Tai Chi schools

[Ronnin]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this art, although I have done pretty extensive reserch on it so I'm semi versed on it. Does anyone know of a good school in Orange County California, that will focus on the martial aspects as to the health aspects. i realize that the to aspects come with all Taiji styles, but i also know some schools, or styles will focus on one a bit more than another. all information would be greatly appreciated. thanks everyone !!

 

[Xue Sheng]

I can’t help with taiji schools in Orange county sorry, I know Mary Chow use to teach somewhere in California but she has retired and Alex Dong use to teach in California but he is now in New York City and to be honest the only one on the West coat that I know for certain that will teach the martial art of taiji is Tung Kai Ying, but I do not think he is in California and he is VERY traditional in his views so to train with him you would learn a lot but you would need to be patient. So basically I am of no help at all

I do believe there is a Zhaobao Taijiquan school somewher in California and Zhaobao tends to be big on fighting but it takes time. To learn taiji and to understand how it is suppose to work as a martial art is not a quick process and takes years, you need patients and it will eventually begin to make sense

It is very true that there are many more taiji schools out there that teach health but something to take into consideration; Tung Ying Jie told everyone taiji was for health and yet he was a very good martial artist and very much like Qinna and he taught his student martial arts but he would tell his students it was mainly for health. My Sifu is very healthy any yet he can throw me around like a rag doll and lock me with qinna better than anyone I have ever trained with.

My Sifu is very similar in what he says about taiji, he says he teaches mainly for health because that is what most people want but he is teaching me the marital arts of it because I have been his student for many years and I have told him I want to know the marital arts of it and he decided that I am finally ready and understand it enough.

Now with that said; if you find a real live traditional taiji teacher it is likely they will not teach you any martial arts or applications for several months to a year or 2. It all depends on you and how much you understand and believe me they WILL walk over and see you are doing something and show you the applications, but not in great detail, and then ask you if you understand. If you do they may show you more if you don’t they will walk away. It is a kind of test to see where you are and if you don’t really understand and say you do, they will figure that out very quickly too and that is worse so don't do that.

Yang style likes you to be very familiar with the long form before they start teaching applications Chen likes to get you though at least laojia yilu but I have heard that some legitimate Chen schools are getting more into applications during Laojia yilu these days.