Is there really such a thing as an "internal" style?

Gerard
Please stop ranting about Taoism - there's really no such thing lol

 

The only way to do Tai Chi is the Daoist!! way as i said some where else in another thread the real point to Tai Chi is if there is a fight i am still on my feet at the end of it. Anything else is a bonus.

 

Hmmm,

You are the one that needs to settle down in this forum. Making too much noise but lifting hardly any leaves

This will put you back in track. It's a little gem.


http://www.panlatrevo.com/

 

Nurse, sense of humour crash cart to IMA forum!! Emergency!!
I'll settle down when I'm good and ready thank you very much, Mr Tiger lol I'm not telling anyone how to live, just contributing to the discussion and debunking false information... it involves making a noise
(Thanks for the link btw)
My teacher taught "there is no Tai Chi without Taoism and no Taoism without Tai Chi" lol however there are many 'forms' of Taoist practice and all of them are only methods of reaching an indescribable truth/experience... no one can insist that someone 'sign up' to 'Taoism' (- there really is no such thing anyway lol how can there be?) if you are practising correct Tai Chi Chuan you are moving with Tao regardless of what philosophy you subscribe to lol...
Also someone (not sure whether it was you or Geo - you Initial 'G's all look the same to me lol) said something about meditation being the 'goal' of Taijiquan - meditation is not a goal in itself it is a method to reach goals or even goalessness (a goal in itself ) - to be able to meditate constantly even while fighting is one of the goals of Taijiquan but not its central purpose imo/e simply a pleasing objective that few ever obtain...
Meditation and Taoism are closely associated with IMA but not compulsory to being successful - ranting, making 'rules' (like soggy) and setting up dualistic conflicts (also like soggy) are not the way I am trying to follow.
If I followed my teacher's way I would never come here or post here - but that was her Tao. Mine is to always try - regardless of the odds of success lol

:Angel:

 

I think this is from the Tao te ching:

"The tao that can be named is not the true tao."

You cannot say the tao is a particular thing as that goes against the tao.

The so-called internal arts have practices that follow taoist principles, but that's not to say that you can't be a buddist or a confucian in your approach. Indeed in my overinflated opinion, there are aspects of all three in the arts. There's just a slight bias to one party over the other.

To insist that someone follow the tao is against the principle of taoism.

Everyone has to find their own way. It cannot be shown to them, but you can kinda nudge them in the right direction now and again.

 

Dont you just love it when some one comes up with a quote like that.

 

Yup

 

I read one translation that translated it as...

"the Tao that can be TOLD is not the true Tao"

This made a great deal of sense to me... more so that the above... as I then thought true... your path is yours and someone telling you how to live/flow with your path isnt telling you of the true path you follow... in other words its down to you... no-one can tell you how to truly choose or live... I may be mistaken but that made good sense to me...

Damn I love Taoism it just gets better (and sometimes more perplexing) but I am learning...

 

Hey,

That's a better answer Horse.

About our friend the cat:

People born in the year of the rooster usually are good looking and like to show themselves off.

Vampire Rat has just hit the nail on its head. He is a good rat/mouse:

People born in the year of the mouse are usually optimistic, cheerful and easy to get along with...

 

Provided they are given an adequate supply of cheese!

If cheese is not available, I have found large amounts of beer do the job nicely. mmmm.....beeeer....

 

Congrats for that most vague and ambiguous statement. Impossible to confirm/deny/comprehend.

Your "Snide MAP remark of the month - 05/05" badge will be mailed to you ASAP.

I'm a dragon.... grrrr

 

Nothing is ambiguous with taiji and dao. The simpler the better. Pure Taiji is very simple: 13 moves. Just clan-fights and egos made it very complicated. I just don't get the point of doing 150 moves in the old Yang style???

 

The reason that nothing is ambiguous with the Dao is because its all Dao... at least thats my take so far on it...

The 13 moves are there in the forms but 13 movements cant a defence make... if you combine two of the 13 then it becomes 14... but 13 x 13 = 169 possible combinations I guess... (did I do that rigth... permeatations and all that...)

EDIT... of course I mean right... (ok cant spell either...)

 

If it's good enough for the Chens/Yangs, it's good enough for me..

I'm a hog

oink, oink!

 

Agree, in part.
I've always emphasised that the language ability aspect , not the race origin aspect to be a critical factor in deciding one's mastery of IMA .

A Chinese person in Sydney who doesn't speak mandarin will have a harder time mastering the subtle points of TaiChi than a Scotsman in Edinburgh who speaks Mandarin.
Knowledge of mandarin will minimise any loss of information / misunderstanding due to translation from the Chinese teacher who typically has a poor command of English. Also there are many " untranslatable" terms so it's best to learn TaiChi /IMA in the original language

 

And I hope one day you'd wake up and stop speading the misinformation that Yang TaiChi has a stationery Horse Stance. Surely you do not wish to be intentionally contributing to the deteoriation of the transmission of TaiChi knowledge
:Angel:

 

Taiji Butterfly: Gerard
Please stop ranting about Taoism - there's really no such thing lol

Anyone who claims that TaiChi is not connected to Taoism should have their authority to teach TaiChi removed from them.

 

If only someone had said that to YLC, then we wouldn't have this problem

:bang:


spurious conclusion #45: "Of course it's related to taoism, it's named tai chi after all" :bang:

 

you gotta laugh at the last two posts!

Does my lack of knowledge of how to speak Chinese affect my ability to uproot an opponent? Does it mean that I cannot really feel the bubbling point during practice? Does it mean that I cannot achieve singleweightedness, and constant flow?

A 'teacher' recently started a class in Stirling, he needed a translator. He wore yellow silk pyjamas. His poster claimed he was 6th dan in taiji, and that he taught the Shadow Shaolin Monks, or was that the shaolin monk's shadow. Does the fact that he speaks chinese mean that he's not a snake-oil merchant?

 

:bang: Okay Mr Cat - I was going to leave this alone, but hey I've changed my mind. :woo:
I never said anything about a 'stationary horse stance in Yang Tai Chi' that is you twisting things about... BUT the horse stance was used by Yang Teachers for body training traditionally. (There are also specific qigong and 'eight brocades' sets that you will never have seen either. I have only had a glimpse - this is 'closed door' stuff lol) It does not appear in the form of course, but in Chen style you can see the 'horseriding stance-like' postures in their form. My source for this is a lineage master of Yang style. Who is your teacher? Actually, come to think of it: OO ARE YER? Why not post your details and experience in that thread so we can all understand each other. I feel like you are sniping from the shadows while the rest of us are standing in the open.
http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=525324#post525324 I dare you.
I also have a VCD from China of a third generation Liang Baguazhang master teaching stake (standing) exercises and third move in is quote: the horse riding stance. The stance also appears in other styles of Bagua during the circle walking routines. I suppose all these people are wrong too?
You stated in your original post that: One of the definitions of IMA was "no horseriding stance". You are WRONG. That is why I have said 'Rubbish'. Not that you are rubbish - just your statement (and other ones too). You commented on my ability as a teacher personally and you have again done so above. I have no idea of your knowledge/understanding/ability (though I have my suspicions lol ) but each to their own I say.
What you (apparently) fail to understand is that IMA is only partly defined by the outer movements. EMA will do the horse stance in a very physical, low down, endurance-based-on-strength way, whereas IMA will do it in a more relaxed sunk manner. The stance is just a stance. Traditional Yang style uses the bow and arrow stance (I don't btw) but it is not as low and forceful as the shaolin way. The stance is just a stance. It is the inside that counts in IMA.
Regarding the transmission of Tai Chi knowledge lol I will quote my original Tjq master on this: "Wisdom masters Knowledge. Knowledge masters no-one."
:Angel: