BaguaBoxer

First of all most of the kung fu in the phone book today will not help you survive. Second if you can find a truely peaceful part of the world please show it to me. Next Tai Chi is very effective in combat if trained correctly...good luck easily finding a competent instructor. The relaxed forms for Tai Chi are to teach you not to lock up in a fight this steals your power and helps your opponent. Tai Chi uses explosive power and if you have ever been hit by a Tai Chi practitioner you will believe this. It doesn't take 20 years to defend yourself with Tai Chi it is just a farce that people call themselves masters after 5. Even if all you did was study Tai Chi and nothing else 5 years is a drop in the bucket. Just like Karate schools had out Black Belts to 9 year old kids but Black Belt means you can generate lethal force. I have yet to meet a 9 year old that can kill me with a couple of punches or kicks. As in any art it takes years if not decades to master it ,forms are just a guide line. If studying forms and memorizing them makes you a master hell we all would be. If all you want is a belt color go for it. But real karate master know that learning and training never stop and there are no belts. The work you put in is the work you get out. And I would like to apologize for throwing the "American Laziness" comment in there. I was on a rant. Latley it seems the whole world has become complacent. But for some reason people in the MMA world feel kung fu is not effective even though it cover grappling ,punching (which doesen't seem to be prevelent in most MMA matches) ,ground fighting ,submissions ,and locks. I think the problem is humans as a whole look for what is commercialized and easy to find. But if everyone is doing style A and I jump in the ring with style B the suprise is enough to give me an edge. Spartacus beat the Romans by using tactics not like the Legions he didn't lose till he fought the same way they did.

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Hurry to meet death before someone takes your place

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