Finally a teacher...

[charyuop]

After a long time with videos I finally found someone in my town who teaches Tai Chi. It is done purely for health, he teaches breathing through Chi Kong, starts with 8 base forms and he said as advanced goes on to 24. Unfortunately no martial art aspect into it, no push hands or applications...but hey, learning from someone who knows the bases and who can correct my errors is always a good beginning.
In parallel I will not give up studying the Long Form from the videos and maybe in the future I will manage to find someone who is going to teach me the MA aspect of Tai Chi.

[qiphlow]

that's good news! this, as i'm sure you know, is a great place for good info on taiji. as you get more familiar with your forms and the individual movements, you could always ask about applications from the good people here. i'm sure you will get some helpful answers. best of luck!

[Chief Fox]

Congratulations. Having a good teacher makes all the difference. Good luck.

By the way, speaking a videos, Dr. Yang Jwing Ming has a good one on push hands. You will eventually need a partner though.

Here's the link: http://ymaa.stores.yahoo.net/tapuhadvd.html

[chud]

Congratulations on finding a teacher. Just curious, but what videos are you using to study the long form?

[charyuop]

I bought videos of Long Form, applications and other nice things from this site www.gilmanstudio.com
The quality of the stuff is pretty good and Mr.Gilman is very detailed. Moreover if you need help he always answers to email with suggestions and solutions to problems you might find.
Tho it is not like having a real teacher following you close by.

Unfortunately not teaching the MA aspect of Tai Chi he won't teach push hands so I won't have a partner there to practice it with. But when I learn all the basics I might decide to look out of town for a once a week lesson in a school of Tai Chi (the closest is more than 2 hours away from here ).

[JohnnyMnemonic]

In parallel I will not give up studying the Long Form from the videos and maybe in the future I will manage to find someone who is going to teach me the MA aspect of Tai Chi.

What if I told you the martial aspects of Tai Chi were a trick to attract violent and aggressive people?

What if I told you that all the different movements of Tai Chi that are described as this block and that attack were to misdirect your attention and to fool you so that you can be taught to become a human being?

What if I told you that focusing on the martial aspects of Tai Chi would likely prevent you from learning what Tai Chi is really about?


Don't get me wrong. Tai Chi can be used for fighting. It does make the body strong.

But what if they were tricking you? Why would they do that? What would be the purpose of the Tai Chi form if tricking you was their purpose? Would you hate them because they were playing games with you and tricking you?

You might want to prepare yourself for all of those questions if you are sincere about learning Tai Chi. If you stick with Tai Chi, I feel your brain will be forced to change in ways you may not be aware of or you may not desire.

You might actually start using it and become more human.

[unkokusai]

What if I told you the martial aspects of Tai Chi were a trick to attract violent and aggressive people?

What if I told you that all the different movements of Tai Chi that are described as this block and that attack were to misdirect your attention and to fool you so that you can be taught to become a human being?

What if I told you that focusing on the martial aspects of Tai Chi would likely prevent you from learning what Tai Chi is really about?


Don't get me wrong. Tai Chi can be used for fighting. It does make the body strong.

But what if they were tricking you? Why would they do that? What would be the purpose of the Tai Chi form if tricking you was their purpose? Would you hate them because they were playing games with you and tricking you?

You might want to prepare yourself for all of those questions if you are sincere about learning Tai Chi. If you stick with Tai Chi, I feel your brain will be forced to change in ways you may not be aware of or you may not desire.

You might actually start using it and become more human.

*puke!*

Anything that has anything to do with taichi brings out the chum-spewing hippies.

[charyuop]

Diverting from original meaning of Tai Chi? Are you referring to Taoist meditation and all that implies?

It is not what they told me or not told me. I read a little bit of the history of Tai Chi and interviews with students of old Yang and Chen masters.

Tai Chi was born as a martial art. The healthy aspect of Tai Chi is something relatively modern, back in the days it was not at all known. Always from the readings that I had, in the origin Tai Chi didn't have a slow form and training was much more violent than what it is today.

As per martial art aspect, I know it is itself the martial art and might seem a contraddiction saying the teacher won't touch the martial art of it. In theory if you learn Tai Chi you learn the martial art. BUT...a martial art to be effective must be also practiced for what it is. I can learn perfectly how to block a punch and counter attack, but if never practiced it will never come natural to use it in moments of need and the same way reflex will never pick up.

I hope you don't beleive that martial art is like in karate kid movies, where you learn to move your hand in one way and you can block anything. Reflex and speed are a main factor in martial art.

[JohnnyMnemonic]

Tai Chi was born as a martial art. The healthy aspect of Tai Chi is something relatively modern, back in the days it was not at all known. Always from the readings that I had, in the origin Tai Chi didn't have a slow form and training was much more violent than what it is today.

I disagree with this completely. How could someone who was a master of Ba Gua not know of the health effects? Especially when Ba Gua men live to be 90 or 100?

I hope you don't beleive that martial art is like in karate kid movies, where you learn to move your hand in one way and you can block anything. Reflex and speed are a main factor in martial art.

Where did that come from? Who was talking about movies?

[JohnnyMnemonic]

*puke!*

Anything that has anything to do with taichi brings out the chum-spewing hippies.

"Anything that has to do with learning or positivity oin these forums brings out the tobacco chewing, spitball throwing, mentally deficient bullies"


Thinking is good for you unkokusai. Your brain is for using, not for taking up space in your skull.

[Reggie1]

Thinking is good for you unkokusai. Your brain is for using, not for taking up space in your skull.

So what are you using yours for? A doorstop?

[charyuop]

I disagree with this completely. How could someone who was a master of Ba Gua not know of the health effects? Especially when Ba Gua men live to be 90 or 100?

Try and read this article (and there are others, just an example).
http://www.dotaichi.com/Articles/TaiChiSanShou.htm

When Tai Chi was created the main idea was "surviving". In China, like in Europe too, there was more violence than today and knowing how to fight was a "must". I really don't think that they created a fighting style thinking "wait, this is healthy...".

If you go to Russia you will find that many men there live past the 90 years of age and none of them I guess practice Tai Chi. In certain countries (due to enviroment and alimentation) life expectation is higher than in other places. I agree that moving your body and joints continuosly helps to reach older ages with good health in movements, but I really don't think Tai Chi or Ba Gua will let you live 100 years. Do you think there are no internal martial arts practitioners who died younger or suffer from arthritis?

Tai Chi is healthier ok, but don't make of it a miracle maker now. Health can get bad internal martial arts or not.

[cjurakpt]

guys, before you go any firther thinking that you can actually have a reasoned interchange with Mjohnny Mnemonic, save yourself the trouble - if you check out any of the other threads he's posted to, you'll soon realize he's a wack-job with a serious persecution complex - (don't take my word for it - go judge for yourselves); in fact, originally I was going to post something to the effect that charyuop, as a TCC newbie, shouldn't get distressed by JM's bizzaro-world rantings, but evidently JM is sooo far out in left field that even a total neophyte is able to reason that he is a grade A nut-burger...

by the way Johnny a.k.a. HAPPEH (yeah, I finally figured out who you really are), when are you gonna realize that you are just far too superior for the rest of us and go back to the 10th dimension?

[qiphlow]

yup, i agree that taijiquan (note the quan at the end of the proper name. quan=fist) is a martial art, designed first for fighting. the health benefits are a side effect. may i suggest again that you get familiar with the mechanics of the movements before you look for applications, and also make sure your basics are solid: shoulders down, elbows down, stances are correct, stepping/footwork is correct, etc.
but you knew that already, right?

[unkokusai]

Thinking is good for you unkokusai.

I've seen nothing from you, happeh, that indicates you are in any way qualified to speak on the subject of "thinking" (or anything else, for that matter)