Diaitadoc
White Belt
Hello everyone!
I’ve been practicing traditional Yang Taiji for about 15 years. Early in my training, I practiced form and push hands equally; then moved cities and took a break from partner practice, continuing forms practice on my own.
Recently, I’ve gotten a group together to explore and practice the martial applications of Taiji. I was inspired to do so after reading Brennan’s translation of Taiji Boxing According to Xu ZhiYi. In it, Xu emphasizes that Taiji Is NOT an exclusively internal art. The very name Taijiquan, “great ultimate fist”, shares its name with the Taiji symbol (known to some as the yinyang symbol) and implies that the art is a BALANCE of yin and yang, or internal and external, aspects. “Hard and soft complement each other. Internal and external complete each other”.
Xu goes on to say that, yes, Taiji has a unique, specialized skill set that is “internal” in nature. In so doing, he implies that a generalized skill set, “external” in nature, complements and completes the “internal” aspect of the style.
The internal, specialized skill set of Yang Taiji is “neutralization”. The external, generalized skill set is therefore the “techniques and applications”.
The traditional Yang Taiji form is comprised of a sequence of postures. Like any form, it is can be viewed as a catalog of techniques and applications.
My group and I have begun investigating and training applications directly derived from the traditional Yang Taiji form. Our aim is to catalog, on video, at least one application sequence* for each of the postures in the form.
So far, we’ve cataloged applications for all of section 1 (up to cross hands) and the first quarter of section 2 (just past diagonal flying).
I’m adding the videos below for you to view. Enjoy! If you have willing partners, try them out - with practice, they will become wonderful additions to your Taiji.
* I use the term “sequence” instead of “drill” to denote the compliant nature of our catalog. To sequence an application means to learn the move; to drill it implies applying the move against non-compliance. We’ll post drills once we’ve sequenced the entire form.
I’ve been practicing traditional Yang Taiji for about 15 years. Early in my training, I practiced form and push hands equally; then moved cities and took a break from partner practice, continuing forms practice on my own.
Recently, I’ve gotten a group together to explore and practice the martial applications of Taiji. I was inspired to do so after reading Brennan’s translation of Taiji Boxing According to Xu ZhiYi. In it, Xu emphasizes that Taiji Is NOT an exclusively internal art. The very name Taijiquan, “great ultimate fist”, shares its name with the Taiji symbol (known to some as the yinyang symbol) and implies that the art is a BALANCE of yin and yang, or internal and external, aspects. “Hard and soft complement each other. Internal and external complete each other”.
Xu goes on to say that, yes, Taiji has a unique, specialized skill set that is “internal” in nature. In so doing, he implies that a generalized skill set, “external” in nature, complements and completes the “internal” aspect of the style.
The internal, specialized skill set of Yang Taiji is “neutralization”. The external, generalized skill set is therefore the “techniques and applications”.
The traditional Yang Taiji form is comprised of a sequence of postures. Like any form, it is can be viewed as a catalog of techniques and applications.
My group and I have begun investigating and training applications directly derived from the traditional Yang Taiji form. Our aim is to catalog, on video, at least one application sequence* for each of the postures in the form.
So far, we’ve cataloged applications for all of section 1 (up to cross hands) and the first quarter of section 2 (just past diagonal flying).
I’m adding the videos below for you to view. Enjoy! If you have willing partners, try them out - with practice, they will become wonderful additions to your Taiji.
* I use the term “sequence” instead of “drill” to denote the compliant nature of our catalog. To sequence an application means to learn the move; to drill it implies applying the move against non-compliance. We’ll post drills once we’ve sequenced the entire form.