Tai Chi - Hsing Yi - Bagua - 2 (out of 5)

Grand master Hung I Hsiang (1925-93)
These 5 parts, shows the full serie: Tai Chi "The Soft Way"
These recordings are from the, BBC Documentary series (1983): The Way Of The Warrior!

BBC docu "Way of the Warrior"
The series was originally broadcast by the BBC in the early 1980's and was comprised of 8 episodes which featured top Masters of each system. Each part lasts approx 35-40 minutes so the total content is approx 5½ hours long. It is not intended as a training tutorial. It is a documentary going into the rich historical background, philosophy, methods and practices of each system. Each part has numerous footage of demonstrations, explanations and practical applications. Whichever martial art system you may be studying this is a very absorbing and inspiring series.

The series is comprised of:

1 Shorinji Kempo 'The New Way'

2 Kalari 'The Indian Way'

3 Aikido and Kendo 'The Sporting Way'

4 T'ai Chi 'The Soft Way' - also included Hsing Yi and Ba Gua

5 Eskrima 'The Philippino Way'

6 Karate 'The Way of the Empty Hand'

7 Kung Fu 'The Hard Way'

8 The Samurai Way

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Hung
• I-Shiang
• Taiji
• Hsing-yi
• Bagua
• Soft
• Internal
• Kung
• Fu
• TheWayOfTheWarrior

[80KungFu]

There is no such thing as hard and soft style martial art. All styles use hard and soft tactics. The Tai Chi movements have many applications but the applications can be split into different kind of techniques, punches and kicks which is hard, throws, locks and pushes which are soft. So you see Tai Chi can be hard and soft at the same time and are therefore no real absolute soft martial art. Even Karate uses soft techniques and chi when fighting.

[skytte71]

Yes, in hard there can be soft. And in soft there can be hard.

But otherwise i disagree with you.

Karate = hard. It primarily uses force vs force. (fight fire with fire)

Tai Chi = soft. It primarily uses the opponents force against themselves.? (fight fire with water)

Karate uses force in their techniques when training kata's.

Tai Chi practitioners are soft/relaxed when training form's.

There are many more examples to, why a style can be classified as hard or soft.

[JediMasterRich]

@jacksawild They do not matter in terms of ones skill. People like them because they want some kind of an external proof or measurement that they are progressing. It too often causes one to think they're far better than they are. In Gung-fu, we use no such things as you know you're better through hard work and real fighting against higher students and the teachers. Since most people today don't have discipline or patience, they want to see they're getting better. It's mostly fueled by ego.

[geodiomio]

excellent introduction. thank you for posting the 5 part video. Master Hung I Hsiang deserves profound respect and sincere thanks for this recording.

there are also some very insightful comments here. thanks to those writers as well.

[quasi1981]

As far as Akido is concerned, any Bagua teachers I have read are convinced the founder of Akido, Ueshiba, spent many years and came back w/ Bagua, and it is very similar to Bagua.

Internal Arts are very concerned w/ inner power, or inner chi. It is said that w/ external arts such as karate or kick boxig, if you work at it, you can be very good

at it in about 5 years.

With the internal arts like tai chi and bagua, in 5 years you have barely begun. Cultivating inner chi takes a lifetime.

[goodforthemoney]

@80KungFu you have no idea what you are talking about

[sifupaul]

Martial Arts did not start in China, it started in Africa. Everything started in Africa.. EVERYTHING!

[timpuget]

@skytte71 Gujuryu karate has soft techniques

[jacksawild]

@JediMasterRich The same can be said for styles in and of themselves. "I know tai chi, which beats Karate" etc. I think the ego is centred in one's view of one's self rather than one's belt or style. To take it to conclusion, it is perfectly possible to wear a gi (sp?), and progress through levels of belts/sashes without giving in to viewing one's self as separate from anything else. I'm wearing a belt now, which is a good thing as my trousers are held up. :P

[jacksawild]

@GungFuMan777 You are both right and wrong. You are right because the belts do not matter. You are wrong for the same reason. Peace.

[jacksawild]

@Jahrass7 Taoism is more properly concerned with opposites and in not trying to define what it is. Taking the opposites we can see that once a thing is defined it is also necessarily not understood. A bit like when a school teacher says there is no right or wrong answer, this is the foundation of understanding and not-understanding. Do not worry about what it is, as it will continue to be what it is whether you understand it or not. Peace.

[Jahrass7]

there are higher levels of Japanese Kung Fu like Aikido where you can say the KI or Chi is used

most Karate fighters I've met are strictly hard fighters with almost all fire chi

Taoist philosophy is based on water