Taiji combat?

[Aeturnal]

what does taiji actually look like during a fight? from what ive seen it seems to be alot of pushing or throws, mainly defensive....i cant say ive seen it done in an actual fight so im not sure what the mechanixcs of taiji fighting actually looks like. anyone?

[jon]

It always looks just like this, there are no exceptions.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0W1ym3yggR4

[mixjourneyman]

Looks like fighting.

[imperialtaichi]

to generalize...

Throw wise, tend to be more into An or Lu onto the ground, or Peng Ji towards walls and objects. Can be coupled with trapping footwork.

Strike wise, use of hammers (I don't like to call them fists), elbows and shoulder strikes. All the strikes has a strike through component which mean strikes also work as throws.

Chin-na may also be included in some schools.

Cheers,
John

[qiphlow]

Looks like fighting.

'sup, mix! whatchoo doing over here?

to answer the question--what looks like pushes from the form is the "nice" way to do the application. if you need to fu<k the guy up, you could just as easily make that push into a strike with a fist or open hand.

[RonH]

It always looks just like this, there are no exceptions.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0W1ym3yggR4

Ahahahahahah!

One of my most favorite clips ever!

Now, if you want to see actual fighting with it, there's this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9hDrXfSKIjQ

I must warn you. I got the DVD. I've studied it, practiced it, learned a crapload from it and am still learning tons from it, but...in my opinion...watching paint dry is literally more entertaining than seeing 2 highly trained taiji people fight, even during this type of practice (and at fighting speed). This goes with even Earle during his 'big' phase.

I understand the point, but there's absolutely no way you can have a hollywood movie successful with fighting like this, which isn't the point of the form, but still. Some get a kick out of watching people spar and sometimes I do, but not with this.

Entertainment: No. Informative for fighting: Yes.

[Three Harmonies]

Ummmmm, that was not fighting, that was a two man set. :cool:

[RonH]

Ummmmm, that was not fighting, that was a two man set. :cool:


Eh, it's the closest I could find.

[Liokault]

Some clips can be found on this site:
http://www.oxfordtaichi.com/lotus_sweep.0.html
and
http://www.oxfordtaichi.com/brush_knee.0.html

Some striking here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLjQPpTaqCQ
Tai chi guys in the black....its me btw.

And another full fight here.....both of us are from tai chi....im the small guy.
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=2254785689527860048&q=me+in+san+shou

[Fu-Pow]

I'll post a clip soon of some Taiji that I incorporated into a match this past summer. It is very subtle. If you are doing Lu energy you are stealing your opponents energy by neutralizing it. It makes it so he has to work a lot harder than you do.

FP

[Shaolin Shi]

Let's not forget Ng vs Chan (http://www.wosss.com/player/mediaplayer/player.aspx?uds=ii7f3d0BD0621FE3&tds=25_7c22_7c177_7c75_7c74_7c163_7c8102_7c336_7c1 60_7c504_7c530_7c&sds=581762|3|545721||9|747729|) :D

[PangQuan]

And another full fight here.....both of us are from tai chi....im the small guy.
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=2254785689527860048&q=me+in+san+shou

that guys reach advantage looked really annoying

[hinokata]

It always looks just like this, there are no exceptions.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0W1ym3yggR4

That was just awesome!

[Fu-Pow]

I'll post a clip soon of some Taiji that I incorporated into a match this past summer. It is very subtle. If you are doing Lu energy you are stealing your opponents energy by neutralizing it. It makes it so he has to work a lot harder than you do.

FP

Here's the thread. Tell me if you can see any Chen Taiji in there. :)

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45290

[Knifefighter]

And another full fight here.....both of us are from tai chi....im the small guy.
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=2254785689527860048&q=me+in+san+shou

Some questions regarding that clip:

1- What percentage of your training do you do in which the techniques, applications, and speed are similar to those seen on that clip?

2- How long had both you and your opponent been training when that competition occurred?

3- Would you say that match is representative of how "good" (whatever your definition of that is) tai chi would look in combat?

4- Were you getting points every time your opponent went outside the red area?

[Liokault]

Some questions regarding that clip:



1- What percentage of your training do you do in which the techniques, applications, and speed are similar to those seen on that clip?

75%. More important, 75% alive trtaining.





2- How long had both you and your opponent been training when that competition occurred?

In my case, 15 years plus of training and im now into well over 20 full contact fights, but this one was right after I started training again after a year of cruciate ligament damage.

Not sure on the other guy, but it was not his first fight.






3- Would you say that match is representative of how "good" (whatever your definition of that is) tai chi would look in combat?


No, personaly I think it looks quite poor, as im never a a great puncher and he did a good job of stopping me throw him.





4_Were you getting points every time your opponent went outside the red area?

Yes, rules are points only for knock downs, clean throws or out of the area.....also for an odd reason, no hand wraps.

[Knifefighter]

No, personaly I think it looks quite poor, as im never a a great puncher and he did a good job of stopping me throw him.

Thanks for the replies. Do you have a link to some full contact tai chi that you think is representative of "good" tai chi?

[Water-quan]

This old interview quote will make you smile:


[3] Interviewer: ‘Xingyi’, ‘Taiji’, ‘Bagua’, and ‘Tongbei’ are considered to be schools of internal boxing, what are the differences of all these branches?

Wang Xiang Zhai:
...As masters of the original ‘Taijiquan’, I should recommend the Yang brothers Shaohou and Chengfu. They are also old friends of mine, thus I know that this boxing really has some knowledge of mechanics, but out of one hundred persons not even one gains its essence, and even if one can gain it, it is still one-sided, because the basic skills of intuitive perception already died out a long time ago, thus their lower bodies have no real strength to speak of. Originally this boxing consisted of three fists, also called the "old three cuts", Mr. Wang Zongyue changed it into "thirteen postures", and it was later changed into as much as one hundred and forty or fifty postures, this is the major reason for the distortion.

For health preservation, it restrains the spirit and mettle, and brings discomfort to the practitioner. For combat, it harms the practitioner’s limbs and trunk, and causes the useful body to become a mechanical and stiff thing, it also disturbs the student’s nerves, and is nothing more than wasting one’s time. As for its method of training, a punch with a fist here, a slap with the palm there, a kick to the left, and another one to the right, that is pitiful and laughable.

As for dealing with an enemy in a fight, against a master-hand, please do not even consider it, if the adversary is not stiff and sluggish, even the famous masters of this boxing have no chance to apply their skills. These abuses are so big that ‘Taijiquan’ might soon become just a mere form comparable to a chess manual. For the last twenty years, most people who have studied this boxing have not been able to differentiate right and wrong, even if someone has been able to differentiate them, he has not been capable of putting it into practice. As for common students, most of them use their ears instead of their eyes.

So ruined is this boxing that it has become useless, this is really deplorable.