Qian Zhaohong walks through his XinYi applications.

[aamc]

I thought there were lots of interesting applications.

Andrew

[wayne hansen]

I would like to see him do it with someone who wasn't intimidated and moved at the same speed

[aamc]

Rumsoaked fist bingo!

[willywrong]

I thought there were lots of interesting applications.

Andrew

Me too. He's very proactive in his approach and I think this gives the impression of a bird swooping ("The raptor swooped down on its prey"; "The teacher swooped down upon the new students") As for the students being a little intimidated well isn't the rabbit frightened of the hawk.

[wayne hansen]

Not this rabbit

[Andy_S]

Good stuff.

Re Wayne's comment:
When all is said and done, he is just demoing apps on a student. Maybe, in other situations, he bangs a bit more. Maybe not.

The bigger problem with CMA is that this is what passes for "combat training" in many instances.

[Bao]

I would like to see him do it with someone who wasn't intimidated and moved at the same speed

Re Wayne's comment:
When all is said and done, he is just demoing apps on a student. Maybe, in other situations, he bangs a bit more. Maybe not.
The bigger problem with CMA is that this is what passes for "combat training" in many instances.

Well... He is called "Chainsaw" for a reason. He has a very good fighting record, always accept challenges and has never been beaten. Well, that's what his student told me.
The stories might be exaggerated to some extent, but I believe that part of it is true and that he has good skill in his arts. And according to the student, it's very hard to not become intimidated when your against the Chainsaw. When he tried to attack him and spar with him more freely, he was all over the place and very, very fast.

[Wanderingdragon]

I would like to see him do it with someone who wasn't intimidated and moved at the same speed

Anyone with any specific ideas on how to counter the things, or anyone thing they see here ?

[wayne hansen]

Get me right I'm not saying he didn't have skill
Only it would have been better shown with a more realistic approach

[Wanderingdragon]

No, I understand what you're saying, and surely not to take away from what he has, but small things such at the very beginning for instance. " what if " I step out from the back foot my hand following my body brushing off his groin attack, him no longer having my weak side to bump. Again I realize these are teaching demos, and judging by the way he speeds up at times to change the scheme could force his reaction. Many is the time, in demo if someone moved left instead of right we have been thankful for our teachers control as he stops his change infront of your face or what ever the target, looking straight into your eyes with pure intent, only to say " hey! You be careful " , bringing back to the technique being demoed.

[allen2saint]

In MA, there is no "assigned reading" before class. So we're taught basic concepts and we practice those same basic concepts at the same time. Clearly this is what is happening here. For the student to resist, especially these students who clearly are beginners, wouldn't make much sense would it? We're just learning vocabulary and concept land for complex use of multiple concepts and applications. If they resisted? He's kick their asses.

It's unreasonable to think you can critique a teacher's art based on what we're seeing here.

[aamc]

It's unreasonable to think you can critique a teacher's art based on what we're seeing here.

(Y)

[Wanderingdragon]

In MA, there is no "assigned reading" before class. So we're taught basic concepts and we practice those same basic concepts at the same time. Clearly this is what is happening here. For the student to resist, especially these students who clearly are beginners, wouldn't make much sense would it? We're just learning vocabulary and concept land for complex use of multiple concepts and applications. If they resisted? He's kick their asses.

It's unreasonable to think you can critique a teacher's art based on what we're seeing here.

Exactly, now we're looking at the pictures, the same as f it were after the game prepping g for the next, and the question is what should/could we have done, the same adjustments the coach makes after a game.

[Bhassler]

It looked to me like Qian was not doing any rote applications, he was just showing the concept and taking whatever was available. You could go through and look for counters to each move, but it would just open up something else. With that discrepancy in skill, I find it more useful to look at what the teacher is doing rather than worry about what the student might have done. Qian's got great balance that he can move in any direction or strike with any limb at any time. To my eye he just reeks of bad-assery. It interesting how people can see such different things from the same video.

FWIW, I don't necessarily think that the student was a beginner-- it's hard to tell. There are mountains and then there are Mountains...

[AJG]

I would like to see him do it with someone who wasn't intimidated and moved at the same speed

Wayne makes a very good point. I like how Qian moves, however like many teachers we never ever see anything demonstrated at a realistic speed and intent.

There are probably a number of reasons for this

1. These teachers know their stuff however haven't practiced that hard for quite some time so there could be some uncertainty around demonstrating at speed.
2. Its possible the applications don't work as well at speed.
3. The concept of "face" in martial arts and/or a culture of unrealistic expectations from a teacher. If a teacher does an application at speed and it somehow it doesn't work there is the belief by either the teacher or student that their credibility will be impacted. The result is demonstrating applications while keeping it safe to avoid any adverse results.

Teachers are not invincible and as soon as we move away from that idea the better things will get.

Alex