Does anyone here have personal experience with the "Taoist Tai Chi" organization? What did you think of them?
Does anyone here have personal experience with the "Taoist Tai Chi" organization? What did you think of them?
My only experience with this organization is from a brief conversation with one of their local members a couple of years ago. I asked if their club practiced "push hands." The answer was no.
My experience goes no further than this short exchange.
No, but Taoist Taiji is as redundant as saying Jewish Passover. Taiji simply IS Taoist by definition.
Plenty of styles focus on chi development and are not considered implicitly daoist. Muslim Hsing-i for example...
Merciless is Mercy.
But isn't the Tai Chi a Taoist concept? :)
cxxx[]:::::::::::>
What we do in life echoes in Eternity
IMO tai chi is not taoist.
if i were you, i'd run for the hills; away from the silk pajamas, and the creepy new age music of 'taoist tai chi'.
If you define cowardice as running away at the first sign of danger, screaming
and tripping and begging for mercy, then yes, Mr. Brave man, I guess I'm a
coward. - Jack Handey
I trained for one night with a taoist tai chi school in Toronto last summer. The most noticeable difference I could discern was that there was an emphasis upon stretching out the spine in almost every posture. I understand that they also practice bagua but unfortunately I did not see it. I probably have the address somewhere if it would be of any use.
cheers
My expereince with the local "Daoist Taiji Society" is that they were very nice people with a very narrow understanding of the art.
Tai Chi is inseperable from daoism.
It is daoism in action. What is it based on? E=MC2? NO that makes the nuke. The friggin yin yang symbolw was invented by a guy that studied an early form of tai chi. It was two fish.
Please, you do not need to tell me that the name is redundant! I only want to know about their skills, of lack of skills.
Go to Taiwan where you can see Taoism in action.
Bratty kids following mom around the temple burning insence at the altars, putting fruit on the altar, lighting candles, bowing, saying prayers.
WTF does martial arts have to do with Taoism?
ITs like saying nuclear weapons are Christianity/Judaism in action because they were invented by Christians and Jews.
-JessÑ
"Ts like saying nuclear weapons are Christianity/Judaism in action because they"
Maybe if we had a martial art that focused on the trinity concept, holy spirit to develop martial skills we could say it was a Catholic Martial Art.
What martial arts do you knwo of that originated in Catholic monk's monastaries? I haven't heard of any, but if they did, then Christianity would have something to do with martial arts. There are people on here better qualified to talk about this, but there are martial arts developed by taoists.
Knowing others is wisdom, Knowing the self is enlightenment- Lao Tzu
Whatever religion/ beief system you have informs everything that you do. Every aspect of your life is influenced by your spirituality/philosophy.
Therefore, its fair to say that martial arts, cooking, ping pong, all are influenced by ones religion.
To say that tai chi, a martial art, is Taoism in action is going too far. What does martial arts have to do with singing prayers and burning incense?
One does not use the I Ching or Tao Te Ching to develop martial arts skill. That is absurd. You practice power development drills, body training, two man sparring, weapons. Not reading books.
Meditation may play a role, but that is seperate from martial training, as meditation is just as applicable to model car building skill or painting skill.
Worshiping the trinity or the 8 immortals may influence your practice, but they have nothing to do with martial skill per se. It might help, it might not, but it is not intrisic to the practice. An atheist can kick your ass as easily (or not) as a bishop.
As far as monks developing martial arts....
Martial arts are for kiling people. Religiuos people are ususally against that kind of thing. Its unlikely to be the main focus of development at a monastary or church. Monks have had to defend themselves just like the next guy, but historians have found it impossible to truly prove that monks, Buddhist or Taoist, developed any of this stuff. They may have been part of the overall development, but certainly not originators. If anything, Chinese Medical doctors have had more influence on CMA than any religious figures.
Taijiquan- Chen villiage boxing taught to the imperial court by bad ass streetfighter Yang Lu Chan. He may have been a Taoist, but he werent no saint.
Xingyiquan- military martial art taught to soldiers and caravan guards. Not priests.
Baguazhang- Circle walking practices may be based on religious worship done by Taoists, but all fighting techniques adapted from previous martial arts. Developed in the mid-late 1800's in Beijing, not in monastary.
Please, no offense, I am certinly open to other ideas, this is just what I have heard.
-Jess
tsown yu jiu - the art of throwing rocks with deadly accuracy. - when accuracy is poor, large quantities suffice.
me fo lunch - the art of fighting lions
yu all wet - the art of walking on water to evade your enemies. - just make sure u and the big guy are on good terms, or he might have you swallowed by a big fish.
bern yo snit - the art of imploring your deity to rain down fire and brimstone on your enemies. - also handy for lighting campfires when it's damp out.
Only in America do we have drive up ATM's with braile on them.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote