Niu Chunming (1881 - 1961) longer video

[cdobe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEl4EUr5IXk

[Bao]

Can't watch youtube here... Is it this one? (9 min)
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTI3MDgwOTE3Ng==.html?x

One of my top favourite Yang Style performances. The whole body movement and intent are superb. You can also see that he also has this very smooth, even movement that looks like there's a resistance when he moves, IMHO a trademark of good tai chi movement. Seems like a marvellous practitioner/master.

(I actually do have a tiny small general objection to the performance, but I will let that pass)

[taiwandeutscher]

Close to what we do in Xiongmen Taijiquan!

[Andy_S]

Very nice: The guy is really rounded and peng-inflated, which one often does not see in modern, more angular and longer Yang. It also reminds me of how similar Yang and Wu look (or used to look).

SNIP
You can also see that he also has this very smooth, even movement that looks like there's a resistance when he moves, IMHO a trademark of good tai chi movement
SNIP

Interesting point.

To the OP:

Thanks for posting - but have you got any clips of him fighting off multiple street attackers?

[allen2saint]

Yeah. And what about his ground and pound?

[lazyboxer]

Can't watch youtube here... Is it this one? (9 min)
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTI3MDgwOTE3Ng==.html?x

One of my top favourite Yang Style performances. The whole body movement and intent are superb. You can also see that he also has this very smooth, even movement that looks like there's a resistance when he moves, IMHO a trademark of good tai chi movement. Seems like a marvellous practitioner/master

'Swimming in air'. He's sensing and responding to the force of gravity acting dynamically on his body mass and by continuously maintaining support in six directions allowing his bones/joints (AKA 'structure') to open and close in accordance with the required conditions.

Here's the Youtube link to the original full version. Yuenming' s post is missing the last four minutes.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3OrTfw46s4

[Bao]

You can also see that he also has this very smooth, even movement that looks like there's a resistance when he moves, IMHO a trademark of good tai chi movement. Seems like a marvellous practitioner/master

'Swimming in air'. He's sensing and responding to the force of gravity acting dynamically on his body mass and by continuously maintaining support in six directions allowing his bones/joints (AKA 'structure') to open and close in accordance with the required conditions.[/quote]

Well... that's one way to describe some thing of what he does... Very well verbalized.
But being aware of movement and practicing to move smooth and even without interruption is enough to develop this quality.

"Swimming in air" is a good way to describe the feeling though. Moving perfectly even and "with resistance" is what is called "silk reeling" in yang style. A silk thread is very, very fragile. Reeling from a cocoon takes focus, you need to move extremely smooth and even, not twitch or shake the tiniest bit. You must be perfectly steady as operating with a scalpel. This kind of very focused control of movement is the same in Chinese calligraphy as well. It's the most sensitive of all kinds of calligraphy. The slightest little movement or change in rhythm will be noticed in brush stroke. IMHO and IME, keeping this kind of feeling throughout a whole yang form is what separate the men from the boys... i.e. ... it takes a great deal of effort to keep this extreme focus of mind and body for a long time without interruption. This method is a great aspect of Yang and Wu styles... but ... LOL, most practitioners don't even know how to practice this.

I think that Chen reeling silk exercises is a marvelous aspect of Chen style. Yang and other styles mostly don't have any kind of drills or other separate exercises to teach how to move from the dantian. Here Chen style has something very special, IMHO a great asset. Though, I often miss the feeling of "Yang silk reeling" in Chen stylists performances.
...Ah, fuck, most yang stylists suck at it as well. (At least Chen sylists has Chen silk reeling and focus on fighting apps., while most Yang stylists suck at everything. There, I said it! )

Another way to describe Niu's movement is "drawing blood".

[lazyboxer]

'Swimming in air'. He's sensing and responding to the force of gravity acting dynamically on his body mass and by continuously maintaining support in six directions allowing his bones/joints (AKA 'structure') to open and close in accordance with the required conditions.

Well... that's one way to describe some thing of what he does... Very well verbalized.
But being aware of movement and practicing to move smooth and even without interruption is enough to develop this quality.

It requires more than just that, unfortunately.

[Bao]

It requires more than just that, unfortunately.

There are other things in tai chi movement as well... Ok, that's true.