Qing Gong

[Giles]

While it is true that lots of Taijiquan practitioners do have knee problems, I suggest that those problems are usually a result of incorrect practice, specifically of misalignment of the hip, knee and ankle during practice. A good teacher can identify that and correct it, should the student be willing to take correction. It isn't due to some lost secret of practice that modern practitioners don't know, leading to their knee problems.

Yes. 'The more the kua, the less the knee.'

[wayne hansen]

Sorry if I got CXW Initials wrong
I sure it was on this site that someone wrote about his operations
They made it sound like he had serious problems
Glad that was not true
My error

[charles]

I sure it was on this site that someone wrote about his operations
They made it sound like he had serious problems

It probably was on this site and they probably did make it sound like he had serious problems. And, the misinformation has been repeated over and over and over again. That still doesn't make it true. Welcome to the internet and "social" media.

The guideline I attempt to follow is to not repeat assertions that I have not personally experienced or personally verified at or close to the source.

[charles]

If you try to emulate what you those Chen masters doing without the right prepwork, you're going to screw up your knees.

... what I meant was when people try to copy a form they are not prepared to execute it is possible to cause damage.

That is equally true of many activities. A beginning runner would be foolish to run a full marathon; a beginning gymnast would be foolish to attempt to emulate a professional gymnast's routine; a novice weight lifter would be foolish to attempt to "jerk" 600 lb. A novice Yang-style practitioner would be foolish to use a "live" sword to attempt to emulate a proficient Yang practitioner's Jian form. And so on.

It should go without saying that a novice Chen practitioner can't reasonably expect to emulate what a long-term advanced Chen practitioner does.

Lots of Yang style practitioners have knee problems. I'm fine with some folks here not liking Chen style and not wanting to practice it but there's no need to repeatedly malign it. (I started out with Yang style and still like it, when, like any art, it is done well.)

[origami_itto]

I didn't mean that as a criticism of Chen style. More a criticism of over-eager beginners trying to emulate the effect without understanding the cause.