Anyone practicing the real Tai Ji Quan martial art ?

[Dan Adrian]

I've been practicing Tai Ji (or Tai Chi) for over 3 years, but it was only 5 months ago that I encountered a teacher who radically changed everything I believed about it. I started over from zero and I'm now learning what he calls the traditional, authentic Yang style, which is nothing like what you see on Youtube or anywhere else, and is very effective in combat. What's even better is that with him I learned how to really relax and move my entire body, and I started to feel the energy. I understand that there are extremely few teachers in the world today who still teach the authentic Tai Ji Quan martial art, even in China.

So I was just wondering if any of you practice Tai Ji and what is your experience with it. Can you feel the health benefits? Can you apply it in combat? And what style are you learning?

[ginkgo]

Here is Wikipedia on Yang style tai chi. There is no mention of the word "real" or "authentic". The only mention of fake is a name, Chen Fake.

The Chen style is the oldest. When you have a bowel movement, is it the real one? Now only I teach the real authentic way to have a bowel movement.

[Weena]

My teacher is Chinese and has practiced both Tai-Chi and Qi-gong for over twenty years. She learned that herself from a Chinese doctor who practiced them. She told me i have to train on breathing correctly before starting with Qi-Gong, and that real masters are not often keen on teaching others.

Anyway she does teach me tai-chi at the moment. I am going to learn 24 forms and I'm barely at the fifth one, we take it slowly. Form number four I think is useful in an attack kind of situation, you brush the opponent's arm away and slam your palm in the heart. Not that I am much of a fighting person but she tells me how the forms can apply in combat, as an extra information. I love watching her perform the 24 forms, she's incredibly graceful. At first i felt like a clumsy elephant trying to follow but I'm gaining confidence now...

[lost in the woods]

If you have a look at Practical Tai Chi Chuan International,

Welcome : taichichuan.co.uk, Welcome

It might be what you are looking for.

You do hand forms, weapons, applications, pushing hands, and nei gong.

I started about 3 months ago and have just about got a handle on the short form, The applications do work, I get shown 1 or 2 applicaitions per week, it is said that when you do the applications you get maximum benefit from Tai Chi.

Let me know what you think

[Dan Adrian]

I am generally very open and willing to learn from every kind of people, to integrate different perspectives and all. I also prefer to focus on what I do rather than critique others. However, I have learned never to turn away from a teacher or a master just because he or she doesn't fit my idea of what he should behave like. Why? Because sometimes, when someone says he is the only one doing the right thing, they may be right. This is what I found when I started learning this style.

I understand this is the style originally practiced by Yang Lu Chan, the founder of the Yang Style, who has been asked to teach at the Chinese Imperial Guard, where the best fighters of the empire were to be found. Compared to everything I've seen on the internet or what others teach here in Romania, there are many differences, many key aspects that have been totally removed from the commercial or competition styles.

[LakeyPoo]

I'm so jealous I wish I had someone like that to study under! I am Christian, but I see no controversy b/t that and something like Qigong. I see merit to it, that there is chi, and I want to learn more but I can't really lol.

[Dan Adrian]

If someone is only interested in health, then it's probably a good idea to practice only Qigong, the health benefits being comparable. There are many other forms of healing and self-healing to choose from.

BUT, if one is interested in something more, for example a martial art that will enable them to experience the dynamics of moving energy and using it in combat, to experience the transfer of energy between them and an opponent or to learn how to channel and discharge powerful blasts of energy through their blows (it's called Fa Jing), then Tai Ji offers a wonderful experience. It also allows us to understand how yielding is more powerful then brute force and how to deflect the opponent's attack without resisting (but also without retreating, which is a very common mistake in modern forms). The art is to yield by going forward, and to allow the opponent to continue his attack, but not the way he wants it, but the way you want it.

Originally Posted by LakeyPoo

I'm so jealous I wish I had someone like that to study under! I am Christian, but I see no controversy b/t that and something like Qigong. I see merit to it, that there is chi, and I want to learn more but I can't really lol.

How do you know there isn't someone in your area? Not all teachers have websites or care about people finding out about them.