Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan

[peppi]

chen style is more like external martial art, and yang style is more internal

Interesting thought

slowing down makes you easily to find out which point is less power.that's the basic purpose of slowness.

The real purpose is the principle that if you aim to develop speed first do it slow and if you want to develop power first do it soft and light

[Ghost]

Totally impossible
Power = Work/time
work is force*distance.

you cant create force without power.

Even the idea of a "powerless force".

Tai chi is a method of movement and creation of force against an opponent without generating power.

[ttruscott]

Originally Posted by ttruscott
Tai chi is a method of movement and creation of force against an opponent without generating power.

Totally impossible
Power = Work/time
work is force*distance.

you cant create force without power.

Even the idea of a "powerless force".

Does the sun rise in the East? No, of course it doesn't - it only looks that way.

What we are talking about here is perceived power.

When I do a karate reverse punch, I feel my muscles working accelerating and I feel the hit.

With a properly done taiji technique, the amount of 'work' if feel my muscles do is wayyyy down whereas the amount of effect or "power perceived or felt" by my partner is magnified above normal.

effort down, effect up

It has nothing to do with the physics of creating power but with the efficiency of that power creation - the efficiency of the creation of the power which gets more power with less effort and the efficiency of its effect, increased power into the person multiplied by proper manipulation of his structure to enhance the effect.

Ted

[Ghost]

this is down to not doing any wasteful movements or muscle contractions. i agree that karate is very wasteful, its also very powerful though.

so can you hit harder using a karate reverse punch or a tai chi strike?

[ttruscott]

so can you hit harder using a karate reverse punch or a tai chi strike?

May because of my many years in karate, Master Chen ZH refuses to categorize any move in Yi Lu as a 'punch' per se. He often says it is not the forward obvious hand that is hurting him but your back hand.

Anyway as a 5th year beginner, I have no taiji skills at all. Master Chen looked at my Yi Lu and said: "Well, I don't see any karate in it but I don't see any taijij either!"

So, definitely, if I want to punch I use karate principles.

Maybe next year...

Ted

[Ghost]

so you are classed as a beginner after 5 years?
have you learnt anything at all yet :S

[ttruscott]

Well, I do. My teacher calls me a teacher of beginners.

I can approximate the outer form and have learned a fair bit of theory but I have no taiji magic like my teacher is developing and his teacher has in abundance.

[Hong, head of our lineage, liked to say that if there is a physical manifestation of your taji, there is a physical explanation for how it worked rather than a mystical energy one. But he also like to talk about good taji being so smooth and coordinated and efficient that the effects it has on people should seem like magic.]

My karate training may be fading out of my forms but it is still controlling my actions when I touch hands with someone, hence, no taji.

Ted