Green Tiger

My tai chi instructor gave a very thoughtful talk last week on this subject and said that there are 5 levels to tai chi as a martial art. Only at the 5th level do you see anything that can compare to mixed martial arts abilities, and it involves training that looks very similar to mixed martial arts training. I ran into this issue with Aikido as well. Aikido is a very sophisticated martial art that can be very effective, but it takes SOOOO much time and training to become proficient with it. If you want to become an effective martial artist quickly, tai chi and aikido are not for you. If you want to learn to use tai chi or aikido as martial arts, you'd best be prepared to devote a lot of time and focus to them.

Yeah, I think he was just being cheeky. I don't think he expects Xu to fight any more of these exhibitions after all of the backlash this one caused in China. I honestly don't think he'll do it again. The weight of public opinion is too heavy against him there. That said, Osipczak is still training like he'll continue to fight professionally, so maybe he can prove the efficacy of tai chi against other MMA fighters. Honestly, I feel like he's already proved it. He credits tai chi as being an important part of his MMA training. Not the ONLY part, of course, but its been huge for his ability to stay balanced both mentally and physically. If you watch his fights, his movements are also a lot more fluid than many of the cage fighters.

If you haven't heard, tai chi is under serious fire lately after a retired Chinese MMA guy totally laid the smack down on some supposed tai chi master. The video made it all over the internet. The New York Times even ran a piece on it today. Because of the sacred cow status of traditonal Chinese martial arts in China, all sorts of people have been called for the MMA guy's head. Some Chinese millionaire even offered huge cash prizes to any TCMA fighter who beats him. It's attracted a few big names. Former UFC fighter, Nick Osipczak said he likes to see tai chi tested, but also said he'll fight Xu Xiaodong if there's going to be prize money. “I actually like what Xu is doing and think it is good for the current state of martial arts. It will help expose those living in fantasy land, deluding themselves and their students into thinking they can fight. You cannot be a good fighter if you only ever stay within your comfort zone and practise with your students who are inferior to you in skill. Real, hard sparring over many years is essential to not just refine the movements but also to shape the mindset. Otherwise, the moment things start going against you, you will mentally crumble and succumb to defeat. In my last fight my orbital bone was broken in two places early on, but I managed to stay focused, and gain the victory.”

I'm seriously considering moving out of my small midwestern American city in search of some serious internal arts instructors. I work remotely, so I could potentially move anywhere. So far, Taiwan has been standing out as a great place. I've read some articles about studying with Chen Yun Ching at the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in southern Taiwan. I've got a lot more research to do before I even come close to making a decision, but I thought I would see what other Tao Bums would do in my shoes. Who is your dream instructor? If you could move anywhere and study with anyone, who would it be? Maybe a side question for anyone who is familiar with Taiwan: is it really the mecca of traditional Chinese arts that its been reputed to be? It looks like there are a lot of opportunities to study internal arts there, but its been hard for me to gauge the quality of any of them. Where can I find the best instructors in the world?

sshubh, I still distinctly remember the incident I posted about. The image wasn't very clear, so maybe it was like a ghost sighting. It just looked like a translucent shape moving through the room. It didn't seem to really interact with me in any way. I just saw it moving. I got some anxiety about it, but that seems to be something I'm prone to have anyway. Some other S-M practitioners advised me to use our shielding practice for protection from anything unwanted, and that has certainly made me feel better in times where I felt anything invasive. Particularly from those pesky humans who are always trying to invade my personal space at the local brewery. GT

This is a long video but it's very interesting. His conclusions are basically that modern people don't exercise their jaw muscles enough and suffer from a slack jaw condition. He suggests that people should keep their mouths closed and their tongues on the roof of their mouths. Tongue on the roof of the mouth? Where have I heard that recommended before? He suggests it will make you prettier.

That's an exciting opportunity. What questions would you like to ask him, Charles?

I know a few people around here are really excited that this video mysteriously surfaced recently. Thought I'd share it here in case other Bums are interested. If anyone is familiar with this style, I'd be interested in reading your comments on the Grandmaster's performance.

Your mileage will be unique to you. Have you been working with the DVDs?

That's a really fantastic and novel description, Brian. Thank you! I've been thinking about this aspect of the practice a lot lately. Being able to feel other people's "ripples" is a really valuable ability, in fact it may be the most useful thing I've learned from the practice because it really has day-to-day application. On the flip side of that coin, feeling other people's ripples is a lot like hearing them speak. It can be really informative, but it can also become annoying.

You might want to qualify "internal/spiritual gain". What, specifically, do you want? It's important that you know.

Powerful stuff.

Why do you want to know? Let's say, hypothetically, that I've experienced this. What difference does it make?

Ooooh, a secret style used to protect Chinese emperors? Never heard that one before . . . okay, maybe once or twice. Not saying it isn't true, but there are a lot of legends that include that same line. I've never heard of a spider style, but there are thousands of obscure styles that were kept secret within families or boxing schools. I definitely wouldn't be surprised to find that several 'spider' styles exist. You certainly couldn't go wrong by seeking out Y.C. Chiang. He clearly states on his web site that he teaches Wild Goose Qigong, and that is a really nice form. You'd get loads of benefit from learning it, and heck, maybe if you impress him, he'll give you all the spider secrets. Behold, more poorly choreographed spider antics!

And how would you characterize the difference between practices that lead to immortality and other practices?