clark40 wrote:It's been well known for years that the 1 inch punch is based on the mechanics of the Taiji punch with fajin ... Bruce also meditated and had some element of Qigong in his training so he was well aware of other styles and Taijiquan was one of them. The whole principle of remaining soft until the point of impact and snapping the punch like the tip of a whip is pure Taijiquan. His descriptions of keeping the fist relaxed and loose is exactly how we have our Taiji fist at all times ... this is what he took from Taijiquan and borrowed into JKD.
Bruce Lee was also trained in WC, Wing Chun, a version of White Crane, which contains the basic punching stuff, including the 1 inch punch and methods used by Mr. Lee. I'd wager most of his punch method comes from this and not taijiquan at all.
In my own research and experience there is nothing like Bruce Lee's 1 inch punch in any taiji form I have seen. However Wing Chun does have it.
As far as taiji remaining soft and then snapping like a whip, that isn't in any taiji I know of. However I do not count the WTBA as teaching taiji, rather their stance and main basic methods are very much Wing Chun/White Crane.
Taiji is way more profound and subtle with kinetic energy, it remains soft, lacking the whip like snap that comes from the return of the fist after reaching the apex of the motion, because it doesn't have the return motion in and of itself. In taiji the motion is never made from intention or reflex, there is no taiji punch with any consistent form/method. Taiji does teach a counter, via listen, adhere, stick, follow, which exploits whip like punches and punchers for having made the mistake of committing to a method or worse, a reflex!!!
You will find many "styles" of taiji which incorporate exotic energies into the forms, some of these use the energies found in Shaolin type martial arts, or White Crane/Wing Chun, and they are not ineffective, but they are not taiji. The difference between real taiji skill and modified taiji skill is profound. A basic whip-punch method can be learned in weeks, it is great for self defense because a beginner can pick it up and use it in a short time, this makes it practical, but it isn't real taiji by any means. Aside from the taiji principals that it breaks in terms of motion, the way it transmits force is profoundly different, as is the source of the force transmitted.
I love the 1 inch punch. I am better at it than any person i have met face to face. Who needs an inch? i can do it on contact, using a shaking jing, but it isn't taiji.
Fajin is a funny term, it has Erle written all over it.