Since 2009, I've been studying Shaolin and Tai Chi Chin Na. It started when I got bored at IBJJF Worlds. My partner stayed, I went to Chinatown in search of weaponry. I found a bookstore that sold kung fu DVDs and picked up two, for the intent of mocking them on Bullshido. "Special Art of Throw for Special Soldier" or some nonsense like that sucked. It wasn't bullshido, just rather lame.
The other DVD, "Taiji Capture" was 100% bullshido. Or so I thought. At face value, the locks were improbable, some impossible. So I watched the tape and decided that I was a bad enough grappler to pull of the "feats of taiji" as they were called in the video. I started with direct attack, unfortunately, crippling my partner. He had pins in his wrist. I dislocated his wrist, then shot the pins up into his joint. I hadn't expected direct attack. It was then that I realized the true power of tai chi.
Some of the feats were more difficult than others. To accomplish feats that could not be performed (by myself) through direct attack, I came up with a system I call the "Shaolin Shield". In essence, you use the opponents jiujitsu grips as anchors. You don't have to chase a man that is holding on to you. I then reversed the shadows. If you imagine in a form that the opponent could be doing anything, in my case, I locked the joints into position by any means. This was effective. Combined with leg locks, taiji was extremely effective. After a while, my friend grew tired of the attacks. He countered with the same.
One night, I defeated the academy in its entirety. However, my friend was stuck sweeping the dojo or teaching the class. He felt I'd cheated. One night, around midnight, he made reference to this. I took my championship belt off, hung it on a chain on the ceiling and offered him a shot. Another gong sau. Greenpeace stood as witnesses and ganja filled the air. To defeat me, the challenger had developed a low stance he called "Black Panther". This was designed to isolate and attack the legs. He attacked first by striking me in the face. When I blocked, he transitioned into taiji, before dropping into the leg locking method. I was overwhelmed. My joints were at their limits and he refused to let up. Suddenly, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfo3RT0GhK0. Don't fight a Jamaican to reggae.
I thought I was going to die. I kept fighting, but once he failed to defeat me to his own theme song, I knew I would win. After about three hours, he made a fatal error, throwing a toe hold with no leg weave. I took his back and choked him until he submitted. Over the next few weeks, I defeated all other challengers becoming the submission grappling "King of the Mat"
When I arrived in Boston, months later, I sought further knowledge of Chin Na, independently studying Dr. Yang's Tai Chi and Shaolin. Once I had the money, I studied under Brian Muccio. He was interesting. He didn't feel like a fighter or a grappler. Probably isn't. But he damn sure could teach. We studied a few weeks, but I'd been double crossed by both a member of the Gracie clan, and one of our own. I was broke. I returned to the Sifu, this time telling him my true intentions. I wanted to build a hybrid system. And so we did.
Shaolin and/or Taiji Chin Na is worth studying. Don't let Brazilian Jiujitsu's marketing campaign keep this information from you.
The other DVD, "Taiji Capture" was 100% bullshido. Or so I thought. At face value, the locks were improbable, some impossible. So I watched the tape and decided that I was a bad enough grappler to pull of the "feats of taiji" as they were called in the video. I started with direct attack, unfortunately, crippling my partner. He had pins in his wrist. I dislocated his wrist, then shot the pins up into his joint. I hadn't expected direct attack. It was then that I realized the true power of tai chi.
Some of the feats were more difficult than others. To accomplish feats that could not be performed (by myself) through direct attack, I came up with a system I call the "Shaolin Shield". In essence, you use the opponents jiujitsu grips as anchors. You don't have to chase a man that is holding on to you. I then reversed the shadows. If you imagine in a form that the opponent could be doing anything, in my case, I locked the joints into position by any means. This was effective. Combined with leg locks, taiji was extremely effective. After a while, my friend grew tired of the attacks. He countered with the same.
One night, I defeated the academy in its entirety. However, my friend was stuck sweeping the dojo or teaching the class. He felt I'd cheated. One night, around midnight, he made reference to this. I took my championship belt off, hung it on a chain on the ceiling and offered him a shot. Another gong sau. Greenpeace stood as witnesses and ganja filled the air. To defeat me, the challenger had developed a low stance he called "Black Panther". This was designed to isolate and attack the legs. He attacked first by striking me in the face. When I blocked, he transitioned into taiji, before dropping into the leg locking method. I was overwhelmed. My joints were at their limits and he refused to let up. Suddenly, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfo3RT0GhK0. Don't fight a Jamaican to reggae.
I thought I was going to die. I kept fighting, but once he failed to defeat me to his own theme song, I knew I would win. After about three hours, he made a fatal error, throwing a toe hold with no leg weave. I took his back and choked him until he submitted. Over the next few weeks, I defeated all other challengers becoming the submission grappling "King of the Mat"
When I arrived in Boston, months later, I sought further knowledge of Chin Na, independently studying Dr. Yang's Tai Chi and Shaolin. Once I had the money, I studied under Brian Muccio. He was interesting. He didn't feel like a fighter or a grappler. Probably isn't. But he damn sure could teach. We studied a few weeks, but I'd been double crossed by both a member of the Gracie clan, and one of our own. I was broke. I returned to the Sifu, this time telling him my true intentions. I wanted to build a hybrid system. And so we did.
Shaolin and/or Taiji Chin Na is worth studying. Don't let Brazilian Jiujitsu's marketing campaign keep this information from you.
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