????? Can you quantify this as it flies in the face of tjq... Unless everyone you have a choice of is at the same level of course.
To be honest, I don't really understand what I am doing with Pushing Hands. However, teachers do not seem to be happy with me pushing hands with folks at my level/experience. With the bigger/more experienced folk, I very rarely unbalance them (it does happen occassionally), but I can sometimes keep them at bay for a while i.e. they dont always swat me away like a fly. The all goes back to my original questions i.e. I am unaware of what is expected from me in TCC. It may be that TCC is different in the West than it is in China/Asia, and that there may be cultural differences that come into it.
Hi embra, you are correct that it is always preferable to work with people who can pitch your training constantly above your own level as it is the fastest way to learn. It is a bit pointless putting people of equal ability together. One tip... remember that size isn't everything...the easiest person to uproot in one of my classes is a 6' 7" Russian guy who is afffectionately nicknamed "the wardrobe".
Indeed, folk come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and flavours - no 2 are the same, and no 2 push hands sessions will be the same - they are always different. I can see that better/faster detection of your opponent's over-extension, better/faster re-balancing, better central distribution; can all aid pushig hands. However you have to have the presence of body and mind to detect these things in your opponent and yourself, and everything is transient and fluid. At this point, my ability with these kind of attributes is at best embryonic.
Listen, re-direct, dispatch... This was explained to me in maybe my 2nd class, but I can't say that I can apply it like this yet. Listen, well just about, re-direct? - not at a conscious level, dispatch - if I am fast and quiet (I dont give the game/my intention away) enough, then yes.
Well now, that's interesting - are you saying that the only way to assess this would be to go to China? Can't I just watch youtube videos and compare the level of stuff I'm seeing from China with the level of stuff I'm seeing from the West? You know, apart from personally knowing or having personally seen top level Quan from China, and also having personally met or seen pretty much everyone who is considered top level in the UK, and being able - being quite knowledgeable on the subject - to make an assessment on the difference between the two. No, I haven't been to China. Funny though, that you'd think that relevant. It's almost like you're deliberately trying to make a non-sequitur point, tohide the truth, rather than fighting to reveal it. We can easily assess this just by looking at videos - say, of Red Kite - or you - and then comparing them with average level videos in China.
Funny I would think whether you'd been to China relevant in the wake of this rant? Really? What's funny is that you accuse me of obfuscation and non-sequiturs, and then insist that You Tube videos provide all the evidence you need. Comedy Gold.
Yeah - I probably failed to mention the seven years that I trained very seriously with my Coach, from Henan. You know, my coach, whot trained at Shaolin, was a national wushu champion, a provincial san da champion, Yiquan expert and personal student of Chen Zheng Lei. And his friends that I met, watched train, like Chen Xiao Bin. Not to mention, that I myself, although no where near that kind of level, am also an expert on the subject of Chinese martial arts, and well able to tell the difference between Redkite and Wang Jai Hun, for example - whether I see it on video, or in person, in the UK, or in China. And I myself am a product of the Chinese method training - and I'm prepared to say that I know better than you, what is, and what isn't real Quan - whether I see it on video, in person, here, or in France - and I even understand the theory far better than you, be it taiji or otherwise - because the art lives and breathes in me, personally. I'm sorry if it seems overly boastful - I just don't know how long I can go on pretending that I think you're an expert. Sorry.
Lol, best post ever!!!!11!!!ONE!!111!!!!!!!!!! Can we talk about that video you posted where you couldn’t kick as hard as (was it Yohan?) the other guys could jab? Personally I believe you to be a product of the Chinese system.....A system that can’t even make a good pencil. cAN WE TALKK
Well far be it for me.. sod it, for the sake of accuracy it was 19thLohan that made the vid in question not Yohan. Easy mistake. And for what it's worth it wasn't a very noteworthy comparison, like for like, i think. And also for what it's worth which is maybe not much, I was impressed with Firequan speed in his kicking and the combinations that he put together. Just recently Mr. Freddie Roach said something interesting - speed kills. You could well be fancied as being more powerful (like Hatton was against Manny) but without some speed how far can you go with it you have to ask.. there's always some balancing act between speed and power it would seem, not to mention endurance. the more powerful you try to be in your striking consciously the more likely you are to slow yourself down a bit overall.. in this instance whilst Firequans' kicking in his video wasn't the most powerful I've seen it was technically sound (imo) and pretty damn fast with kicking combinations. You can't put together easily quick kicking combinations when focusion on power shots, though you might do well to throw a few in there. So to be fair to him I would suggest that maybe Firequan was more interested in training his kicks for speed in that instance of bagwork than he was for training power. Clearly 19th Lohan made his vid to show his power punching. His overall combination work and speed didn't match what firequan displayed in his video. One big power shot can sometimes be enough or maybe two or three, but it will be the speed of your combinations usually that will get you there - give you the opportunities to pull out a big gun or two.. All this is here nor there because we all have different attributes, or prefered focuses etc. Some might be more than happy to forgo some speed sometimes looking for the finishers. Just my general opinion of course. as well more power comes with size and 19thlohan looked like quite the brick -- house in that clip.. Not to mention mean looking in that hoody. So there, I talked about it a bit..
If you add leg: - "scoop" in ward off (Peng), - "spring" in pull back (Lu), - "bite" in press forward (Gi), - "hook" in push (Ai), - ... the result will be much more effective. Why those leg movements are missing in Taiji?
Can someone put links to the pre-mentioned vids? Seeing people in action, will make it easier to see where folks are coming from.
It was pretty funny - but nothing compared to some of the PM's I get now. Wow - some people really hate me. I must be doing something right. Although, not my round kick, clearly.
Well.. What can i tell you John that you probably havn't heard 101 times already. What i would also say is that it's something of a mistake (to me) to approach Yang tai chi of all things, as some kind of globally standardized martial art.. or form for that matter. Whatever label we might attribute to it. People often say 'your mileage may vary' well mine does on this, so I can't really answer your question for you. And even if you did re phrase it i'm not sure i would like to. I tried to say to you effectively, "my Yang taiji is not missing trip or sweep". Your taiji, your lineage - your business. If GM Chang taught you his taiji form and/or application had no "sweep", who am I to argue about it? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgPzk85BYIg&feature=PlayList&p=B4CA3427C7B223FF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1"]YouTube - Chang Dong Sheng (1908-1986)[/ame]
Does the Taiji lotus kick use the same principle as the sweep? - When you sweep, your leg will kick forward while your upper body twists into the opposite direction, so you can use your arm to pull your opponent's shoulder, and force him to fall backward. You divide your body in 2 sections here. - When you apply lotus kick, you use your body to pull your leg. Your body and your leg are moving toward the same direction. You whole body work as 1 unit here. The beginning of the lotus kick (outside crescent kick) may look like a sweep but the "principle" is different. It just likes the beginning of a hook punch may look like a jab but the "body manchanic" is different.
