johnwang wrote:- Do you think a 100% Taiji guy without any cross training be able to fight?
Fight what? Or whom? People already know how to fight and they do it all the time with no 'training' at all. Lots of people have successfully defended themselves or otherwise saved themselves from harm by another without any training. So I absolutely think/know a 100% Taiji guy with no x-training is able to 'fight' if their 'sparring' is properly structured.
Very few tai chi guys know how to 'spar'. It's usually a misguided mess that doesn't benefit anyone's tai chi.
johnwang wrote:
- What kind of toolbox should a Taiji fighter have?
- What kind of tools should be in that toolbox?
It depends on the person, but the principles (neutrality-spontaneity-sensitivity etc) and methods (stick-follow-link-adhere etc) are fairly well laid out.
There are no techniques in tai chi. There are movement, and postural guidelines (Thirteen Torso Methods- 8 Gates-Fives Steps etc) that require some specialized types of practice by virtue of their specifics. Training movement and postural skills have very little to do with 'fighting' and more to do with developing a tai chi body.
The tools one develops come from their personal affinities toward certain movement patterns, and their innate spacial awareness. It's different for everyone. Some people really click with some stuff while other stuff just doesn't stick. Hitting, throwing, locking and footwork come from exploring what they really know, without thinking about it, while dealing with another person's pressure.