Tai Chi Chuan: Useful or bogus?

[T'ai Chi]

It's garbage.

If garbage = a martial art/exercise that's been practiced for hundreds of years and continues to be practiced to this day; the most widely practiced martial art in the world, then yes, it is garbage.

People find it useful. You obviously don't like to see people getting use out of things.

Tai Chi is full of nonsense people that will tell you that Chi is "real" and that you'll learn superpowers by learning Tai Chi.

It is probably more nonsense to believe there is such a thing as an 'Ultimate' fighter, and that getting shiny belts is more useful for life.

In reality, it's just a slow motion exercise for Chinese senior citizens.

Where has anyone denied that taijiquan is mainly practiced slow?

I'd love to see any old people get use out of MMA-type training. It simply doesn't happen. That type of training is not useful (or even possible) throughout all stages of life. If youngsters engaging in that training injure themselves, senior citizens would injure themselves even moreso. And what is the logic of training in self defense if the art you're training in destroys you more efficiently than an opponent can?

 

[Ladewig]

I took a couple of classes at a community center and the teachers never mentioned energy flow or mystical powers or abilities. I found it to be a good relaxation technique.

 

[firecoins]

1. your not going to find any teachers who teach the "fighting" aspects of tai chi in the US. If you find a teacher who teaches Push Hands, you are lucky. MMA is better for fighting most certainly.

2. Most tai chi teachers will talk about chi. I ignore my teacher when he does. I have no time for the nonsense.

3. I enjoy performing tai chi as a moving meditation. It helps slow down and concentrate. Yoga also does this.

4. tai chi must be learned young, this way you can do it before your old and decreped. This way you can be old and less decreped.

 

[luchog]

1. your not going to find any teachers who teach the "fighting" aspects of tai chi in the US. If you find a teacher who teaches Push Hands, you are lucky. MMA is better for fighting most certainly.

That is demonstrably not true, since there is at least one school of Tai Chi Chuan here in the Seattle area that teaches "fast forms", aka "fighting" Tai Chi, including weapons forms.

 

[drkitten]

That is demonstrably not true, since there is at least one school of Tai Chi Chuan here in the Seattle area that teaches "fast forms", aka "fighting" Tai Chi, including weapons forms.

Such schools are, however, very rare. I believe Mike Sigman does (or did) teach something like that out of Denver, I've seen someone else in Ipswich, and I think there's a guy in Boston who teaches fighting Tai Chi.

Properly taught, it can be a very effective fighting style. However, I know of four competent instructors world-wide, which sort of limits its usefulness.....

 

[ponderingturtle]

If garbage = a martial art/exercise that's been practiced for hundreds of years and continues to be practiced to this day; the most widely practiced martial art in the world, then yes, it is garbage.

History is no way to measure value, or you would be going to your doctor to be bleed with leaches to get your humours in to ballance.

 

[firecoins]

History is no way to measure value, or you would be going to your doctor to be bleed with leaches to get your humours in to ballance.

Actually some doctors use leaches to remove dead skin from burn victims. But than again they aren't using it to get humours in balance.

 

[firecoins]

Such schools are, however, very rare. I believe Mike Sigman does (or did) teach something like that out of Denver, I've seen someone else in Ipswich, and I think there's a guy in Boston who teaches fighting Tai Chi.

Properly taught, it can be a very effective fighting style. However, I know of four competent instructors world-wide, which sort of limits its usefulness.....

Just doing weapons forms doesn't really do much. There are some schools that actually move beyond forms, like push hand and free form fighting. Some are here in NYC. They are rare though.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Actually some doctors use leaches to remove dead skin from burn victims. But than again they aren't using it to get humours in balance.

I think that is maggots, leaches are used to drain blood after microsurgery to promote blood flow. There is a reason I made sure to mention humours.

Then again plenty of bloodletting was done with simple knives, and with nifty skin cutting machines

 

[firecoins]

I think that is maggots, leaches are used to drain blood after microsurgery to promote blood flow. There is a reason I made sure to mention humours.

Then again plenty of bloodletting was done with simple knives, and with nifty skin cutting machines

That sounds right.

 

[supercorgi]

I think that is maggots, leaches are used to drain blood after microsurgery to promote blood flow. There is a reason I made sure to mention humours.

There's also some use of maggots for cleaning putrid tissue from wounds. Can you say "ewwwww?"

 

[briandunning]

Nice way to get some fresh air in the morning, I suppose - Makes you look like an idiot though. Although most people will applaud you for being a "spiritual person".

 

[firecoins]

Nice way to get some fresh air in the morning, I suppose - Makes you look like an idiot though. Although most people will applaud you for being a "spiritual person".

Well its better than being called a religious person.

 

[ponderingturtle]

There's also some use of maggots for cleaning putrid tissue from wounds. Can you say "ewwwww?"

That is the same thing as useing them in burn victims. The thing is that they do not eat healthy tissue, only dead tissue or infection.

 

[T'ai Chi]

There are some schools that actually move beyond forms, like push hand and free form fighting. Some are here in NYC. They are rare though.

Oh I agree. But you contradict yourself, as before you said

your not going to find any teachers who teach the "fighting" aspects of tai chi in the US.

 

[mac]

I learned to play tai chi after some botched back surgery, and certainly credit it for speeding my recovery. I never evolved in tai chi to the fighting techniques but my "master" did performances/demonstrations with weapons. As a former gymnast, I can say that the exercise is quite good to develop coordination and flexiblity - and concentration in movement. Talk to your "master" to take the movements to a level that is challenging to you - you'll have to learn the choreography as a beginner, but if you are more fit, you can adopt a more physically challenging position for the movements.

In using "master" I assume that the person who is teaching is a master of the artform. So please don't go all genie on me!

 

[thaiboxerken]

I'm pretty sure that a person just making up postures and positions and calling it "Tai Chi" would be just as effective as the "real" Tai Chi as far as health is concerned.

 

[Huntster]

It is ammazing, Tai Chi said something that has actual content and not just that someone was interesting or that critisism did not meet with his standards to be worth refuting.

What would be truly remarkable is if you could replicate the feat.

 

[Wudang]

I'm pretty sure that a person just making up postures and positions and calling it "Tai Chi" would be just as effective as the "real" Tai Chi as far as health is concerned.

Yeah, it's called Lee style and no, I'm not joking. If by "real" you mean the garbage that most people teach as tai chi.

Speaking as someone who's done fighting tai chi with Dan Docherty since the 80's I wouldn't bother with most tai classes.

In NY state google on Bob Loce. He should be able to point you at other good US instructors.

Some corrections - the "fast sets" aren't fighting - they're just fast hand forms usually associated with the Wu Jin Chuan lineage.
Tai chi's explanation of "repulse monkey" shows yet again that he knows smeg all about tai chi chuan. It's a combined leg sweep and push. And not just in my style.

 

[T'ai Chi]

Tai chi's explanation of "repulse monkey" shows yet again that he knows smeg all about tai chi chuan. It's a combined leg sweep and push. And not just in my style.

"Wudang", your comment is pretty irrelevant. I didn't even comment on its specific fighting applications, just how the name got its name.