Moderators: nyang, Dvivid, Inga
sub_human wrote:I believe many become disinterested in "Tai Chi" because their idea of what they are about to learn, going into it, is tainted. Their preconceived notions are shattered, thus their interest..
a secretive, mystical Chinese art and with Qi and the word internal thrown in on top of that it's not hard to see why people might think just about anything. Then reality sets in and they find that they are no different than they were before.
Dvivid wrote:Im genuinely sorry you didn't have a better experience with your studies, and get more benefit out of them.a secretive, mystical Chinese art and with Qi and the word internal thrown in on top of that it's not hard to see why people might think just about anything. Then reality sets in and they find that they are no different than they were before.
The above is incorrect.
1. Taijiquan in 2012 is not secretive or mystical.
2. Qi is the Chinese word for 'energy', of all kinds. The nature of energy is transformation; it can be heat, light, and/or electromagnetic fields. Energy is real, inside the body and out. We inhale energized air, and we metabolize energy, all day, every day. That is Qi.
3. The word "Internal" is not "thrown in". It is one of the most fundamental aspects of Chinese martial arts, all of which are classified as either Internal or External. Internal arts like taijiquan and baguazhang were created based on the concept of developing your body's energy to a higher capacity than normal, and using knowledge of acupuncture points and vital cavities to strike an opponent. As you progress in TRAINING, you develop a strong, but soft and flexible body with whipping power, or "soft jing". External arts like Shaolin kung fu use brute force punches and kicks ("hard jing"), and work on developing the physical body first. Over time, the training also becomes "internal".
Clear and correct information is widely available, now more than ever, on the above topics for those who are interested in LEARNING about them, and then spend the necessary time TRAINING in order to experience them for themselves, as many, many others have done.
wpgtaiji wrote:The problem with tai chi is that the curriculum of 99% of the teachers is lame.
Dvivid wrote:Pete, Taijiquan is a type of "kung fu", which translates to effort/time. Some students will be overwhelmed, some are just looking for a surface-level, and a few will go deeper into it.
The best way we can help newbies (and help to keep people interested, the topic of this thread) is to tell them correct information, and focus on the positive.
Yes, people misunderstand Qi, and the concept of "internal arts". Therefore, we need to be clear on the topic every time it comes up. And that is not what you're doing. The topic of "internal arts" pre-dates your existence by a few hundred years, so your opinion is just that.
And, its not that "I call Qi energy"...we don't each get to decide what Qi is. The Chinese word Qi translates in English as "energy". Some people don't spend the time pondering what energy actually is inside and outside of the body enough to come to an understanding of it...but that doesn't mean we get to change the translation of the word!
The fact that Tai Chi is sometimes considered mystical is offensive to you. That's your opinion. We get it. We don't need to hear it every chance you get to repeat it on every thread in this forum. Some of us have different experience with our training and practice than you. You have already stated that you found the subject boring, and you did not put in the effort and time to reach some level of experience with it, so please refrain from pretending to be an expert on the topic.
It is well-documented that people who LEARN CORRECTLY and SPEND THE TIME PRACTICING qigong, tai chi, yoga, or other internal arts have tend to be unusually healthy, live longer, etc. I speak from my own experience and that of my longterm students.
The fact that people present Tai Chi as a cure-all for health is offensive to you. OK, we get it. Again, you have no experience with the internal health side of practice and are unhealthy yourself, so we should avoid this topic in the future. If people have a good teacher, AND they spend time learning and then practicing, they MAY experience amazing health benefits for a wide range of illnesses.
People who study qigong CAN be healers. Your attitude is maddening. Qigong teaches you about your own body's energy and you learn to heal yourself. Of course, you can then help others to do the same.
When someone says "their Qi is messed up", they don't understand the topic well-enough to express themselves, and that irks you. We get it. But, they are not entirely incorrect. The Chinese view of the body is that the mind and energy are at the root of health. An acupuncturist treats someone to improve their qi circulation because it is not ideal, a.k.a. messed up. Qigong is meant to develop your energy to higher capacity than normal, and improve your circulation, because it is not ideal, a.k.a. messed up. From a western medical perspective of course it is more complex, and your circulation is not only of energy (ATP), but also neurotransmitters and other blood chemistry. But at the base of all of those molecules in the body...is energy. "Messed up" energy.
Recent studies of Tai Chi, qigong, and similar internal meditation-based exercise have shown great health benefits. The new fields of psychoneuroimmunology and epigenetics are starting show that this type of exercise can benefit your health immensely. Which means, qigong, tai chi, and meditation are the future of exercise. And we should encourage this, not disparage it every chance we get.
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE.
Dvivid wrote:OK, this is how we present Taijiquan to the world, couch-potatoes and all.
http://ymaa.com/publishing/tai-chi-dvd-book
Enough to "keep people interested" for a while.
pete5770 wrote:Dvivid wrote:OK, this is how we present Taijiquan to the world, couch-potatoes and all.
http://ymaa.com/publishing/tai-chi-dvd-book
Enough to "keep people interested" for a while.
Looks great. I have a couple of Dr. Yang's books. Very well done. You must realize though that you're in a minority as far as info to the public goes. It just seems to me that the "buzz on the street"(if you will) about Tai Chi is EASY and something of a cure all, instead of being promoted
as a viable exercise(workout) to help you become stronger and healthier.
Tai Chi classes that I have attended recently seem filled with unfit people. Some of whom can't and or won't even walk around the block to try and help themselves. EASY really appeals to them. Others are there to find out how they can start moving Chi to help heal an arthritic joint that they have ignored for years and is most likely beyond much help anyway, short of replacement. Still others seem to have it in the backs of their heads that they will learn some strange power / energy, cosmic force if you will.
I'm serious, most of these people are simply not the people who will ever put any effort forth toward the goal of good health and an active life. They seem to want it dumped in their laps and they want it ASAP. Hard work, effort, study, practice, commitment, etc. are not part of their MO.
Josh Young wrote:There is not a lot that can be done about the problems of open admission schools, any school that takes on students without screening them for dedication is going to have a very high turnover.
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