Tai Chi and combat effectiveness

[RichardZ]

It is true that Taiji is practiced in the parks, and even that music one would associate with the art is played publicly, but there's no curriculum requirement that it be studied, as JiuJitsu (or is it JiuJutsu?) is required for boys in Japan. My teacher-friend had to take phys ed, and sports were emphasized, but not Taiji. It has widespread popularity, but it's by the people themselves, not by government mandate of any kind.

I do know that there is an agency in (or regulated by) the Chinese government that came out with an approved simplified form at some point, but people in China feel free to practice different forms/styles.

The Chinese governement dosent consider Tai Ji as a martial-military art, therefore posses no threat and allows people to practice in open and in the multitudes.

[yas]

Some schools and universities in China do have taiji as a part of their PE classes. This however does not increase its popularity among the youth, as they see it to be " suitable for old people". Having lived in Japan and attended a local school for some time I have never heard of compulsory jiu jiutsu. We did dancing, swimming and volleyball). Some schools may be different but it is certainly not in the national curriculum.

Edited December 2, 2009 by yas

[joesteph]

Having lived in Japan and attended a local school for some time I have never heard of compulsory jiu jiutsu. We did dancing, swimming and volleyball). Some schools may be different but it is certainly not in the national curriculum.

Thanks for the info, Yas. It's important to me not only as a martial artist, but also as a social studies teacher. I had come across the "compulsory" reference at some point, likely last year, in an online article about black belts. When I double-checked what you'd said, nothing online came up about compulsory JJ in Japan.

[RichardZ]

"Compulsory Martial Arts" ??????

[yas]

Having lived in Japan and attended a local school for some time I have never heard of compulsory jiu jiutsu. We did dancing, swimming and volleyball). Some schools may be different but it is certainly not in the national curriculum.

Thanks for the info, Yas. It's important to me not only as a martial artist, but also as a social studies teacher. I had come across the "compulsory" reference at some point, likely last year, in an online article about black belts. When I double-checked what you'd said, nothing online came up about compulsory JJ in Japan.

No worries. As I said some schools may indeed have it together with kyudo,kendo,judo whatever school may have to offer. But it all depends on a particular school and teacher and will last a few classes and is unlikely to have any lasting effect on students. I haven't become a dancer after all.

[RichardZ]

I finished off an article in Classical Fighting Arts magazine just the other day. Normally, when I see an article on the subject of Tai Chi, I don't get all that excited about it. However, the tendencies that I have compell me to read every article in every MA magazine that I get. Reading this article, was pretty eye-opening, and enjoyable.

The title page of the article had an excerpt stating that "traditional" Taijiquan is technically 75% or more Wrestling/grappling oriented, and a diligent student can acquire real self-defense skills in a matter of months, as opposed to years.

With my mentality toward the Martial Arts in general, this grabbed my attention immediately. It began with a brief history of the origin of the style, from a retired General of the Ming dynasty named Chen Wang Ting, and had its base as a military Martial Art, in which the training had to provide the soldiers with an ability to defend themselves successfully if need be in a matter of months.

The article also made many analogies relating movements in Taijiquan to Western Wrestling, which was also nice to see. Hardly mentioned at all in the article was the presence of Chi, thus removing some of the mysticsm that seems to surround the style today, and leaving a more attainable style of fighting.

Overall, the article was enjoyable, and it really cleared up views of what Taijiquan should really be.

Only a scant few relate Tai Ji to wrestling or manipulation of leverage likewise to Judo, Jui jits, or a "stand up" type of Shuai Jao.

And only a few actually apply the quan in it, instead looking towards a type of yoga, health benefit.

[moriniuk]

I practice and teach Chen style Tai Chi. I think it's really sad that Tai Chi in general has been relegated to a health system.

The forms have just the same fighting applications as other styles, and yes it is more of a close range, grappling, throwing art.

My students are mostly older people and practice for health reasons more than self defence reasons. I always demonstrate the fighting applications to help people understand the movements within the forms, but we never practice them as partner drills.

[Spodo Komodo]

I have just started to give Tai Chi another go, I did a bit as a relaxation practice a long time ago and then ditched it in order to do more exciting things like Karate and Iaido. Recently I have been out of the Karate dojo with back and knee injuries and so I decided that rather than go mad I would give Tai Chi another try. It was a very pleasant experience in that this time; with a fair bit of Karate kata application (bunkai) practice under my belt it was mostly making some kind of sense from a fighting point of view. The satori moment came during a move called "brush knee step back" which suddenly transported me back to defending myself against a flurry of round kicks to the kidneys during sparring at the dojo and all of a sudden I began to see some of the applications for other moves in the form. I now have a new and deepening appreciation of Tai Chi after a handful of lessons, something that I would never have got if I had continued in the relaxation/moving meditation mode of thinking.

It may just be beginner's enthusiasm but I think that there is a lot in Tai Chi for someone willing to spend some time unpicking it.

[joesteph]

I have just started to give Tai Chi another go . . . with a fair bit of Karate kata application (bunkai) practice under my belt it was mostly making some kind of sense from a fighting point of view.

I discovered in a Soo Bahk Do form, Bob, a segment that was definitely borrowing from Tai Chi. I studied Tai Chi years ago, but some things don't leave you, especially if you're introduced to martial applications. I even presented what I'd "discovered" with my teacher and her own teacher after she'd guest instructed. They thought the applications sound.

[Spodo Komodo]

It doesn't always work in your favour though Joesteph, I had a senior moment last night at Tai Chi. We were beginning a new form that the senior students in the class were learning for their grading and I was just going along with the voice of the instructor. After a while I noticed that a few people were watching me and I couldn't hear the voice any more - a certain sequence of moves had led me into the karate kata Naihanchi and my subconscious had taken over.

I got a round applause which wasn't entirely sarcastic