windwalker wrote:MaartenSFS wrote:More like 99.9%.. I've never met a [pure] Taijiquan master in China that I believe would fare well in a real fight except one, that invented his own hybrid of Taijiquan and Sanda (loved that bloke's form). All the rest were just good at Tuishou and seemed delusional about striking. I've met lots of masters that cross-trained in all of the internal styles that are badarse, though..
. . . The training methods and reasons for training changed. During the last 100yrs or so. In one sense everyone is correct in their own view points.
In another sense if one does not understand their view points, where they come from, how they developed over the yrs,
one can end up like this.,
This is not to say the teacher in the clip had no skill.
The question is what kind
Why would he feel his skill sets would work in a ring having never entered one
What ring? There is no ring. What gloves? There are no gloves. What rules? The rules were open.
The "teacher" in the video does not show martial skill/fighting ability, nonetheless Taiji fighting principles and qualities.
The "teacher" may display Taiji skills in forms, demonstrations, push hands and esoteric exercises. However per Chen Xiao Wang, the teacher has not reached a high level, which requires using Taiji principles (that can be measured objectively) in a fight against an opponent. In the following article Chen Xiao Wang explains there are five levels of skill in Chen Taiji, which requires progressing through levels of martial skills against an opponent.
Excerpts from The Five Levels of Skill in Chen Style Taijiquan, http://www.shou-yi.org/taijiquan/5-leve ... -taijiquan:
Chen Xiao Wang translated by Tan Lee-Peng, Ph.D wrote:Learning taijiquan is in principle similar to educating oneself; progressing from primary to university level, where one gradually gathers more and more knowledge. Without the foundation from primary and secondary education, one will not be able to follow the courses at university level. To learn taijiquan one has to begin from the elementary and gradually progress to the advanced stage, level by level in a systematic manner. If one goes against this principle thinking he could take a quick way out, he will not succeed. The whole progress of learning taijiquan, from the beginning to achieving success consists of five stages or five levels of martial/combat skill (kung fu). There are objective standards for each level of kung fu. The highest is achieved in the fifth level.
The standard and martial skill requirements for each level of kung fu will be described in the following sections. It is hoped that with these, the many taijiquan enthusiasts all over the world will be able to 'assess' on their own their current level of attainment. They will then know what they need to learn next and advance further step-by-step. . . .
The Fifth Level Kung Fu
. . . As regarding the martial skill, at this level the gang (hard) should complement the rou (soft), it (the form) should be relaxed, dynamic, springy and lively. Every move and every motionless instant is in accordance with taiji principle, as are the movements of the whole body. This means that every part of the body should be very sensitive and quick to react when the need arises. So much so that every part of the body can act as a fist to attack whenever is in contact with the opponent's body. There should also be constant interchange between expressing and conserving of force and the stance should be firm as though supported from all sides.
Therefore the description for this level of kung fu is that it is the 'only one that plays with 50% yin and 50% yang, without any bias towards yin or yang, and the person who can do this is termed a good master. A good master makes every move according to the taiji principles which demands that every move be invisible.'
