Any of you seen this site?!

[SAAMAG]

http://www.internaldamagetaichi.com/

What do you all think of it? I like the fact that he's bringing back the martial reputation to Tai Chi.

[Lucas]

its always nice to see people advancing the martial applicability of taiji.

i mean taiji is just freaking brutal....

[Three Harmonies]

Bringing what back? Taiji has always been a MARTIAL art!

I have one of his DVD's. For the most part solid stuff. A few off the wall applications I would not do, but overall one of the better Taiji application DVD's on the market!

Cheers
Jake

[kfson]

Oh, I like this guy.

What is the "Sacred Yang"?

[sanjuro_ronin]

Taiji is one of the most effective means of combat out there, its inherent principles make it very efficient as well.
Whether Taiji is predominatly a grappling or striking art is irrelevant, it is tailored to individual preferences.
The issue is that, by taking the moves from the form and applying them, we MAY not be choosing the bets course of action, bets to take the principles and let th emoves "came out" on their own.

[Dale Dugas]

principles and concepts when understood will always trump a rote technique learned as a response to a situation.

[SAAMAG]

Bringing what back? Taiji has always been a MARTIAL art!

I have one of his DVD's. For the most part solid stuff. A few off the wall applications I would not do, but overall one of the better Taiji application DVD's on the market!

Cheers
Jake

You and I know that, but the masses that practice it as a means of physical therapy for geriatric patients do not. In fact the majority of the tai chi out there is simply a form set used for "mediation" and "good health". Very infrequently will you find someone who practices the art in its entirety.

[TenTigers]

nothing new. he's doing applications that anyone with knowledge of basic technique can do(figure out) , simply by taking the moves in the form, and extrapolating on them.
But..is it Tai-Ch'i?
Some of the moves, such as single whip are, although somewhat workable, are IMHO, not actually the way it was intended to be applied, as far as my brief experience.. Doing the plam strike with your hook hand simply floating in the air? Why is it a hook hand? Don't you think that maybe..it's...um, hooking something?
Would you drop BOTH your hands down to block a knee strike at a range that leaves your head open?
Do you think that any martial art that is "highly evolved" would have such "No-No's" as it's application?
While I think it's great what he's doing-showing that Tai-Chi is first and foremost a Martial Art, and I have no doubt that he can fight with it, which in itself is impressive, you need to ask yourself a question: Is what he is doing what Tai-Chi was intended for? It seems to go against everything I was taught.

[bawang]

if u want to see if a tai chi guy is the real deal see his fighting stance. sadly most will use a stance from movies.

[TenTigers]

watch deflect parry and punch-he completely ignores the first part of that technique..deflect. Does anyone else see the "bong-sau?" Or the parry to the blind side, or the chin-na application? or the trapping? or, or...? well? Is he using Tai-Chi principles? Not in my experience, and I have only learned a smatterring of Tai-Chi.

[taai gihk yahn]

Some of the moves, such as single whip are, although somewhat workable, are IMHO, not actually the way it was intended to be applied, as far as my brief experience.. Doing the plam strike with your hook hand simply floating in the air? Why is it a hook hand? Don't you think that maybe..it's...um, hooking something?

the "single whip" is pretty straight forward: for example, you redirect a right punch w/the right & roll into a hook, then knife edge strike w/the left; if that strike is blocked by the opponent's left outer arm, you move into "strum lute", which grabs the wrist of the blocking arm, pulls it down and attacks the upturned elbow; there is also a leg hook / attack component; this can then be used to uproot the opponent if he doesn't counter the attack to the elbow, or if he does resolve it, you move into a closer range w/"shoulder stroke" to set up a body throw with "white crane flashes wings"; there are, of course, other variations, but that's one of the more obvious ones;
what makes it "taiji" is the "ging" behind the movements and that you are working into a standing grappling range with the ultimate goal of dumping the guy; at least that's my perspective
I actually have a video of me doing this and other movements in a self-defense "demo" which I will upload and post a link to when I have a moment