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| Tai chi for self defence | ||
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No martial
arts experience?
The tai chi for self defence syllabus was designed for people who have no
prior martial arts experience and want to get a foothold on taijiquan self
defence
fundamentals.
What is tai chi for
self defence?
All students begin with tai chi for health. Some go onto learn tai chi for
fitness, which is essentially tai chi for health + fitness material.
Tai chi for self defence is tai chi for health + tai chi for fitness +
self
defence material.
Who
teaches tai chi for self defence?
Rachel is in charge of tai chi for self defence. Sifu Waller assists Rachel
with tuition (when required).
Starting out
Taijiquan students cannot begin lessons by immediately engaging in combat.
They have no internal skill whatsoever. What would be the point? The
fighting would not be 'taijiquan'.
It would be a waste of time.
Fitness
New students learn how to relax, to move, to coordinate, to be strong, to be
sensitive, to connect their separate-seeming body parts together...
Very few students last long enough to even commence martial training.
You must get fit
All martial arts require the student to be fit for combat and taijiquan is
no exception. There are many lazy taijiquan classes in the world. This is
naive in the extreme.
Step by step
Once physical fitness has been gained, the student develops their technical
skills. These are extremely important.
It is necessary to have a high degree of physical aptitude and no remnant of
tension. When the mind and body move as one, the student can really begin to
fight.
How to...
People who start martial arts training need to look at the absolute basics:
How to stand
How to step
How to partner
How to make a fist
How to punch
How to kick
How to grapple
How to escape from a hold
How to slip a hold
How to play the attacker (convincingly)
Challenge
Martial arts are quite demanding to learn; requiring the student to
significantly increase their strength, agility, endurance and speed. The
challenges are both physical and mental.
A casual approach will not work. Body, mind and emotions need to be
conditioned and honed through sustained, regular practice.
The training must involve a wide range of challenging martial concerns;
increasing in difficulty as the student becomes more adept. To possess self
defence skills, you must train self defence skills.
Means & ends
Unlike other martial arts, taijiquan is concerned with the means rather than
simply the end result. The how rather than just the what.
Pragmatism. Effectiveness. Economy. These are our focus. Minimum effort
produces maximum effect. Body use is very important.
Neigong (whole-body strength) and jing (whole-body power) enable students to
generate kinetic energy, which we employ in combat.
Balance
Taijiquan is the art of balance. The more adept you are at affecting the
opponent, the greater your taijiquan skill.
Good quality taijiquan application requires physical, emotional and
psychological integration. There is a sense of calm. The pace is unhurried
and the student is at ease.
Ease
It is not enough to do taijiquan, you must also do it easily and
comfortably. Grace can be seen in the natural, uncomplicated movements of a
skilled practitioner.
There is a smoothness, a subtlety in every gesture. Enfolded within the art
are layers of sophistication.
Real grace appears impossibly simple and elegant. Inconsequential.
Unremarkable. It is so innocuous that your mind slides over it. There is
nothing overt to cling to.
Subtlety
Taijiquan is all about internalisation: the more skilled you are, the less
an opponent can see. By internalising your movements they become more
efficient.
Nothing is redundant. There are no gaps and deficiencies. Nothing is wasted.
Nothing is pointless. There is no telegraphing. No advertisement. No
blocking.
You become quiet and reserved, integrated and present. Your combat abilities
are potent yet subtle.
Martial arts concerns
The tai chi for self defence basics are
supplemented with a range of important concerns:
Conservation of energy
Strategy & tactics
Elbows and knees
Optimal use of alignment and structure
Stickiness
Physical sensitivity and awareness
Evasive footwork
Grappling whilst
standing and on the floor
Sensitivity
Your skill is directly proportionate to your
sensitivity.
If the aim of combat is to affect the opponent, your ability to do
this hinges upon your capacity to feel what is happening.
You must be in the moment, aware and tactile.
Brute force and clumsiness are sure signs of inexperience.
True skill is evident when the exponent just moves and the outcome seems to
arise of its own accord.
There is no sense of effort. It happened.
Appropriateness
Appropriateness stems from your ability to feel, to respond skilfully.
You intuitively adapt, change and improvise. You see choices, possibilities
and options.
Nothing is fixed and static. You move with the flow.
Transcend the drills and form. Move naturally and freely.
Body usage
Taijiquan uses the body in a manner that conserves the use of energy.
This is accomplished in a number of ways:
No excess muscle tension is used
The movements are functional and economical
Good postural muscles support the weight of the skeleton
The larger muscles of the torso and legs do most of the work
Whole-body movement is employed rather than local limb strength
Beginners are encouraged to use less and less muscular strength; reducing
tension further.
This also calms the mind and relieves stress.
Chin na &
shuai jiao?
There is only a limited amount of chin na
and shuai jiao in the
tai chi for self defence syllabus.
Kung fu?
When a tai chi for self defence student becomes adept with martial arts
skills, they can choose whether or not they want to study
kung fu.
Uniform
The uniform is a black T-shirt worn with black kung fu trousers.
More...
13 authenticity deterrent essence FORM grappling internal principles syllabus women's self defence
Page created 26 August 1994
Last updated
21 November 2021