Taiji Tested (this time for real)

[windwalker]

@aelred,

did you feel like your balance was being affected or only your body?

[Andy_S]

It's obvious that in a lot of "PH tournaments" based on pushing your opponent an inch or two in one direction or another, ZQ would lose. OTOH, he is very good at dropping his opponent while not being dropped himself - far more critical skills.

[Andy_S]

This one was a good exchange:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc8kBjdQsbg

[Andy_S]

And this is (I guess...?) Aelred's death match:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayZmPW-s39k



Some nice instruction in there.

[aelred]

LOL, no, I was in the original video I posted. That last one you referred to as the death match did contain some nice attempts at playing patty-cakes though. To be fair, the gentleman in question admitted before he stepped up that he had never done free pushing like that, only the fixed patterns.

@Andy: Yes, the exchange with the long-haired guy probably showed the cleanest throws.

@Windwalker: My balance was almost irrelevant. In the very first throw he did, where I dropped to one knee, I was "balanced", but had a forward lean, and he took the leg.

His root is simply amazing, as is his ability to soften and suddenly emit power. I can usually hold my own, but with CZQ I wasn't even in his league. Hell, I'm not even sure I was playing the same game.

[windwalker]

LOL, no, I was in the original video I posted. That last one you referred to as the death match did contain some nice attempts at playing patty-cakes though. To be fair, the gentleman in question admitted before he stepped up that he had never done free pushing like that, only the fixed patterns.

@Andy: Yes, the exchange with the long-haired guy probably showed the cleanest throws.

@Windwalker: My balance was almost irrelevant. In the very first throw he did, where I dropped to one knee, I was "balanced", but had a forward lean, and he took the leg.

His root is simply amazing, as is his ability to soften and suddenly emit power. I can usually hold my own, but with CZQ I wasn't even in his league. Hell, I'm not even sure I was playing the same game.

thanks, I asked because it didnt really seemed like he worked with your balance at all. Considering the type of training he does this would be expected.
Its a skill set, and he his good at it.

My balance was almost irrelevant

actually its very relevant, had you understood this, at your size and weight, there really is not much he or others, would have been able to do in this format.
thanks for the feed back.

It's obvious that in a lot of "PH tournaments" based on pushing your opponent an inch or two in one direction or another, ZQ would lose. OTOH, he is very good at dropping his opponent while not being dropped himself - far more critical skills.

never was/not a fan of whats called "ph" tournaments even after having helped to judge some and working with people who enter into them.

based on pushing your opponent an inch or two in one direction or another

this is I feel is a common misconception, with those that doint understand is that an "inch or two" is all it really takes if one is working on disrupting the others balance.
After this anything else is relative to what one wants to do. If one can not achieve it, then it means they still have to deal with the others body, and total mass.

Once one loses their balance depending on how its done it's pretty much over unless one can recover, which if an art is based on this being able to recover is difficult if not
impossible for those who dont work on this level.

[windwalker]

this is a good clip that shows, the habits IMO/IME that many develop in "ph competitions"
look at the difference between the teacher and the student.
there is no way he can "push" on the teacher because his intent
structure, and balance points are not in sync.

while the teacher's is very much in sync. this allows him the freedom
by moving "one inch or two " to do what ever he wants.

[Wanderingdragon]

Yes, I have always seen the true goal of pushing is to not allow your opponents touch to your where in any way, as the is when your center can be affected.

[aelred]

actually its very relevant, had you understood this, at your size and weight, there really is not much he or others, would have been able to do in this format.
thanks for the feed back.

Actually, I do understand this. The point I was attempting to make, and I apologize if I didn't explain myself properly, is that even when balanced, he was able to "take" my center.

[wayne hansen]

The last guy shows what happens when u don't play his game
The only times he was bested was when he played chens game
Chens big advantage is he gives his partner nothing
He just steps back not engaging never trying anything until the attacker overcommits or has a lack in concentration then does a blitz attack
Works well in this environment but not so good on the street or competition
I would like to know what people on this site are his partners in the clips

[aelred]

Wayne, it is me in the first clip with CZQ.

[Dmitri]

he gives his partner nothing
He just steps back not engaging never trying anything until the attacker overcommits or has a lack in concentration then does a blitz attack

Kind'a like what TJQ's "engagement mentality" is supposed to be, no?

Might be worth noting that most people he's having any trouble with are MUCH larger/heavier than he is... It's not very easy to make things look effortless and impressive when the size difference is substantial AND the opponent is not completely lacking in skill.

[windwalker]

edited:
not much to say

happy holidays

[Michael Babin]

In the last three videos, Mr. Chen is calm, he is patient, he reacts smoothly as opportunities present themselves and can both root effectively and move effectively. Obviously he has practised a long time with many partners. It's still a training game format but he is very, very good at it and the skills he demonstrate can translate well into self-defence.

[fisherman]

His root is simply amazing, as is his ability to soften and suddenly emit power. I can usually hold my own, but with CZQ I wasn't even in his league. Hell, I'm not even sure I was playing the same game.

In the last three videos, Mr. Chen is calm, he is patient, he reacts smoothly as opportunities present themselves and can both root effectively and move effectively. Obviously he has practised a long time with many partners. It's still a training game format but he is very, very good at it and the skills he demonstrate can translate well into self-defence.

I think that these are a couple of pretty important observations.