I have so many questions to ask I don't know where to start! I am a lapsed karateka. Got one away from black belt in my late teens then packed it in (sparring being the main reason). Am now 34, still fit, and looking to return to the martial arts. I had been looking at a local freestlye kickboxing club but recent developments in my personal life have led me to look for a martial art that I can use for meditative/personal betterment purposes AS WELL AS effective martial applications. I was also looking for opinions as to whether it is beneficial to study an EXTERNAL/'HARD' martial at the same time as a compliment. Would studying something like kickboxing as well lessen the 'spiritual' (for want of a better word) benefits that might be gained from the internal martial arts? Basically, I want to tame my anger. Just can't make my mind up whether the internal/external martial arts are better for this, or a combination of both.
Get in touch with Charlie Gorrie at Practical Tai Chi Chuan http://sites.google.com/site/taichiglasgow/Home There you will get access to both martial aspects and the meditative side of IMA. Charlie is into Zen mediation big time. They also have Billy Leggate who is a fine fighter. But there is no conflict in studying Tai Chi and Kick boxing. The Bear.
For what it's worth, I personally think it's a great idea to study both a "hard" and a "soft" art. You can put a little karate in your tai chi (if you're training it as a martial art anyway, it'll aid with your balance and ability to translate motions to techniques, the "bunkai" or whatever the Chinese word is) and it's always useful to have some tai chi in your karate to aid your flow and sensitivity. I think everyone should do both at least for a while to get an appreciation of how both feel. Either way it won't affect anything else you do negatively, far as I've experienced.
Not that I have to fight Yohan's corner, but you are putting words into his mouth there Lou. We all know the difference between so called hard and soft styles, Karate & Tai Chi for example, but often (if not all the time) hard and soft come as a package. Surely a punch on the way to it's target can be called hard, but once on the way back it is no longer so. If as a boxer you are defending using only bobbing, weaving, ducking and slipping are you still doing a hard style or soft? You are doing what an Aikido guy would do after all (evasion) so is boxing a soft style? Tai Chi as I'm sure you know has a saying 'if one part hits, all parts hit', so if you get hit by a Tai Chi practitioner (who is adept in using his entire body) and sent flying across the room, have you been hit with a soft style. What seperates that strike with the boxers rear cross or Karate reverse punch. Yin and Yang, light and dark, two halfs of a whole is the point I am sure Yohan is making. Hard and soft are not independant of each other, they are part of one another.
"Internal" systems are no more "spiritual" than anything else. Things like that really have more to do with how an individual teacher presents it,whether it's Karate,Kali,or Chinese boxing. You can use any practice to work on your own personal strengths and weakness re: character development. Just a matter of paying attention to yourself,your behaviors,and being honest w/yourself. If anger is really a large issue w/you you might wish to consider some counselling in addition to martial practice. The only practices I can think of which were deliberately created for the express purpose of character/spiritual development are the classical Japanese budos.Refer to Donn Draeger's classic work "Classical Budo".Most of them are not concerned so much w/practicality. Do what appeals to you.And forget the theoretical internal/external soft/hard division thing.For the most part it's rather meaningless. One of the best individuals I have ever known for aiding people in their personal development aside from their athletic skills was my former gym teacher/soccer coach,who was also a wrestling coach. Many is the testimonial I've read or heard from others about that aspect of his teaching. Good hunting! And take Yohan's words to heart.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. Polar Bear, the practical Tai Chi option is very interesting and is near where I live. Julien, the Goju karate is also interesting now that you have pointed it out, and again there is a class near where I study. Much to think about!
Ahoy! only good training and crap? Not to be nitpicky, but when the taiji master hits, there is hardness. the hardness is in the transfer of damage. that would be a "hard" aspect to a "soft" technique. soft training exercises slow twitch muscles, improves focus, steadies the mind, oxygenates the blood, circulates the ch'i, and improves balance. a slow, focused brush knee twist step is very different than a fast brush knee twist step. the origin of the movement is the same, but the intent is different.
Arrrh,matey! Not necessarily,Lou. Example-at either speed the purpose could be simply to execute a balance attack utilizing p'eng,chi,or an w/the upper hand-point being that even at a fast speed it can be turned into a push rather than a strike at the palm's initial contact w/the opponent- which means same technique,same intent. The reverse is also true-I've been struck in the context of ph by some pretty slow hands-they were NOT pushes(ow!)- that just has to do w/how much force the individual can issue at a given speed.Again,same technique,same intent. You said you found a good teacher.If so,you'll find this out. And don't forget to practice your breakfalls!
