Self taught Tai Chi ?

Hey everybody, I am happy to be here to find a little advice on my life long passion to practise MA. I am now 39 and I feel more like a ninja than ever. I am very fit, totally inspired, balanced are devoting myself with love to learning 24 form tai chi. I am about half way through memorising the 24 set. (single whip is where I am) I try to practise very smooth and flow gently. And beleive it or not I have developed a minor lower back ache. I am totally astonished as I play high level hockey, surf like a free man and build stages for a living needless to say I am not chuck norris but feel I could out wit most ninja'a out there. I think I have pinpointed the motion that has caused the my slight discomfort. In brush knee when we twist our body a little just before steping? Or the slight turn in parting horses main before moving forward. I hope someone can share some wisdom other than get a good teacher and I will one day but for now I am reading, watching video's and focusing with all my being to do the tai chi I can with my resources at hand.
Thanks and may the force be with you.

 

Homer Simpson has the best 3-letter word for this.

Anyway, welcome

 

Not sure I watch enough tv to know what the homer simpson word would be.
I assume its something funny but confused on how this could possibly guide me in the proper direction.
Thanks

 

With utmost sincerity;

You want to be guided in the "proper direction"?

Answer;
Seek out the "proper instructor"

 

I look forward to the day when I will have the right instructor to guide me. I live on desert island that may possibly have 1 or 2 people who practise tai chi and could help as they may have more experiance than me, whether they are the masters or not I doubt it.

From what I have experianced from my tai chi practise and research is that there many differant levels of personal growth involved. Mental, physical, spiritual and physiologicaly.
I was recently in a shopping mall at 7am and saw at least 100 seniors doing a form of tai chi dance. It was beautiful in a human and artistic way, they were all reaping many benifits of their practise. I also thought tai chi 24 form was for health not to be a perfect martial artist. I can honestly say I am enjoying learning on my own and reaping the rewards, its also a hugh challange.

I know you have a good answer but I always learn my way and in the end I will be stronger for it.

peace

 

"I always learn my way and will be stronger for it"
But you've developed back ache.

"I live on desert island that may have 1 or 2 people who practise tai chi"
Yet you saw 100 people doing tai chi? Did you not approach them to ask for some guidance? Best way to learn about where you can learn tai chi is ask someone who knows it.

I once thought I was poo-hot at tai chi after a while training in class, until I stopped going for a while because I couldn't afford it, then went back to find new students, and my teacher had developed a taste for push hands. I soon learned how flip all I understood. You can know the set, the external movements, but it sounds like you're making subtle mistakes with your form (posture) that is causing you problems.

Sometimes you have to make your own mistakes, it took me almost breaking my hand with a poorly executed sword cut to finally get it that I needed instruction, so rather than tell you it's not possible I'll suggest you post a video of the forms you think are causing you problems so people can correct you and see if it helps.

 

Hatamoto nailed it. You're practicing on your own and you have a chronic backache. Clearly, something's going wrong. I'm guessing that the reams of elderly practioners of taiji aren't doing anything that causes them unnecessary backache.

And yet you are.

It doesn't sound like instruction is genuinely unavailable. It sounds like you'd rather just do it your way. In my personal view, your way is generally only a good way after you've learned the underlying structure that makes it work properly.

I know it isn't the answer you want. But there you have it.

 

Where's your desert island?

 

And what were your 10 discs?

 

Also

Put to music for your enjoyment

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsTw9pCKYwg"]YouTube - ‪HOMER D'OH‬‏[/ame]

 

I envisioned it more along these lines....

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anXKnXVm-Kc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anXKnXVm-Kc[/ame]

 

jia- it's not always easy to find a TC teacher who knows much,but if you attempt to teach yourself at best you'll end up w/a junk slow motion choreography.

At worst you'll screw up your knees,or ..... in your case your back?



You don't know what you're doing.Why the heck would you "twist" your body before stepping in brush? And if you do,HOW do you twist? What/where exactly are you twisting? What muscle groups are you initiating such movement from? Are you keeping correct alignment with your spine? Knees? How do you know what correct alignment is for TC? You won't get this stuff from books or vids-not that it's a secret or anything,but it requires hands on teaching and observation by the teacher.

(7 questions-can you answer any of them?)

However,if you always learn your way then maybe you're better off not burdening an instructor-there's nothing quite so rewarding as giving someone clear instruction and then watch them to continue to do...whatever.Tripping out is what I call it.


Was gonna suggest this be moved to the T'ai Chi forum but I wonder if it's worth taking up space there. That is to say my first impression is that this individual is not going to harken unto the words of others.

 

To me desert island means No shopping malls, and no internet..but hey..maybe they popped up since you registered.

 

I wonder if the op talks to coconuts on his desert island?

The Bear.

 

Don't be silly...he talks to Wilson of course. Duh.

 

0.0 this is about the same as the time i thought i could learn wing chun from a movie . what you see is not what you get . you need personal instruction from an experienced person in order to learn . i messed one of my wrist up trying out my ' self taught ' wing chun . and your back is only going to get worse . and i you lived on a deserted island with 100 people you should be able to turn around and ask one of them something about it . unless of course , these people were on a dvd or in your head .

 

It was a 100 coconuts.

The Bear

 

So...where'd he see 100 seniors in a shopping mall?

Many islands have internet-and flush toilets too.

You'd be surprised what are on some little islands,been there- used to work for a hotel company.

And hey....still doesn't change that self teaching TC is nicht so schmart.

jia-what island and where?

 

people = coconuts .
mall = large tree .

 

Oh no! The dreaded 100 Coconut Kumite!