chen xiaowang: rooting, balance

[dlvt79]

Try to push him higher and then we ll see if he is so steady.Also his stance is too low and has nothging to do with natural stance.Good enough anyway..

[supernev1000]

@dlvt79 no way, he will redirect ur push anyway

[dlvt79]

@supernev1000 Redirect the push is much easier than hold the push but anyway i dont want to argue cause this man is really capable.I personally would like to have that ability in fight situation.Cause it is easier to be relaxed and focus controlling the energy in friendly situation and A LOT harder in crisis.

[stejada1]

@music4uandme09 ,

Deflection, deflection. That's the secret. There is no magic. It is just a matter of training a learning how to control 'center'. After that all you need is to deflect the forces away from your center. Just notice hands placement as well as other people involved.

[Patinho]

its wierd chi shit - and i mean this sincerely - its another level of physics being manipulated from the every day.

[pa1019123]

that's what happens when you channel demons into you through chi kung. punch him in the head then he'll lose his root or command the demons to come out in the name of Jesus, really. chinese brainwashed americans.

[pa1019123]

that's what happens when you channel demons into you through chi kung. punch him in the head then he'll lose his root or command the demons to come out in the name of Jesus, really.

[stejada1]

Notice how and where the force is been applied. There is no magic here nor dirty trick but plain and simple physics. The recipient of the push is not directly countering the force applied on him but redirecting the force and destabilizing the entire line of people pushing. That's why they all fall!

[tffoo7]

I am no Tai Chi expert but even I can see how strong his rooting is. Those people pushing him are not his students but Tae Kwondo experts (including one 6th Dan). You think these Tae Kwon Do experts want to promote Tai Chi Chuan or Tae Kwon Do? This is no ordinary demo. Most people won't be able do it in their whole life time! Rooting is not an easy skill to acquire.

[handsomechuck1]

@tffoo7 It is not easy, but at the same time there is no magic and no secret. It is 10,000 or 20,000 hours of practice standing and pushing and being pushed.

[tffoo7]

@handsomechuck1

For a grand master with more than 50 years of training, it got to be something more special. First you need to stand on a steady stance (rooted like a big tree). There are many master who can make themselves heavier due to sinking their qi. You need to be soong (loosen and soft like cotton) yet hard as metal. They can also make use of the earth's qi. When it come to the advance level, it is all about Yi (intent/will/mind) and Qi.

[wagfinpis]

always the same ignorant comments this fake this is real bla bla bla. the demo's are made to impress and to demonstrate the art's virtue. if you think this means they can do this any time to any one in any position you are a fool. if you think what they are doing is fake i don't know what you are seeing. this is a demo of tai chi skill. you can teach ten year old kid with no experience to demo a joint lock take down in one day. the principals behind tai chi skills are very different.

[ratchadapalazzo]

it's real but no magic. he's good at redirecting the force of people who are pushing at him. but this is just a drill. useless in a real fight. i would hit his face first.

[LiannShen]

YouTube : watch?v=6H_E4owFeuE&feature

[ForwardIntent]

@LiannShen AHAHAHAHAHA that's the funniest shit I've ever seen. If they were really being pushed back with such incredible force, they'd fall on their asses, not turn around and run up a wall!! ahahahaha

[LiannShen]

@ForwardIntent This Japanese master must have used the Tai-ji force toward the upper direction, so they were pushed back and run up a wall.

If he use the force toward the lower direction, they will fall down, as you said.

[ForwardIntent]

@LiannShen Even if the force goes upwards, it would drive them to TURN AROUND AND RUN WITH THEIR OWN PROPULSION.

[ForwardIntent]

@ForwardIntent OOPS I MEANT "WOULDN'T"

[LiannShen]

This Master is Japanese. His demo resembles Chen Xiaowang's one, but is totally different. He push them back!! I have never seen.

[accesstw28]

@LiannShen it looks kind of fake to me.....

[LiannShen]

@accesstw28 I am sure this is not fake. This is really Taiji quan.

[accesstw28]

@LiannShen I met Chen Xiaowang a few time. I know Chen is not fake. But some of this " Tai-ji Fa-jing「太極拳・腰相撲の訓練」" stuff is just way too fake...

"高度な武術としての陳氏太極拳小架式を学ぶ道場「太極武藝館」­での稽古の様子をご紹介するチャンネルです。"

[accesstw28]

@LiannShen Tai-ji Fa-jing is soooo fake that Helen Keller could tell it is fake....

I especially liked how they added the Japanese favorite of how they make those sound that came out of their mouth. Sounds like a bounch people are constipating. How are you sure this is not fake?

[ahgomez]

@accesstw28 watch some old steven seagal showing the "little finger" strength...

many western stuff seem fake to us becase we're used to normal stuff, and when see something out of the standard...we think that is fake... western has a lot of things to teach us ...

[accesstw28]

@ahgomez I met Chen Xiaowang a few time. I know Chen is not fake. But some of this " Tai-ji Fa-jing「太極拳・腰相撲の訓練」" stuff is just way too fake...

[ahgomez]

@accesstw28 watch some old steven seagal showing the "little finger" strength...

many western stuff seem fake to us becase we're used to normal stuff, and when see something out of the standard...we think that is fake... western has a lot of things to teach us ...

[lilwarrior89]

@ahgomez thank you that explains allot ppl nowadys think everythn we do we relay on electronic and things workin for us where as westerners they rather focus on the passed and know how human being are like where as other country they focus on the future too much so to them this becomes fake

[SwedishHelicopter]

Some are fakes, this is no fake. He looks effortless,sign of a master.

[micsir888]

People of Chen village have been farmers for the past hundred years. They are actually relearning Chen style. The real masters are in and around beijing.

[ffoecaf2006]

So amazing! I can only do it with 2 people now! Maybe someday I'll be like him!

[piaten]

@ffoecaf2006 If u can do it with 2, you can do it with 10! As long as they're lined up one after the other, there's no way the no1 person's arms can transfer the full power of all 10, but maybe some of the power equivalent to perhaps 1,5-2 persons. That's not taking anything away from CXW though, he's great, and the one leg stuff is very impressive!

[tennytigers]

the first guy in line is twisted so all the others are wasting their effort.

a chain is as weak as its weakest link.

if you want to mention rugby let them line up like a ruck or scrum and see if these tricks are still possible.

i have yet to see one of these demos i have not been able to recreate.

[bullmeecham]

Weak link, how silly. The weight and mass are still there, as well as the force. One guy twisted means nothing in this regard.

A scrum is force applied from all directions, the demo is for force directed only from the front since IT'S A DEMO. It's a demonstration of how being properly aligned, stacked and trained in taiji can pay off. All techniques aim to show but a fleeting moment in time, not the whole fight. You have no idea what you're talking about, clearly.

[micsir888]

@bullmeecham If every person leans forward but uses their front foot as a break, th weight and mass are standing still, it just looks like the mass is directed forward due to their leaning.

[SandySummers2018]

I bet master chen can push the all-black rugby team, lomu is just a ragg-doll to him.

[mrussum1]

anyone can do this really, this is just a demonstration. but it is an essential taiji skill. relaxing the ankles and sinking down as much as you can. its just a demonstration of how effective grounding yourself can be

[whsskdhkf]

I do agree that it is a trick that anyone can do. I can also do it. This is actually a method to check whether what you're doing is correct or not. BUT not a lot of people can do that in that kind of magnitude. It requires some serious amount of studies and training in order to do that in that kind of a scale.

[bignipli]

It is a trick that only taiji grand master can do!

Those guys were not really pushing the person! They can't find his weigh point. They were pushing his feet!

[TheLibertard]

Oh fuck! Chinon again

[peacedefender]

Why don't they try to pull? Linear push is not additive. Actually, 2 or more people push as in the video is equivalent to the push by the first person. Naturally he will fight back the push from the person behind him. These are small tricks to fool people. Not really taiji internal skill.

[Wynstorm3]

This was beautiful. Sifu Chen is an awesome example of the strength of the modern day Chen Village arts.

[areamkarim]

fake,fake,fake...try muay thai please

[imbrd]

please elaborate how this is fake- just b/c u cant do it or fail to see the strength of structure &balance don't mean there is no such thing as structure&balance. that only imply u dont have structure or balance nothing more

[areamkarim]

i said try muay thai please. all that people who push him is his freind and actor...

[imbrd]

uh no they are not- the people who pushed him were not only his students but also audience members many of whom practiced taekwondo. There is nothing esoteric or fake about it. Its all about internal structure, balanace, relaxing, rooting & develop internal connection that can transfer force from any vector directly into ground. Its like a building- a stable building can withstand a variety of force from any direction & redirect it into ground. If it couldnt then its unbalanced & hence unsafe

[imbrd]

Likewise a Stable posture w/ relaxed body, mind & spirit can withstand any number of forces b/c of natural state & connectedness w/ the ground. the body becomes a Conductor of force rather than a Resistor. do you understand the diference between a conductor & resistor?

theres nothing fake about this guy- its all real hardcore(or actually soft in this case) tough training accumulated over years w/ much mastery of fine details

[imbrd]

this is the way 4 oz overcomes 1000 lbs- its all through softness not hardness seen in external arts like muay thai & shaolin which r great if u want to break a few bones, forever damage som nerves & such- but the art of preserving, maintaining & cultivating is far more integral to basic life

[areamkarim]

ok,thank you. 耐心的解释.中庸的态度.中国人真是值得尊敬的民族.

[imbrd]

your welcome. hope we may all better achieve this kind of internal balance & rootedness :)

[areamkarim]

thank you, im sincere.thanks..

[lifthands1]

alrite bro the guy who pushes first pushes him on his lower abdomen which is easier 2 root against than a push to the shoulders or chest. pushing that low helps you into your root more. the 1 leg stuff if u look at his hand he's grabbing the guys clothes & again pushing his hip down allowin him 2 root better + leanin ova gainin even more support. the people in the line push is bull cus there force is dispersed the only 1 2 worry about is the 1 in front + its easier in long low stance. peace bro

[areamkarim]

thanks!

[1980theone]

This is real! I can do that with 5 big strong people :D Haven't tried his way though he does it a little different than me

[IsaIMember]

crazy man i want to learn how to do that

[Aheyne]

Me Neither -- Chen Xiaowang is supposed to be a mean (as in , knowledgeable of the martial side) player; these demos really turn me off though.

You can easily fake so much of this stuff, and imho it really tarnishes a good reputation.

[imbrd]

this most definitely dont look fake at all- there is something called BALANCE & ROOT- you should really learn this fundamental principle then come back to watch. With good balance,root&internal strength, you have everything; without it, you have nothing

[ssj7gokurpg]

pushing......well, if you smart you would pull

[dermeteor]

makes no difference...believe me:-)you could try what you want...there were others who tried ,too:-)

[MingoSloan]

Anything where only the master's own students are allowed to directly push him has to be taken with great big grabbing handfuls of salt.

[leonid821]

according to the narrator, the first guy is not his student but a taekwudo 6 den. The 7 guys followed are also taekwudo ppl.

[Aheyne]

Agreed

[kuay1]

is only the strength of the first man effective . the rest standing behind dun have much effect actually .. people who learn physic should know this theory

[kuay1]

the man pushing is obviously smaller in size ..haha. is all about whoose body is bigger and strength is stronger ... aso the technique of balancing only .not the real taiji tat use qi

[monkfg]

I've practiced push hands with the best pupil of Jan Silberstorff, a German member of the chen family. He got me out of balance in one second, I didn't really know what to do against it. It felt like his feet were sticking in the ground. I couldn't move him one millimeter.

[hsingstye]

Interesting. But a fundamental demonstration, especially for a real master. Everybody is pushing him right into his core. Which is the strongest point in an internalist's body.

It would have interested me more that if everybody pushed him in the upper chest region. Then he would have to manage the intake, and redirect the push down to his core and/or floor. An example woud be when he stood on one foot, fine. But having people push him at his upper chest area as an attempt to topple him over.

[darkfire729]

yarr!, he has cannon balls of steel to be dooing that but its no secret because others have done this demo too, all in that some position because it gives a big advantage to taichi users who are use to regulating force. I belive that a jujutsu master can go lower than his centre of balance and overturn it. If he is uprooted, he will fly far indeed.

Unlike shao lin, those who practice taichi dare not fly because they have such a great advantage on with their core strength.

[kingfreddys]

randy couture is an athlete. He is trained in punching, kicking, grappling. A martial artist like this is trained in breaking joints, bones, causing internal bleeding, extremely powerful and fast punching, and taking incredible blows. Couture is an athlete for sure, and he could whoop my ass, but he by no means embodies a 500 year old study of how to develop the self of a warrior and destroy the human being such as Chen Xiaowang.

[SoundwaveSuperior373]

ppl need to understand sports r not ment to c who can kick whos ass sports is ment to c who has better skills in wat ever sport they r doin theres only 1 place to c who can hurt each other the msot which is the battlefield ppl liek couture dun do mma cuz they want to prove how badass they r they do it cuz they love teh sport with a passion

[geneticman13]

i think randy couture could take this guy down with a good doubleleg. what do you guys think

[leichna]

No chance. It just wouldn't happen. If he was indeed facing an opponent like Randy Couture he certainly wouldn't be standing there like in this demonstration. He'd wait for Randy to move in for the take down and then he'd break something (an arm, leg, back, spleen etc...). It would all end very painfully for Mr Couture

[philipw2005]

Great Master Fok Yuen Ka (霍元甲)once attacked a strong bull which was running in the street, and making people injuries. After the attack, the bull was lying down on the ground with a few walk, then died immediately. In legendary, some organs of the bull were totally broken into pieces without bone damages.

From my point of views, the bones were broken into sharp-pieces and cutted the organs. This is more logical.

[Tianshou88]

Philip, this is a demo about rooting and balance as the title suggests. Why do you criticize this?

[philipw2005]

Dear Tianshou88

You might accept that any good Martial Art must stand from any Judgement and Time's testing. Otherwise, MArt will only become a religion not as what it is.

I only point the things out with the previous top Martial Artists' thinking. These are other point of views!

Criticism is a potential energy for improvement.

In my site, I have been criticised also. But, I will improve better if the criticism is real after thinking deeper. If dont want to be criticised, just block it.

[philipw2005]

In history, few Summit Martial Artists could generate this kind of power. Great Master Fok Yuen Ka (霍元甲), Great Master Kwok Wan Sum fm Yin Yi Kuen, Great Master Wang Xian Zhai fm Yi Kuen, Great Master Bruce Lee fm Jeet Kune Do..etc.

They all did not learn to push someone or to be pushed by someone. Master Bruce Lee once told one Martial Artist that he do not know how to push, but he only know how to beat opponent on the ground and make him die.

[philipw2005]

This is a show only. I don't think the other nation's fighters such as Thai, Japan, U.S...etc will push their opponents in the boxing-ring like this. At least, I havn't seen once. Pushing Force and Attacking Force is totally different. Pushing Force will lead people moving backwards a few steps. It is about position-movement. But, attacking force will penetrate inside the body. Even, we can't see any differences on the body's surface. It seems Nothing but death with internal bleeding.

[sigpe57]

Like the Chen Xiaowong said, do not meet force with force. If you push him in his line of power, he can probably withstand 300-500lbs of push. It's not just him. It's human body anatomy. If you push him in a 30-50 degree(from the side) away from his line of power, he will fall. Of course, He will move his line of power 30-50 degrees to direct your power to the ground just like what he does in the video. No secret. I learned most of the principles from his free online video.

[ashwix]

anyone can do this...

interesting trick. was he teaching people how to do it?

[7Matahari7]

with training and knowledge of the principles involved, yes anyone can do it. This knowledge helps a lot when fighting.

[sigpe57]

Look at 1:41min, the person in white shirt. He is lifting the collar of the person in front of him. There is just no power transfer to the person in front of him. Master Chen is a true master. The demo.team is just too weak.

[thegreatestchallenge]

the team demo is a crap, but i've known that he still can;t be moved if tug&war method is used

[ninpomasta111]

I thought it was cool when he stood on one leg and was still able to resist a push. Pretty impressive if you ask me!

[sigpe57]

Reply to Imbrd. The 15 people's power is not all directly at the Master. You can see their arms are bent. The power does not transfer to the next person. The master is actually only receiving power from maybe 2-3 people.

[brolysadvocate]

actually, when your arms are bent is the only time you are transfering true power, if the arms are not bent, its harder for the rest of the body to connect to the flow of power.

[sigpe57]

"if the arms are not bent, its harder for the rest of the body to connect to the flow of power."

Yes, but if the bending arm is more than 90 degrees or it's at the wrong angle, you lose the connection and power. Alignment is also another important issue. Power needs to be aligned perfectly to transfer all the power.

[brolysadvocate]

i dont think it was only 2 or 3 people though, i still believe that even if it were all 15 chen would maintain the same effect, taijiquan is like making someone push against the power of the earth...15 or 15,000, id like to see anyone try to push against the planet to move it...good luck.

[imbrd]

sorry this comment mor than a year old, but i dont think theres any bending of the arm in taiji- maybe in taekwondo but not internal arts. The principle is Relax, sink the elbow & sink your energy. "Ba Gua Fundamentals-Dropping the Elbows for Internal Power" -this video better describes the difference im trying to get at

[imbrd]

lol- the 15 people line up is like '15 people support' this isnt exactly same as 15 people push- its like train of people- but lest u understand bsic stability & r only fathomed by techniques, u will never understand the true power of softness

[imbrd]

the way '4oz overcome 1000pound' is not through vain competition of force but havin the 4oz well balanced rooted & lead the 1000pound off its center

[sigpe57]

This is not a setup. Don't underestimate the power of human body structure. A well-balanced human posture and move or withstand several hundred pounds of pressure. Just image the posture when you push a heavy object like a refrigerator or a car. That's the exactly the posture the Master is using. Keep the posture, instead of pushing, the master is receiving. The incoming power is transfer the power to the ground. That's it.

[imbrd]

i laugh when people say this is a trick whilst they dont understand the wonderous mechanics of balance, relaxing, the intriguing factor of tension, and the idea of 'yin(soft) overcoming yang(hard)'.

this is called an internal art & has far greater potential than any possible external art

[ninpomasta111]

It may be a trick, yes. But part of not only tai chi, but many martial arts as well, is being able to use the same physics principles that work in tricks to an actual fight. If you can find the position in which you can not only resist a strong push, but redirect that push, is that not a good skill to have? That's what Tai Chi is all about, not tricks, but real science applied to fighting. But theatrics is crowd pleasing, and not even a Tai Chi master will pass up a good show.

[BackDoorKenny]

complete setup. I'm sure it's a very strong position and he's good at what he does, but 2 blokes would push him over if tey watned

[katelihong]

I knew him in person and it totally true. His student Ren GuangYi can do that also since I was study of his for three years. Chen is a true master.

[imbrd]

balance is about centr, midline, and support. & proper balance abide by 5 principle: relax, seperate yin yang, turn w/ waist, upright, & maintain figure w/ no protrusion. if you properly align w/ center of support & sink chi, then u achieve wat we call 'root'. with this root you can then withstand any push or pull. but if you arent properly aligned, quite logically u are set to fall- a nudge could cause you to tumble

[metalborat]

none of those dudes ever saw karate kid

sweep the leg

[dejavuph89]

Is his son Peng Fei Chen?

[idimmu]

That last trick where he isnt pushed over by a line of people is nothing more than a parlour trick, it's in any childs magic book, the strength of each person pushing is dissipated in to the person they are pushing against, the only person the tai chi guy has to beat is the one directly pushing against him.

[imbrd]

so you are so balanced yourself that you could withstand and overcome a dozen people pushing? its not the pushing, its about finding, aligning, and focusin the center. if u cant find my center, it wont matter how hard you push, i can just read your every intention and continue to easily withstand you- basics of 'art of war'

[karlcrawford]

I've done tai chi and chi gung for twelve years and am well aware of the power of rooting I can.t see why someone with his experience can't accomplish amazing feats,if he can take that much force then imagine the potential for his fa jin

[imbrd]

well fajin is different type of 'jin'(internal strength- not 'li' external strength). theres probably half a dozen or more types of jin such as tin-jin(listening), kai-jin(opening), guan-jin(closing)etc. but all jin require much cultivation of qi.

[whatsupdude2]

All this clip shows is very good rooting.There are no boasts of Chen Xiaowang trying dominate any of the men in this video.Pay attention to his balance as well! Quite simple actually.

p.s., not all fighters fight in a ring.

[Blackdog23a]

I shouldn't worry too much about supporting Master Chen in this clip, admitable and respectful it is, but anyone who know's anything about Master Chen know's that this is the real thing.

Those people that comment negativiely against it are correct to voice their opinion's even though they are misguided.

[Bluesiytangco]

Chen Xiaowang never purports to teach magic. He does however teach very high level Chen Style Taijiquan. Not all practitioners need to constantly stroke their egos by defeating opponents in a ring. This should be left to those who need to regularly remind themselves how "good" they are.  The reality is that there will always be someone better than you, regardless of style.

[StephenR98]

Yep, it's not a trick or magic. It's alignment, relaxation and focus. And it's not deceptive, since it's not trying to say it's anything else other than good rooting.

And who cares if he doesn't feel like fighting in a ring? Yeesh.

[drebranco]

Why this all might gods don't get up on a ring?? Why? so much meditation, so muck neigong, and Qi gong, and a life time of great techings, and this guys don't get up in a ring??? Probably in the tao there is, must avoid aplying your life time learnings, then so, why they learned it learned it??? If w so there are monks that don't use Martial arts.

[chrissifu]

This demo is complete garbage. It has absolutley no practicle use whatsoever. It IS just pure machanics & a deceptive trick. On a tv show in Hong Kong someone did this infront of Bruce Lee who then got up & punched the guy in the face - end of stupid demo! USELESS!

[Yakshinian]

Of course mechanics are completely useless in a fight, right? So are tricks if you are to be believed. I'll stick to mechanics and tricks, you can go ahead and use whatever is left. Even there, bruce used a trick. He was invited to try to push off balance, then he punched. What an egomaniac. Great fighter, but if his death was assasination, its easy to see why.

[chrissifu]

Chen stopping 8! men push him over, who's the egomaniac there? This is clearly force on force. NOT TJQ principle! That's REALLY useful! Many times I've been attacked by 8 men lining up & pushing me! We all know the mechanics of so many people pushing like this dosen't even work! It's not a rigid structure! USELESS!!!

[Yakshinian]

It demonstrates as a stage trick a real principle of kung fu. The first demonstration, he's positioning his hand so the person is unable to transfer force into him. In the second, he is directing the first person's force upward so that the whole chain of people end up pushing one another rather than transfering power to the one. It is the principle of stopping or rechanneling force before it leaves the body. Something I use a lot in my wing chun.

[chrissifu]

We all know the machanics of so many people pushing like this dosen't even work, it's not a rigid structure to transfer force correctly. You should also notice how Chen puts 1 of his own men in the line to 'mess' it up! That man keeps pushing just at the right moment! Please stop being fooled by this stuff.

[Yakshinian]

So thats the only thing you have a problem with then? Yeah, I agree that one is a little goofy.

[chrissifu]

I have been training (real)Taijiquan over 20years, many times I'v seen him do the same trick, it's not as real as it looks when u know a thing or 2. U do Wing Chun, u will know a bit about real fighting. This show trick has NO place in the REAL arts.

[Kensonna]

It should not be necessary to state the length of time one has been studying a style of martial arts. That leads to a boast of arrogance. The trick, be it a simple explaination of physics or a metaphysical phenomenon, is nothing more than a way to attract people to the art. It is the same with breaking bricks and laying on a bed of nails for a Qigong demo. There are underlying lessons in diverting forces in the trick if one pays detailed attention as well.

[chrissifu]

Open ur eyes & brain. The machanics of so many pushing dosen't work. In fact the more people the more unstable it becomes, they cannot direct their combined force onto 1 point. Watch how the Chen man in the line deliberately pushes those ahead as they collapse. For whatever purpose, it is pure deceit. Applying force dosen't work like that!

[NathanielZhu]

Well duh... The amazing part is HOW MUCH force is directed. Muscle can not do it. You need the power from the mind.

[Yakshinian]

Well, proper body mechanics and posture anyway. I guess the mind gets you there, but this is not telekinesis.

[whoflungdat]

The force generated is directed straight down his back leg into the ground, only the front guy is pushing everyone else is just pushing him. Try it yourself it isn't that hard, try it on a set of scales and see waht happens. Sorry no magic involved here.

[spmmantisboy]

have also experienced this in yang style tai chi, rooting, total relaxation, mind directs force, neutralised at root.

[txrealitycheck]

Ok forgrt 10 guys,,, Just get Bill kazmeier I bet he can push him Lol ha ah HA HA

[darlinglung]

who is Bill kazmeier?

[justinkennethmail]

Exactley, it's physics at work. Good wrestlers can root just as well. Real tai chi is not mystic hookum, it's proper use of the body for maximum results.

[NOMIND101]

No tricks. Physics. VS multiple push only 3 or 4 guys can direct force forward. Much force lost in wiggling/misalignment. I do Chen TJQ. I'm beginner, but I've felt "rooting" a few times. Legs feel like cement posts driven in ground. Upper body feels weightless or "empty". Comes from relaxing upper body totally, letting weight sink. (Takes MUCH training/practice) Joints re-align, hips "open". When someone applies force, relaxed body redirects into ground. No bracing back leg or locking knee.

[steveg219]

The abilities shown are quite real, I have experienced it personally. However, there is an element of showmanship in these types of demos. There is nothing wrong with that at all, it helps promote the art and express to people the real power and potential and chi development. These types of demonstrations generate interest and help lead people to find the great benefits that are available through the practice of Tai Chi Kung.

[neijiachuan]

Years of Zha Zhuang training allow you to transmit the force of the pusher to your opposite hip, down your leg and to the floor. It is physics, not magic. Chen style Taijiquan is one of the most sophisticated fighting arts I have seen due to its effective use of proper biomechanics.

[Seraphicus]

Exactly. Anything people dont understand they call it a trick but what we see here is highly developed intramuscular co-ordination in action; the fruit of a lifetime of dedicated training by Master Chen Xiaowang which few people have the drive and/or determination to emulate.

[pow125wt]

haha, this is interesting. He should have Brian Urlacher or Ray Lewis to push him.

[chrysostomou1]

very nice rooting, the tricks comment is just silly, and does not explain his incredible single leg root v,s push

[phamptom]

Tricks? Years of training it is called.

[NeoDeGenero]

sahngwoo, you have no idea about Chinese martial arts, please stop embrassing yourself.

[standard101]

shngwoo, let's see some video of you doing this, if it's so easy =)

[h0415730]

i agree half~ the second half is strength + physics tricks, for the one on one part, u can see movement of Mr chen body during each pushing, which make the opponent lose the place to add force. Just like ur compressing a spring. The power has been reduced a lot. This sensing is refer to "listening to the opponent force" in tai chi theory.

[Kensonna]

That's the point. He is changing his positioning to accomodate the incoming forces. He is demonstrating that with the proper training anybody can become a 'brick wall' to anybody that tries to push them. It's just knowing body mechanics and being able to feel the external forces of your surroundings.

[chrissifu]

We are not made of bricks, we are not brick walls, neither should we try to become one! There is a water analogy in Taiji but not a brick wall one. Where does Taiji advocate resisting force?! Taiji advocates yielding to force & redirecting & returning that force.

[xiaou2]

Its shows principle of stability. dat IS part of TaiChi. He can redirect partner 2fly @ any time. In reality, he became one with the partner, as he latched onto him in the correct spot. therefore, partner would have to b able to push over 400lbs (two people) + overcome the poor leverage, which amplifies that mass even more.

[imbrd]

taiji seek relax- not collapse and not tense. the best analogy is 'become as cotton wrapped around iron'. by being soft(yin), we are alive, balanced, & can sense any hard/tense force(yang). this require many years of training. there is also a yin(defense) & yang(offense) aspect to each movement of taiji. but both ways require become soft as cotton but strong as steel. after u relax, u can play w/ the oponent center however u want while u maintain urs.

[imbrd]

yielding refrs to relax, sense oponent, follo oponent, & 'invest in loss for great gain'. this mean i hear where u are, & when u come for me, u cant find me but ill already have found u, penetrated ur center, & when i see bestest opurtunity just uproot & play w/ u. yielding also means, if u keep tensing up+use external strength, i just relax, sink qi, & let u strain urself. understand I do not collaps/tense. collapse mean i lost to myself, i dead. tense mean i fight myself+lose root

[sahngwoo]

I'm sure Mr. Chen is a capable martial artist but these kind of tricks are just that, tricks. Anyone with a decent amount of physical strength can perform these tricks provided they know what to do.

[hawkeyeke]

A 60 year old man who weighs 155 bls is not relying on physical strength to do this dude. This is top level rooting in taichi

[sahngwoo]

A 1 lbs piece of 2x4 can do the same thing if you angle it just right. Call it "chi-redirection" if it floats your "I know kungfu" boats but the "trick" here is keeping your body aligned to act much like a stick used to prop up a door. As long as your knees don't buckle, it's not that hard.

[sahngwoo]

btw, why wouldn't I post a video of myself doing this kind of "medicine man" trickery? Because I am not a charlatan, that's why. Oh, and I've done plenty Chinese martial arts thank you very much and planning doing some more very soon.

[sahngwoo]

btw, why wouldn't I post a video of myself doing this kind of "medicine man" trickery? Because I am not a charlatan, that's why. Oh, and I've done plenty Chinese martial arts thank you very much and planning doing some more very soon.

[steveg219]

Very nice- there are few demonstrations of real Tai Chi power, this is very nice to see!

thank you