Taiji used for fighting for real

[jonathan.bluestein]

It looks a little bit fishy. Something may be off. Also, the guy in black might not be on the same level as the guy in red (who happens to be Wang Xian's son), and the red one is heavier. But DAMN, I didn't believe I was gonna see this when I opened the video. Finally!! (both said to be doing Chen Taiji)



And he was guarding himself with a fighting-modified cloud hands movements... cool If you follow the black guy's eyes carefully you can see that the cloud hands rather confused his vision at certain points. The slow-mo sections during the second part show that the winner did an excellent job evading body-punches as well.

Credit is due to Robert Arnold who posted it on facebook.

Here's a video of Wang Zhanjun (red guy) doing the form:

[eastpaw]

Thanks for the post, Jonathan. One of the better fights in the series, IMO.

[Bhassler]

Those "tournaments" were set up under very limited rules by CCTV to promote martial arts. I believe that all of the other fighters were Wang Zhanjun's students. These made the rounds a while back, and you may be able to find the thread if you look for it. I seem to recall liking the ones with Chen Zhiqiang better (they added in high kicks and "kung fu-ey" type stuff this time around to make it show better, I would guess).

There used to be videos of Wang Zhanjun in his younger days when he was doing tuishou competitions, and I liked those. They don't seem to be on youtube any more but they may be on one of the other sites.

[Adam S]

I'm not sure if ALL the fighters were Wang's students in that first season, but yes at times students were fighting with their Shifu's son
so there was some speculation about how hard some guys would try to win


There was no strikes to the head allowed so that makes things rather.....


These showed some skill

Definately not Chenshi at it's best, but some of it's okay

[jonathan.bluestein]

I think that even if we were to call this a "free-flow applications video", it'd still be a good example of using a few pure Taiji techniques in combat.

[Strange]

i think it was very nicely done by the red side.

[tomasz]

you guys have to know that this show was partly fake.... My teacher's student took part in bagua show and some of our guys were present there in audience. fights were much longer, there were breaks/cuts in the fights because director was unhappy etc etc and they were starting over again....
later fights were edited, worse part was that they filmed both guys raising hands as a winners and our guy who supposedly won his fight in the shooting time after editing became a looser....

edit: after watching this taiji clip - i really cant understand how someone can think its real fight... its so fake that i want to scream....

[eastpaw]

Tomasz, so you're saying that everything was scripted? Just to be sure we're on the same page:

"Here, Black, you do a high front hook kick with your right. You there, Red, when that kick comes, intercept it and do a takedown."

[BajiNooby]

That was not a real fight. Black was giving red stupid attacks to show off his Taiji on. More like a demonstration.

[Strange]

er....so this not the way taijiquan should be used at all?

[eastpaw]

BajiNooby: That's not my question. I'm trying to figure out what Tomasz is saying.

Also, I'm wondering one thing: if everything is scripted, what sort of idiot signs up for a show to take a public fall and lose all their students?

Where I'm coming from: No vested interest here. Just trying to get things straight.

[tomasz]

BajiNooby: That's not my question. I'm trying to figure out what Tomasz is saying.

Also, I'm wondering one thing: if everything is scripted, what sort of idiot signs up for a show to take a public fall and lose all their students?

Where I'm coming from: No vested interest here. Just trying to get things straight.

this taiji fight was scripted for sure! by players themselves! those two guys are from the school and Red one is master's son and his successor, black one is doing stupid attacks and let him self to be thrown around... common....

those bagua show what i was talking about: in the production, they were stopping fights in the middle and asking "fighters" to try to do certain moves which they trained together before it - all of them were on some strange training camp where they were taught which moves/combination they MUST use in fight.
plus fights were longer than you see on tv and later production people edited them to create what you see on tv

as i remember one o the guys who won fight hurt himself and his knee was really swollen, he couldnt walk and they edited his fight to make it look like he actually lost it, why? to make it look better for other guy (the actual looser of this very fight) who went to finals - welcome to Chinese TV

Eastpaw - as u see i cant say that all those fights were fully scripted but for sure most of them were edited and after this editing they looked different then if you had watched it live plus from beginning you can see whose are directors favorite to win show and surprise surprise after editing....

you asked what idiot will agree for it? as i know people signed contracts with chinese tv and after they had to do what tv people asked them to do

it was one the main reason why i wasnt in this show. My teacher was told that they dont want me because as a foreigner i dont understand how things are and for sure i will be making troubles and not listening to director and what the most important they dont want the foreigner to win this show

[GrahamB]

edit: after watching this taiji clip - i really cant understand how someone can think its real fight... its so fake that i want to scream....

+1

Drinking too much taichi kool aid I think...

[Adam S]

LOL

Graham what is your problem with Tai Chi??

Did u spend years doing it, spend massive amount of money and realise you had chosen the wrong person to teach you and or art for you personally, and go home & cry one nite after getting beaten up by 15 year old girls or something??

[yusuf]

LOL

Graham what is your problem with Tai Chi??

Did u spend years doing it, spend massive amount of money and realise you had chosen the wrong person to teach you and or art for you personally, and go home & cry one nite after getting beaten up by 15 year old girls or something??

i think t was the assless chaps that made him switch