Some great taiji stuff.

[taiwandeutscher]

Oh ya, the Yang family, funny folks!

[D_Glenn]

Another way of understanding empty is to clear the mind of anything but intent 'Xin' and to not rely on individual parts of the body for power, but using it as one cohesive unit, as if your hands/arms aren't there.

This is one of the core principle that ZMQ teaches. You need to relax before one can clear the mind hence the 'relax style. In ZMQ style, we are alway reminder to use body as one unit and do it like we have no hands. What I believe is that YCF taught ZMQ a higher and more advanced form of training taiji as a token of appreciation for curing and saving his wife life. In turn, he only teach his indoor student the ''how to'' which is different from what he teach in public. In public, they mostly just do the form which is very good for health and wellbeing of mind.

From what was written about YCF , the ''good stuff'' is only for indoor disciples.

Cheers,
UniTaichi

So the "good stuff"/ advanced/ higher inner door skills and teaching in ZMQ style Taijiquan are actually just the 'Basic' instructions from other CMAs.

That makes so much sense now.
So many threads have been spent trying to figure out why the ZMQ people make such a big deal about basic things like 'Yi' and 'Kong' (intent and emptiness), and turn them into something magical.

It's not that nobody outside of the ZMQ people can understand what 'emptiness' is; it's that nobody outside of the ZMQ crew can understand why you guys make such a big deal about it.

.

[UniTaichi]

Hi D_Glenn,

To me ''use Yi , not strenght'' is the essence of taijiquan. Taiji is a set of principle, using the theory of Yin/Yang(2) to reach the stage of Taiji(1) and then return to Wuji ( 0 ) (Void/Kong/Emptiness).

All IMA art the highest level are when you can reach this state of Void.

You mentioned Yi and Kong are just ''basic'' . So you can do a 'point strike' using Yi. That mean fajin using your Yi ? No obvious movement, normal standing, relaxed, etc. For a better understanding of ''point strike'' pls visit Vincent Chu wedsite under article by GM Fang Ning. Those who can do that are at level 7 of 10. (Sorry, I not that good at linking.) ''Kong'' would be another quantum leap.

There are levels within levels. Each understanding is different when one reaches another level or stage of development. I find the OP link by Scott to be a good read as he has reach a higher stage of development and his explanation or maybe just description/experience of Mingjin, etc, is different. And that does not mean yours is incorrect. Perhaps these are the type of experence that Franklin ? was asking for in another older thread. I too have similar experiences and so maybe able to relate better.

Cheers,
UniTaichi

[XiaoXiong]

I thought this one of Master Zhu was pretty sweet. For those with eyes to see, I think this video is a treasure.
Jess

[XiaoXiong]

http://dai.ly/x83s0g

[windwalker]

do you feel the clip posted and the link show the same things?

[XiaoXiong]

Yes and no. The clip from daily motion shows relatively simple redirecting and then hitting the center lightly to demonstrate. The one with Master Zhu shows some really high level emptiness skill, where he is creating a field of intent that is empty from his hand to the ground. He's putting the Yi on the ground, then messing with hitting the center. So in essence yes, they are both hitting the center, no they are not doing the same thing exactly. But the principal is the same.
Master Zhu is doing something much more based on the mind and moving the intent into the others body. I am working on similar ideas so seeing this kind of thing helps me to stay focused on the mind, and let the body be as empty as possible.
Jess

[XiaoXiong]

One idea I like is to visualize a sword in my hand sometimes, to extend the mind beyond my body, and effect my opponent. That is one way to start to use the kind of internal power I'm trying to work on. It has helped a lot with my push hands. I really have improved a great deal, though I haven't yet figured out how to completely ground out every force. Especially when guys attack the underarms. I invest in loss and let them have it, but the ones who specialize in this kind of attack are difficult to neutralize with their hands in that position. I don't have to let them have it, but how else will I learn the skill?
Jess

[windwalker]

Especially when guys attack the underarms. I invest in loss and let them have it, but the ones who specialize in this kind of attack are difficult to neutralize with their hands in that position. I don't have to let them have it, but how else will I learn the skill?

if you have nothing then there is nothing to let them have.
you can try this, if your shoulder joints have loosened then just move them in
accordance with the direction of the force in a circular fashion
the force will be returned to the other.

if you can dissipate the force, there should be nothing to ground out.
what your dissipating is the intent of action not the action itself.



watch her body movement, instead of the action itself.
look at the knees, hips and back

I like her clips very natural, reminds of the practice in beijing.

[suckinlhbf]

Her body alignment makes her body a whole piece so the power comes from the ground. The further away the contact point with the engine, the harder to feel where the power comes from. It is then the intent and projection to move the opponent to whatever direction you want. I can see she always have one leg sticks firmly to the ground. Amazing.

[XiaoXiong]

That was a great clip of Bian. I think that the armpit thing is a skill I need to develope more, to absorb and redirect more from the shoulders instead of the legs and waist. I think my shoulders hold more tension, probably from too much bjj. I have been able to neutralize most in that position, but the guy who is kind if a specialist at it is a 30 year plus disciple of Ben Lo, and has a very competitive push hands history. So for me the newb to have one problem in his game isn't too bad for now. But I will be drilling that position until I get it figured out.
Jess

[ors]

Just a sidenote, or question if you don't mind guys...
Here are some video of the teachers of these two practioners, you have linked a few times, Mrs Bian and Mr Zhu...
Mrs Bian's teacher, Li Jingwu:

(I think this was linked by Alan previously
Mr Zhu's teacher Wang Yongquan:

Maybe it is just me, but I can see some significant difference between their films and their student's. How do you feel about this? To tell the truth I would say, that I can see the power, or force of the teachers in this last two films.
Wang even speaks a lot about where his power comes from... etc.
I can see some difference in the reactions of the partners as well...
What is your oppinion about these questions if you don't mind?

Örs

[windwalker]

I would say, that I can see the power, or force of the teachers in this last two films.
Wang even speaks a lot about where his power comes from... etc.
I can see some difference in the reactions of the partners as well...
What is your oppinion about these questions if you don't mind?

the taiji that I work with would be very close to " Wang Yongquan"

I think it would be more fair to say that you can see where the teacher engages the student, according to the students level so that they can feel whats happening.

IME its pointless in teaching engaging at a point where the student or students cant get it.
there are levels, just as in the many clips that get questioned here.

In person with those that can do it, IME people often question there own experiences. If its to far above their level, depending on the teachers teaching style they may never get it, or feel that the teacher is not teaching it.

where the teacher engages the student,

this refers to the time between intent, and physical action.

the students of the teachers mentioned, seem to be more forth coming, probably after understanding that the old ways of teaching where not really conductive to people actually getting it.

[XiaoXiong]

It looks more the same than different to me. The differences seem attributable to the fact that they are different people, not that they are doing something substantively different.
Jess

[Patrick]

Hmm, Let's see... Fa-jin practice, nice, yes, but taken to an extreme, it can and it has lead many folk astray and then wrongly believe, that they now posses super human power.. )))
Anyway, to make a long story short, some silly tai chi blokes, on the net, boast about their ability to do these "tricks" or as they like to calls them "Real tcc " So some time back... One of these " tai chee- fruit cake," dared me to replicate this "fa-jin" of "his" (claiming that i would NOT be able to do it)... but as we can see, I can and did,( Impromptu may i add) and all the while mocking Him and his silly chair, no legs, no force bouncy trick.
( who by the way I now hear that after this video, he has now taken his shit off the net.. LoL) These tricks are just that, fun body tricks, mostly to entertain and little more . Let us not be fooled by folk who claim otherwise and boast of "real tai chi" just cause they do these tricks and non else.

Now, if I (who do not practice them) can do em' with relative ease.... Imagine, how fancy one can get with them, with a little practice? Now this type of Fa-jin, should it be practice?yes, but just to get the general idea and such. and no more, other wise you will end up with delusion of grandure and living with a false sense of security (martial speaking) just like them. (all smoke and no fire)


Real, 'chuan' is more,way more then these silly "fa jin " tricks for kids. Real tcc, takes effort. sweat and tears and many years to master. something that these blokes, eschew from their practice Anyway, my two