nanfeishen

How effective is your Shaolin system against the same styles? , it is not important how effective a style is, it is how much effort you as the practitioner put in to the art. As to the question of Tai Chi being effective, the answer is, very!! ,unfortunately many schools nowadays only ever offer Tai Chi as an alternate option to the harder styles, or as a "health" orientated martial art, the sudden interest in the art has unfortunately taken the health side a little too far. Tai Chi Chuan , is and always has been a martial art of great strength and power, but it also serves as a safe medium for the the elderly , unfit , injured or sick to regain their health , strength and vitality in a safe manner , one that does not strain the body , internally or externally. The sudden rush by westerners to find alternate means to health, has sparked an interest in the ideas of gaining health through the practice of Tai Chi, but with this has come a large misunderstanding of the art.

I run about 80 students divided into 3 different locations, i have been fortunate to set up in the following way, each location is about twenty minutes by car from where i live, and if you consider the letter Y , my place of residence is in the centre of the letter and each location the end of each arm. Lets call them A,B,C. location A is monday, wednesday and friday, location B is tuesday, and location C is thursday, i then alternate B and C on Saturday mornings. The friday class is a free class,(i dont charge for it) and is open to any of my students to attend if they dont mind travelling. I also do a morning class twice a week in the same area as location C, but different premises. Location B and C are both gyms that invited me to teach,(i pay no rent) and they pay me a salary, location A is a Kung Fu school run by friend of mine, (who has 3 branches nationwide here) and who invited me to teach Tai Chi at his school as he focuses solely on the Kung Fu. This is my life and my work, i have no other job, and have been doing it for 10 years now, i gave up working to teach fulltime, because it is my passion and my love. Yes some months i struggle financially, and i will never be rich, but i am doing what i love, and living a dream i had from young, and i am fortunate to be able to do it. If people judge me big or small, i dont mind, i give whatever i can to my students, i make time for them , and i make sure that what i give them is what i have been given, no holding back.(that old saying: in giving we recieve, - it works!) My goal is to change their lives in whatever small way i can for the better, and if i succeed in that then i know i have been a good teacher, for without them , i cant call myself a teacher. You can if interested check out my friends schools at the following link: https://www.cmahc.co.za cheers

Play to your strengths when choosing. I was fortunate when i started, to find a school that taught Wing Chun and Tai Chi Chuan, and it was only after a few years, that i realised that they both suited me quite well, i am not particularly flexible, (school sports like soccer and rugby, and 100 and 200m sprinter) so my legs developed strength and power but not much flexibility, at just under 6 foot, i am rather stocky, so jumping, leaping or high kicking techniques dont suit me personally. So my advice is first check your stengths, how flexible are you?, which is stronger?, upper body or lower body?how much do you weigh?, a bit of extra weight can be a plus as well, check these things, and then take a look at the various styles in your area and see which one(s) would suit you best according to your criteria. The greater the amount of schools in your area, the greater chance to find one that will suit your physical requirements. Hope this helped.

I have found this to be a reasonable way to judge the length i need: hold the broadsword in your right hand, and lay the spine of the blade along you outstretched arm, try for a blade length that has the tip if the sword sitting on your shoulder, then lift your arm and hold it out at shoulder height, if the tip of the sword pokes you in the neck, it is too long for you. hope it helps!

I must admit i envy some of you who live in places where the carrying of weapons is outlawed, i live in a country where gun related crime is very high, illegal firearms are constantly being used and sold on the black market, although there is now a huge drive in the country to rid the streets of illegal firearms, we have just ended an amnesty period the end of last month when illegal firearms could be handed in at any police station nationwide, no questions asked, and whoever brought them in was free of prosecution. The gun laws have been changed so dramatically here, that carrying or even owning a gun, is more of a hinderance than a bonus, there are hardly any mitigating circumstances for using one legally anymore, the law has become so strict.For example: i catch an intruder in my house, i may not shoot him, if he is unarmed, i am prosecuted, if he has a knife or any thing other than a gun , i may not shoot, i will be prosecuted, if he has a gun, and does not shoot, i may not shoot, i must prove he was going to shoot, if he shoots and hits me i may then shoot, but must be able to prove he shot first, otherwise i am prosecuted, so whats the point of owning a gun if the law prohibits me from using it. Unbelievable i know , but true. Most times, a gun is more of hinderance in a fight, there is always the chance it may be taken off you and turned against you as well.

I have been involved with Yang Tai Chi Chuan for a number of years now ,and having found this forum, i was curious as to which forms are being practiced at the various schools around the world. The forms i do are listed below, in the order in which they are learnt: 1) 13 Postures. (a short form demonstrating the various moves in the forms which correspond to the 13 posture concepts as in the Tai Chi Classics, grasp birds tail, diagonal flying, part horses mane, elbow, shoulder stroke etc) 2) 24 Step Form, (Beijing, Peking, Short Form) 3) 32 Step Sword Form (Chien) 4) 42 Step Competition Form 5) Fan Form Then Traditional Yang Forms: 6) Broadsword form (13 cuts or postures) 7) Long Form (88 step) Straight Sword (56 step) Forms 1,2 and 3 are 2 to 3 years of work, form 4 and 5 another 2 to 3 years of work, and then on to the traditional forms after 5 to 6 years of training. Thanks!

Every school obviously deploys different training routines, and my teacher taught the 3 hand forms as normal, but we were also trained to do all the hand forms as one continuous form, we practiced the forms while stepping, and when we did the dummy form, we learnt it in sections, firstly with no contact on the dummy, then as the teacher thought we knew the movements we learnt them against or on the dummy, and each section was taught the same way, first off the dummy , then on the dummy, so there was nothing new either off the dummy or on the dummy. And believe me Sifu Wood (as we called and greeted our dummy) certainly improved my arms without "bashing" which is the incorrect way of using the dummy anyway. The constant alternating of pressure against the arms, and the friction created against the surface of the arms or legs, creates the conditioning. "Bashing" anything doesnt condition, it does nothing more than create arthritis and rheumatism when you get older.

One of the most complex, diverse and practical fighting arts, as well as being one of the least known is Savate, being entirely developed in France. Started very basically with leg techniques and then developed through the years into a very effective fighting art. It was being taught to the plain clothes police in Paris in Victorian times, and is incorporated into the training in the military as well. There is a french movie dubbed into english with Jean Reno as one of the lead roles: i dont know the french title, but the english is : Crimson Rivers, there is quite a good scene with two savate fighters having a go at each other. I think we often get caught up in our desire to see martial arts as purely Eastern, sometimes we tend to forget there are arts that developed other than in the East.

Thanks to all of you who have answered this query so far ,your answers certainly came from a range of different directions, but i see now that the answer to my question seems to be a combination of : 1) A total lack of understanding of the practical value of Tai Chi Chuan, 2) Bad press, as in it tends to be linked a little to closely to new age thought processes and the mystical.---- (Oooooo, it uses QI) lol and finally to some unscrupulous teachers, who as stated, (have robes and long moustaches), and who have no intention of teaching the actual art, simply a watered down version. Although it is comforting to know there is still a strong core of schools out there doing the real thing and teaching Tai Chi Chuan traditionally. p.s. Ovine King, you forgot to mention having the Yin Yang and Bagua symbols stamped on the robes. ...he.he.he! thanks to all, now i am off to buy some razor blades.

Why is it that Tai Chi Chuan is often not seen as a Martial Art in the Western World? There are often articles or stories in magazines and periodicals, that describe all the wonderful health benefits of practicing Tai Chi Chuan ,yet read through many of them , and there is no mention of it being a Martial Art, there are schools that teach Tai Chi Chuan, and yet only from a health aspect. How did this thought emerge, that it is only for health, or focusses primarily on health with a few self defence aspects thrown in? I have trained in China on a number of occasions with some very good instructors, and in many parts of China, Tai Chi Chuan is often viewed as the pinnacle of Martial Arts training, so howcome this view has become so distorted in the West??????

Why dont you simply do both styles?, join both schools and give yourself 3 to 6 months and then choose again. That way you can get a feel for both and see what you want exactly. There is no superior art, there is only what is in your heart.

What would make you think you have failed? , from what you said in your original post, you stepped back twice after being hit, that is not failure, that is respect for your art, and respect for your teachers guidelines in the school. Respect within the school is the most important aspect. the students must respect the teacher, and juniors must respect seniors, be it by rank or age. If a student crosses that line it must be delt with swiftly and if neccessary painfully. Incidents like that often lead to grudges, and sometimes vendettas, that is not acceptable in any school. It does nothing for the spirit within the school, or for the art being taught, and where does it stop, these sort of incidents have a way of multiplying and soon the school gains a reputation for lack of discipline within its ranks. It is not the duty of the instructor, but of the senior students to sort out attitude of the juniors, and if that means a serious hiding, so be it, rather lose a student than have a student who lacks respect.

If as you say, time is not an issue, go with the Tai Chi, it is a very powerful martial art, yes it may take a little longer to master some of the technicalities, but i promise it is worthwhile, you also seemed to be interested in the deeper value, and this is often part of the training as well. If you are in doubt about the art, speak to the instructor, dont be afraid to ask questions, ask who taught him, what is the practical value ,what amount of spiritual aspects does he teach, does he teach the applications of the movements, etc etc. Research the different styles of Tai Chi, there are more than enough web pages out there. I started with Shaolin Kung Fu, drifted into Mantis and Wing chun, but always did Tai Chi, because i personally found a balance between the harder systems and the soft, a kind of Yin and Yang in my training, i have since dropped the hard systems to concentrate on my Tai Chi, not out of anything negative about the others, but simply because i wanted to concentrate on one system, and i must say, i dont find anything "weak" about Tai Chi, be it from a martial art or a way of maintaining strength, health and fitness. Just as a matter of interest, Yang Cheng Fu, who's family founded Yang Tai Chi was considered to be one of the most formidable fighters of his time in China. There is value to all arts, simply follow your heart to the one for you!.

There are a number of different wooden dummies, they range from a simple post sunk into the ground, to the "live" dummy that is used in most Wing Chun schools, and a number of different styles employ them, BUT, as Ovine King stated, they are nothing more than training tools, yes there may be a form or two that is used to "work" the dummy, but every movement of those forms will be from the standard hand forms of the system in question. The dummy is nothing more than a training partner, one that can be used to perfect your techniques, and to assist in hardening and toughening your limbs, so that you become desensitised to the pain or discomfort in blocking, or stricking. If you think about it logically, you could never have a technique that is only for the wooden dummy, because that would imply there is a chance that you may be attacked by one. And in a fight, you use ANY technique that allows you to walk away from the situation.

Interesting discussion! The train of thought seems to have established that we have an electrical current in the body, and some mention was made earlier to a link between this current and Qi/Chi/Ki energy, so is it possible that what we are doing is increasing this current in the body through martial arts or qi gong practice? , and as this energy increases we experience heat as a by-product of the process? Okay, my physics sucks, but doesnt electrical energy create a magnetic field? , and could this magnetic field not be the "aura" that eminates outward from the body? Cheers!

This may help a little! Consider the lymph system in the body, and compare it to a chart of the accupuncture meridians that Eastern medicines work with, and you will find a very close comparison, then consider that the body has its own "electrical" current that runs through the body, and consider that as being the the "Chi" of which we speak. Think of the body as being a large battery, that holds this "Chi" charge, and that we are simply enhancing, increasing and storing more of this charge within us as we perform our practices or work with the internal energy flow. I have often found that the visualisation will differ from person to person, so that is difficult one , jus go with what feels comfortable on the visual, light, smoke, a colour etc etc. Cheers!

I hope this may help! Qi Gong is often but not always geared more towards developing and cultivating Qi from the point of view of health, well being and preventative measures towards fighting off illness, or recovery from illness, as well as to strengthen the body internally and externally. Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art, that in the practice of, you develop Qi to strengthen and enhance the body internally as well as externally, and learn how to put it to practical use in the martial sense. They both allow you to develop and cultivate Qi within the body, just from different directions. Either one would compliment your training from a Qi point of view, the Tai Chi Chuan may compliment it a little more being a Martial Art. Consider either one as a balance to your Karate, Yin and Yang. Cheers!

Old Rookie, Yes, Tai Chi has a lot of merit as a martial art, but like all the arts, its what you put in that dictates what you get out. Yes there are also some schools that only look at Tai Chi from the health aspect, but that is just another view point. Yes, beginners do tend to work slowly at first, in Yang style,( i havent dabbled much in the other styles), students will start off with basic stepping, adding the various postures to the stepping routine through the weeks and months ahead, this develops balance, leg strength, timing and posture, this could go on for up to 6 months. The student would then go on to the basic form work, for me it was 24 step form, which was a years worth of training at three times per week, (my teacher was a perfectionist), this included the practical applications of the movements, and an introduction to basic push hands etc etc. Some schools would offer maybe 42 step competition form, then move to the traditional long form or 88 step form, then broadsword, then straight sword, not always in that order, but more or less. The routine naturally differs from school to school, but push hands partner work is a big part of the training, moving from single hand to both hands, to stepping with applications, to basic sparring to free sparring. At a higher level, the swords are often practiced faster then the hand forms to promote nimbleness of stepping and speed. "Mind is blank,Emotions at rest, body responds" On another level, it is about achieving balance of the mind, ridding oneself of the ego and balancing the emotions, but then again few delve deep into the spiritual aspects of the arts in our modern society.

Yang Tai Chi Chuan Wing Chun

Gently now, us Springboks also play a little from time to time!

I can understand how movements can be drawn out of a form to create another form as to perfect the particular movements, and i can understand that some systems incorporate a large number of weapons and this adds to form count , but how many, if any, systems have a form that is taught maybe as the last form of the hand forms that has all the preceding techniques of the various forms in one? A form that can be practised by the seniors that covers the system, granted it would probabily have to be a long form , maybe reduced to 2 maximum 3 forms that incorporate the whole system. I am refering to stand alone systems when i speak about these forms , not obviously mixed systems of the various animal forms.

Science has proved the body carries an electric charge, there is technique called Kerlian photography which has photographed the energy surrounding the human body, (i am not a scientist, so i dont know the exact details of the technique, something about high frequencies etc,etc) anyway, it is known that certain exercise or certain physical movements "excite" or increase this natural energy and current. All living things, have this current running through them,and around them, you could call it the "essence" that is life.(This energy extends out and around the body like a large egg surrounding the body) Now, when we practice our martial arts, or our chi gong, we increase this energy in the body, this energy therefore is what we refer to as Chi or Ki. That is why we often experience an "electrical" feeling, or a feeling of "expanding", or "growing" etc, when we train. Partner work, like pushing hands, or Chi Sau, allow us to begin to sense this energy within our partners, and therefore become more sensitive to the sensation of this energy, allowing us to "feel" or anticipate our partners movements. The brain sends an "electrical" signal to the muscle to move the limb in a particular direction, our current picks up on the signal and our subconscious registers the intent of the signal, allowing our limb to intercept the incoming limb. This current runs through the body on certian meridians, and these meridians have certain intersections, or what we refer to as pressure points, the interuption of this energy at these points can be used for healing, acupuncture, massage etc. or to create pain as in striking or hitting the points in a particular way. Years and years of training and we become very, very sensitive to this energy, and that is what mastering your art is about , by perfecting your movements, techniques and forms, you increase the energy to be able to feel, sense and anticipate precisely the movements of your opponent. "Mysticism today, fact tomorrow", that is a historical fact.

Do you feel that a system that has 4 or 5 forms, is any better or any worse than a system that has 40, 50 or more forms to it?

Sorry didnt answer sooner, had a weekend workshop to run in another town, --Jack ryan stepped down as president, but before doing so , created an organisation to combat terrorism, and his son Jack Ryan Jr is the main character of the book, ends on a high note, but also ends by needing a sequal, you could call it part 1. , not bad reading though. I must admit that i was hoping for a break away from the Jack Ryan theme, and possibly fresh new characters that arent linked to any of the previous books, but i suppose some characters develop for writers and they play those characters out through a number of books. As a fan, i did enjoy it.

Started off with his first, Red Storm Rising, even bought the board game, made by TSR, went on to Hunt for Red October, and havent looked back, recently finished Teeth of the Tiger, not bad at all.