Martial Tai Chi™ Linked Forms - First Section

As requested by my students - the first liked forms sequence from our Martial Tai Chi™ seminars. Generally, these days, teachers teach forms first and combat applications second - if they teach them at all (note: push hands is not the same thing as fighting applications - it is just a training drill designed to cultivate specific skills). That way of teaching is NOT the traditional way, nor is it the best way.

You should practice forms as if facing an enemy and face an enemy as if practicing forms - do not lift a finger without knowing its martial purpose. When you have become skilled at multiple fighting applications for each movement, you may sometimes wish to practice in a way that is more generic, perhaps focussing on specific movement qualities or specific martial themes (such as emphasis on kicks), but, generally speaking, when practicing forms you should always have specific applications in mind for each movement.

It is important for self-defence to be able to practice the techniques in different orders, so freestyle improvised sequences are a good idea, especially if they tell a specific martial story in your head with regard to your imaginary opponents.

A Tai Chi teacher that teaches form without combative function is not teaching real Tai Chi.

http://www.martialtaichi.co.uk/articles/tai_chi.php

http://www.martialtaichi.co.uk/articles/time_to_get_tough.php

http://www.martialtaichi.co.uk/articles/how_taiji_lost_its_quan.php

Please feel free to contact me or leave a request in the comments section of this clip if there are any movements you'd like to see the combat use of - whether those shown or other Taijiquan movements. I can't promise to know how every single move is typically used in every permutation of every lineage, but my knowledge of Taiji combat function is reasonably extensive. If I get enough requests I might post a clip once a month or so showing techniques for the movements requested.

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• joanna zorya

[MrOphachew]

What do you think about Dan Doherty and his Practicle taiji?

[martialtaichi]

@MrOphachew I'm sorry to have to announce that Joanna died on Sunday 6th March. I'm not really in a place where I can answer your martial arts queries but I shall be leaving the comments option open.

Please remember Joanna fondly as I do. Her passing is a great loss.

Julie, Martial Training Association

[martialtaichi]

That sounds like a logical progression, though I favour showing a movement in action before teaching it as a solo form. Then the students practice the movement with an imaginary opponent, then they apply it on a real body, then solo again and so on back and forth, tweaking both as they go.

[martialtaichi]

Later they'll learn additional applications of the movement and their solo training of that movement will naturally progress to become more generic and movement-principle orientated.

[martialtaichi]

Hi - thanks for your comment. It is based on the Zheng Manqing sequence, but has been influenced by the other styles I've studied - other Taiji styles - Yang, Dong, Sun, Chen and Wu as well as Xingyi and Bagua. My understanding of reeling silk (constant rotation) is from Taiwanese lineages and having testing it alongside other methods, I've found it to be the most combat-functional.

[MrOphachew]

@martialtaichi --Oh my dear, I had no idea things where that bad? Please accept my sincerest condolences. I had a few short e-mails with her late last year. She was someone that was deeply interested in the Martial Arts. I have a few of her DVD's. Please accept my condolences. Oh my God.

[Baguaguy]

Interesting forms, I like them. And I also generally agree with your comments. Coming from a Karate background, I feel that Taiji teaching should follow the same procedures: from single moves drilled extensively (Kyhon); to application exercises for those moves; to 1-step sparring using a very limited set of techniques; and then on to more complex sets of techniques, 2 and 3-step sparring, and forms. When I started in Karate, I spent months in Kyhon before being introduced to the first form.

[Loyal2law]

Nice =D! May I ask what Tai Chi Quan this is, 'cause I'm still a bit confused on the distinctions XD. Thank you for sharing =D!