Chen or Wu Taiji?

[kfson]

Ok, I've had about a year of Yang Taiji about 5 years ago.
I have a choice of two other schools to start up taiji practice again. One teaches Chen the other Wu.

What are the differences between these two styles aside from the obvious Large Form/Small Form?

Some sources I've read (don't have sources at hand) say Chen is closer to Shaolin Buddhism while the Wu is more of a Daoist practice with a closer attention to the internal mechanisms.

Also the Wu instructor says Chen trains the body, Wu trains the mind.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Chen is more "jing" oriented than any other of the Taji systems (Typically) and with Wu you will be exposed to more "grappling".
Not a question of better or worse or whatnot, just different.
Try them both out and see which is the better fit for you.
Don't fall into that BS of "more physical VS more spiritual" crap, that has to do with the teacher, not the system.
Chen is the original Taiji.

[RickMatz]

Take a close look at the students at either school. Imagine yourself fitting in around the average of them. That will give you a clue as to which school has the better teacher, regardless of style.

Go with the better teacher. The style doesn't really matter. There is only one taijiquan.

[taai gihk yahn]

Ok, I've had about a year of Yang Taiji about 5 years ago.
I have a choice of two other schools to start up taiji practice again. One teaches Chen the other Wu.

What are the differences between these two styles aside from the obvious Large Form/Small Form?

Some sources I've read (don't have sources at hand) say Chen is closer to Shaolin Buddhism while the Wu is more of a Daoist practice with a closer attention to the internal mechanisms.

Also the Wu instructor says Chen trains the body, Wu trains the mind.

Wu is basically one guy's version of Yang, which is one guy's version of Chen w/most of the vigorous stuff taken out; the body v. mind thing is silly and meaningless; the bit about Chen being more Shaolin is right in the sense that the Chen form had its origin in Shaolin based arts; but don't get too hung up on what u r told - go check out both and see which u like; if u like both, nothing precludes u from ultimately doing both either (maybe not starting both at the same time, but that depends on ur particular aptitude);

[KTS]

definitely think it is best to go with what u feel is a school/group that will provide you with what u wish to accomplish.

chen style would feel quite a bit more different than the yang style that u are used to, whereas the wu branch will feel more closely related to your yang forms.

the chen being more buddhism and wu being more taoism is nonsense btw. all taiji shares the same basic principals. especially that bit about wu paying attention to more "internal" principals, very far from truth. all of taiji, xingyi, and bagua share a focus on mechanical efficiency and training intention.

[shrub]

Choose the teacher, not the style.

[Blacktiger]

Chen is more "jing" oriented than any other of the Taji systems (Typically) and with Wu you will be exposed to more "grappling".
Not a question of better or worse or whatnot, just different.
Try them both out and see which is the better fit for you.
Don't fall into that BS of "more physical VS more spiritual" crap, that has to do with the teacher, not the system.
Chen is the original Taiji.

Hello - what do you mean by more Jing orientated ?

Jing is essence - you could say that all tai chi is orientated this way as thats what you are developing with chi kung tai chi and even kung fu...just wondered what you meant.

:D

[sanjuro_ronin]

Hello - what do you mean by more Jing orientated ?

Jing is essence - you could say that all tai chi is orientated this way as thats what you are developing with chi kung tai chi and even kung fu...just wondered what you meant.

:D

Notice the jing is in quotation marks?
Chen tends to be more oriented towards fighting, more "striking ( fa) jing" , more grabbing jing, more throwing Jing, hence more "jing" oriented.

[Bob Ashmore]

The Wu style I train has plenty of jing, of every variety, in it.
So does the Yang style I train.
Plenty of "Jing" in every style of TCC. If you do it correctly.

Best advice I've seen on this thread?
Choose the teacher, not the style.
Choose a teacher who understands and can communicate (two different things) the underlying principles of Tai Chi Chuan and the style doesn't matter.
The principles are the same in all the styles so it's better to find a teacher who knows this and can teach them to you than it is to find a style.
Once you learn the principles, the "style" you play them with is only window dressing anyway.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Plenty of "Jing" in every style of TCC. If you do it correctly.


Not everyone teaches it that way, most of the Yang schools I have seen are very "health oriented" , in contrast with the Chen ones that tend to be more "vigorous".
Just a generalization of course.

[Bob Ashmore]

That's where the "if you do it correctly" comes in. ;)

Unfortunately for beginners to TCC there is no TCC Police force that regulates who is teaching correctly or not.
I would say, from personal experience, that 95% of the people who are teaching "Tai Chi" in the United States have no idea what Tai Chi Chuan actually is.
I doubt that it is any different anyplace else in the world so that's no dig at the U.S.ofA.
Unfortunately there is a huge divide in between "Tai Chi"and Tai Chi Chuan.
The difference is in the "chuan".
While there is a lot of "Tai Chi" in the world, there is very little Tai Chi Chuan.
I don't know if that's good or bad, it just is.
And it makes a lot of "teacher" a lot of money.
Let's face it, you can't make a living out of teaching Tai Chi Chuan, but you can do fairly well teaching "Tai Chi".
I teach classes for health that do not touch very much on the chuan. I have to or I could not sustain classes at all.
Thos who want the chuan make themselves known and then I can teach them. Those who do not don't even realize the difference.

[sanjuro_ronin]

That's where the "if you do it correctly" comes in. ;)

Unfortunately for beginners to TCC there is no TCC Police force that regulates who is teaching correctly or not.
I would say, from personal experience, that 95% of the people who are teaching "Tai Chi" in the United States have no idea what Tai Chi Chuan actually is.
I doubt that it is any different anyplace else in the world so that's no dig at the U.S.ofA.
Unfortunately there is a huge divide in between "Tai Chi"and Tai Chi Chuan.
The difference is in the "chuan".
While there is a lot of "Tai Chi" in the world, there is very little Tai Chi Chuan.
I don't know if that's good or bad, it just is.
And it makes a lot of "teacher" a lot of money.
Let's face it, you can't make a living out of teaching Tai Chi Chuan, but you can do fairly well teaching "Tai Chi".
I teach classes for health that do not touch very much on the chuan. I have to or I could not sustain classes at all.
Thos who want the chuan make themselves known and then I can teach them. Those who do not don't even realize the difference.

To be fair Bob, 95% of all people that take Tai chi don't want to take the martial art of tai chi they want the "new age" tai Chi.

[kfson]

To be fair Bob, 95% of all people that take Tai chi don't want to take the martial art of tai chi they want the "new age" tai Chi.

Just wondering... all those old, and I guess not so old, people practicing Tai Chi at 5am in parks all over China, are they practicing Tai Chi or Tai Chi Chuan?

[sanjuro_ronin]

Just wondering... all those old, and I guess not so old, people practicing Tai Chi at 5am in parks all over China, are they practicing Tai Chi or Tai Chi Chuan?

Well, I would guess that some are doing one while most are doing the other.
Forms work is just one part of Taiji.

[Bob Ashmore]

Exactly. Not everyone you see in the videos of the morning practices in China are martial arts experts. They are every day people who are doing Tai Chi for...
Health.

I like Tai Chi for health, it's just not Tai Chi Chuan.
If what you're in this for is strictly the healthy aspects, then that's fine. I have no problem with that. It's healthy, it's fun, it's new and exciting.
Let's just be clear on what we're training for.
The vast, vast majority don't want the chuan, wouldn't know what to do with it if it bit them on the rear.
Those who do will find it if they're serious about it.

[Skip J.]

That's where the "if you do it correctly" comes in. ;)
....Let's face it, you can't make a living out of teaching Tai Chi Chuan, but you can do fairly well teaching "Tai Chi".
I teach classes for health that do not touch very much on the chuan. I have to or I could not sustain classes at all.
Thos who want the chuan make themselves known and then I can teach them. Those who do not don't even realize the difference.
'Enuf said........