A question for all of you Chinese MA guys.

**Sri Hanuman** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 9:10am

Depends on what you are looking for. The vast majority of schools tend to focus on choreography of the form, and underplay the importance of sparring.

Originally Posted by DerAuslander108

If it's good Taiji, with good push hands, that focuses on practicing Taiji as a clinch wrestling system with dirt boxing, then yes, it will be a great form of cross training for you.

^^^
Absolutely.

It's unfortunate that Zhaobao is mostly unheard of outside China and California. It focuses on heavy close-range grappling, throws, and takedowns. Even their push-hand is heavy on trips and throws. I believe Tim Cartmell's Taiji background is in Zhaobao style.

Judoist, do you know the name of the teacher yet?

**Sri Hanuman** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 9:11am

Originally Posted by Cuchulain

I've never had to do a horse stance in Tai Chi. Can you imagine throwing someone from horse stance?

edit: in fact it goes against everything Tai Chi is about. Body alignment, breaking the balance etc.

They refer to anything horse-stance like as double-weightedness, and it is a big no no in your thoroughfare Taijiquan styles (with the exception of Li... I think. But it is THE exception as far as I am aware.)

**W. Rabbit** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 9:37am

Originally Posted by Cuchulain

I've never had to do a horse stance in Tai Chi. Can you imagine throwing someone from horse stance?

Dropping quickly into to a sei ping ma is a great way to throw someone over your thigh or by the leg, if your stance is strong.

Edit: sei ping ma is not something taiji practicioners normally train in like some other forms of gong fu.

-ED

**Sri Hanuman** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 9:53am

Originally Posted by Earth Dragon

Dropping quickly into to a sei ping ma is a great way to throw someone over your thigh or by the leg, if your stance is strong.

Edit: sei ping ma is not something taiji practicioners normally train in like some other forms of gong fu.

-ED

We have Zhan Zhuang in it's various forms.

**Rivington** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 9:59am

Wait wait, someone said that he was a "fourth dan" in taiji...or is judoist confused?

Anyway, I'll hold off until we get an instructor's name.

**Sri Hanuman** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 10:01am

Originally Posted by judoist

the instructor claimss to have a 4th Dan or equivilent rank in Tai Chi. Is there such a ranking system in TCC similar to the belt rank system in Judo?
Thanks in advance.

(Rivington, thanks for noticing.)

There isn't, but it's not entirely unlikely for an independent school to create it's own ranking system. Just very odd.

Name of instructor would help a lot.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 10:02am

Originally Posted by Big Furnace

Good TCC is all about making your skeleton do the work, not the muscles. Its all about body structure, grounding and balance.

While somewhat correct, you are making it general this is poorly worded. You use muscles with every endeavor. You are trying to keep the muscle relaxed and not tense the muscle argument has led to the mysticism concerning Tai Chi.

However, earlier posters are correct. There are plenty of TCC instructors who don't do pushing hands. You would need to find one that does.

This is to vague IMO.

There are many that do push hands and do not know what they are doing. Push Hands alone is not good enough. As was said by Der in the first post if it doesn't include many of the elements he named you are just man dancing.

**W. Rabbit** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 10:25am

Originally Posted by Sri Hanuman

We have Zhan Zhuang in it's various forms.

my fav!

**Big Furnace** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 10:29am

Good TCC is all about making your skeleton do the work, not the muscles. Its all about body structure, grounding and balance.

While somewhat correct, you are making it general this is poorly worded. You use muscles with every endeavor. You are trying to keep the muscle relaxed and not tense the muscle argument has led to the mysticism concerning Tai Chi.

True. I was expressing things in a simplistic way. I'm a big guy (6'2", 265#) and I have to constantly pay attention and make myself let my structure do the work rather than muscling through it. Its all too easy to let my strength make up for bad structure. That is why I phrased it the way I did. I do see your point.

As far as push hands being offered not being enough, that is true but could be said of any training of any type. There are plenty of places that don't do push hands at all. All they teach is the choreography.

Frankly, I have not seen TCC being taught as a fighting system in my area (greater Boston) at all. That seems to be what you are saying that the Judo player should be looking for. I don't know how much luck they are going to have finding that.

I count myself lucky that I have an instructor who knows the martial applications and has us practice them.

**Sri Hanuman** · Posted On: 6/24/2010 10:32am

Originally Posted by Big Furnace

Frankly, I have not seen TCC being taught as a fighting system in my area (greater Boston) at all. That seems to be what you are saying that the Judo player should be looking for. I don't know how much luck they are going to have finding that.

You're not alone there.
The biggest Taiji organization in my area is Taoist Tai Chi *snicker,* with the second largest org to offer "Tai Chi" being Dahn Yoga (which has it's own thread.)

You have to live in places like California to have decent schools on a large scale.