Tai Chi Forms

[Tai Chi Fighter]

I have practiced Chen style, Yang style, and Sun style. But I find that Yang style to be the most relaxing and most effective in fights. what are your thoughts.

[danfaggella]

Is tai chi something you can learn and practice on your own to promote health (and be under the age of like...80)?

does it have martial benefits in its balance and fluidity and whatever else it has? (what else does it have?)

i just hogged your thread im sorry

ANSWER HIS QUESTIONS 1st! THEN MINE :}

[fwtaichi]

I find that all the styles I've studied have helped my fighting ability. Yang and Sun incidentally.

[BoarSpear]

Virtually anyone can learn and benifit from Taiji,IF its real Taiji and thier instructor actually knows it and is willing to teach it.

Thats the problem though, the number of clowns passing off bogus crap by far outweighs the number of authentic teachers.

Fighting with any internal art is even rarer due to fact most people who teach the internal arts arent fighters. True, the people who founded the Internal arts were fighters, thats how they managed to hide thier intent in subtle moves inevident to the untrained (in internal theory and priciple) eye.

However few of the people who teach these styles today were taught about the actual methods of self defense contained in the forms (maps) left by the founders. Instead they try to "prop up" the internal styles with external fighting concepts and theories.

[Tai Chi Fighter]

Virtually anyone can learn and benifit from Taiji,IF its real Taiji and thier instructor actually knows it and is willing to teach it.

Thats the problem though, the number of clowns passing off bogus crap by far outweighs the number of authentic teachers.

Fighting with any internal art is even rarer due to fact most people who teach the internal arts arent fighters. True, the people who founded the Internal arts were fighters, thays how they managed to hide thier intent in subtle moves inevident to the untrained (in internal theory and priciple) eye.

However few of the people who teach these styles today were taught about the actual methods of self defense contained in the forms (maps) left by the founders. Instead they try to "prop up" the internal styles with external fighting concepts and theories.

I agree. That was nicely said.

[Tai Chi Fighter]

Oh yes. Even at a young age you will feel that you have better blood circulation throughout your whole body and your posture will be much better.

[Richard Kerr]

Oh yes. Even at a young age you will feel that you have better blood circulation throughout your whole body and your posture will be much better.

Tai Chi is good all round Mr Fighter but it is like all Traditional sytems from Shoalin, very hard to master. I once asked my Tai Chi teacher would my Tai Chi training improve my kickboxing? He simply replied;
"Yes of course! In about ten years."

[Drunken Munky]

Is tai chi something you can learn and practice on your own to promote health (and be under the age of like...80)?

does it have martial benefits in its balance and fluidity and whatever else it has? (what else does it have?)

i just hogged your thread im sorry

ANSWER HIS QUESTIONS 1st! THEN MINE :}

You can practise it on your own, but you would need regular corrections from someone, who knows what they are talking about. A lot of the movements, are alien to your normal movements, and its easy to neglect movements, just because you are incapable to doing them straight away.

I don't personally do Tai Chi, I do a another Chinese Martial Art. For something like Tai Chi to be truely beneficial, its important to get every movement correct, whether thats 'your palm facing away from your body at this point', or 'keeping the fingers straight and pointing at your opponent at another point', it can be surprising how the outcome of a movement can be completely different if something is out of place, which is down to your body mechanics.

There are lots of martial benefits from practising Tai Chi. Practising diligently, and intelligently should result in you improving everything you need. Such as, rooting, footwork, stances, precision and accuracy of movements, speed of the movements you practice, relaxation, clear thinking, balance, the ability to flow, improved circulation, correct breathing, martial application etc.... etc....

[visu]

I have practiced Chen style, Yang style, and Sun style. But I find that Yang style to be the most relaxing and most effective in fights. what are your thoughts.

I think that when it comes to the fighting Chen is superior to yang style but the on the contrary when it comes to overall heath and relaxation then I agree with you when you say Yang is effective.

[taoistscholar]

Isn't the concept and philosophy behind all internal martial arts and styles the same? No matter what form you do you will benefit in all areas equaly. If you get rid of your muscles, tendons and ligaments and find true relaxation you will achieve a higher level. Its just the form that you enjoy the most and makes you feel the best afterwards.

[jubaji]

If you get rid of your muscles, tendons and ligaments and find true relaxation you will

...you will be unable to move at all.

[47MartialMan]

I had actually learned a Tai Chi form-(Tai Chi Chuan) to which I forgot its name but recorded it upon practices. Quite frankly, every move is defensive and can be effectively applied. However, it is not shown but to loyal students. (Those with many years of dedication)

So, Tai Chi, and or katas, forms can be used to practice tactics-on a conceptual scale.

[taoistscholar]

Form and application do not intermingle

[kanik]

Tai Chi is good all round Mr Fighter but it is like all Traditional sytems from Shoalin, very hard to master. I once asked my Tai Chi teacher would my Tai Chi training improve my kickboxing? He simply replied;
"Yes of course! In about ten years."

Pfft... True internal styles are very difficult to master and require a LOT of work, but thats because of all the technicalities and the huuuuge amount there is to learn. Just because it takes a lifetime to master, doesnt mean it doesnt help you ebfore you master it. I started tai chi just a while ago, and it has allready made me at least 3 times as better than I was. Example, I usually do hard styles, Karate being an old favourite of mine, my friend could allways beat me, he would constantly kick my ass, and horribly too! Damn he's a good kicker. But now he doesnt want to fight me, because if we fight now, I am just as good as him. When before the gap between us was huge, its now vertually inexistant.