Hi All
I'm new here. I joined to ask a question but it looks like a nice community worth hanging around for!
Can someone help me distinguish between Dr Yang's Shuaijiao dvd, and his Taiji wrestling dvd, please?
I'll give an abridged background so you'll understand why I'm asking.
I started learning Cheng Man Ching tai chi in 1989. I already had 11 years Choy Lay Fut experience when I started and was a big contact fighter. I continued this for a few more years, until I was 25, but tai chi was what i wanted to practise more.
My teacher was great at form and my form is also ok. I've had a few tai chi teachers over the years ask me to teach them, so I must be doing something right. My teacher never shared much pushing hands with me - this is badly underdeveloped in my tai chi - and he knew very little to no application.
For years I'd tried to reverse engineer the form to better understand what the application possibilities could be. I think my background helped somewhat. 18 months ago I bought Dr Yang's Martial Applications dvd and it was like someone helped me open a door that I'd been pushing against for awhile. Best money I've spent in ages.
I'd like to look more at the wrestling/throwing side of what I do. I only practise alone, (I work out occasionally with local karate teachers and a wing chun Sifu - sparring, not teaching). I'd like to better understand the throwing possibilities in the postures of the form.
I don't practise tuishou, which is why I'm baulking at the Taiji Wrestling dvd, but I'm wondering if the regular shuaijiao dvd might be too general for a tai chi base? Is the Taiji Wrestling dvd 'that' specific for pushing hands? Is the shuaijiao dvd 'that' general that you couldn't adapt it to tai chi techniques?
Can anyone out there help me distinguish between the two?
many thanks in advance
tkc