I was just thinking about this the other day, because I am 15 and I really have a hard time getting the amount of training I want. So do you think it is better to start around, below, or above my age? When did you and in what ways did you struggle?
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I was just thinking about this the other day, because I am 15 and I really have a hard time getting the amount of training I want. So do you think it is better to start around, below, or above my age? When did you and in what ways did you struggle?
Registered User
I think that's a good age to start. I started taiji quan when I was about 20 (after an injurey). The hardest part for me was (and still is sometimes) getting regular practice, and taking my time to do things right. And sometimes the ego gets in the way as a young guy where you're more interested in being as good as these masters rather than just enjoying the practice for what it is and focusing on self improvement and developing your own talents. The sooner you start the better, imo (except maybe very young children).
the ass assassin
my best advice to you is to practice the techniques one at a time, instead of practicing the forms. you don't need to learn the whole forms.
even if you want to do taiji to relax, you would want to do taiji qigong, not forms.
i been practicing only 3 or four tecniques from yang taiji for past two years. there is huge number of variations and applications in each technique is taiji. i spent half a year just doing wild horse part mane. and you need to do them fast.
Last edited by bawang; 09-25-2007 at 12:24 PM.
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well... its not like i am starting or about to. i have been training for the past year and have the taiji long form and i do train the specific techniques more than the form. i do chi kung and taiji every night that i can. also i am not one of the big headed punks that think they're all that, i dont show anyone anything or perform anything in school or public. and i cant help but think about the masters.... i mean if i could just go and learn from them non stop, thats my dream. i wish i could stop everything, but i cant
the ass assassin
keep up the good work man, keep trianing.
can you tell me more about your style of taiji, your teacher and how you train?
about training non stop, i did that for two summers when i was in high school. it's pretty monotomous. i don't know why you wanna train with a master full time. in high school you can squeeze four to five hours a day training before and after school. you have plenty of time right now to train.
Last edited by bawang; 09-25-2007 at 02:31 PM.
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wow ur so right. uve just motivated me to wake up early, and train before school as well as after school now. that sounds so good, but monotonous as u said.Originally Posted by bawang
i am someone who is wanting to learn taiji but im not able to get a teacher. i cannot afford the monthly fee to be trained. it greatly saddens me and i wish i would meet a master who finds potential in me and begins training me. lol my fantasies
Cybernetic Polymath
Congrats on choosing Tai Ji at your age. If you stick with it, you'll have something valuable to maintain your health and share with others in your old age.
If you're looking at Tai Ji as a martial art, then I recommend you find a push hands partner. If your instructor teaches push hands, there should be other people around you who know it and can practice with you, both in and out of class. If your instructor doesn't teach push hands, then either find a workshop that does, or find some basic info and a willing partner to get you started.
One-step push hands is usually a good place to start... it involves getting your partner to take a single step due to a loss of balance/structure as a result of your own Peng, Liu, Ji, or An.
Christian
Last edited by Xiao3 Meng4; 09-25-2007 at 05:03 PM.
"It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own." -Cicero
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i think i do see tai chi as a martial art. im trying to look more into qigong as well.
im sure there are academys out there that teach tai chi, but for now im going to look for someone willing to teach me for free.
Christian, ill look into push hands. i have heard about it before, but never practiced it.
not do i have a partner to practice with O_O
Registered User
well normally, but not lately because i am training for a triathlon, i would wake up at around 4:30a and do chan ssu chin in my room til about 5:00a then go outside and do taiji chi kung then the long form normally once or twice which takes me to about 6:00, gotta wait 30 mins to eat.... after school i hang with my grandma for about and hour until around 5:00p, then i focus more on the 'external' aspects of taiji (specific movements takin out the 8 gates) i practice stationary, moving, jing...... on the weekends i practice iron palm, and finger strengthening. then end the day with taiji chi kung and the long form once which i always do even lately with training.
it has just been frustrating me a bit lately that i cant get the training that i want. i learned the form from my dad which is a wah lum kung fu teacher. and to the person asking about push hands.... there are pretty much 0 martial artists in the TN area i am in, and yes i am training this as a martial art with very little focus on the health aspects.
the ass assassin
yo man, big up. nice routine and i 'll give my opinions. i hope you take my opinions seriously and try to do what i say. it will help you, trust me. this is gonna be a long ass post. bear wit me!
i recommend you don't do the form at all, but focus ONLY on a few techniques and do them for half an hour, thinking about the applications. repeat the technique a few times, then do it fast. you can be soft bu tstill fast. this is the most important!
second you need to do more silk reeling chan ssu chin. chan ssu chin contains the basic movements for blocks and punches and some grappling! in fact chan ssu chin is more important than your form.
third if you have time train horse stance(zhan zhuang). in taiji horse stance training is internal. when you do deep horse stance, use qigong breathing and bring qi to dantian. i assume you know zhan zhuang. do zhan zhuang but do it medium or low. high zhan zhuang is for sick and elderly people.
then punch in horse stance(again this is internal. each punch send qi from dantian to your fists.) then do some fist pushups(imagine qi from dantian to fists each time you come up).
this is good.
but you need to do squats(same time imagine lead qi from dantien to feet), pushups(lead qi to arms), situps(lead qi to stomach), punches(fist, palm, slap, chop et, lead qi to hands). if you don't rest this will only take half an hour, with rest one hour.
WOAH! watchout, only train iron palm on a thick phone book! if you use iron pieces you will stunt growth in your hands! do it softly and gradually!
internal power doesn't come from doing qigong or taiji form. it comes from gathering qi meditation, horse stance meditation and silk reeling. remember that!
qigong is nest for recovery after external training.
if you can't find sparring partner focus on conditioning.
i recommend you join a gym and lift weights. many internal people are against that, but if you want to fight with taiji you HAVE to listen to me.
start with light gentle weights, lift weights slowly ,each time use internal breathing(pop out your stomach when you're breathing out) and lead qi gently to whatever part of the body you're using and lift the weights semi relaxed. not to relaxed, have a bit of tension, half relaxed.
the ass assassin
i wish i trained even harder, but i don't have the time anymore. USE YOUR TIME WISELY! after high school there wil be no more time!
the best instructors teach for free
Last edited by bawang; 09-25-2007 at 07:35 PM.
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i had been practicing horse stance for a while when i was learning kung fu, but kinda stopped when i had read about being 'double weighted' and thought training hill climbing stance would be better. also.... pretty much everything you said except the weight lifting i do. but not meditation, bc i have no teacher and i dont want to screew up. i meditate every now and then for just cleansing my mind and standing meditation pretty often with stances for the form. and on most of the things im not an idiot, i have studied quite a bit about everything i am training, like iron palm... i know not to start out like that, lol
the ass assassin
training horse stance is not for leg strenght, it's to train internal and develop root. for leg strength do squats one leg squats. you don't do horse stance you won't be good in most kinds of chinese kung fu.
there's nothing left for me to say, i started training at 15 too ,
good luck.
Last edited by bawang; 09-26-2007 at 10:58 AM.
Registered User
I feel sometimes like not training and i dont. yet when i do go train, it feels like the best day ever. i feel really confused. anyone else had this? how am i to overcome it?
the ass assassin
i went through that phase too don't worry. but if you become too lazy one day of rest will turn into one weke then one month. this ususally happened when i train too much for one day. its better to do a tiny bit every day, then slowly increase the stuff you do every day,to build a habit.
in fact today i've been lazy, but tomorrow i will train hard i promise!
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