Mysterious taiji power

[windwalker]

Aside from the fact that it only works on her own students you mean?

the same could be said for many of the other clips shown

the OP has shared his experiences that now make much of what he sees possible and understandable
maybe a year or so back he too, might be making the same comments being made by others.
most here have not indicated weather they can do any of what is shown.

I think if one could do even a little of what is shown then as the OP, they would tend to see the skill and usefulness
of the skill. what is evident is that no matter how, what or why, its explained or shared.
the standered answer is that its somehow fake or not real.

dont agree with the "OP" on the last clip posted.
the method the teacher uses is very different.

[XiaoXiong]

I think maybe this is about her being a woman, and notions of strength and gender roles. What you guys call common sense here I call narrow minded prejudice without objectivity or clarity.
Jess

[Sean]

This has absolutely nothing to do with gender. No one here has even come close to hinting at that.
"Narrow minded prejudice"? That's a pretty far-flung accusation.

And as for objectivity:

From Wikipedia: "Objectivity in science is a value that informs how science is practiced and how scientific truths are discovered. It is the idea that scientists, in attempting to uncover truths about the natural world, must aspire to eliminate personal biases, a priori commitments, emotional involvement, etc.[1] Objectivity is often attributed to the property of scientific measurement, as the accuracy of a measurement can be tested independent from the individual scientist who first reports it.[citation needed] It is thus intimately related to the aim of testability and reproducibility. To be properly considered objective, the results of measurement must be communicated from person to person, and then demonstrated for third parties, as an advance in understanding of the objective world."
(italics mine)

And therein lies the problem.

[Patrick]

XiaoXong, just for personal interest, can you do any of that stuff to your classmates at Pedro Sauers? If yes, what was their reaction?

[Ian]

I keep off this thread for my mental health.

That clip is an embarrassment.

[XiaoXiong]

Dunno never tried. I don't jump people or whatever. I do throw people around pretty well. Mostly they seem to think that I'm really good at wrestling when we do stand up. Many have asked about my experience, but when I tell them what I've been doing they're like wtf?? It's often like they either don't believe me or don't believe that what I'm doing should work so well or that I should be that good. The Muay Thai and Kali coach is an Eric Paulson guy under Johhny Hendricks, and he got really mad, and won't wrestle with me anymore. So yeah mostly people just seem to think they should be better, or I shouldn't be that good.
Jess

[shawnsegler]

That's just the way of things, Jess. It's one of the things that's always turned me off about BJJ...not that the art isn't great or that I wouldn't love to learn it (I would), but anything with that much emphasis on competition is going to draw a lot of Type A's and a lot of attitude. Mix that with the normal levels of crazy you get in martial artists in general and well...Drama. FWIW it's always a good chance to work on one's compassion and serenity.

Cheers,

S

[XiaoXiong]

Yeah, it sucks actually. I haven't been working out at Pedro's since last year because I live an hour away, and I get more out of training by myself many times. I'm sure my jits is garbage by now, but I am still improving my skills in martial arts consistently. Bjj only held so much promise for me. It feels like trying to get a black belt in push hands to me. I just don't see martial arts the same way those guys do. They are too proud to see the holes in their knowledge, and I'm too stubborn to not point them out, and keep working on more useful skills as related to actual fighting. I'll probably get back into bjj for the workout and fun of it, but I think I got more than enough out of my bjj training already. I just don't wanna drink the bjj kool aid. I have much love and respect for Master Sauer and Rickson Gracie. Some of the stuff they showed me probably saved me in one fight (how to get up). But yeah. I just don't want to fight like a bjj or Gracie guy in the end. I want to fight like Cheng Ting Hua.
Jess

[everything]

I want to fight like Cheng Ting Hua.

haha yeah. he was a grappler (SC) before the bagua.

don't believe me or don't believe that what I'm doing should work so well or that I should be that good

that is quite excellent and if you look at the top guys in mma, they "picked up" and integrated skills faster (GSP with no comp wrestling background for example).

anyway some of us would be jealous/angry because we (I) don't have that natural ability/talent, but on am IMA board, some of us just want to learn the same stuff.

[XiaoXiong]

There's a big difference between sc and bjj. I am also a grappler. George's bagua school was very grapple heavy. We did a ton of wrestling there as a part of our traditional bagua training. It's funny because when I went to the bjj academy, people noticed I was different, to say the least. Pedro said I was "a good wrestler". When I took what I got from bjj and put it back into my bagua it improved, much like CTH improved his sc with bagua. I am also now doing taiji stuff and figuring out how to put it into use, but it doesn't seem to mix super easily with bagua IMO. It's like the strategy of taiji really helps set up bagua stuff, and certain things from bagua and xingyi about centerline control, multiple axis of Jing, and footwork really help when the taiji strategy (at my level) starts to show flaws. I like freeing myself from the limitations of stylistic paradigms.

Taiji has really helped to use the deep relaxation and confidence to be cool under pressure. I was pushing with a Russian woman who is going through some emotional stuff. She was trying to get me in ph, but has an injury so I was being very nice while she was being very mean. She tried to break my fingers and lock me and I just used my taiji and bagua to stay loose and comfortable. She even punched me in the face because she got frustrated! I really didn't see that one coming! But funny thing is, it was a pretty good straight shot to my chin, but it didn't do anything to me. I was surprised she would go there, and also surprised that I basically didn't take any damage or feel any effects. Lesson learned, don't take people lightly in any martial training. Even ph with injured women... It was funny though. I think she only punched me because she likes me though. We had a good laugh and a hug about it. She said in Russia the girls hit the boys and they can't do anything to retaliate. Anyway, my point is that the styles are not truths unto themselves. They are merely guiding strategies to approach the truth of combatives.
Jess

[everything]

lol what a training partner!

slight exposure to bagua here. taiji seems to prefer a back and forth wave like approach for better or worse. d_glenn's comment about taiji moving the center and keeping you on the outside and restarting the same dynamic vs. bagua moving the center while wrapping you in or out seems to sum it up.

[Patrick]

@XiaoXiong Is it not understandable that the are confused when you tell them you have it from CMA. I mean is not that CMA is known for that outside of rfs. Me personally I would not leave the chance out of learning from Pedro Sauer. I just love "relaxed" jiu jitsu, instead of the more wrestling based bjj.

[XiaoXiong]

Learning from Pedro for those years was great. I'll see him again. I just have been doing other things. I studied traditional Thai medicine and started my own business. I started a new life after getting divorced. I am also trying to get to the bottom of the real depths of martial arts. Jiu jitsu doesn't offer me that. It's interesting and fun, but it's not promoting a truly winning combat self defense strategy. Taiji is offering me a lot of new vantages and ideas. I'm hoping to seek out more advanced teachers and go as far as I can. Hero worship is over for me. I can't afford to spend my life according to what anyone else thinks. I'm not signing up for a belt or a heritage of pride. I want to grow as a person. I want to be a deep martial artist.
Jess

[Pipefighter,PhD]

I believe I can see a flaw in the logic of this test. If the 'internal' energy is applied to a student who is not themselves sensitive to the internal energy wouldn't they be seriously injured (ruptured internal organs) rather than counter/react/dissipate the energy by jumping? Your test, should it attract a real internal master could result in a corpse.

Thats a risk i'd be willing to take.

[Pipefighter,PhD]

Dunno never tried. I don't jump people or whatever. I do throw people around pretty well. Mostly they seem to think that I'm really good at wrestling when we do stand up. Many have asked about my experience, but when I tell them what I've been doing they're like wtf?? It's often like they either don't believe me or don't believe that what I'm doing should work so well or that I should be that good. The Muay Thai and Kali coach is an Eric Paulson guy under Johhny Hendricks, and he got really mad, and won't wrestle with me anymore. So yeah mostly people just seem to think they should be better, or I shouldn't be that good.
Jess

I'm sorry, which eric paulson guy got mad at you and refuses to roll because you said your bacground with wrestling is actually IMA? Or he refuses to roll because you are using IMA in rolling?
This is very confusing to me as a wrestler, catch wrestler, with some time in Paulson's system. I'm curious what exactly happened that made a Combat Submission Wrestling coach with MT and Kali experience shy away from you. Especially if you are saying that you beat him rolling so he refuses to roll with you any more. Please, describe the encounter!