the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Doc Stier wrote: In this way, relaxed sensitivity of touch at the points of contact and fluid softness of changes became the primary focus of every exchange with any practice partner, rather than simply winning for the sake of personal ego gratification.

Absolutely. And this "fluid softness of changes" helps to ensure that tuishou doesn't become an end in itself, but instead feeds both ways: back into solo practice and onward into self-defence.

In my Taiji system, PH is only for training. It's not for testing.

johnwang wrote:In my Taiji system, PH is only for training. It's not for testing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVhEvxK1LDw

No one said "compete" or "test." We said "This level cooperating partner exercise appears to be missing."

marvin8 wrote:

Giles wrote:Origami: nice summary. And then as consenting got-myself-fully-under-control adults you can sometimes include some or all of the other possible techniques - locks, strikes, throws, kicks - without injuring your partner or even causing him to no longer like you or not want to keep practicing with you. At the same time, the quality and feel should still be as smooth and relaxed as the fundamentals you keep going back to.

Yes. But even before that, starting from long distance, the cooperating partner accurately attacks in any way, then you push them. After all, push hands is about developing skills for self defense, which starts from non-contact to contact. This level of partner exercise appears to be missing.

super simple answer

a way to develop the fusion of technical skills and physical attributes across the mind-body spectrum
motor control (technique, skill, sensitivity etc.) <----------> physical attributes (qualities; connection, alignment, force etc..)

cloudz wrote:super simple answer

a way to develop the fusion of technical skills and physical attributes across the mind-body spectrum
motor control (technique, skill, sensitivity etc.) <----------> physical attributes (qualities; connection, alignment, force etc..)

+1
A further dimension: first steps towards relaxing the mind and the emotions when under pressure, when 'threatened'. But not thrown in the deep end, so not having to relax the mind when someone is trying to hurt or harm you, or even just hit you in a 'friendly' way; you can start at a low level, quite 'gentle', but even this in many cases is still enough to trigger fear and hardness. So gradual habituation.

Letting go of fear - training camps for express training of Mujahideen, running while being shot at

Systema guys having 3 and more people ganging up on them

Actually touching hands with someone like Yang Luchan or Sun must have been quite terrifying

Quigga wrote:Letting go of fear - training camps for express training of Mujahideen, running while being shot at

Systema guys having 3 and more people ganging up on them

Actually touching hands with someone like Yang Luchan or Sun must have been quite terrifying

Robert Smith, who was an accomplished boxer, said Cheng Man Ching terrified him.

So you can only imagine

origami_itto wrote:

Quigga wrote:Letting go of fear - training camps for express training of Mujahideen, running while being shot at

Systema guys having 3 and more people ganging up on them

Actually touching hands with someone like Yang Luchan or Sun must have been quite terrifying

Robert Smith, who was an accomplished boxer, said Cheng Man Ching terrified him.

So you can only imagine

And Robert Smith was also substantially larger and heavier than CMC, but he discovered that superior skills combined with a high level of internal cultivation easily neutralized his size advantage. Lesson learned.

Over the years I've had some hands-on experience with various tai chi people who combined very good 'soft skills' with fighting experience. Several of these, although not all, were from CMC lineages. What I found indeed scary was the way they could move through my defences (such as they were at that time) very quickly and smoothly, without giving me any sense of "danger, incoming!". And moreover, following straight on from this, with the ability to deliver a lot of potentially very damaging power by just releasing the energy they had stored in the process. Some qualities varied from person to person, of course, but this was a common element. To use a metaphor, they were already bending the bow as they entered, although I could hardly feel or sense them, in order to then release the arrow at point-blank range.
Even if it was then just a little shake or tap or even just a friendly smile at that point, I could feel it at a visceral level. Like being given a little nudge by a grizzly bear; doesn't hurt at all, but you can feel what's behind it.
Some of these people were smaller guys, in one case even a real lightweight (in terms of physical mass).

Right on! I have found those qualities present in high level practitioners of all sizes in every major TCC style and lineage.

I concur

nudge by a grizzly bear

What a good expression

Why the leg control skill "咬 (Yao) - shin bite" is not commonly used in Taiji push hand? Does anybody know?

You use your

- arms to deal with your opponent's arms.
- leg to deal with your opponent's leg.

johnwang wrote:Why the most basic leg control skill "咬 (Yao) - shin bite" is not commonly used in Taiji push hand? Does anybody know?

Why is the most basic jab and uppercut not commonly used in Shuai Jiao wrestling?

origami_itto wrote:Why is the most basic jab and uppercut not commonly used in Shuai Jiao wrestling?

Does Taiji PH ruleset prevent people from using their leg to control their opponent's leg?

In the following picture, their legs contact has been established. A's upper leg is touching on B's upper leg. Is this kind of leg contact illegal?