We often consider TMA dead
So why not take current and "live" things and make those the forms for "internal"
Steve James wrote:Tcc can't live or die. If so, then anyone can claim that "it" is alive or dead. Tcc is alive only because there are tcc practitioners, and it will stay living until there are no more of them.
Afa the form, I agree that the tcc form is deep and complex, but it's all based on the "simple" but infinitely mutable operation of yin and yang. The actual number of tactics and techniques one can find depends primarily on the creativity of the practitioner. Of course, one complaint is that practitioners just make up stuff because they haven't learned to apply the form. Imo, that has to be taken on a case by case basis. I think the real complaint would be that there is no connection between a form that is taught --if it's taught-- the theories and the application of them.
That's why there are many well-known teachers who don't bother much with form. They often focus on the "internal" aspects or body mechanics, or on phs competitions where little "form" is used, but that tcc theory is applied. Then, of course, there are those who just do form, and even compete in form competitions. My point is really that specialization in tcc is more common that generalization. That's not a bad thing.
Afa applying the forms, I would say that there are two categories: individual "shi" and what I'd call systems; the difference being that systems are repeated several times. They're repeated numerous times, but what distinguishes them is that they are relatively complete in themselves. It's as if one could base an entire system of fighting on them. Grasp Bird's Tail is a system, the core system. Brush Knee, Repulse Monkey, Cloud Hands are systems that could even be part of a larger system. Fair Lady's footwork and use of palms makes it very distinct, especially in that it uses the 4 corners.
I'd argue that someone could focus solely on Fair Lady and do quite well. But, I'm really trying to point out that it isn't necessary to do everything in the tcc form in order to make it fully usable. Otoh, there's also no reason to limit oneself by saying what one won't do. Jmo.
Tcc can't live or die. If so, then anyone can claim that "it" is alive or dead.
Tcc is alive only because there are tcc practitioners, and it will stay living until there are no more of them.
everything wrote:anyhoo for the sake of discussion let's say you think that muay thai and bjj are your "outer forms" (instead of shaolin) that 'work' (observed in a large data set, not based on your personal opinion). well... why not make your "taijiquan" from that outer form instead of the shaolin (if you accept that additional premise for the sake of argument).
salcanzonieri wrote:I have a student in her 70s that I teach the Yang Long Form to, she learned it long ago, then spent the last 10 years learning Qigong and Neigong from me , both Taoist and Shaolin methods, she was able to really feel Qi flow through her body, etc, etc. So, I said, hey, let's do the Yang Long form moving the Qi like we do with the Qigong. And boy, the energy just surges through both of us, you can really feel it spiraling in the arms and legs and flowing from the dantien out into the organs (feels like they are being massaged) and through the various channels.
THAT is another way that you can make a dead form live again.
She said, being in her mid 70s, that when she first learned the Yang Long form, it was just dancing compared to now. Now it is all so powerful, so gets wiped after doing the form 2-3 times through. Myself, I can feel huge energy flows in and out of the dantien. For sure makes the form "alive".
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