Supplemental activities for TJQ

Discussion on the three big Chinese internals, Yiquan, Bajiquan, Piguazhang and other similar styles.

Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby charles on Fri May 10, 2019 8:15 am

LaoDan wrote:I do not think that solo TJQ forms practice is sufficient...


There are two issues with that statement. There first is, what does "solo TJQ forms practice" include? Just empty hand form practice or the myriad adjunct other empty hand practices and the non-empty-hand practices with sword, saber, spear, pole, general's knife (Kwan Dao), bang, ball ... Depending upon what one is exposed to, there is a huge curriculum of solo stuff to practice.

The second issue, as has already been identified, is "sufficient" for what? For health, for fighting, for spiritual enlightenment or the dozen other potential things for which people practice?
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby Steve James on Fri May 10, 2019 9:36 am

Exactly. It all depends on the person's goals.
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby GrahamB on Fri May 10, 2019 10:31 am

Shamanism is a pretty good compliment ;D
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby I-mon on Fri May 10, 2019 3:44 pm

I think this is almost two questions, or it could help to answer it for two separate demographics. So, the stated purpose is to help our TJQ, and we're wondering about supplementary activities.

Firstly, since TJQ is a highly specialised physical discipline, does the practitioner already have a good base of all-round physical health and competence? If not (ie if there are any *major* deficiencies in their strength, mobility, coordination, or cardiovascular health) then the best, quickest, and easiest way for them to improve literally every aspect of their entire life including their TJQ, is to put in a small amount of extra time each week to improve those major deficits. 30 minutes two or three times a week of alternating walking-jogging (or swimming, cycling, skipping, whatever, but make it *easy*) at low but slightly raised heart rates, whole-body strength training using weights or bodyweight, is not much, but there is an overwhelming amount of evidence which shows that it will massively improve recovery times, sleep, digestive health, energy levels, functioning of literally every organ system including the brain, etc. So it will 100% make your TJQ better. I agree that *too much* of some of these sorts of training will take precious time away from skill development in your art (in this case TJQ), and also create tension patterns which may be detrimental to your practice, but TJQ or any other highly specialised physical discipline - especially a martial art - should be built upon a good base of physical health and competence, otherwise your development will be far slower than it could be.

Once more, because the point is often lost: if you're not doing just a little bit of the above, then doing just a little bit every week will have huge effects on every aspect of your life and on your ability to practice your art. I wish so badly that I had understood this when I was 20. I think all of us know it by now, but most of us are still in denial.


So that's the easy part. For the second demographic, who already have a good solid base of physical health and competence, whole-body strength, mobility, cardiovascular health (ie the low-hanging fruit have already been picked), the question is I think much trickier. Or maybe much simpler - maintain your base, and then just do your art! I would still suggest that especially for people who are approaching or past middle age, something involving more challenging dynamic footwork patterns and reactive spatial skills or coordination is going to be really helpful, again just a little bit, to keep the brain sharp. Whether that's juggling and learning new patterns or throwing and catching a ball against a wall or skipping with different footwork patterns or casually playing soccer or squash or table tennis, anything where we're dynamic and reactive and our footwork and hand-eye coordination and spatial skills are all challenged.
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby jimmy on Fri May 10, 2019 11:48 pm

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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby I-mon on Sat May 11, 2019 12:08 am

RobP3 wrote:Just start doing Systema, it will add in all those things plus, then you'll be able to give up the TCC entirely ;) ;D


Totally Rob! I have actually come to think of Systema as a physical education system, disguised as a martial art.
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby Bao on Sat May 11, 2019 1:57 am

RobP3 wrote:Just start doing Systema, it will add in all those things plus, then you'll be able to give up the TCC entirely ;) ;D


:P

Why practice Systema when you can get it all and much more from TCC? :-\
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby Bao on Sat May 11, 2019 2:11 am

I am curious what additional exercises, sports, etc. would be especially appropriate for supplementing Taijiquan practice.


Depends on what you want with your Tai Chi. Supplement for what? If you look at TTC as an art of body movement, body awareness and self-knowledge, then anything that can help you achieve even better movement or awareness is good.

Personally, I would go all in for things that help you with refining fine motor skills, balance and precise body coordination.

Many practitioners I know practice different body skills by things like juggling, using Chinese health balls, practicing flipping coins between the fingers, do hand and finger exercises similar to what illusionists do and similar. Arts like Chinese brush painting/calligraphy and ceramics are good compliments. Building and painting models with miniature parts should be good as well.
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby RobP3 on Sat May 11, 2019 4:44 am

Bao wrote:
RobP3 wrote:Just start doing Systema, it will add in all those things plus, then you'll be able to give up the TCC entirely ;) ;D


:P

Why practice Systema when you can get it all and much more from TCC? :-\


Great! Can you show me some good TC ground work? Movement or fighting will do. ;)
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby Bao on Sat May 11, 2019 4:58 am

Can you show me some good TC ground work? Movement or fighting will do. ;)


You mean just as realistic as this? LOL! ;D

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=306883723543948
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby RobP3 on Sat May 11, 2019 5:02 am

Bao wrote:
Can you show me some good TC ground work? Movement or fighting will do. ;)


You mean just as realistic as this? LOL! ;D

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=306883723543948


Well, that isn't ground moving or ground fighting. It's working with / against a person's tension.
Okay, if you can't find any TC ground work, how about showing some TC work in a crowd?
Last edited by RobP3 on Sat May 11, 2019 5:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby RobP3 on Sat May 11, 2019 5:17 am

I-mon wrote:
RobP3 wrote:Just start doing Systema, it will add in all those things plus, then you'll be able to give up the TCC entirely ;) ;D


Totally Rob! I have actually come to think of Systema as a physical education system, disguised as a martial art.


Absolutely agree. There's a huge amount of interesting work packed into "a martial art." It's been interesting this last couple of years teaching dancers and sports people alongside the "regulars".
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby Bao on Sat May 11, 2019 5:32 am

RobP3 wrote: It's working with / against a person's tension.


You really believe so? :P

Okay, if you can't find any TC ground work, how about showing some TC work in a crowd?


I haven't looked for any TCC vid of either kind. Our view on things is probably not similar enough to discuss anything...
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby RobP3 on Sat May 11, 2019 6:30 am

Bao wrote:
RobP3 wrote: It's working with / against a person's tension.


You really believe so? :P

Okay, if you can't find any TC ground work, how about showing some TC work in a crowd?


I haven't looked for any TCC vid of either kind. Our view on things is probably not similar enough to discuss anything...


I don't have to believe anything on viewing strange clips, I've worked with Mikhail and felt what he can do. Tension works on lots of different levels, including psychology and emotion.
That's okay, you can't find anything to support your POV, that's fine. TCC works well for what it is, why try and expand it to something it isn't?

It's just that I see a lot of questions here about posture, or fear, or movement, or using stick exercises for your shoulder, etc. My point is why not try something that encompasses all of these things rather than a bit here/ a bit there approach?
Last edited by RobP3 on Sat May 11, 2019 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Supplemental activities for TJQ

Postby Trick on Sat May 11, 2019 6:51 am

is the name(word?) "systema" the same as english "system" ? i guess it is, but it just struck me it might not be ?
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