Anyone ever get some aggro/stupid comments from random people when you're doing forms in public places? How about positive comments, or people interested in starting tai chi after seeing some? Is it normal to see people doing IMA in public where you live? I used to live in a Sydney suburb with a big Chinese population so it was normal to see grandmothers with broadswords in the park, but in Melbourne I almost never see anyone doing forms.
I stopped doing forms in public because people would start bothering me about it. My living room is a place with much less foot traffic.
I'd never done the form in public until I'd started going to the group I visit when I'm down south lol. It was a very big shock to the system lol, It's all good fun though. The other day I got there early and started practicing on my own and it really knocked at my ego while folk were taking their dogs for walks and looking at what I was doing, I felt a lot better when the group did arrive though as I wasn't alone lol. lisa xx
I know a guy who does it in a park on Saturdays. I hope no one makes fun of him as I am going to watch him fight at the end of November hopefully, and he is the quickest guy I have ever seen!
I have practiced outdoors since my first taiji lesson. For me, out in the park is where taiji belongs. This is where I should touch wood So far, in over 8 years, when practising alone in a multitude of open spaces, I have never recieved any bad responses. On the contrary, many people stop to watch, take photos/videos and the occasional toddler comes up and joins in. All great stuff. Also, from time to time, when I have finished, I get asked about what I was doing and where can they go to learn etc. The most unnerving experience was on Penarth Promanade (just west of Cardiff, Wales.) I was just beginning my form when I noticed 2 men in suits of Chinese/Korean appearance standing a few feet in front of me. They remained there, unmoving, expressionless, until I finished. They both bowed then slowly turned away and continued their walk in total silence. As I had only been doing taiji for a year or so, I asked my teacher if he knew why they stood in silence and then walked away. He replied that, in his opinion, they were giving me respect as they had arrived as I started my 'moving meditation'. Tidy.
Outside! Now! Lol I actually only practice in public as a rule I find indoor environments unnatural and inhibiting for my energy. I do however teach indoors, but I prefer to be out amongst the elements... :Angel:
LOL! I live in China so obviously there isn't much of a problem with people bustin' a Tai Chi move outdoors. Except for when I am trying to get some early morning hoop in and they're a legion of pensioners are littering the courts with slow motion calisthenics.
I practice tai chi outside in a park in uni before lectures by myself and sometimes bai mei, not many people early in the mornings so i dont get so embarrassed about it. I get the usual people who walk pass going to work and such, then I get the occaissional giggles from onlookers and some people who actually complement me on my practice. I like practising outside. The fresh air, the wide open space, the quiteness. Too bad its summer now in Sydney, and the flies are so friggin annoying when you try to practice the form slowly =p I believe like attracts like. If I am practising bai mei, then i just have a feeling some silly person would come up to me and challenge me. But if I practice tai chi, then that person would think "oh, that guy's doing tai chi, such sissy sh**, i can kick his behind any day..." and would just move on. This feeling and thought belief that i got stems from attending an all boys high school, where hormones and egos were quite high.
Hey, Sydney's a great place to do tai chi. There's some good spots at the gardens on Mclarens point in the city, or a bit closer to the opera house. It's a shame they've had the fence around that huge fig tree cause it'd be good to do it there. I tried to do it in the chinese gardens in the city, but there's not much space and the tourists tend to think you're an actor who's part of the scenery. Also, the top tai chi place in Bondi is the concrete walkway below the Icebergs. There's plenty of people doing forms there. Also the flies aren't so bad before the sun really comes up!
I think practicing in public is just like walking around in public in that whatever you're putting out there gets reflected back at you. I used to hate practicing in public because I used to be an utter freak magnet---random guys would just come up and start trying to mack with no respect for the fact that I was in the middle of my form...but then, obviously I was approachable in that way. Not any more. These days, I take up a lot of space when practicing, so I have my little glade in a public garden where I practice, but generally those who come into the glade leave again so as not to disturb me. If I'm quiet (mentally) and they're peaceable then they're welcome to stay. Sometimes I get mothers and toddlers watching, old Chinese women. Also the occasional Chinese man...but only if I have a male tai chi buddy with me. If I'm alone, then it's clear that they are walking by slowly and watching, but I suspect they are too polite to stop and stare. I do get people asking about it--it's kinda neat how many people know what tai chi is now.
I've only had one lesson in Taiji (though I'm planning on going back), but in the summer our KSW club practices outside. Every once in a while someone driving by will honk or shout "Karate Kid!" out the window of their car, but that is generally it. It helps that there aren't that many people generally passing by when we practice though
I either train in our backyard, it has grass and trees around, or down the road in a dead-end street since our backyard is slanted and it throws my form off [Rant] Just yesterday I had these 2 kids keep circling around shouting and laughing at me, problem is I let them get to me, they eventually left but I was goin berserk because I didnt understand much of what they were saying besides KFC. I used to work at KFC and had frequent panic attacks while at work, eventually I had to quit, so I think they were mocking me because of that. When I returned for a 2nd session one of the neighbors came out, a nice elderly lady, and said she watches me alot form her window, I offered her to come and join in whenever she wanted. After talking a about religion for a while she invited me and my pops to come to church with her, that made the prior insident seem meaningless . I'm still at a point where little things get to me quick, fast and in a hurry, and seem to stick wth me till something good/positive comes along. [/rant] Anyways, Every Sunday one of my comrades and I goto the park and practice, it's the best spot IMO, we get whole families watching sometimes, but they all seem to respect what we're doing and dont interrupt. Once a baby started crying the mums was nice enough to take her kid and sit further away. So ya, IMO Tai-Chi belongs in a natural quiet place, prefferably with lots of trees, doesnt matter if it's public or not aslong as its quiet and no smacktards try to interrupt on purpose.
I have practiced Taiji in one of the grounds of a Disney (Paris) Hotel, In the atrium of an LA hotel, in a drive way (when I couldnt find a park) and one or two other open places... not one of the times have I had "trouble" beyond some inquisitive staring... or maybe it was the "damn theres a weirdo" kind of stare... never could tell the diff... it could have something to do with the fact that I am 6 foot and weigh near 250lbs though...
My teacher holds TC workshops every August in Paris, in the open air, so probably they've seen it all before!
I spot a fellow taffy. I've never done forms outside.....but then I do Wing Chun and you don't really need a wide open space.
2 Welshfolk... Quick get those sheep indoors, Mabel.... It's not so much about wide open space as fresh air and natural energy promoting good qi development etc imo :Angel:
