How would you defend yourself against a grappler, using Tai Chi..

[8gates]

Just wondering how you guys would handle such a situation.

[Laughing Cow]

9mm bullet at 3 paces.

Are you talking a grappler or a ground grappler(BJJ/Judo/JJJ)??

[8gates]

a ground grappler...

[Repulsive Monkey]

Yield then issue then go home for a cup of tea and clear some space on the mantlepeice for the trophy.

[Felipe Bido]

Easy

If he's a BJJ player, say: "Hey, the guy behind you says that Sakuraba owned the Gracies"...when he turns and double legs empty air, whack him in the head with a Taiji Straight sword-

[Vapour]

If you are taichichun fighter, you are pretty much stand up grappler so grapple standing up where you should be better at than ground grappler. If you go to ground, try to get away and up.

If he is better than you in both ground and stand up grappling, you are his meat.

[Merryprankster]

If you are really interested in using your Tai Chi to defeat a ground-grappler, I suggest finding an experienced ground grappler to play with and work on your Tai Chi principles on the ground. Like anything else it has to be worked at.

If you think like Repulsive Monkey, on the other hand, I would simply suggest tapping, either the opponent or the mat, and acknowledging verbally with either "matte" or "tap" if possible. Ground grapplers usually let go at that point, assuming it's a sparring match.

[Shooter]

Northen Lights Tai Chi's Fast Wrestling set.

[Water Dragon]

Originally posted by Shooter
Northen Lights Tai Chi's Fast Wrestling set.

Do you have tapes of this? I would like to see it one day.

[wiz cool c]

In the book Chen Style Taijiquan by Morning Glory Publishers there are many defences against commen takedowns. Flowers out from the bottom of the sea is used to defend a tacle type of attack. Brush nee is used to defend a single leg takedown. There are moves against rear barehugs and such. But I still suggest doing some cross traing. Judo is the perfect complement to tai chi. It focuses on stand up throws with a decent amount of ground stuff just incase you do end up there you arent clueless.

[bamboo_ leaf]

Shooter and Merry Prankster,

Address the question in the only real way that it can be addressed. Each with a slightly different perspective.

Form movements are designed to build and help develop "with guidance from a teacher" a certain perspective in the body. IMHO not to be taken directly and put to use.

The simple answer is to yield, empty and follow, how this is used or what shape it takes really depends on the skill of the grappler and the or the lack of skill by the taiji player.

[Repulsive Monkey]

The irony of your response is that you fail to see that I purposely left out any details in response to the inital question as it wasn't very valid in the first place.
My friend does BBJ and I have never had to tap out with him, ever!
If you don't go down then more than likely the Taiji opponent will take out the BJJ/wrestler etc.

And going down to the ground is no guarantee of success for a wrestler, Taiji can be effective up right or on the ground, it sounds like your experience of Taiji is minimal.

[Merryprankster]

The irony of your response is that you fail to see that I purposely left out any details in response to the inital question as it wasn't very valid in the first place.

Not especially "ironic," but whatever.

He asked how you would use Taiji against a ground grappler. The answer is simply to practice.

My friend does BJJ and I have never had to tap out with him, ever!

Bully for you. You'll learn more if you get tapped though.

If you don't go down then more than likely the Taiji opponent will take out the BJJ/wrestler etc.

What you're really saying is that the fighter who dictates the range of the fight usually wins. That's usually true. No argument.

And going down to the ground is no guarantee of success for a wrestler

True.

Taiji can be effective up right or on the ground

I didn't say it wasn't. I said you have to practice it and you need to do it with somebody who doesn't flail about like an idiot.

it sounds like your experience of Taiji is minimal.

It is.

I cited you because you made what I read to be a smarmy, haughty little response to somebody who asked a legitimate question. It's possible you meant it as a joke, but since you are deeming his question "illegitimate," I suspect you didn't.

Now, clearly if this fellow wants to know SPECIFICALLY how you will handle it then he's barking up the wrong tree. If his intent is to troll, we'll all know soon enough. Taiji teaches you sensitivity according to everybody here--well and good. But you still must practice it in that context--which, clearly you have--and FWIW, good on you for doing so. I don't think it gives you the right to be snotty though.

[Shooter]

Taiji can be effective up right or on the ground, it sounds like your experience of Taiji is minimal.

lol

Nah, RP. I'd say he's got a fairly decent understanding of how TCC is used. He's just taking it in a completely different direction and using it for different purposes.

Let's see. He's got a functional reference to one type of fa-jin in his body-locks and supplex, ward-off in his denial of the opp to come around his guard, pull-down in his 'shrimping', press in his chokes, and roll-back/pull-down in his shucks and throw-bys. Not to mention yielding, neutralizing and sinking - all due to his ability to relax and listen. Grappling just doesn't happen if you can't stick and follow. Submissions and escapes from same don't happen without good silk-reeling, linking and adhering.

Like I said, MP is just applying TCC's physical principles and attributes in a different manner and for different purposes.

[Water Dragon]

Originally posted by Merryprankster


He asked how you would use Taiji against a ground grappler. The answer is simply to practice.

You sure don't know too much, do you merryprankster? Taiji is an INTERNAL system. This means that if you do the long form twice a day, everyday for 10 years, you can beat up pretty much everybody in every situation. That's the beauty of the whole thing. You can beat trained fighters without having to train yourself.