Hey Cory.
Tai Chi Chuan is the art I currently studying. You will not do any sparing for a long time (A very long time). Push hands is leared after you have learned to root. The movements can be a beautiful expresion and the fighting techinques are extremly powerfull. Great for healing injuries it has been recomended to to Tai chi to heal your self before doing Pa Kua. (Apperently circle walking takes alot out of you. Ei: The tendon injuries as a resault of external arts. When I train there is not a day that goes by where I do not realize the geniues of the arts. Not only is it a fighting art but a comprehensive health system. Taijiquan us hard on the out side and soft on the inside.
Pa Kua Chuan
Trinity boxing....this art is based on the I-Ching (Book of Changes). This art fluidly combines all martial techinques. Circle Walking was used for about 5000 years in Daoist monistaries. This arts is know to be pretty effective agains multiple opponents. What can I say about this art..it kicks serious ass. I am still trying to find a teacher for this gonna go talk to him next week.
Go to
http://energyarts.com/hires/indexed.html
Chi Kung or Qi Gong
If you study any internal art they should have chi gung included. but it can't hurt to learn more.
Hsing Yi Chuan
Five elements fist. One of the more harder internal forms. Great art icannot deny that and I plan to look into it some time soon. They are hard on the out side soft ont he inside the opposite of taijiquan. Hsing Yi is originaly a military art (to the best of my knowledge)
I understand over the years that many have flocked to martial arts for self defense and exercise. Allot of people I have met simply build until they believe they have enough. It seems like Karate and TKD are the worst for this. Not to be insulting but alot of them seem to have become a watered down version of their former selfs. Allot of them have become buisness. I can't stand the idea of being taught martial arts by a buisness.
Does anyone here think the belt system is even necessary?
I also must admit that my Shotokan Sensei was far more influential than the two TKD instuctors I worked with. He was more philosophical and taugh the meaning behind the form. It appeared to me that the TKD instructors were doing just that, instructing. Whereas my Shotokan Sensei was more of a mentor.
I would tend to agree there. I think anyone who teaches martial arts should also teach thier philosophy before teaching how to hurt some one. It is lie giving a child a gun before he realizes that other people are alive and hurt as well. With out the understanding and wisdom of the arts they seem to be little more then glorified violence. The difference between a soldier and a warrior.
The principles of the arts I study vary depending on which one you're talking about, and in what sense you mean 'principles'. Do you mean the fighting principles? The moral?
I mean talk about the art. The stories, the lesons, the ideas, the heart. As well as the principles behind the movement.
Martial Craftsperson or Martial Artist.
A martial craftsperson will work on his art untill he deems it to be "good enough"
A martial artist however will train with all his passion his skill and will. Every movement is an expresion from the core of his being.
Which are you?
(Notme I will defy you!!!) Ei:Not gonna do it LMAO