taiji in self-defense?

[ChingChuan]

I'm not a tai chi practioner, but I'd like to add to this topic...

I practise Pencak Silat (the indonesion martial art) and a lot of Tai Chi movements look really similar to my art. As Pencak Silat is an excellent art for self-defence (as most martial arts are), I think that the same goes for Tai Chi...

However, like some others have said, you shouldn't try to use it for self-defence when you've never trained tai chi for that purpose.

 

[Phadrus00]

Some excellent points have been made here about using what we are most confident and comfortable with in a self-defence situation when the pressure is on. I don't believe that in those situations we "consciously" select what we use, we simply react and we will react with whatever is the most familiar and most reinforced to our muscles.

I teach Tai Chi in our school along with the Filipino Martial Arts and Silat. Knife defences I clearly draw from FMA and Silat and many takedowns I rely on Silat finishes but I have notices that my Tai Chi practice influences my entries and ability to "bend" around a technique and then dive into a solid stance.

I teach self-defence applicaitons as part of my Tai Chi curriculum because I think it makes it much easier to understand the movements within that context. I would not necessarily use those technques "as is" but rather I feel that Tai Chi practice enhances my footwork and balance and increases the effectivness of my other arts. That is not to say I would not use "Part Wild Horses Mane" to break someones elbow and throw them back if the opportunity arose it's just that I would likely move towards more Silat or FMA based techniques because I tend to train those more with partners and find them very effective and direct. I truly do beleive however that my power and stanve are enahnced by practising Tai Chi and that makes all my arts more effective and useful.

Rob

 

[pete]

Phadrus00,

I applaud you for learning Tai Chi Chuan and using it as a cross-reference to enhance your FMA. I have students that come to learn Tai Chi Chuan with advanced rankings and experience is several other martial styles and enjoy seeing this each week.

One thing that you would eventually find different with Tai Chi Chuan as an internal martial art, is the mental training to utilize the fully conscious mind in stressful situations, such as a physical attack. rather than the 'react' nature of external arts, where you may train to react to a trigger with a series of pre-programmed reflexive actions... the internal arts, tai chi included, trains one to develop sensitivity and respond initially by manifesting the art's core principles physically, while maintaining a calm awareness to react to changes as they occur and utilize your thinking mind.

This is why meditation and sensitivity exercises, such as pushing hands and rou shou, are so important to the internal arts training. And by carrying the lessons of meditation and sensitivities drills, in addition to the form and qigong, up into more spontaneous and challenging activities like sparring, self-defense applications, and weaponry, will prepare one to utilize Tai Chi Chuan if and when needed in a life situation.

Pete

 

[Phadrus00]

One thing that you would eventually find different with Tai Chi Chuan as an internal martial art, is the mental training to utilize the fully conscious mind in stressful situations, such as a physical attack. rather than the 'react' nature of external arts, where you may train to react to a trigger with a series of pre-programmed reflexive actions... the internal arts, tai chi included, trains one to develop sensitivity and respond initially by manifesting the art's core principles physically, while maintaining a calm awareness to react to changes as they occur and utilize your thinking mind.

This is why meditation and sensitivity exercises, such as pushing hands and rou shou, are so important to the internal arts training. And by carrying the lessons of meditation and sensitivities drills, in addition to the form and qigong, up into more spontaneous and challenging activities like sparring, self-defense applications, and weaponry, will prepare one to utilize Tai Chi Chuan if and when needed in a life situation.

Pete

Pete,

Thank you for this wonderful advice. I admit that I am approaching Tai Chi from a very "external" perspective and this insight is profound. I have not been pursuing Chi Kung and meditation as actively as I should and have been changing my curriculum to address this challenge. Your advice inspires me to redouble my efforts.

Thanks so much!

Rob

 

[DaPoets]

A friend of mine for fun charged me from straight on with a playful punch to the face and I found myself without thinking doing a repulse monkey and then grabing his arm while I did a step up and raise hands move. It completely threw him off balance. I found that this truly amazed me since in TTCS we do not teach or even practice the combatitive aspect of taijiquan.

Tai Chi is very powerful when it is a part of who you are.

 

[kwaichang]

found that this truly amazed me since in TTCS we do not teach or even practice the combatitive aspect of taijiquan.

Tai Chi is very powerful when it is a part of who you are.

and thus my post #17

 

[Ninebird8]

If you have ever trained with my tai chi Sifu, Jeff Bolt, or his master, Dr. Yang Jwing Ming, you would see the effectiveness of tai chi and especially tai chi chin na in fighting. I have trained in gung fu and Yang tai chi for over 30 years and have found tai chi to be an effective art by using fa jing, foot movement, push hands for sensitivity, and then tai chi chin na and/or plucking (a form of tai chi grabbing/locking) to neutralize an opponent. Also, the internal strikes of tai chi through a palm strike to an internal organ while sinking and rooting, or a front kick using "play guitar" where an opponent is pulled in by two locking hands while executing a front kick with jing to a vital point in the sternum, the arm pit, the tan tien, the femoral artery, or vital joints, is also effective. Combined with kung fu techniques, tai chi in general (also ba gua and hsing i in similar fashion) surrounds, controls, and neutralizes the opponent. As in kung fu taught these days, a critical missing element of effective tai chi fighting, or actually fighting in general, is the use of good footwork to position oneself vis a vis the opponent and set up attacks/defenses through appropriate angular positioning. Whether walking the circle in ba gua or using effective moving push hand foot movement, any of the 5 main styles of tai chi are effective. In combo with a good Northern or Southern art, it helps meld the internal and external into one expression of whipping power, aka fajing application. I have found in many fighting instances, whether real or sparring in class, that eventually the blocking/pushing/punching etc are merely technique that must be, through practice, converted to a natural reaction to any stimuli brought forth by the opponent. Push hands is merely a way to develop sensitivity to a person's chi/movements/intention, while redirecting for effective punches, kicks, chin na, or redirecting to a more advantageous position. This is my two cents worth from my experience. Besides, in the old days many members of both the Chen and the Yang families would take on both kung fu and foreign practitioners in either combat or friendly matches and usually prevail. Must have something to it...LOL, or as one of my three masters use to say, "do not pick on anyone over 60 moving slowly and grinning for no reason!" Of course, that could mean he is senile!!

 

[kwaichang]

in the old days many members of both the Chen and the Yang families would take on both kung fu and foreign practitioners in either combat or friendly matches and usually prevail. Must have something to it...LOL, or as one of my three masters use to say, "do not pick on anyone over 60 moving slowly and grinning for no reason!" Of course, that could mean he is senile!!

Well said and so true.:uhyeah:

 

[Xue Sheng]

"do not pick on anyone over 60 moving slowly and grinning for no reason!" Of course, that could mean he is senile!!

My Yang Taiji sifu is in his 70s and you couldn't pay me enough to challenge him to a fight