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