Living to 100 without Taijiquan

[Bob]

They even get to eat pork! LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7te6Uwg ... re=related

[edededed]

Pork faces, in particular. Blargh!

[Methods]

Are you saying I could of been eating Carnitas tacos and having a beer instead of looking like some slow motion ass hole in the park all of these years.....damned!

[Bob]

Yep, that is what I am thinking--pork carnitas smothered in cilantro! LOL

What I really think is that situations and studies like this give us a perspective on things like taijiquan and qi gong---they are merely one tool in an arsenal and not an end in and of themselves. One searches for the magic form, secret trainining in pursuit of self-cultivation only to find a multitude of factors shape the longevity and health issues [besides genetics which might be turned on or off due such activities].

I remember the criticism that Jou Tsung Hwa received when he commented about Zheng Man Qing's lifestyle and the need to refrain from excessive drinking---taiji, alone, would not guarantee good health. So I am amused by the clips---yet I do know that the okinawan's dietary habits were significantly impacted by Chinese dignitaries desire for pork on visits to the island.

I also laugh regarding the researchers [in their books] obsessiveness with using brown rice---the oldsters eat polished white rice---the trick, especially with regard to the glycemic index---is to consider the whole meal not its independent components---no one sits down and eats a plain bowl of white rice---it is eaten with vegetables and meat and thus the spike on blood sugar is minimal relative to eating only a plain bowl of white rice.

[Methods]

I was always taught stress is the real killer.
It creates a cancer if you will, laughter keeps you light but laughter is only a surface reaction, true happiness must be felt within so that happiness must understand sadness to exist. Its those whom are able to deal are the ones who will find long life.
Were are all born Immortal, the new born is actually a perfect human, if able to keep that state of mind that person could live for eternity. Our spirit will not allow us to stay simple and pure so there for we have a life expectancy mapped out by the stars that are spirit is attached to (heaven).
Hard work, healthy and clean lifestyle is the secret pill for not only long life but a good life.

A good diet consist of clean whole foods. Not some hippie diet of raw foods and such. Good clean food consist of fresh meat, fresh produce and moderate feedings. If you never fill full or hungry then you are on the right path.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

just to continue the torrent of piss on the taichi parade... lol

My great aunt grace was 99 when she died.
she smoked and never exercised.

My nan lived to 89, she smoked and never exercised except for house chores.

My Dad did yoga and Tai Chi most of his adult life and died at 67.

There are zero guarantees that any esoteric practice will extend your life or in fact, even make the quality of it better.
I do believe that it may tend to make your life a little better when you age inasmuch as you will get a better handle on your aches and pains.

but longevity? that's a big bottle o' snake oil that is somehow persistently attached to the so called internal martial arts.

It's a crock of course, but then, there's a lot about martial arts practice that is total bullshit.
As practitioners it behooves each of us to question what we are doing and to constantly review the value of our methods.

Never take someone elses word on it, not even your sifu.

Even the Buddha demanded that you question him, his teachings and everything around you until you firmly grasped reality.

[Darth Rock&Roll]

oh...and the secret lies not in moving, but in not moving.



muwhahahahahahaha!

[Alexander]

just to continue the torrent of piss on the taichi parade... lol

My great aunt grace was 99 when she died.
she smoked and never exercised.

My nan lived to 89, she smoked and never exercised except for house chores.

My Dad did yoga and Tai Chi most of his adult life and died at 67.

There are zero guarantees that any esoteric practice will extend your life or in fact, even make the quality of it better.
I do believe that it may tend to make your life a little better when you age inasmuch as you will get a better handle on your aches and pains.

but longevity? that's a big bottle o' snake oil that is somehow persistently attached to the so called internal martial arts.

It's a crock of course, but then, there's a lot about martial arts practice that is total bullshit.
As practitioners it behooves each of us to question what we are doing and to constantly review the value of our methods.

Never take someone elses word on it, not even your sifu.

Even the Buddha demanded that you question him, his teachings and everything around you until you firmly grasped reality.

And what were the diets like of the 3 people you mentioned? Diet has the potential to control 90% of your longevity (if you haven't already noticed.. with people dying of heart attacks and cancer at 60, it's quite sad). Smoking doesn't cause cancer, it just increases your risk.

And yes, if you're comparing people who do IMA ( aka EXERCISE ) vs people who don't, folks who move will most likely live (a lot) longer. So I don't think the question is IMA vs. Other martial arts, but martial arts vs. no daily movement / exercise / motion regime.

Motion is critical to maintain bodily function in old age, like for example, raising your arm over your heard.

And people think "fitness" makes you live long. It doesn't. It's health, not fitness. Doing bench press probably won't make you live longer; walking will. The centenarians are the ones that do mild to moderate movements daily, e.g. farming, walking, light hiking -- every day. They aren't people who have 6 packs and bench 250.. because fitness isn't the same as health.

[Bob]

Actually I am not throwing the baby out with the bath water---I think taijiquan, as a system, including weighted training, is an ideal method of exercises along with walking. I just no longer think there is something magical about its effects regarding longevity---I also agree with Alexander's points.

I also had grandparents who lived into their late 80s and grandparents into their 90s without the aid of taijiquan.

[roger hao]

I just celebrated my mom's 97th B day
Dad passed away at 96. You are all invited to
my 125th if we make it.

[Alexander]

I just celebrated my mom's 97th B day
Dad passed away at 96. You are all invited to
my 125th if we make it.

Hey Roger,

I'll share a beer with you once I hit 110. My great uncle lived to be 113 and I knew my great grandma at 98. Fo sho I'll be circle walkin' and kickin ass at 95!

[wiesiek]

one of my uncles is 98 right now and filling good
but another died on cancer age-67
both didn`t know TJ at all
so

hey Alexander and Roger
what about a beer or two when i hit 100?
its just 47 years and 12 days from today
there is 50/50 % chance that i still will able to open a bottle

[Alexander]

one of my uncles is 98 right now and filling good
but another died on cancer age-67
both didn`t know TJ at all
so

hey Alexander and Roger
what about a beer or two when i hit 100?
its just 47 years and 12 days from today
there is 50/50 % chance that i still will able to open a bottle

I would love to. But once you hit 100 I'll only be 69 So I won't be able to celebrate my century mark with you, haha.

[Josh Lerner]

You guys are all missing the point of the video. Taiji isn't required for longevity, but Okinawan karate is.

Duh.

[bailewen]

The way I hear it from Shifu, longevity is a triad.

- train well
- eat well
- rest well

All three are necessary. I personally would add genetics into the mix as it seems to play a large role. All the women in my family seem to be long lived and all the men....not. *shudder* Then again, most of them have been fat and out of shape. Oh and:

My nan lived to 89, she smoked and never exercised except for house chores.

Yeah. My nan made it to 89 as well. Ultimately Alzheimers took here. The last time I saw her she was 86 and taking classes at city college, doing water aerobics twice a week and wouldn't let us help with the dishes when we visited. She was quite explicit that house chores were exercise. She never used a dish washing machine and insisted on scrubbing things around the house by hand which made my think of my great grandmother who I remember every passover would make an angel food cake without using a blender. I think house chores definitely count.