switching from wing chun to chen tai chi

[zultan]

hey folks.just wondering what to possibly expect and if any of you have switched from wing chun to chen tai chi.from my brief encounter with chen,it seemed strangely similar(was given an example of push hands).some say that it takes 10 years or whatever to be able to use it,i wonder if that is just a myth.the art apears to have really good body mechanics that can be applied in real life.

[Midnight]

Originally posted by zultan
some say that it takes 10 years or whatever to be able to use it,i wonder if that is just a myth.the art apears to have really good body mechanics that can be applied in real life.

Please understand, Tai Chi, unlike most martial arts is practiced at a much slower pace. The reason being, the ultimate goal behind tai chi is to condition the subconscious mind for defense/combat.....not the conscious mind.

It takes ALOT of practice to train the subconscious mind....ALOT. Now if you practiced the tai chi form faster you would tire faster. If you tire faster you not only cease practice sooner, but you might find yourself getting sloppy during your final moments of practice.

Does it make more sense to be able to practice longer, slower and more accurately, or shorter, faster with possibility of error?

Tho I haven't been practicing for 10 years yet, I have been in a situation where I was able to defend myself using tai chi....and I did so without thought. When the time came, my arms and legs moved as needed. And as soon as I came into contact with my opponent, he moved as needed.

I still have so much to learn.

[count]

Originally posted by zultan
some say that it takes 10 years or whatever to be able to use it,i wonder if that is just a myth.

A pot of water takes ten years to boil if you keep taking it off the fire.

[Chuck Man Chuck]

I'm kind of in the same boat. while not switching from Wing Chun; I'm switching from KFSS and Yang Tai Chi to Chen Tai Chi.

From what I've seen of Wing Chun, its rather a high standing style. Chen style uses a lot of broad deep stances. So, a big training change there from Wing Chun.

Chen style also uses "silk reeling" type of movement through-out its forms and applications to develop Fajin; Wing Chun uses quick choppy arm strikes, coordinated with the turning of the waist to develop power or Li.

For me it will be a lot of work, but I think I'll love the challenge. Self-defense is not an issue, I've been able to do that efficiently for many years. Better, yet I've learned to avoid the insanity of starting fights and eventually getting shot.

My first Tai Chi teacher, now Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson had us doing Tai Chi proficiently for self-defense in one year. It's all in learning the applications and applying them through basic Push-hand principles, just like you would in Wing Chun applications and Chi Sau (sticky hands).

Good luck,

Chuck