All the CIMA?

[origami_itto]

[HotSoup]

One of the first questions I ask those wanting to practice...
what is the goal or intent of their practice..

What’s your goal of practice?

[windwalker]

What’s your goal of practice?

an interesting question

No goal or point to my own practice.
an expression of functional awareness
expressed through a martial based format.

For those who practice with me
empirical based taiji practice theory and usage
reflecting the teachings of Master Zhang Youngliang,
and other noted masters of taiji.

[suckinlhbf]

Do not agree with changing something into "health" arts while at the same time understanding why some might feel its a good direction
to move to...

"Martial" arts and "health" arts are two non-comparable things. One for martial and the other for health. It is like comparing an apple to an orange. Martial art is to make use of anything available that can be used for combat and kill to win and win-win. It doesn't matter what approach to be used as long as the purpose is served. Strength, techniques, meditation, feeling, sense, tactics...etc. are in there.

Brenden Lai, 7* mantis master, once told me he no longer taught "iron palm" feeling it was not needed, the training itself damaging to the hand if not done correctly.
Knew a "hung gar" stylist who always wore gloves covering what he did to his hands in the name of training

If what they do can serve the purpose, it is one of the approaches for martial arts. But it needs proper training to avoid serious damage and to enable the body to recover from the damage. Some could use medicine, herbs, and our own body fluids. Yes, it is not needed in this day and age.. And the safer way to train is no power, no force, no intention,..... no everything as some of the teachers suggest.

There is a name 杀气 killer qi.. meaning "killer intent"

With martial arts (not health arts) training and experience, 杀气 killer qi will follow. And we can never get this from health arts training because the purpose is not the same. Our heart directs our path to what we can get.

what is the goal or intent of their practice

Learning how to fight came from necessity when I needed to survive as a kid. I hurt my qi at the age of 11, and several other damages along the road of training. So the training comes to me as an routine to keep myself going and to maintain the mobility. It is my health arts now.

I don't do martial arts. I do research to help myself recover from the damage.

[windwalker]

Very good post….

We have what seems to be similar backgrounds..although my fighting was in the from of having informal matches
Proving the validity of Chinese Martial Arts, with those mocking them at the time…

My entry into Taiji an effort to improve my fighting skill sets with a deeper understanding of movement…

Tibetan White Crane specially developed 杀气 in the 4 fighting principals

Chan (殘) Ruthlessness
Sim (閃) Evade
Chuen (穿) To Pierce
Jeet (截) To Intercept

another thread mentioned cotton needle set

"The Cotton Needle Set was traditionally often practiced on 14 "Plum Blossom Poles" (梅花桩), each about one foot wide and 10 to 15 feet high, set 21 inches apart.
Those poles were sometimes also used for sparring, with wooden stakes or even knives set into the ground below.
Today the poles are often replaced with circles painted on the floor, and though some still use real poles they likely no longer plant sharp objects around them."

Chin shifu "David Chin" hop gar, also mentioned this type of training.
Saying people often got hurt badly falling off the poles getting hit in the groin on the way down.