Bao wrote:RobP3 wrote:The talk of powerful fa-jin and "finishing moves" is fine but, as I mentioned before on another thread, look at who people like Adam or Goodson are teaching. For the most part, nice/ elderly folk who enjoy seeing their teacher push someone away as a demo. So is their art "fit for purpose"? For them I would suggest it is
Those are 98% of people who are interested. Why take away a part of the system just because people want to practice it for health? What about those who wants to learn a complete original system? In Yoga for instance, they call different schools different things, os it's quite easy to know what level of depth you'll get. But the marketing for Tai chi is IMHO mostly dishonest.Trick wrote: You are into marketing? and have been doing Taiji for a long time so you are in a good position to promote that part of Taijiquan,
I do marketing for a living and I've studied Tai Chi for 30 years. I only teach Tai Chi to people who wants the whole package, i.e. wants to practice it as a martial art. So I haven't had many students. I get too bored teaching it for health only. If I can't have fun, the people who I teach won't have fun either.but maybe unfortunately most people nowadays will only believe it "works" if hey se it in some kind of UFC format competition so you have to take it into the arena of sports which I believe you don't like
I don't care what people believe or what their measurements are. The practitioner must be honest with himself, that's the only thing that is important. Can I fight? Can I use my Tai Chi? What do I need to be able to use it? You must first practice Tai Chi and try to learn how to use it. What have UFC matches have to do with anything?
If it's a 98% healt Taiji market out there then that's the main road Taiji will take I don't think that's too bad, the combat side of Taijiquan is anyway there "within" to be discovered for those who seek it and those who sincerely seek for it will eventually find their right teacher......About entering competition(which I'm not a fan of but accept its around)such as kickboxing/wrestling and MMA is what seem to be the litmus test to "prove" a MA works, so it seem that if Taijiquan is to be "reality" proven it has to enter such events, but then by some it will be called kickboxing/wrestling and not real Taiji because the rule set and referee's and so on prevents the full potential of Taijiquan to be used.......I believe the old ladies and gent's in the park doing "healt" Taiji has it right, I mean right mind set, they are happy with what they are doing and are not bothered at all if others are doing it for other reasons