Tai Chi styles

[Tachi]

Just curious...



What styles of Tai Chi do we have represented on the board? If you'd like to add, how long have you studied and what got you interested?

Tachi:asian:

 

[arnisador]

I studied the national (exercise-oriented) form, as it was all we had in town--and now we have no Tai Chi at all!

 

[disciple]

I practice Yang style short(24) and long(108) forms. I have yet to learn fan, jian, and dao forms from my new master.
Been doing it for 3 years.
I got interested mostly because of the tai chi master movies and stories

salute

:asian:

 

[happyguy]

I study the sun style Taiji.I suppose it was all the stories of taiji fighting ability that sparked my initial interest.

 

[Tachi]

I've been studying Chen style for several years now, and got into it for the hidden martial aspects. I wanted an art different from the standard 'knock down, kick'em' style I had seen.

Now I find many people who study Yang, but not many who work with Chen. A bit frustrating when I want to increase my skills

It's nice to see we have a great variety of styles represented on the board.


Tachi

 

[theneuhauser]

hey tachi

i study chen also
never learned cannon fist though, hoping to learn soon from my new instructor

i also practice yang

i love all of it-taiji got me back into martial arts after 6 years without study- then i met an old guy named han in southern illinois- he tought me yang and wu and hes the only person ive met that teaches scattering hands(2 man fighting set) he was a cool cat.

 

[Tachi]

I'm saiting for Cannon Fist as well - we have a "primer" version we teach to the colored sash ranks to get people to relax and learn how to move the dantien bette, then we play with the first form. I really enjoy that one, but I am anxious to get moving with the Cannon Fist - ahh, the Western Mind

How have you found Wu style to compare with Chen? I have heard there are similarities, but alas, no one in my area teaches Wu....


Talk soon -


Tachi

 

[theneuhauser]

i wish that i had spent as much time in wu style. i think it is really a great technique. its sort of similar to chen with its small circles when winding from the waist. i learned a lot of it with high stances, which is so contradictary to traditional shaolin that its quite an experience. but as i understand, as you master chen, you can gradually raise your stances while maintaining your low center of gravity. have you heard of this?

 

[Tachi]

Thanks for the info on Wu...I'd like to look into it sometime.

I have been told about the concept of cultivating enough chi in the dantien to allow the practitioner to keep stances high while maintaining a good root...can't say I've mastered it yet (ah, but why do we do this art if not to have a lifetime in which to learn, but it is a concept I have been playing with.

Another similar idea is to work toward making the circular motions smaller and smaller with time while maintaining the internal circles as large as possible. That's a fun one to try to explain to students, and even better to apply to my own training!

I think that is why I like Chen so much - it seems like a good chess. Things are never quite what they seem on the surface. Lots of fun

Cheers -

Tachi

 

[Dronak]

At the moment, I'm learning a long form of Yang style tai chi. Previously I did a little bit on my own trying to learn the simplified 24 posture form and the combined 48 posture form using books and videos. I'm not sure how well I learned it though, probably not great since I didn't have a teacher. I'm glad I do now though. I think our teacher also knows Chen style tai chi, but I'm not sure if he's going to teach us that at some point or not. Right now it's just Yang style and the class is split up in different groups, so only some people are learning that while others are learning other Shaolin forms.

 

[theneuhauser]

It seems like most instructors that teach various taiji styles will start you off with yang style. i think that makes sense. most of the principles appear to be the same (as far as my novice experience can tell). yang is so much more fluid that it seems to facilitate understanding of emptiness and softness. the martial applications are similar to other forms. and chen style specifically, uses hard mixed with soft. that interplay can really make you miserable.

but chen is so much fun.

 

[Tachi]

...that Yang appears to be taught before Chen if the Master knows both. I can definitely see the pro's in that - considering most "Round-Eye" practitioners usually get into Tai Chi because they want the relaxation and healing benefit it offers. I have been told that Yang is also more standardized now by the Chinese Government,but would that make it easier to learn?

When I started Chen style, we learned a basic form that is called "Cannon Fist", but looks nothing like the real Cannon Fist form. I was told later that it is more of a Canon of knowledge, and moves from simpler moves and energy concepts to more difficult. I was frustrated at first - thinking, "I wanted Chen Tai Chi, and all I get is a watered-down version?" Then, after 2 years with that form, I finally got into the First Form - an actual Chen Form! I was so excited, but then realized quickly how hard it was, even though it looked easy to do. The internal energy changes are so intricate and specific, that if I had learned this form initially, I may have mentally exploded from frustration.


OK - long post (sorry ) but I can see why some instructors opt for the Yang first or even overall. It's a good "taste" for newer practitioners, and definitely has its own skill development.


Cheers -


Tachi

 

[theneuhauser]

I was told later that it is more of a Canon of knowledge, and moves from simpler moves and energy concepts to more difficult.

that sounds very practical, ive never heard of that, it must be a more modern day approach developed by your system? that kind of stuff is really helpful in the fast food culture, some people just dont have enough hours in the week to let the techniques "reveal themselves".

ive been told that only two of the original five chenstyle forms have been retained through the years. the practice form and the cannon fist form. have you heard this also?

 

[Tachi]

Yep - that seems to be the case. Sad, in a way, but if the forms are not still timeless, they probably won't stand for long. My understanding also is that there are (as one might expect) variations on the First and Cannon Dist forms because each new generation adds his own 'flair'. I think it's great when a person can make the movement his/her own - at the same time, it's frustrating when I look for a standardized form and find many variations.....

isn't Art great?


Tachi

 

[theneuhauser]

yeah, totally great. ive been trying to contact my instructor long distance for a while now to get more information about the origins of his taiji school. its very different from the compulsory chenstyle form, more traditional i believe, because it seems that all of the standardized stuff are newer versions of the original.

 

[CraneSpreadWings]

I practice Chen Pan Ling Tai Chi and am learning Yang Family as well. Ive been playing for almost 4 years all together and I got into it because it was my destiny....oh yeah, I also had serious back problems.
I started with the Yang 24 and have been practicing CPL for almost two years pretty seriously. I no longer have back troubles, can now work on a little Longfist and have started learning Ba Gua Zhang...

 

[arnisador]

What are the differences between Chen Pan Ling Tai Chi and Yang Tai Chi?

 

[lvwhitebir]

I've been studying Yang Style for about 8 years. I've learned the Long Form (108), Beijing Short Form (24), Straight Sword, and Two-Person Set. I'm currently working on a Fan Set.

I got into Tai Chi as basically a complement to my Kung Fu training. Since I was going to teach, my instructor made sure I had both the Kung Fu and Tai Chi up to par first.

WhiteBirch

 

[arnisador]

This sort of "cross-training" has always been in fashion in the CMA!

 

[Matt Stone]

If, when you say kung fu you mean martial arts, then Taiji and "kung fu" are the same thing... There is no difference.

If you are using the words kung fu to refer to skills of some sort developed over time, then Taiji and "kung fu" are still the same thing...

Perhaps what was meant is that someone practices a "kung fu" style in addition to their Taiji... I suspect that is what was intended.

I have been studying Yiliquan, and its included Yang style forms, since 1985 or 86. I started the Taiji phase around 1990ish, and have been working on it ever since.