that will pay off in huge dividends in the long run. I am hooked for life. Later.

Correct Mr. Pockets, However, understanding the martial applications of the postures an movements in the form and isolating them as to practice the combat application of each movement can give you insight as to how to defend yourself against an attack. The form in and of itself is not combat, but there are martial applications that are present all throughout the form and when one is taught how to use those techniques, the art can be very effective as a fighting art.

congratulations

Tai Chi, "Grand Ultimate Fist" was from it's inception, a fighting art. There are numerous post here on this site that can help you with this issue. If one were to learn the form the way it was intended to be, they would be an excellent fighter. The Tai Chi form has been watered down by many people and the true deadly nature of the art has been largely lost. There are some schools that still teach Tai Chi as a martial art, and there are still some legitimate Tai Chi Masters roaming the planet who understand the nature of the art and what it was intended to be when it was practiced as a fighting art. I am a Tai Chi practictioner, and I would NOT want to mess with someone who is a legitimate master. I am not saying that Tai Chi is the "ultiamate" art, but it was and still is an effective form of self defense not only against a non martial artist, but it is effective against MA as well. Doing the "form" in and of itself will not make you fighter, but if you take the postures and movements out of the form and you train them and use them like you would in their combat applications, then yes, you could be good at combat because you would have an understanding of what techniques to utilize to defend yourself against an opponent. By the way, At my school we DO isolate the movements of the form and use them in their combat applications along with practicing push hands. Both of these help one in understanding how to use Tai Chi in a self defense situation. Pushing hands is a sensitivity drill. It teaches you to absorb your opponent's attack and use their energy against them. There isn't room enough here to talk about it fully, but Tui Shou (push hands) is a great way for one to learn how to apply only a small element of Tai Chi in a combat situation. Feel free to dialog with me further on this.

Lucid dreaming is interesting. I have had a little bit of experience with it, and soon I hope to try it out further.

An aching body means you worked hard. Be careful though to listen to your body. There is no need to injure yourself. Congrats on starting TKD.

I try to get into the gym to do Tai Chi at least 3 times a week (outside of the 2 days of class). On the days I don't do Tai Chi, I run. Listen to your body. It will tell you if you have overtrained.

I wonder if other people have this problem. I am flatfooted and wear insoles in my shoes when walking and playing sports. Since I do MA barefooted I was wondering if it affects my balance or my body alignment. Does anyone else have this problem and does it affect you? Thanks for your feedback.

welcome, you're going to love it here.

I was told yes by the grandmaster.

Chi Kung is a set of excercizes that can help one cultivate the chi inside of their body. Chi Kung has breathing excersizes, some movement excercizes and techniques that help increase one's inner strengh. Refer to the above posts as they are really good. Here is my 2 cents.

Welcome mrbigmuscles, You bring out some interesting points. There is a lot to think about.

No tatoos here.

Jacksonville, FL. is where I was born and raised. I am in Dallas, TX attending graduate school.