Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ_thMe168M

Had a fight last weekend, Matt (Blue fighter). I lost but that is ok I learned a lot and had fun. No regrets, Competed against a guy from Chang Tung Sheng's side of Shuai Chiao and Taiji! Robert (yellow fighter)

Hi Matt,

It looked as if you both had fun. How was the scoring done? One point for ejecting the opponent for the ring? What defines a clean throw? How did they score the strikes?

Also, I was curious if this was your goal in training Tai Chi, or if this is just one of the ways in which you like to explore or express your skills.

Take care,
Audi

Howdy

I saw your fight!

I even see myself in the video..LOL! There were a lot of good Lei Tai matches.

I wish my push hands match had gone as will as your Lei Tai. Oh well! back to the drawing board and more practice.

Well I would love to think this is a example of taiji san shou, or a Taiji guy going to show some fighting skills, but every Taiji person will say " it is not taiji"

Scoring is done the following way-

punches and kicks that hit= 1 point
clean throw with not falling= 2 points
controlled throw landing on top of opponent= 1 point
throw and both people fall on ground= 0 points
pushed off Lei Tai platform= 3 points

my main objective was to punch and kick. I trained that way since springtime. Objective- damage the guy and knock out.

Two weeks out from the fight I switched coaches. My original coach is going through a divorce and been a loser drunk and not committed to my training.

so my new coach had me train all grappling- mainly tie-ups- neck tie up, bicept tie-ups, clinch tie-ups, body locks, etc. and go for push off platforms and throws for more points.

my opponent was a Shuai chiao/Taiji guy from Frank Demaria/Chang tung sheng lineage and well versed in countering grappling.

matt

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your response.

Well I would love to think this is a example of taiji san shou, or a Taiji guy going to show some fighting skills, but every Taiji person will say " it is not taiji"

How would you say that the fight best exemplified Tai Chi principles, or how would you say that Taijiquan most helped your training?

Audi wrote:Hi Matt,

Thanks for your response.

Well I would love to think this is a example of taiji san shou, or a Taiji guy going to show some fighting skills, but every Taiji person will say " it is not taiji"

How would you say that the fight best exemplified Tai Chi principles, or how would you say that Taijiquan most helped your training?

Audi,


The fight does not exemplified Tai Chi/Taiji much at all. I did get a few pushes and went for some stick/connect and throw/strike. I did use stepping to evade (lead opponent to nothingness) which is considered 'empty body' skill to some, by staying in/out of some of his strike range. We danced and it ''is what it is'' under intense pressure and adrenaline dump.

Taijiquan helped me in my training the following ways:
morning practice was centered on Xingyi 5 elements, Bagua 8 animals, and Yang Taijiquan solo forms. This is to recover and circulate qi in the body from the intensity of evening training. Limbering up, using the softer arts that are 'yi and qi' (mind and energy) centered as opposed to 'Li'- muscle and bone strengthening centered. (even though taijiquan does help Li also).

Evening training consisted of: cross-fit class, track cardio and stamina circuits and sprints, regular boxing/ kickboxing focus mitt and thai pad work, weight training for martial arts, interval training, sparring: amateur boxing rules sparring, muay thai sparring, wrestling hand sparring, muay thai clinch sparring, san shou sparring.

The internal arts combat stress and especially is a nice addition to deal with the stress of even choosing to fight.

There are 4 majors stresses when taking a fight:
1. spiritual
2. mental
3. emotional
4. physical

1. spiritual stress is that which affects your higher spirit. These are more ethical in nature as in dealing with not loving every other being vs. karma of having to hurt someone else and the humility of defeat and getting hurt. Fighting affects the spirit and consciousness and it is a challenge to the ego. Should one not feed the ego's desire or should one be egoless and not participate in fighting? It takes a healthy balance in spirit to fight for sport. It is about being compassionate to the opponent and to play the game fair and not cheat. It is to have mercy on your opponent and do unnecessary malicious damage. You have to protect your self and not wish bad on the opponent, but just have a test of spirit. Taijiquan is a spirit exercises that raises the spirit, empty's the mind, cultivates shen.

2. Mental- a lot of mental preparation must be achieved. This is mental focus, mental visualization, mental talking (self pep talks), mental toughness, etc. All these have to be a healthy balance so the mind in not over trained but a healthy amount of stress to develop mental toughness. There is a lot of mental stress during training that taijiquan helps to relieve. Mental states included that of excitement and depression. It is good to have things to take mind off thinking of fight day, Taijiquan is a perfect exercise to take mind off future or past and work in present moment in time and space. Thinking of the taijiquan combat technique with yi and feeling the qi in the present moment helps fight jitters. Relax the extreme mental states of consciousness with taijiquan.

3. Emotional- there will be moments of anger and fear before, during and after combat and taijiquan helps a person to recognize and deal with negative emotions as they arise. Taijiquan has philosophy and a lot of psychology to deal with combat with relaxation. Taijiquan helps balance negative emotions like worry, pensiveness, anger, fear, and impatience. In training for a fight you will go through many emotions, Taijiquan as a moving meditation can help deal with emotional stress.

4. physical- all the physical 'wai gong' training (weights, cross-fit, track circuits, stance work, kicking, punching, sparring) pays a huge tax on the body. Taijiquan helps bring balance from the external 'waigong' type of training. Taijiquan is neigong and qigong in nature. All the 'neigong' training (daoyin, Duna, and sitting meditation) and all the 'qigong' training (Taijiquan as a martial qigong with applications) encoded in the form help with aches and pains from 'waigong' training.

Hi Matt,

Thanks for a very thorough and thoughtful response. I very much like your breakdown of spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aspects of the training.