Well, I give up.....

[Xue Sheng]

I taught aikido (and judo) for years until I retired. We did practice techniques one on one at half speed to gain smoothness and proper technique. We also did randori, often with multiple attackers; and it did occasionally get gnarly.

I found a connection between Tai Chi and aikido in that the give and take of push-hands is a part of both. But I taught aikido as a martial art and not "dance-like" internal meditation. So it appears I am solidly on the martial side of the art. Over the years a few of my students actually used aikido training in real-life situations.

You know, sitting there for 8 years watching Aikido, I did see a lot of similarities, the differences being aikido following the circle, where in Taijiquan the similar application could linear, or darn close to it. Or where one steps back, the other steps forward.

The school my daughter trained at was also more on the martial side, it is an impressive art, at least IMO

 

[Flying Crane]

South Eastern Sicily, Italy. Five years ago there were about five dojos in the province but now they're gone.

I am sorry to hear that. It is unfortunate to see these schools close. How much of it would you say was due to Covid? I am only wondering if it is some perceived decline in the method or the teaching, vs. the wrecking ball of Covid that forced a lot of businesses, including martial arts schools, to close.

 

[Flying Crane]

You know, sitting there for 8 years watching Aikido, I did see a lot of similarities, the differences being aikido following the circle, where in Taijiquan the similar application could linear, or darn close to it. Or where one steps back, the other steps forward.

The school my daughter trained at was also more on the martial side, it is an impressive art, at least IMO

I see all kinds of similarities between aikido and Tibetan crane. The principles are very much the same, but as I often have stated, the physical manifestation and how they are put into use can be rather different. That is where I keep stumbling, my body wants to move like in TC, but that is incorrect for aikido, even when it is close to the same. Close doesn’t cut it. So I keep working on it.

 

[O'Malley]

I am sorry to hear that. It is unfortunate to see these schools close. How much of it would you say was due to Covid? I am only wondering if it is some perceived decline in the method or the teaching, vs. the wrecking ball of Covid that forced a lot of businesses, including martial arts schools, to close.

Simpler than that: teachers got old and tired, students tried to keep it going but eventually it couldn't work. The remaining dojos welcomed the "refugees" and before we knew it we were the only remaining ones. We survived COVID because we have a gentleman's agreement with the judo guys (we sub-rent the dojo for a couple of hours a week) and they have the means and will to honour their word. Then sensei got old and tired, and my friend took over. I don't always agree with him on aikido matters but I have mad respect for his will to show up and keep the club running.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Simpler than that: teachers got old and tired,

Aikido can be pretty hard for an old teacher to teach.

 

[punisher73]

I might have expressed myself poorly. I'll try to clarify the terminology. It looks like, coming from a non-Japanese art, you may be understanding kata as a series of techniques. Kata just means "form". It can be made of one technique. In jujutsu, it just means that both partners are following pre-set movements: A grabs B, B moves to the side and unbalances A, who reacts in a pre-defined way (A doesn't spin out of the technique or try to react), then B throws A. For more on kata training, see: Katageiko : A Necessary Cooperation Between Uke and Tori

Below is a drill where uke attacks with an opposite-side wrist grab (gyakuhanmi katatedori) and tori responds with a hip throw (koshi nage). From the attack to the outcome (tori throws uke), the movements follow a pre-agreed upon pattern. This is called a kata. It is choreographed, if you prefer.

Thanks for the clarification. At first I wondered if you studied Tomiki Aikido which has what they call "Randori no Kata" (series of 17 techniques) or if you were referring to "kata" like Kendo/Judo utilizes the term in which it just means a preset exercise of attack and defense.

I studied Seidokan Aikido for a bit and we utilized "Aiki Taiso" to do solo training and internalize the principles of movement that are needed to make the Aikido techniques work. I have heard some people try to compare it to other training and call it kata.

There were also weapons katas of the bokken/sword and Jo that were solo forms.

 

[ChenAn]

There is nothing martial in push hands . It just another tool to develop certain skills similar to a punching bag. San shou is the closest thing to fight one can experience in taiji. But not everyone is ready invest in pain and injuries .

There is inly one way to test one skill under stress: is to deal with uncooperative partner preferably who know how to punch , kick and wrestle. Gotta invest in loss heavily

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

There is inly one way to test one skill under stress: is to deal with uncooperative partner preferably who know how to punch , kick and wrestle. Gotta invest in loss heavily

Agree with you 100% there. I think everybody should fight "golden glove boxing" at least once in his lifetime (I did once in my life). When you face an opponent who tries to take your head off, you will understand what a fight may look like - you try to knock your opponent down before he tries to knock you down. To be kind to your opponent is to be cruel to yourself.

 

[Xue Sheng]

First let me get this off my chest.

I am not a fan of the new buzz phrase “Pressure Testing” Let’s just call it what it is “Sparring”. It makes as much sense to me as when they started calling trucks SUV. And before someone pops up telling me they are not the same because sparing is in a dojo with padding and light striking…. You’re either too young, or too new to martial arts to be in this conversation…sorry, it is how I feel. Talk to the older guys, of which I am probably on the younger side of, that trained MA in the 60s, and early 70s. And occasionally in the later 70s. I started in 1972 Japanese Jiu jitsu (no pads, just carpet, in a fencing studio, with fencing foils and fencing masks on two walls), and as late as 77 I had a TKD teacher laugh at the request for pads and protective gear that some of his students were asking for…. And we were on a tile floor and in pre-olympic TKD, there were takedowns.

We sparred, we did not have pads, protective gear or mats. That is why learning how to fall was imperative. And now before someone pops in and tells me that can’t be true because people would get hurt. Well, we did, bumps, bruises, cuts contusions sprains and breaks. And you know what, we never even thought of suing anyone, nor did out parents who took us when we were kids. You were there to learn how to fight, you’re going to get hurt, we knew it and they knew it (my parents my father was military, my mother was ex-military at the time and both were in medicine, they did not like seeing me hurt, but it was all part of MA then) However, I was lucky, I did not break anything until much later when I was training Shaolin Long Fist in the 1990s, then I broke my ankle...twice.

Another thing I want to mention, since so much Aikido has appeared in this thread. I don’t think a lot of folks understand what higher lever Randori is. You go into that and don’t know how to fall, or don’t know how to react, mostly on instinct and reflex, you will get hurt.

Agree with you 100% there. I think everybody should fight "golden glove boxing" at least once in his lifetime (I did once in my life). When you face an opponent who tries to take your head off, you will understand what a fight may look like - you try to knock your opponent down before he tries to knock you down. To be kind to your opponent is to be cruel to yourself.

I don't agree 100% as it applies to taijiquan, or any CIMA for that matter, and the next post will tell you why

There is nothing martial in push hands . It just another tool to develop certain skills similar to a punching bag. San shou is the closest thing to fight one can experience in taiji. But not everyone is ready invest in pain and injuries .

There is inly one way to test one skill under stress: is to deal with uncooperative partner preferably who know how to punch , kick and wrestle. Gotta invest in loss heavily

I both agree and disagree, but then maybe you are saying the same as I am about to, you just did not add enough detail. Saying push hands is a tool, is, at least to me, is beating a dead horse at this point. Yes, it is a tool everyone should know that. But it is a little more than a simple tool if trained correctly. However, it is less than sparring.

If all you are doing with push hands are the drills, stationary one hand, two hand, moving two hand, 3 step, for corner, then it is simply a tool. But if you go to the next level where it is freestyle, then you learn how to apply the principles of taijiquan to a conflict. And I must tell you, I have done push hands with some old Chinese guys who will pop you in the head if you lose control of their hand and they see an easy opening, who will joint lock you and/or use Shuaijaio to knock you on the floor. Still not sparring, still a bit restrained, but leading to it, and it is a very important part of leading to sparring and fighting. It is using taijiquan based on its principles and applying it to conflict. Add that to an understanding of the 13 postures and you are ready to go do some sparring, and probably a lot of losing at first. But as Bruce Lee said, and my Yang Shifu also said (and to be honest I don’t think Shifu has any idea of what Bruce Lee said) “invest in loss.”

If you use Sanshou to “Pressure test” Taijiquan that is fine, just as long as you are staying within taijiquan principles of relaxed power, body unity, etc. If you are just doing Shanshou taking the stance of a boxer, hoping around the ring like a boxer, using muscle to overcome the opponent and punching and kicking like a kick boxer, you are doing Sanshou, not taijiquan and IMO not learning how to use Taijiquan, you are however learning to use sanshou. And if that is the case, why do Taijiquan at all, just train sanshou. And yes, I have trained both.

That is why I both agree with what you said and disagree with what you said.

Chen Xiaowang told a story once about a seminar he was giving in Europe. He said he had been wondering if his taijiquan would work in a real fight, because he had never been in one (apparently the Chenjiagou matches didn’t count). He said during the seminar a student attacked him, his response was a reflex action from his taijiquan. He felt bad about it, but the guy left in an ambulance. From what I gathered it sounded like he hit the guy, very hard, in the chest and caused a heart arrhythmia.

Also, I no longer do Chen, not working on Wu and only doing the Short Sun form I learned and modified. I had a minor epiphany last week, forms don’t matter, nor does style, internal does (not Qi flow, but body units, proper use of force, relaxation, etc,) and how that is applied to application and SD. So I returned to Traditional Yang style, working on getting the Jian and Dao forms back. After that, if I am able to get one of the 2 fast forms back, it’s all good

 

[HighKick]

First let me get this off my chest.

I am not a fan of the new buzz phrase “Pressure Testing” Let’s just call it what it is “Sparring”. It makes as much sense to me as when they started calling trucks SUV. And before someone pops up telling me they are not the same because sparing is in a dojo with padding and light striking…. You’re either too young, or too new to martial arts to be in this conversation…sorry, it is how I feel. Talk to the older guys, of which I am probably on the younger side of, that trained MA in the 60s, and early 70s. And occasionally in the later 70s. I started in 1972 Japanese Jiu jitsu (no pads, just carpet, in a fencing studio, with fencing foils and fencing masks on two walls), and as late as 77 I had a TKD teacher laugh at the request for pads and protective gear that some of his students were asking for…. And we were on a tile floor and in pre-olympic TKD, there were takedowns.

We sparred, we did not have pads, protective gear or mats. That is why learning how to fall was imperative. And now before someone pops in and tells me that can’t be true because people would get hurt. Well, we did, bumps, bruises, cuts contusions sprains and breaks. And you know what, we never even thought of suing anyone, nor did out parents who took us when we were kids. You were there to learn how to fight, you’re going to get hurt, we knew it and they knew it (my parents my father was military, my mother was ex-military at the time and both were in medicine, they did not like seeing me hurt, but it was all part of MA then) However, I was lucky, I did not break anything until much later when I was training Shaolin Long Fist in the 1990s, then I broke my ankle...twice.

Another thing I want to mention, since so much Aikido has appeared in this thread. I don’t think a lot of folks understand what higher lever Randori is. You go into that and don’t know how to fall, or don’t know how to react, mostly on instinct and reflex, you will get hurt.



I don't agree 100% as it applies to taijiquan, or any CIMA for that matter, and the next post will tell you why


I both agree and disagree, but then maybe you are saying the same as I am about to, you just did not add enough detail. Saying push hands is a tool, is, at least to me, is beating a dead horse at this point. Yes, it is a tool everyone should know that. But it is a little more than a simple tool if trained correctly. However, it is less than sparring.

If all you are doing with push hands are the drills, stationary one hand, two hand, moving two hand, 3 step, for corner, then it is simply a tool. But if you go to the next level where it is freestyle, then you learn how to apply the principles of taijiquan to a conflict. And I must tell you, I have done push hands with some old Chinese guys who will pop you in the head if you lose control of their hand and they see an easy opening, who will joint lock you and/or use Shuaijaio to knock you on the floor. Still not sparring, still a bit restrained, but leading to it, and it is a very important part of leading to sparring and fighting. It is using taijiquan based on its principles and applying it to conflict. Add that to an understanding of the 13 postures and you are ready to go do some sparring, and probably a lot of losing at first. But as Bruce Lee said, and my Yang Shifu also said (and to be honest I don’t think Shifu has any idea of what Bruce Lee said) “invest in loss.”

If you use Sanshou to “Pressure test” Taijiquan that is fine, just as long as you are staying within taijiquan principles of relaxed power, body unity, etc. If you are just doing Shanshou taking the stance of a boxer, hoping around the ring like a boxer, using muscle to overcome the opponent and punching and kicking like a kick boxer, you are doing Sanshou, not taijiquan and IMO not learning how to use Taijiquan, you are however learning to use sanshou. And if that is the case, why do Taijiquan at all, just train sanshou. And yes, I have trained both.

That is why I both agree with what you said and disagree with what you said.

Chen Xiaowang told a story once about a seminar he was giving in Europe. He said he had been wondering if his taijiquan would work in a real fight, because he had never been in one (apparently the Chenjiagou matches didn’t count). He said during the seminar a student attacked him, his response was a reflex action from his taijiquan. He felt bad about it, but the guy left in an ambulance. From what I gathered it sounded like he hit the guy, very hard, in the chest and caused a heart arrhythmia.

Also, I no longer do Chen, not working on Wu and only doing the Short Sun form I learned and modified. I had a minor epiphany last week, forms don’t matter, nor does style, internal does (not Qi flow, but body units, proper use of force, relaxation, etc,) and how that is applied to application and SD. So I returned to Traditional Yang style, working on getting the Jian and Dao forms back. After that, if I am able to get one of the 2 fast forms back, it’s all good

Before I reply with what you said would be an infantile response, please describe pressure testing? I see sparring and pressure testing as two completely different things, although there is some overlap in certain sparring formats.

 

[jks9199]

If you use Sanshou to “Pressure test” Taijiquan that is fine, just as long as you are staying within taijiquan principles of relaxed power, body unity, etc. If you are just doing Shanshou taking the stance of a boxer, hoping around the ring like a boxer, using muscle to overcome the opponent and punching and kicking like a kick boxer, you are doing Sanshou, not taijiquan and IMO not learning how to use Taijiquan, you are however learning to use sanshou. And if that is the case, why do Taijiquan at all, just train sanshou. And yes, I have trained both.

There's a ton of truth in this paragraph -- whatever your style. I see so many people "pressure testing" or even "just sparring" who throw out the principles of their style to fit the activity they're doing -- and that tells me that they aren't really trying to use their style, they're just trying to win. If you want to actually use and understand your style, whether taiji of some sort, aikido, or boxing, under pressure -- you have to accept that it's going to be rough go for a while, and if you don't stick with your principles you stopped testing your style, and started doing something else.

 

[Oily Dragon]

There are a couple of great examples of CMA people who have trained and applied their own traditional art training into the Sanshou format, which is where it has roots, and also bleeds into MMA. I don't think Orthodox boxers last very long in Sanshou either. They get thrown too often.

Cunge Le did a great book on Sanshou from a traditional Asian (Chinese, Vietnamese) MA point of view. Onassis Parungao did the same for Filipino arts and Hung Ga in UFC. I'm sure if you scan the full contact circuit you can find a few active Tai chi Chuan teams. But I do think even there, only a small percentage can do what you ask: apply it in a full contact environment. But that's what makes it Kung Fu!

 

[Xue Sheng]

Before I reply with what you said would be an infantile response, please describe pressure testing? I see sparring and pressure testing as two completely different things, although there is some overlap in certain sparring formats.

you first

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

you have to accept that it's going to be rough go for a while, and if you don't stick with your principles you stopped testing your style, and started doing something else.

May be "something else" is what you are truly looking for.

In WC, I was taught to use my

- left Tan Shou to block my opponent's right punch.

But when my opponent uses a powerful right hook punch at me, my left Tan Shou may not be strong enough to stop it. I have to use my right Tan Shou plus my body rotation to my left to block that powerful right hook punch.

To use right Tan Shou to block a right punch is against the WC principle. But it works. So which is more important?

1. Find something that work.
2. Find something in a certain MA system that work.

To me, 1 < 2.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I see so many people "pressure testing" or even "just sparring" who throw out the principles of their style to fit the activity they're doing

Assume you are a Taiji guy. I do believe that the roundhouse kick doesn't exist in the Taiji system.

Assume you and your opponent both have right sides forward. In the middle of the sparring, suddenly your opponent switches sides. Will you back left leg roundhouse kick automatically swing toward his chest even if your Taiji system doesn't have roundhouse kick?

Which is more important?

- Take advantage when an opportunity arrives.
- Stick to your MA principle and let that opportunity to pass by.

 

[ChenAn]

First let me get this off my chest.

I am not a fan of the new buzz phrase “Pressure Testing” Let’s just call it what it is “Sparring”. It makes as much sense to me as when they started calling trucks SUV. And before someone pops up telling me they are not the same because sparing is in a dojo with padding and light striking…. You’re either too young, or too new to martial arts to be in this conversation…sorry, it is how I feel. Talk to the older guys, of which I am probably on the younger side of, that trained MA in the 60s, and early 70s. And occasionally in the later 70s. I started in 1972 Japanese Jiu jitsu (no pads, just carpet, in a fencing studio, with fencing foils and fencing masks on two walls), and as late as 77 I had a TKD teacher laugh at the request for pads and protective gear that some of his students were asking for…. And we were on a tile floor and in pre-olympic TKD, there were takedowns.

We sparred, we did not have pads, protective gear or mats. That is why learning how to fall was imperative. And now before someone pops in and tells me that can’t be true because people would get hurt. Well, we did, bumps, bruises, cuts contusions sprains and breaks. And you know what, we never even thought of suing anyone, nor did out parents who took us when we were kids. You were there to learn how to fight, you’re going to get hurt, we knew it and they knew it (my parents my father was military, my mother was ex-military at the time and both were in medicine, they did not like seeing me hurt, but it was all part of MA then) However, I was lucky, I did not break anything until much later when I was training Shaolin Long Fist in the 1990s, then I broke my ankle...twice.

Another thing I want to mention, since so much Aikido has appeared in this thread. I don’t think a lot of folks understand what higher lever Randori is. You go into that and don’t know how to fall, or don’t know how to react, mostly on instinct and reflex, you will get hurt.



I don't agree 100% as it applies to taijiquan, or any CIMA for that matter, and the next post will tell you why


I both agree and disagree, but then maybe you are saying the same as I am about to, you just did not add enough detail. Saying push hands is a tool, is, at least to me, is beating a dead horse at this point. Yes, it is a tool everyone should know that. But it is a little more than a simple tool if trained correctly. However, it is less than sparring.

If all you are doing with push hands are the drills, stationary one hand, two hand, moving two hand, 3 step, for corner, then it is simply a tool. But if you go to the next level where it is freestyle, then you learn how to apply the principles of taijiquan to a conflict. And I must tell you, I have done push hands with some old Chinese guys who will pop you in the head if you lose control of their hand and they see an easy opening, who will joint lock you and/or use Shuaijaio to knock you on the floor. Still not sparring, still a bit restrained, but leading to it, and it is a very important part of leading to sparring and fighting. It is using taijiquan based on its principles and applying it to conflict. Add that to an understanding of the 13 postures and you are ready to go do some sparring, and probably a lot of losing at first. But as Bruce Lee said, and my Yang Shifu also said (and to be honest I don’t think Shifu has any idea of what Bruce Lee said) “invest in loss.”

If you use Sanshou to “Pressure test” Taijiquan that is fine, just as long as you are staying within taijiquan principles of relaxed power, body unity, etc. If you are just doing Shanshou taking the stance of a boxer, hoping around the ring like a boxer, using muscle to overcome the opponent and punching and kicking like a kick boxer, you are doing Sanshou, not taijiquan and IMO not learning how to use Taijiquan, you are however learning to use sanshou. And if that is the case, why do Taijiquan at all, just train sanshou. And yes, I have trained both.

That is why I both agree with what you said and disagree with what you said.

Chen Xiaowang told a story once about a seminar he was giving in Europe. He said he had been wondering if his taijiquan would work in a real fight, because he had never been in one (apparently the Chenjiagou matches didn’t count). He said during the seminar a student attacked him, his response was a reflex action from his taijiquan. He felt bad about it, but the guy left in an ambulance. From what I gathered it sounded like he hit the guy, very hard, in the chest and caused a heart arrhythmia.

Also, I no longer do Chen, not working on Wu and only doing the Short Sun form I learned and modified. I had a minor epiphany last week, forms don’t matter, nor does style, internal does (not Qi flow, but body units, proper use of force, relaxation, etc,) and how that is applied to application and SD. So I returned to Traditional Yang style, working on getting the Jian and Dao forms back. After that, if I am able to get one of the 2 fast forms back, it’s all good

I wasn’t born in country of my current residency . So I never had any problems dealing with legal issues related to fights . In my book a friendly sparring is still not quite the same as competitive full contact fight. It also great to mix with people fighting outside of one training circle .

As far as as age and time invested . I’ve seen people with solid decades of experience chasing a carrot stick and never seem getting a true exposure of their skills. It really like a cult when one strongly believe in something but when pressure test come everything just make go to drain. But often it’s hard to overcome one ego and admit time invested in BS and so people continue rationalize and looking for excuses . But there are some examples of opposite .

I started my martial journey in mid 80th. I also share my pot of injures. And yes I’m not advocating for constant stress test . At the same time if one never ever involved in one - I don’t know if there any substitute for it.

Chen Xiawang told many stories . I’m not going to into politics - I do know a lot of “dirty sheets” of Chen family. Chen Xiaowang is successful businessmen, he popularized Chen taiji over the glob, he does have skills and let put it everything else to the rest . There are a lot of exaggeration and ferry tales told to keep crowd happy .
I invested village lineage significantly . So it was hard for me to drop everything and move on with something else .

If Jesse’s ever told you a story how he broke nose supposedly “cage fighter” . “ Cage fighter “ ended up to be my student. And yes it was exaggerated BS. He was amateur boxer ( and very nice guy) got unprovoked elbow at his nose during friendly push hand lesson .

 

[marvin8]

There is nothing martial in push hands . It just another tool to develop certain skills similar to a punching bag. San shou is the closest thing to fight one can experience in taiji. But not everyone is ready invest in pain and injuries .

There is inly one way to test one skill under stress: is to deal with uncooperative partner preferably who know how to punch , kick and wrestle. Gotta invest in loss heavily

Fight Commentary Breakdowns
Aug 2, 2023

One of the most interesting interpretations of Tai Chi put to striking and grappling! This is our second time seeing our man Li Yuangang take on a standard MMA person. Let's see how Yuangang applies some very interesting Tai Chi moves into his mixed martial art. Let us know if you agree with the decision by the judges after three rounds!

Full match here, please give them a subscribe: • [WOTD-ETD 09] No.30 葉遠星 VS 李沅剛 綜合格鬥

Subscribe for more #martialarts #fightcommentary

Timecodes:
0:00 Round 1
3:10 Round 2
6:14 Amazing Tai Chi moment
7:11 Round 3
10:25 Winner announced
11:08 The channel we critiqued

Fight Commentary Breakdowns
Aug 29, 2022

Tai Chi guy Li Yuangang tries to use some Tai Chi techniques in the cage against a Sanda Kickboxer. Are we able to see some Tai Chi concepts applied to mixed martial arts? Let's watch and see. This is from the most recent season of King of Dragons in Taiwan. For those of you who practice Tai Chi, let us know what apparent Taijiquan principles are used in this match (if any). The opponent's name is Liu Congyou. What could he have done better in this match? Be sure to go follow KOD Championships (籠中之王).

The full match on KOD Championship: • 仁王篇 Super Fight 李沅剛（太極拳）vs 柳琮祐（散打） 【K...
The super cute dog IG at the end: blazingbaussies

Timecodes:
0:00 Round 1 Li Yuangang vs Liu Congyou
3:49 Round 2 Li Yuangang vs Liu Congyou
7:30 Round 3 Li Yuangang vs Liu Congyou
11:35 Winner announced
11:45 KOD Championship shoutout
12:32 Outro ft. blazingbaussies

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

IMO not learning how to use Taijiquan, you are however learning to use sanshou. And if that is the case, why do Taijiquan at all, just train sanshou. And yes, I have trained both.

Since you have trained both Taiji and Sanshou, If you have to fight in the street today, do you care whether you use Taiji, or Shanshou?

What's more important for you? To learn some fighting skill from

- either Taiji or Sanshou,
- Taiji only, or
- Sanshou only?

 

[jks9199]

OK... Are principles particular techniques -- or are they something else. In my style, our most basic form teaches how to respond to attacks. A basic interpretation of the first set -- a forward step, upward block, and punch -- is that you're stepping outside, blocking a punch, and counter-punching. But is that the principle -- or is the principle the idea of moving off the line, blocking to cover the high zone, and counter-attacking? Is the principle the same if I kick instead of punch? What if my lead leg is already forward? If I don't use a full step, is it the same principle?

If I try to apply the principles of my style under pressure, and my goal is to understand how to apply those principles under pressure... how can I use something else? Even if it works -- it's not my style. It's something else. If you're happy with that -- great. Nothing wrong with it -- unless what you want is to be able to use your style under pressure.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

If I try to apply the principles of my style under pressure, and my goal is to understand how to apply those principles under pressure... how can I use something else?

Assume the principle is to create an opening on your opponent's body. You then attack that opening.

Sometime an opening cannot be reached by straight line attack (such as jab, cross, front kick, side kick, ...) but can only be reached by circular attack (such as hook punch, roundhouse kick, hook kick, crescent kick, ...). The issue is if your MA style has no circular attacking tools. What will you do when that opportunity arrives?

Is it more important to have more tools in your toolbox, or is it more important to maintain a pure MA system?