I have met a number of shihan from numerous martial arts (all japanese) and all of them showed great respect for the others. Those who treat other arts with contempt shown lack of understanding of their own art. Saying that I do see a lot "passing" as martial arts. However life is too short for me to pay them much attention. regards koyo
I have found that quite a few people come from Karate, Taekwondo or Wing Chun wanting a supplement to their existing or main art, but they are not really open to learning Taijiquan's actual fighting techniques. I've also found too much emphasis on linked form and push hands, with no single technique practice, positional training, striking training, striking drills etc. results in fighters who revert to their other styles when sparring is introduced. Quality of movement is important, but a fighter needs the whys, wheres and whens too. That is why I teach very hands on from the beginning.
I currently study eagle claw kung fu and yang tai chi. As I have grown older I've come to the realization that I don't study these arts for self-defense, I study for my own enjoyment and my desire to learn an art. Since I started my training 15 years ago I have had but 4 or 5 fights. Yes I applied my knowledge and won these fights quite easily but the techniques I used during these fights were not from one set style. As all of us are taught there is no set way to respond to an attack. Every situation is different calls for you to adapt to that situation. I see the training of different arts as having more tools in the toolbox.
Not being a martial artist at all and not having any style but how I fight. I don't really comment on styles per se, I usually comment on how people are training in them. Most people train martial arts like they are sports training. Plenty of activity, no martial intent. Get the intention, worry about style later. The Bear. P.S. Koyo, Brido is a local and I have spoken of you to him.
It can be hard to find a decent Tai Chi teacher that knows the real hidden art/application behind the forms. (I don't claim to know it either). My Tai Chi teacher would only teach each student (depending where in the form they were up to) one move at a time until they had learnt numerous things hidden behind said move. eg. balance, pose, push, pull, roll back & varying applications.etc.
I'm intruiged. I just borrowed that off your schools website, the bit about the sauce and things that is. I happened to be checking it out at around that time before I posted - some odd reason.. ps. there's a spelling mistake in that passage.
Mines in red I guess what I'm trying to say is that for me MA is about learning to use my body more effectively, stay fit and healthy and learn self-defence skills (fighting whatever ) as well. I've dipped into other arts to help my Taiji make sense, but it's the only MA I practise full-time and possibly always will be. Bruce Lee famously said that all the arts were basically the same as they all employed the same human body - they may specialise and have their own techniques but it will still be the same tool that is doing the job (tool being a metaphor for human body - not anyone posting here ) Blessings
Just as an aside, on the subject of blunt and sharp knives, I understand that the downfall of body armour led to increasingly extremity based sword work because one was more able to rely on the sharpness of the blade and needed less power to score a critical hit. A swish of the wrist can usually be performed quicker than a slash from the elbow which in turn was faster than a swing from the shoulder etc. etc. back to the rear foot. I prefer to train body mechanics with an awareness of battlefield scale so everything stays grounded, and as powerful as possible. But of course, if anyone ever pulls a knife, rely on speed and on how internalised your mechanics have become, hoping they'll make you as powerful as you can afford to be on the day.
If someone pulls a knife I will be using my dome and not my body! The downfall of armour arouse from the growing prevalence of guns. Weapon systems attack the areas armour doesn't protect, as opposed to smashing through the armour. This is afterall the point of martial systems, replacing brawn with skill.
Hurrah for Brido! Totally agree 100% If someone pulls a blade on me tho, I'm running lol - if I can't, then it's anything and everything to take them out and hope for the best... :woo: (my teacher always recommended using your 'off' hand to lead any knife defence as it matters less that you lose a few fingers off it than your main hand!!! :Angel:
So as brido says replace brawn with skill. Skillful control of distance, timing , accuracy, balance,decisiveness add fighting spirit. Now which art am I talking about? koyo
I'd generally control the weapon arm, get between the weapon and the attacker, strike to stun or worse, then disarm (which usually incorporates a takedown if possible.) Assuming I didn't have a weapon of my own.
Knife arts such as Silat and Eskrima can be very useful and Kuntao-Silat can form a nice bridge between them and Chinese arts. Silat styles can often have very active "reeling silk" rotation in them too and the methodology blends very well with Bagua. If you've done both you might end up thinking "they're the same!!!"
Last two posts make my point. Look for the similarities not the differences and you may find that you are not practising "this or that" you are practising martial arts. Just my opinion. regards koyo
Which comes back to the original point of one sharp knife being better than several blunt ones. Some think of a blunt knife as cross training, that you need to devote yourself to one style for your knife to be sharp. On this I disagree. I think the comment was originally intended for those who float around systems. Those who get to orange belt in judo, then move onto karate and get their green belt, then spent a year doing TKD ect. Certainly that persons knife is dull. However, someone who trains intelligently and diligently in two or more styles would have sharp blades. Take Steve Rowe from this site, I am sure no one will accuse his knives being dull, nor Rob P. I do several different martial arts, both traditional and sport. There are techniques I like and techniques I don't like so much in every style I come across. Those I like I add to my toolkit. Perhaps that is where the art in martial art comes from - personal interpretation and style.
I agree with the above post particularly about the ineffectiveness of "floating around styles" I feel one should look at them all then decide on a core art. Once a firm base is established (at least 1st dan) then cross training is of great value.I have cross trained in a few arts but the intention was to enhance my core art.Again I agree that the art in martial art is in developing yourself to your full potential by constantly challenging yourself. I have NEVER doubted the effectiveness of my art(or any other) . But I CONSTANTLY question my execution of it. regards koyo
I was up @ Robs' class in Stevenage yesterday, I had a blast. It was brill, my body is still feeling the effects *supersmilie*.
I wouldn't disagree with this in principle, however (whilst there are inherent dangers in letting arts stagnate if they are treated as untouchable heirlooms), given that so few people seem to just study arts like tai chi alone, how do we know that what we are being taught is tai chi? Even if it is knowledgeable people picking and choosing their favourite bits, isn't this more a reflection of what suits them rather than what makes up the art itself?
