Tai chi lessons

[mantisman]

What life lessons have you taken from Tai chi? I have learnt patientce and to accept other peoples approaches as mearly different not necisarily wrong.

It has also taught me to be more aware and tollerant of others cultures. What are your experiences?

[Bugeisha]

I've leaned that the best three times to hit people are before, during, and after you take their balance.

Edit: I think that's a life lesson. Well, it's the kind of life lesson I'm looking for at my martial arts school, anyway.

[ggg214]

i have learnt or am learning chinese tradditional culture, and will transfer to my son or daughter someday.

[Mandeigh Wells]

I learnt that politics and empire building is rife...to te detriment of genuine taijiquan. I also learned that you have to go a long way and kiss a lot of frogs before you find a really good teacher.

I learned that taiji's reputation as a serious combat art has been grossly diminished by, poor quility teachers, emphasis on some non exsistant mystical side....and the 'type' of people attracted to taiji are in general not martial artists.


What did I learn that was positive? body mechanics from an excellent traditional teacher.

I left taijiquan over a year ago after 11 years, training and teaching and I've never looked back.

[mantisman]

I'm sorry you have had such a bad experience. Many people are doing harm to Tai chi by mystifying it I think.
I see you have now taken up the Korean sword arts maybe you can tell us what experience you have gained from that?

[Mandeigh Wells]

I see you have now taken up the Korean sword arts maybe you can tell us what experience you have gained from that?

well I've only been doing it for a wee while, but most of all I'm just having fun...I'm back training with a good mate of mine. I don't care whether the art is 2000 years old or 20, its just bloody good training, I love cutting, sparring is great....and I feel very comfortable with a sword in my hand and I enjoy the dynamic of it.

[Koshu]

Mandeigh --- How is the Korean sword work you're doing different from any Chinese sword work you may have done while studying taijiquan?

Also seems at one point you did find an "excellent traditional teacher", yet somehow even this positive experience couldn't keep you in the art. My understanding is that traditional teachers usually/often emphasize the martial aspects of the art alongside the more-internal aspects. However, at least from what I've seen (in the U.S.), the art is typically taught without a martial emphasis.

I guess a lesson here is that no one art is right for everyone. Well, hopefully at least the body-mechanics knowledge carried over into your kumdo.

Mert

[Mandeigh Wells]

How is the Korean sword work you're doing different from any Chinese sword work you may have done while studying taijiquan?

its fast and brutal, the cuts and stances are very different...I much prefer the thought of cleaving through bone, rather than small precise cuts.

THe sword its self is a different animal too.....its heavier, single edged and used mostly two handed. I love the drills and the paper cutting...I don't know really its hard to describe but it just feels more real, like it has a purpose.

one point you did find an "excellent traditional teacher", yet somehow even this positive experience couldn't keep you in the art.

yep that's absolutly true, I think by then I was so scunnered by the whole thing in general that I just no longer wanted to train. I wasn't really get the most out of training with this teacher....she lived a long way away and I saw her every six weeks or so, and at a time when I wasn't particularly well. I even did a 9 hour train trip to start working with a Chen teacher, but what I really wanted was to be able to train somewhere locally ( like the good old days before I was teaching!) and often.

With the Kumdo I get that and I have no doubt there will be some political stuff at somepoint down the road, but once again my training is at least productive, and fun.

[RickMatz]

I don't think it really matters what style you train in. Find the best teacher available to you (counting all the factors, including convenience), and train with that teacher.

[Koshu]

...I much prefer the thought of cleaving through bone, rather than small precise cuts.

Wow! --- May I have your permission to use that as a quote at the bottom of my posts??

Mert

[rgoad]

Mandeigh scares me. She seems so cute and nice and interested in nice things, then blurts out statements like that.

Rick, I would disagree in this case. There are so many fakes, There is no reason waste time and money on them. You'd be better off taking up gardening. You get the same physical, spiritual, and mental benefits.

[Mandeigh Wells]

Rick, I would disagree in this case. There are so many fakes, There is no reason waste time and money on them. You'd be better off taking up gardening.

aye me too.....the only teachers within a 100 miles of me were all rubbish, that's why I travelled so far to get to a good one.

Mert: you may

I am cute and nice and interested in nice things...I work for a hippy tree hugging charity for goodness sake.......

[rgoad]

and somewhere there is someone tied to one of those trees....

[Koshu]

Mert: you may

I am sooooo setting up my auto-signature soon. You've made my day!

Mert

[East Winds]

Mandeigh's pretty cool........... (most of the time!!!!!!)

She was a great loss to the Taiji community!!!! You should have seen her wield that Sabre!!

[rgoad]

It's always about swords with her, isn't it?

[Mandeigh Wells]

and somewhere there is someone tied to one of those trees....

I wish!

Awe Alistair, I'm your biggest fan too!

It's always about swords with her, isn't it?

huh you got a problem with that

[rgoad]

...huh you got a problem with that

NO, MISTRESS MANDEIGH!!!

[mantisman]

I got a cut to the forehead doing the 32 Jian form. Ouch!

[Mandeigh Wells]

and did you bleed Jay? how much did you bleed..........

I whacked myself in the head in kumdo....you can now register me as a leathal weapon....I'm forever hitting myself!