Bodywork wrote:Ryan, wrestling doesn't teach or develop internals, what it does is teach excellent body awareness and instantaneous weight changes and response to weight changes. So what is perceived as a very grounded centered movement is actually a technical skill.
I have tested hundreds of grapplers and when, (like any other martial artist) they are not allowed to fight or use technical skills? They fail every test of centered movement.
Grappling is among the highest skill levels in martial arts, but it doesn't make you internal.
Training internals doesn't teach you to fight, either. I've not met an internal guy who can fight for shit.
TaiChi against MMA?
Fail!
Rinse and repeat.
Done often enough, they *might* learn. But more than likely they will stupidly *become* external fighters because they couldn't figure it all out.
Culture clash is a twice told tale. A trope easily exploited for the popcorn eating, ticket buying, largely unthinking, teenage crowd.
We are more than likely going to get a front row seat as Chen village starts to ruin their own heritage in making new taichi *grapplers*.
Which still doesn't address the real pressures of, MMA. Your going to see taiji test themselves against grapplers not experienced MMA guys who will stand off, pick them apart, work them, head hunt them and not even let them grapple unless it's under their terms.
.
Dan,
My comments aren't that grappling teaches internals. I was responding to the comment that standard Sumo Shiko doesn't develop cross body connection.
to quote me "Grappling, IMO, inherently builds many internal
qualities..."
to quote you:
Bodywork wrote:Ryan, wrestling doesn't teach or develop internals, what it does is teach excellent body awareness and instantaneous weight changes and response to weight changes.
You just specifically laid out some of those qualities. My thought would be those developed qualities allowed you to perceive better what your teacher was doing and your questions to him?
developed internals is being coached and training how to remap those body qualities in connected, centered movement.
I'm inclined to think if you're doing the basic version to develop the core/hip flexor stability and you are slowly lowering your leg in a controlled fashion the body will seek to develop those cross body meridians to some degree even if the person performing isn't coached in it. Thousands of reps, trying to control the leg drop ... I'm inclined to think there would start to be some pulling in opposition to help facilitate that control...
That development then just leads to better athletic grappling, unless coached differently.