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Subitai

Tai Chi Maxims

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In reference to video:
Sun Tai Chi Application Repulse Monkey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBveJKGa1gw

Originally Posted by Rebel Wado
Subitai,

I am liking the attention to details you include in your videos.

From what I've seen, you appear to use a lot of the "partner set" type of training that goes sort of like: Partner A attacks, partner B counters, partner A counters the counter, partner B counters the counter to the counter. Partner B wins. And other variants of sequences with sometimes partner A winning.

I think this is a very good way of training a lot of things.

With that said, I have a question about the repulsing monkey video. Why is your training partner meeting your hand palm to palm?
Thanks Rebel...

I'll try to answer that question. 1st about the partner training. I don't look at it that way. As I said, I prefer to counter.

A saying in Tai chi is:
"If you don't move, I don't move"
= The saying belies it's true value. Meaning if you don't attack me, there will be no fight. More to the point, if you give me energy to use, i'll use it.

the other side of the coin is:
"If you move faster...I arrive 1st"
= This can be explained in an easier way, If I already have a "Stick Point" i.e. i'm already touching you...then I will know when you move and I'll arrive 1st.

I don't like that interpretation if it DOESN'T rely on touching. Because it would then border too much on anticipation and pretending to almost have supernatural "feelers" sensing your opponent from an UN-touching distance. Instead I would prefer to say: "If you move faster, I move just enough to follow you"

= Still some others may think, the answer is to move even faster. Suffice to say, you can "Break up" the persons speed with timing and interruption (strategically in the correct places)

Last part is:
"The way into danger is the way out" ...and also reverse.
= I can tell you with allot of certainty that I can make this concept work effectively, when I'm doing push hands or straight up fighting someone. It's been an obsession of mine since I had an Epiphany back in 1998. Anyone who has touched hands with me will know it.

* The reason I tell you those things is that one of the main principles of Taiji that most of us know about, i.e. the ability to FOLLOW...is more profound than some people think.

When I'm teaching a posture I always ask these 3 questions:

1) In a perfect world where everything works the way you want it to, how do we apply this method most effectively?

2) What is the most common way that your opponent will counter it?

3) How do you deal with their counter?

* Now keep in mind the concepts I wrote above as they relate to the questions.
For each question associate:
#1) "If you don't move, I don't move"
#2) "If you move faster, I move just enough to follow you".
#3) "The way into danger is the way out"

I don't mean to be cryptic, that's just how my mind works. If you're a fellow TC player, then I know you'll get what I'm saying. Suffice to say that my teaching is not just about partner A does this and Partner B does that. There are concepts and reasons for each movement. More importantly they make sense and are not just Haphazard.
==============================

Now to answer your question:
Quote:
Why is your training partner meeting your hand palm to palm?
* I gotta say that is very astute of you to notice that.

= The easiest answer to that is because I give it too him in such a way that takes advantage of his Human Nature. If you do it correctly like I know how to...you'd be surprised how you can make someone "do something" that they might not realize you wanted all along.

Or assuming he's going to block me (i.e. not absorb my energy or get out of the way): He basically has four other choices: Up, down, left or right

* If his right arm blocks my arm UP, I can still apply repulse: I just have to follow his energy and make a slight circle to extend his arm energy into my direction = thus making him extended enough to apply it.

* If his right arm blocks my right arm to MY RIGHT: as I pointed out in the video, I would not force his energy back to repulse. That would be stupid, better to follow him and apply "Lazily tying coat" in the same direction. Thus, "the way out of danger is the way back in"

* to the left and down = ect, ect.

Regardless: I could go on and on, but basically whichever way my opponent decides to counter me I will follow it.

The artsy ****sy answer that might blow some peoples minds is that you can often make people do something that you want, without them knowingly realize it.

* If I take my finger nail and scratch it across your neck, you will almost involuntarily raise one of your hands to that spot and check to see if your bleeding.

In the same way, if you know how to show someone your weapon or attack, you can get them to react in certain ways. It doesn't look like much but it's deceiving. Kinda like in billiards when your setting up your next shot.

Updated 03-19-2023 at 06:57 PM by Subitai

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