should i restart taiji or not?

[foolinthedeck]

hello.
can you help?
i used to go to taiji on a tuesday evening, as a supplement from my main wing chun training on a wednesday and saturday.
i've had a break from my taiji class since last summer, so about 5 months break, during this time i have been doing a salsa class on the tuesday instead. i now i feel capable of going back to taiji and being able to keep on doing salsa afterwards, so i would be doing taiji from 6.30-8.30 and salsa from 9-11pm.

But i'm not sure if i should go back. i did find the taiji useful both of itself and for the benefit of my wing chun but i find there are some issues i am struggling with:

1. if i do taiji and then salsa it may be too much physically, not to mention energetically

2. i dont even practice my wing chun forms enough at the moment, so how can i justify adding more forms back into my schedule?

3. i am beginning to see the more subtle elements in my wing chun, which may be improved by playing taiji too, or may be confused by it

4. i have 11 years wing chun experience, and part of me thinks it would be better to build on this base and make my wing chun better rather than to try to add something else

5. but another part of me thinks that taiji would be a better thing for my health and long term ability to teach in the long run

6. maybe i should start something else such as yoga?

any ideas most gratefully accepted.

[eling99]

i think tai ji is the way to go...as for the tai ji and the salsa...thats entirely up to you..how do you feel after tai ji..do you have enough energy to go on?

[foolinthedeck]

i'll have to see about that as i havent tried to go back to taiji and then do salsa yet, i would imagine i would have plenty of energy but it may make for some weird salsa as my body/mind is still im taiji mode

(but then u could argue it should be always in said 'mode')

[eling99]

i understand doing tai ji and salsa might be a little difficult...when i started tai chi and then kung fu..it was a little difficult..tai ji...not too much jumping, but kung fu right after..now thats different...all the cardio work and jumps and other things!! but good luck with your decision..hopefully you can do both!!!

[oasis]

ftd,
someone could argue from each perspective, so i'll just share mine and then you must decide. i think all the ideas about whether taking different classes at the same time will confuse you or what not is all relative. it really depends on your goals. for example, i study taiji and kung fu back-to-back, one hour each. when i first started i wondered the same thing, ie would i get confused? i did notice in the beginning making mistakes like, when i was doing my taiji form i kept my hand in a willow palm form (thumb tucked in, fingers tight together) as in kung fu, instead of keeping fingers relaxed as required by taiji. once this was pointed out to me i corrected it.
however, there was also the issue of, "well, my time for home practice is limited as it is, so why divide my time between two arts when i could easily devote all my energy to say polishing my kung fu forms and working on my stancework"? this is indeed a valid question and again, it depends on your goals. i love learning both taiji and kung fu and being able to practice 'two different energies' depending on my mood. yes, it will take longer for me to better my skill in both b/c of my divided time, but i dont mind at all.
thus, if you have a yearning to practice taiji and dont mind splitting your wing chun practice time (given your extensive wing chun training already), and if it wont overwhelm you with the dancing, i say go for it! do try out a few classes first to see if you have the energy for it before recommitting yourself. hope that helps. good luck

[Samurai Jack]

You never mentioned why you quit Tai Chi in the first place. I suppose it dosen't matter. For my two cents, I wouldn't bother with the Tai Chi until you can actually apply yourself to your Wing Chun training. As you've already said, you hardly have enough time to practice Wing Chun as it is.

Alot of the people on the KFM forum train in multiple arts, and that can be a valid approach when you are trying to fill in tactical gaps in your fighting repertoire. Coupling ground fighting with a boxing system, or a throwing style with a kicking style can make a person a more well rounded fighter, but you've got to devote yourself fully to learning the new system, while continuing to improve in your original art. It dosen't sound like you're prepared to do that.

My advice: Concentrate on Wing Chun. Two days-a-week is not enough time for any real fighting skill to develop. After eleven years, you already know that.

[MonkeyBoy]

You might re-post this thread as a Poll.

Good luck choosing.

[shang wu]

Do it all, if you like them.

As for it all being too much on your body, you probably need to train harder, and will adapt in time.

Both sound like fun and that’s the only reason to do any of them.

[unkokusai]

Forget the Salsa and the Wing Chun, go back to taichi

[David Jamieson]

why did you stop?

[foolinthedeck]

why did i stop?
like a sign from god my taiji place burnt down and while they were sorting it out i discovered the salsa, got hooked and promised myself i would return to taiji when my salsa was at a good enough level to skip classes and just dance.

i have now made the decision.
today i'm off work with a bad cold, looking back in my journal its interesting that since i stopped doing taiji i stopped practicing it too, since then i have been ill lots of times with headaches, colds, d & v, etc. i know for a fact that when i used to train alot of dayan gong i was never ill, and when i used to train taiji i was never ill.

so just for the simple reason that when i'm ill i cant do anything it makes sense to train taiji daily, so back i go.

thanks for all the responses though, i knew i could count on u.

[jobo]

It is probably better to concentrate on what you are doing at the moment if you feel happy with it. If you want to dedicate more time to your wing chun forms then do that. As it is likely you will have less time for it is you start taji again and you probably will end up getting confused from learning them at the same time. Wing chun and taji have their own strengths and so learning two things at once can cause problems. If you are interested in taji then maybe in the future if you feel you have understood the principles of wing chun well and you want to add taji to it then see then.