"Hidden Snake Style of the Yang Family"

[GrahamB]

Lol To be honest I agree with you K - I'm not a fan of what is presented in the video, but each to their own. And answer this - if GOD had not wanted us to raise our shoulders up then why can we? WHY? As well as practicing deviant Yoga, are you saying you hate GOD now too?

[yieldingxxx]

Mr. Gim, as boisterous as he may be, (met him a couple of times) which he freely admits, sounds likes he's challenging Bob Boyd and his "Snake" style. Regardless of what anyone's video may looks like, perhaps we need a little more of Gim's "attitude." Actually, I think he's just saying what a lot of people in Tai Chi think about regarding some of these so called "Masters." I mean, are potential students always just willing to "believe" someone actually has internal skills just cause someone says so? Especially, students who may already have 5 to 10 years training for example, and want to advance their skills and power. Personally, I don't believe anything until I "feel" something or get knocked to the ground without compliance, but that's just me. I'm a born skeptic.

Regardless, it's a fun read, I gotta admit......

From H. Won Gim's website: --- --- Let us please see this exceptional internal power of yours, I humbly ask. As I'm a loud-mouth, I cannot think of a better way to keep my mouth shut, for good, than have your understanding of the internal power shove into my face...that would keep me quiet, at your service. Surely, your teacher must have shown you something to exhibit in case there are suspicious, lets say a slightly doubtful, people like myself who refuses to believe in what you say. It seems there are a lot of people who have accepted your claims and joined in on your federation, association, or whatever, but I can't just jump in. However, by some crazy behavior unknown to me, if I do jump in, will you be willing to accept me? Just kidding! Sceptical as I am, without witnessing your internal skill or two, I cannot swallow your sale's pitch wholesale. You see, when I first open my school in NYC and in order to prove to people about the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, I had to show them the power, in number of different ways. Can you do that for me? Of course, you are not obligated to do so since I or any one of my pupils do not have any intention of becoming a part of your scheme. Who knows you might end up recruiting some; that's a good bargain, isn't it? Nonetheless, don't you want to convince us that you have the real goods, the sceptics that we are? Of course, I'm not asking you to levitate or anything unreasonable... just show me something that makes you uniquely different and superior from the rest of us, who have also pledged ourselves to Yang SIGONG's system, show me what your teacher has taught you. Convince me and you shall have my allegiance, and that's not a bad thing. If you cannot think of what to exhibit, then may I suggest some things for you to do. Don't worry, they won't be too hard, considering what you are claiming to represent and capable of. Perhaps, I'll have you play with 'the Beast' for a few seconds? Too tough...how about tossing some of my top students around? I'll promise you that they will behave in their best gentlemanly manner possible.

What's with these people who have decided to embrace your system? How are they convinced? You must have shown them something of your internal power, haven't you? How else could they have accepted your system? Or, did they just take your words for it? If you have shown them of your internal power, it is one thing, but if they accepted your sale's pitch wholesale without any evidence of your internal power, then these people are just as unethical as you are, for they are collaborating on the same scheme that you are promoting: misinformation to profit. You want to be placed on the throne of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan realm, undermine the rest of us, and monopolize and exploit the system without having shown any of your understanding of the internal principles of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. Indeed...legitimacy is a bitch. You can try to take it if you so greed for it, but as far as I'm around, I'll be circling you like a vulture on a dead carcass. Perhaps, you did not anticipate such unreasonable person like myself who just refuses to accept your words of how you are the next torch bearer of our system. Yes, I will orate my garbles until I am convinced of your gibberish. You will deserve every bit of mud I shall be slinging, for I'm terribly offended, of which you probably don't give a damn...ditto. Exhibit to all of us who have dedicated to Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan that you have what it takes. I have been doing my share of showing what the internal power of Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan for a decade and a half now, and I will continuously do so, though, according to you, mine is a water-downed version, thus misleading the people. Surely, if I can do it with the alleged water-downed version, then you can far outperform me with your superior skill, couldn't you? So, let us see what you have.

[Steve Rowe]

Why doesn't he just speak his mind?

[Yuen-Ming]

It strikes me as a bit odd that after Yang LC left Chen Village, the Yang, Wu, Hao and Sun masters all came up with with their own systems of Taiji within 40-50 years of each other, and nobody questioned them, but now the best part of a century has passed and no more family styles of Taiji have appeared that are recognized as legitimate... Dong style is generally recognized as a substyle of Yang, while Hong and Feng styles are generally recognized as substyles of Chen.

Why the lack of innovation in recent Taiji?

Necessity is the mother of all inventions!

Back up until the beginning of the 20th century the social situation in which China was unstable, people would practice martial arts with a very specific intent in mind. This drive would bring people in a very practical direction and results would thus be obtained.

Historical changes brought martial arts in China, and then in the west, to a point where goals were different and so intent had to change too. There has been a huge evolution in sport science so, in a way, those martial arts (artists) open to changes have managed to improve their background and introduced significant curriculum to their studies.

So, in a way, there has been innovation ... but with a twist

YM

[kreese]

The scene is not what it once was, like swing dancing. At least swing dancers go out and dance, taiji people massage themselves alone with qi.

[GusFring]

I have an answer to this.

The Yang, Wu, Hao and Sun masters did not come up with their own systems of Taiji. Back in the day, the way I heard it anyways, there was no such thing as "XYZ" styles. There was just "Taijiquan" and each person had their specific lineage. It as a given that each teacher taught it differently and had their own "style" (in the most colloquial sense of the word). The concept of distinct "styles" (as in "Yang Style" or "Wy Style") only came into existence shortly after the establishment of Communist China and the creation of national standardized competitions. With everyone performing radically different versions of Taijiquan, there was no way to judge them competitively. So the national sports authority looked around and created broad categories: Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu (Hao), and Sun. Standard routines were established and the various branches were delineated.

You're not only wrong, you're darned wrong.

[GusFring]

I have an answer to this.

The Yang, Wu, Hao and Sun masters did not come up with their own systems of Taiji. Back in the day, the way I heard it anyways, there was no such thing as "XYZ" styles. There was just "Taijiquan" and each person had their specific lineage. It as a given that each teacher taught it differently and had their own "style" (in the most colloquial sense of the word). The concept of distinct "styles" (as in "Yang Style" or "Wy Style") only came into existence shortly after the establishment of Communist China and the creation of national standardized competitions. With everyone performing radically different versions of Taijiquan, there was no way to judge them competitively. So the national sports authority looked around and created broad categories: Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu (Hao), and Sun. Standard routines were established and the various branches were delineated.

You're not only wrong, you're darned wrong.

[GrahamB]

Twice wrong!

[JonathanArthur]

太极是一门

[taiwandeutscher]

You mean:
太極拳是一門
Never heard off, ha!

[Bao]

It strikes me as a bit odd that after Yang LC left Chen Village, the Yang, Wu, Hao and Sun masters all came up with with their own systems of Taiji within 40-50 years of each other,

Why the lack of innovation in recent Taiji?

"Styles" were all methods to popularize tai chi to the masses and teaching bigger groups. Even "Chen Style" was further developed in the same manner by people as Chen Fake. We dont need more styles today, we allready have different methods to line up people for practicing form and methods to keep them paying fees.

We need to individualise tai chi, get back to focusing on principles and get rid of the idea of styles. We definitively dont need more egos in silk pyjamas with even more fancy ways of packaging the art.

[johnwang]

We dont need more styles today,

The day that you link all your favor drills into a form and achieve true integration of kick, punch, lock, throw (add ground game if you want to) such as:

Hammer fist, gion kick, face punch, front kick, roundhouse kick, side kick, head lock, leg block, front cut, wrist lock, elbow lock, shoulder lock, hook punch, back fist, upper cut, hook punch, turn hook kick, back fist, downward pull, single leg, foot sweep, arm guide, leg seize, twist and spring, hook punch, hip throw, inner hook, ...

the word "style" will have very little meaning to you.

[Bao]

We dont need more styles today,

The day that you link all your favor drills into a form and achieve true integration of kick, punch, lock, throw (add ground game if you want to) such as:

Hammer fist, gion kick, face punch, front kick, roundhouse kick, side kick, head lock, leg block, front cut, wrist lock, elbow lock, shoulder lock, hook punch, back fist, upper cut, hook punch, turn hook kick, back fist, downward pull, single leg, foot sweep, arm guide, leg seize, twist and spring, hook punch, hip throw, inner hook, ...

the word "style" will have very little meaning to you.

+100

Sadly: authors, teachers and organisations all drill into peoples mind that "style" and following the "rules of a style is more important than personal dicovery.

[windwaterrock]

I focus on the methods and pricipals, because they exist everywhere and not just in a classroom or martial art. I never wanted to practice in a dogmatic way so i specialize in no form, but in movement, structure, environment, and forces. I sometimes sound ignorant when talking about names and forms, but when i teach about how to execute and understand certain methods there's no problem. No matter how many times i show and prove my lack of formalities and belts makes me doomed to have to prove it again. People after trying me out don't know that i'm paralyzed from the collar bone down. They think it's from the waist down. It took over five years for me to learn how to compensate.The things they once said i couldn't do because of my wheelchair they now say it's because of my sitting down that aids me. I have no choice but to do this only for the truth

[jessb]

Who is dan harden?