hello, I am interested in taking up taichi to help with relaxing and also to learn some breathing techniques. is TC good in this reguard? i am also just started Wing Chun which i want to continue for self defence. will starting TC concurrently confuse me too much or are the movements similiar? thanks
I don't think you will have any trouble in applying both,probally harder to find a teacher who is focusing on the the elements you are interested in.That and they all charge a fair bit in Sydney.Maybe ask around in your WC class if they can refer you to anyone.You also might want to look at Qigong instruction,as many forms (other then TJ related ) are starting to show up in Sydney. Others I'm sure will tell you its bad to mix external and internal blah blah blah,but I think you will find some sort of introduction to TJQ will only aid other elements of your life.
I agree with Kat - tai chi will help your wing chun and you'll get a lot out of qigong classes. Concentrate on chee sau as the sensitivity training will help with both wc and tai chi. I learn in Sydney (Glebe) but my classes are more martial than you're probably interested in. Look around Chinatown but make sure you go with someone who can offer good, in-depth instruction, not anyone who's too hung up on lineage or what's the 'best' style to learn.
I am going to disagree a little here. If relaxation is all your looking for then there are 1000 ways of achieving that other than taking up Taijiquan. Non martial TJQ isn't only for general relaxation but it is about cultivating Qi for health benefits when used as a medical or Qigong. Taken from your statement regarding relaxation I would suggest that Taijiquan isn't necessarily what your looking for, but you could perhaps supplement your WC training with some Qigong which won't require a totally different way of moving than your art of choice. I have discussed this with my teachers and seniors on many occassions and we all agree that sticking to one system is much more important because if you are to make that system work you need to internalize the way of moving and make it subconcious before you can really be effective at your art. The requirements, movement wise, between WC and Taijiquan are totally different and I would say you are better to stick only with moving the WC way if you want to see correct internalization of the art anytime soon. Other things you can look at for relaxation are Yoga, various TM meditation, Mudra etc. My bottom line is that Taijiquan is a very complex art in and of itself and is a complete system. The idea that one can use it as a supplement to another art when one chooses might be short changing both yourself and be a great underestimation of what is required also. I would suggest looking very carefully at what it is you seem to want to achieve in greater detail before you make a choice. In other words what kind of relxation and for what purpose is it? Are you wanting basic physical relaxation? Is it relaxation to achieve better focus while fighting? The more specific you are the better, but I would not suggest Taiji as a supplement to WC as they are just totally different systems. You could use Qigong but I would not recommend Taiji if relaxation is all you are after. Best, Syd
