the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

RobP3 wrote:. My point is why not try something that encompasses all of these things rather than a bit here/ a bit there approach?

Tai Chi is absolutely not about “a bit here, a bit there”. But you’re not the only one who doesn’t understand that Tai Chi is principle based and not about isolated techniques or methods, so I won’t blame you for that.

There are so many possibilities within TCC if you look around and think for yourself that you don't really need to go further afield. Apart from ground fighting, as Rob says, for which TCC offers many excellent ingredients but definitely not the way to 'cook and serve' when you're down there on the ground. The problem is, most individual tai chi lineages/schools tend to focus on a relatively narrow range of options and qualities, presumably in order to go deeper into a more narrow set of parameters in order to achieve a specific kind of excellence. This is of course the more optimistic or charitable view . Even within the "push hands" envelope there are so many possible useful variations: in kinds of techniques (only push, or also strike, lock, throw), kinds of steps, more fixed formats or free flow, variations in speed, variations in 'aggression'. And above all the spectrum between explicit use of structure, rooting and 'solidity' and radical use of total yielding (more like Tao Ping-Hsiang or Peter Ralston), and increasingly being able to combine both, sometimes simultaneously. If one trains lots of these variations in a considered way, always looking for the underlying consistency of principles, then this will develop a strong and flexible body and mind. Plus use of objects/weapons, as Charles mentions.

Apart from that, when it comes to other disciplines: time for another Contact Improvisation vid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUe2IZ3-D4s

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

Yes, it is. In part if refers to the systems that "make us up" - nervous, respiratory, etc

Bao wrote:

RobP3 wrote:. My point is why not try something that encompasses all of these things rather than a bit here/ a bit there approach?

Tai Chi is absolutely not about “a bit here, a bit there”. But you’re not the only one who doesn’t understand that Tai Chi is principle based and not about isolated techniques or methods, so I won’t blame you for that.

I didn't say it was. What I said was, if you want to add in ground work, massage, free movement etc, etc then you will have to look outside of regular TCC, and therefore add in bits and pieces from other sources. I suspect you knew that, but are still fighting a desperate, rearguard action.

I understand TCC quite well, having first trained it 40 years ago. I am also familiar with principle vs technique, which, funnily enough, is a method much more utilised in Systema than in form-based TCC.

Like I said, tension takes many forms.

Giles wrote: This is of course the more optimistic or charitable view .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUe2IZ3-D4s

I agree
Nice flow!

RobP3 wrote:Nice flow!

Also good in terms of what, in Tai Chi parlance, is referred to as ting jin and dong jin. Or at least the less-martial aspects of these qualities, not the whole package of course.

RobP3 wrote:

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

Yes, it is. In part if refers to the systems that "make us up" - nervous, respiratory, etc

ah, thanks. in that way the name seem to make sense...

Trick wrote:

RobP3 wrote:

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

Yes, it is. In part if refers to the systems that "make us up" - nervous, respiratory, etc

ah, thanks. in that way the name seem to make sense...

I just reposted an old article that hopefully explains it a little more. Cheers.

https://systemafilms.com/blog/system-what-system

No martial art is going to really add years to your life or stop old age, sickness and death.

You'd be better off not trying to argue about which one is best and just enjoy whatever it is you're doing because you can't take any of it with you.

No martial art is going to really add years to your life...

Yeah, much better to just sit in a sofa all day and not waste any time on exercise.

Or maybe just sit on a martial arts forum all day finding any excuse to disagree with others. Whatever floats your boat.

One o’clock here and I’ve already made a good 6 hours of work today. I deserve a healthy dose of procrastination.

cheer up, wekend soon over and everything will be back to normal.....

Didn’t mean Tai Chi if you thought so. No weekend for me.

Ok, I'd say that sex is a great supplementary exercise. But, personally, I'd rather do tcc to have good sex than have sex to improve my tcc. Just saying. Goals are important.