Early Morning Thoughts

Don't know why, but I was literally up at the break of dawn today. After my thoughts of my ex-girlfriend, I immediately thought about my Chen training. As I looked out the window, I couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness thinking about all the years and time I had spent practicing other forms of tai chi in the early morning while believing alot of the crap that had been fed to me over the years. I remember the stuff about facing the east to absorb the energy of the rising sun, and how regular practice of the form would help my health and physique, and how, it (meaning other forms of tai chi practice I had trained in) would be useful for self defense application.

Very frankly, there is an awful lot of bunk out there being tossed around.

My very good friend, Chris, he used to say that, "we can't blame teachers for not teaching stuff they don't know!" Sure, sure, but I always felt that teachers have a responsibility for learning all they can about their given art, otherwise, don't teach!

Each lesson, I watch Shifu teach, and then demonstrate the meaning of a given move. There is no warm up to his demonstration, there is no slow rehearsal and timing practiced with his partner, just "ok, like this, watch!" And bingo, bodies are flying, limbs are locked up, and students are moving around like caught fish. It's kind of funny actually...

Based on what Shifu has taught me in class, I have been working on actually applying Chen Tai Chi. Shifu told me, each move of the form will have the basics for you to practice. As an example, in the second movement of the form, we have the development of skills to: how to begin grabbing an opponent's arm, and points of control, such as the wrist and elbow. We have escapes off an opponent's grabbing our two or single wrists. We have a release and ward off of a push. There is a warding off of an incoming punch, grabbing and throwing down. There is an arm lock with circular motion using one's elbow to force an opponent down, in preparation for a variety of strikes, and there is a leg sweep, or leg/kick/destruction along side the warding off of a punch. Also, analysis of the form and the application of the above techniques will help in developing the correct footwork and adjust of body position relative to an opponent's position and approach offensively.

That's a real lot of stuff in one darn move no kidding. No BS. I can apply all those. I have been getting partners to work on those things.

When speaking with Shifu, I am constantly reminded of how grateful I am for his teaching. He really just wants all of his students to be as good as they can be.

He was telling me, that for many people it is important to learn Kung Fu basics. It is certainly possible to get good solely practicing Chen Tai Chi, but clearly he felt that basics are not emphasized enough in most people's training. He recommended that if you are working solely on the movements of the form, to take a given movement and work the aspects of that movement in repetition over and over to make that an accomplished skill.

Anyway, hope that helps!! Chen tai chi is ultra cool. I can't express enough, how happy I am to have found the wonderful people of my class and my Shifu. No BS being tossed about here, just real Kung Fu training by a teacher with integrity.
J