Evolution of Tai Chi/Chi Kung as Martial Arts
I was wondering how Tai Chi or Chi Kung became a standard complimentary art of hard/external TCMA. Almost all styles CLF, Mantis, Wing Chun, Shaolin, or whatever offer this soft style/ internal martial art as part of their school curriculum? How did this evolve? Is it simply a yin/yang thing?
It occurred to me that at least locally, due to the popularity of MMA, more and more TCMA schools are now adding BJJ as the third arm of Modern TCMA. I understand this evolution, it makes them relevant and popular.
I know Chi Kung is said to predate Tai Chi, yet Tai Chi became very relevant at some point...any thoughts?
Maybe I didn't ask a very good question?
I probably didn't word my original query very well, I was trying to find out why Tai Chi, Chi Kung, or even more recently Yoga is taught as meditative and chi development tool? Tai Chi and QiGong were, according to what I've been told, originally their own martial arts. And were taught as such, but for the most part they now are emphasized as health, chi, energy, or meditative arts. What brought this about?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bawang
this is the short but complete answer for the total evolution of tai chi
-doing forms slow and smooth was common in longfist systems for beginner training
-supernatural powers was common part of snake oil kung fu
-yang luchan failed the imperial exams but made enough friends to join the retinue of prince duan through backdoor.
-Manchu riflemen were deemed too physically weak to train wrestling, they changed to training tai chi.
-his grandson yang chengfu had the idea of mimicking the elegant slow imperial court dance, then built a new mythology to explain why his martial art had suddenly slowed to snail crawl.
Well Tai Chi and Chi Kung predate Manchu rifleman...I'm stupid round eye so you'll have to connect the dots better for me. I'm not seeing the complete picture.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bawang
Again, I'm not drawing a line to points or exactly what you're trying to show me here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mawali
It appears that when the modern era came into being (1900-I know not the exact date) the designation 'taijiquan' was born.
1. We all know the origin was Chen family village MA
2. We all know Chen family incorporated style of their village
3. We all know Yang family initially got the designation but as more Chen people came to Beijing, they realized that Chen village art was the origin
4. With modernization, they were all lumped together as part of that new taijiquan movement national treasure
Bawang's links show that reformulation of an art is possible with the proper input and skill!
Thanks Mawali, now this is getting more to meat of my question...why Tai Chi is used in conjunction with other arts...you think it was the National Treasure Movement? Were they using Chi Kung or another soft/internal/energy development tool prior to this? As part of their martial offerings?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jimbo
Not only CMAists, but many karate people also do Taiji to complement their main art. One particularly famous example is (was?) Shotokan pioneer Kanazawa. He had mentioned in an interview that it taught him to use a relaxed energy to complement the hard energy of Shotokan.
However, is Taiji more healthy than other MA? Not necessarily. I've seen many middle-aged and elderly people, some who were teachers, who trained only Taiji, who did not seem healthy at all. In fact, I knew an old man in Taipei who had been a bodybuilder when he was young, had trained some 'Shaolin', and whose main mode of exercise when I knew him was brisk walking. He literally walked circles around the other old men who taught Taiji, and was physically in superior shape, and mentally much sharper and 'alive' than they were. He was also surprisingly strong for his age (at the time, probably his late 70s or early 80s). He claimed he never studied Taiji.
Interesting Jimbo, and something else I've drawn parallels to locally. Even Yoga is extremely popular as a supplemental fitness, breathing, relaxation, health, chi or energy tool at Socal martial arts schools. It maybe a business tool to draw more clients but it certainly fits a similar function as Tai Chi/Chi Kung. I have noticed that many lifetime martial artists are drawn to Tai Chi for one reason or the other and will add it to their styles. I've seen Ninjitsu schools also offer it...I'm just wondering if its only a biz tool but I doubt that.
Similar Enough for the Point?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bawang
The first video guy uses a break-a-grab, a trip and a throw, to longfist.
The second video guy uses a breathing move (that converts to a break-a-grab), to a sword translation (that could disguise a throw) to longfist.
The first guy opens with one hand/arm in one motion. The other guy uses two in two motions.
The originator of the second guy's stuff died, the T'ai Chi originator (Chen Wangting) was eight years old. So that we're seeing supposedly hard stuff done slow but with Chen influence, we can only talk about the performances we see today Not the way it was first done.
No_Know
Similarity, not really. Though they both use a throw, one does a health move throw from a sword move the other does deflections, a trip and throw. That's not similar enough for me to call them similar for what you might be trying to say perhaps, bawang.
No_Know