Kung Fu Debunked Ep13 Do you know enough to spot a LIE?

[Giles]

Of much more relevant importance, imo, is to relax and release all muscular tightness and associated joint tension of the upper body in order to allow the elbows to be 'bottom heavy' in every posture, regardless of the structural position of the elbows.

From a tai chi perspective at least, I agree: the elbows can rise up at the moments when they are needed higher to defend or attack, but more like as if they are beng buoyed upon the swell of a wave - as soon as the wave subsides, the elbows automatically sink down again to the natural 'hanging' but still-connected position. (Yes, it's a metaphor). If they 'rise and sink on the swell' then that doesn't really increase the danger of the elbow/arm being tensed-up and of course joint locked. As soon as the elbows and shoulders get stiff (which is often reflected in an unnecessarily raised position), you're easy meat.

PS. Your shrug emoticon avoids the problem nicely: lifts shoulders while keeping elbows sunk...

[Formosa Neijia]

It's true that the rogue opinions of guys like TriEssence don't affect my personal training regimen, or the results of my training, in any way whatsoever. I am guided by the well organized system I was taught, and the ongoing direction of my own teacher. I think this is probably true for anyone who has dedicated themselves to longterm practice in any style or system.

Agreed. I also don't feel the need for random opinions from these guys as I also have my own lineages that have provided answers. Where I take issue is when people go out of their lineage to attack others who practice differently than they do in ONE THING and then try to make it like anyone who does that one thing is a complete fraud, as is the case here. The title of the videos (ex.: Kung Fu Debunked Ep13 Do you know enough to spot a LIE?) make it pretty clear what the intent is.

Skipping to the end of what this is really about, Hai Yang put out a video a while back (below, note the excellent elbow position) explaining that he had put out a lot of free material in Chinese that upset the discipleship factory that many teachers in China were using. This pissed a lot of them off and they even made death threats against him and his mother. He gives many examples in the video.

https://youtu.be/F2aEFb30Ti8?t=979
Suffice it to say, this IMO is a thinly veiled attempt to drag this nonsense into the Western kungfu community by attacking those of us that practice like this. Not gonna happen.

[Doc Stier]

It looks like a failed attempt by TriEssence to me, since most seasoned practitioners apparently aren't buying into his ridiculous attacks on Hai Yang.

As Abraham Lincoln once said..."sometimes it is far better for a man to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open his mouth and remove all doubt". Nuff said.