I don't know anything about this teacher or what's involved in this discussion but I have met people who can do this type of thing.
Bwil wrote:I have a number of questions concerning this "ability" for lack of a better term. Besides the is it real part. Moving past this, if it is real then why do so few people seem able to do it? Is the training publicly available and its just a case of more of the same and eventually you will get it? Is it not available so the majority of people can't do this because they haven't been taught how? If thats the case then why the hell isn't it available? Its 2011 for fucks sake, do you want to die with no one knowing how?
Ima was my introduction to MA unless you count 10 years of scholastic wrestling. I admit my expectations were more than a little tinged with magical thinking. As my art and my mind grew up I became pretty dismissive of anything remotely resembling this kind of thinking much less demonstration. If questioned about it the majority of the time I'll answer that I think the internal/external division is at best one of curriculum progression and by and large a bullshit dichotomy. I'll even admit that lately I learn more about IMA from mma than anywhere. The combativeness is sorely missing from the majority of IMA training even for the small percentage of people who really want that, so it isn't a wast of time imo. That said, is it counter productive from developing a skill such as this and more importantly just how useful a skill is it?
B
I hear you. As to why it is so rare I would say it's because of the hours and years required to reach this level is in itself pretty extreme yet you would also need an instructor who could do this themselves. First it's hard to find someone who has reached this level and if you do it's hard to find people willing to commit to reach this level. I think of it as being similar to being an Olympian in gymnastics, most kids who do gymnastics aren't going to reach that level, the odds of someone reaching that level of gymnastics are probably something like a million to one.
As to mma or fighting I agree, in that just because someone can do these things in push hands it doesn't necessarily mean they can't get knocked out or choked out like anyone else. It is impressive stuff but in a fight involving real violence pushing people away probably isn't going to stop them from charging at you again and again. As JW says you need finishing techniques. Even at this level people make mistakes and as we all know you need to make one mistake in a fight for things to go horribly wrong. Personally I believe this is why sparring on some level is necessary to make you aware of these mistakes so you can remove them from being habits.
Impressive stuff none the less.