Tai Chi for fitness

I am not doing all three at the same time. I am addressing aspects found in Xin Jia, not in Lao Jia. This is Chen style. Standard performances seldom show the details.

Also, a taiji player stays 'stuck' to his opponent, not allowing a blow for blow situation.

 

I do Guang Ping Yang Taiji and Han Shi Yi Quan. One can deliver several blows while stuck to the opponent. I do not trade blows. I deliver them.

 

Good for you.

 

Hi Clouds Change ! Is that xin jia yi lu or xin jia er lu ?



I agree about the sticking/bridging aspect of chen .
It's obvious that this can lead to a degree of stand up grappling prior to , for example , a throw or the sort of explosive shoulder/elbow strikes and punches it is known for .


Don't know about other styles of taij .
I think most people would agree that it would be short sighted to think you can fight effectively without at some point being in a transitional period of sticking/grappling .
That is why time is spent developing sensitivity through push hands practice ,
to be able to read and react to your opponent.



( Btw , there is an introductions thread in the taiji forum if you'd like to expand a little on your background - you can also check out some of the other posters on here )

 

Sticking and striking go together like repulse monkey and pi quan. One side bridges, sticks and unbalances while the other side strikes.

Both taiji and xingyi also have a drilling fist, taiji's working at shuttles inside clouds and xingyi's zuan quan. The drilling motion allows the arm to stick to the opponent's arm even though the fist is on an upward trajectory.

One should always try to give one's weight to one's opponent when bridging. This another way of sticking.

I want to keep my opponent at arm's length even when grappling. The push hands wrestling that goes on is not to my liking.

 

Hi Ned - I'm currently working on Xin Jia Yi Lu - my teacher (from the People's Republic , studied closely with Ma Hong and Chen Yu. Our version of Xin Jia Yi Lu is usually called 'Beijing Style'. As I started my taiji journey with teachers from Chenjiagou (3 years) I am familiar with the differences from that style and
Beijing- style. I now do one on one training with my teacher, who has a limited english vocabulary, so some of the terms you use are lost on me as we go by feel, and increasingly, chinese terms I feel extremely lucky to have a teacher who will dissect each form, show the possibilities, demonstrate on you and will allow you to try it on him. I have been training with him for 5 years.

 

Thanks for the tip about the intro - I'll get there!

 

I was severely overweight (technically morbidly obese, but I hate that word) and into my mid thirties when I began my training in Chen style. To my slight surprise and delight I shed almost 10kg in about a year later (in conjunction with slight modification to my diet). Today I am still technically overweight but I feel a lot fitter after shedding another 10kg... thanks to tai chi forms, competitive push hands and regular brisk walking.

 

OK I am thinking about doing the forms by myself at home. Would that work?

 

Did you decide to stick with your class ?
Are you still just learning form with no application/drilling/ph ?

If you're enjoying it , carry on but you'll need to decipher the techniques for yourself ( sometimes called "mind boxing") otherwise you're wasting your time ; you'll find that there are multiple applications for many movements .
It"s not ideal though and the danger is you could actually be ingraining poor structure without the right guidance if you teacher is clueless to the actual intent .
It might suffice for a while till you can find a more practical alternative class in the same style but if I were you I'd pack it in and go and do something else more reliably consistent I.e boxing , judo., bjj which would complement your taiji if you return.
Good luck !

 

I'm going on Monday to ask them if they could do applications. If not I might quit TC, there is an MMA class on at a similar time so I am tempted by that.

 

Decided to quit Tai Chi for MMA and HEMA.

Mods can close this thread if they want.

 

Ok no problem.