I encourage IIF to merge this with another thread, but I wasn't sure which one would be best so I made a new one.

I'm a fan of Zhaobao (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhaobao_Tai_Chi) taiji -- which mostly seems like a Chen offshoot -- for a number of reasons, but mostly because they've maintained a strong martial aspect over the years and they've got some really nice "Daoist yoga" methods for improving flexibility and balance.

This is a badly put together (clips repeated over and over, no solid progression from one topic to the next) introduction to Zhaobao:

YouTube - zhaobao taiji tuishou , sanshou , and chinese jiao (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP5IzhZUfaY)
(The good stuff starts around 5:40, including the kind of application demos I like to see).

... first a few of minutes of pretty forms in silk pajamas, then demos, some young guys playing solid tui shou and doing pad work for san shou. There's even a bit of shuai jiao jacket training mixed in for good measure.

And here's a couple of young Zhaobao guys sleepwalking through a tuishou tournament:

YouTube - TaiChi 太極推手比賽 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUJ_VKiz6No)

Enjoy! :icon_thum

nice. So is this like the new frame Chen style like the Wiki article says?

Hotness. What do they call the hanegoshi he did several times?

YouTube - Zhao Bao Taiji (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79lfEBj2Ohs)

See this is one of my favorite performance videos. Yes, I know no fighting. I still appreciate good form demonstrations.


We'll leave it by itself until, we figure out which thread.

What do they call the hanegoshi he did several times?

If you give me time cues for the throw I'll try to make sure this is right, but the one I think you're mentioning is called da zhi bie ("big opposite-grip trip," more or less) in shuai jiao. It's an application of bian lian ("face changing"), often just called "back hook trip" in English. Here's a tutorial for a variation of the throw that's more of a harai goshi:

YouTube - Beijing Style Shuaijiao/Wrestling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-XWRGeP5mY)


See this is one of my favorite performance videos.

I like that one too. I've posted it before in threads concerning the conditioning benefits of forms. Whether or not that guy knows how to fight, he's developed some extraordinary physical attributes via a mix of dao yin and taiji.

I've posted it before in threads concerning the conditioning benefits of forms. Whether or not that guy knows how to fight, he's developed some extraordinary physical attributes via a mix of dao yin and taiji.
Yep. This is one of the things I like about forms.

If you give me time cues for the throw I'll try to make sure this is right, but the one I think you're mentioning is called da zhi bie ("big opposite-grip trip," more or less) in shuai jiao. It's an application of bian lian ("face changing"), often just called "back hook trip" in English. Here's a tutorial for a variation of the throw that's more of a harai goshi:


You got the right one. Very interesting, thanks for the tutorial vid.

now that gentleman can move. I can only hope to be that limber later in age.

Nice Videos - Looks pretty Good,

the pad work stuff was interesting.

is this like the new frame Chen style like the Wiki article says?

It's quite Chen-like, but it has its own flavor. One of things that sets apart Zhaobao is the heavy use of secondary neigong practice to improve balance and flexibility. Here's a routine derived from the Zhaobao "Daoist yoga" exercises:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYRz_lHGN1Y

I've mentioned before that shuai jiao guys often enter push hands tournaments and do well. Another thing I like about these guys is that they enter shuai jiao tournaments (thus the jacket practice in the above videos). They also produce good san shou/da fighters in surprising numbers for such a rare style.

nice. So is this like the new frame Chen style like the Wiki article says?

Are you a lumper or a splitter?

Can you repeat the question?

Jackrusher or anybody else....
any of you guys know of a school like this in the SF bay area with the san shou in this style? My net fu is not turning up anything good

any of you guys know of a school like this in the SF bay area with the san shou in this style?

My favorite san shou school in the Bay Area is Brent Hamby's EBM Kung Fu Academy (http://www.kungfu.net/). Brent teaches a number of CMA, including taiji, and trains one of the best san shou teams in North America.

{snip}
And here's a couple of young Zhaobao guys sleepwalking through a tuishou tournament:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUJ_VKiz6No

Enjoy! :icon_thum
Very nice push hands!:XXsunsmil

My favorite san shou school in the Bay Area is Brent Hamby's EBM Kung Fu Academy (http://www.kungfu.net/). Brent teaches a number of CMA, including taiji, and trains one of the best san shou teams in North America.

I am actually going to take a look at that school pretty soon....

thanx for the find