Why you do tai chi slowly...

Discussion in 'Survival of the Fittest' started by Hanzo, Dec 20, 2015.


  1. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++

    My friend, a fellow tai chi instructor, shared this.

    [​IMG]
     
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  2. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Cause it's too spicy to eat fast?:whistle: Oh wait that's Kim Chi!
    Because I'm,TOO FREAKING TO OLD TO DO IT FAST!!! Kinda Like S&&![ROFL]
     
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  3. Tikka

    Tikka Monkey+++

    Martial arts are no different than learning to get a pistol out of its holster quickly.
     
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  4. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++

    Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast...
     
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  5. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Slow earns the smooth groove, the groove gets you fast. (One rep in ~~20 should be fast to make sure balance is not screwed up by faster changes.)

    Thus spake me, and maybe me only.
     
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  6. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++

    When I teach my classes, I change the pace up on the students. Most times, it goes from slow to super slow. Slow makes it introspective and meditative. So we go from slow to half the speed of slow. Once in a while, not often, I will change it to twice the normal pace. I think it's fun. Students find it hard. Especially when we go in this order of pace. x to 1/2x to 2x. When they get better, I will take them even slower and ever faster.
     
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  7. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I see a lot of people doing it, I'm way to hyper for that, maybe if I make to 80-90 I'll be able to keep up with you youngsters!
    I took Martial Arts for a while when I was younger, I liked it, but I liked girls more so I quit, hindsight being 20/20 and all, I probably should have stayed with it., Would have saved me a lot of Child Support!
     
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  8. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++


    I met girls through martial arts too though... So I guess you can have your cake and eat it too?
     
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  9. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    I think her name was Gateau....:rolleyes:
     
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  10. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++


    Sounds good. You know her too? Then you'll know... tasty!
     
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  11. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I practiced Kendo when I was younger (basically Japanese fencing) and have just recently started again. I am too old to participate in contests but I do it as part of an exercise/relaxation routine. I was taught to do the poses slowly and deliberately and it reminds me much of Tai Chi when done correctly. Each pose, each stance and move is done slow and deliberate. It is a very good cardio workout and very relaxing. I had the welder on my rig make me a sword to use. I'll have to post a pic of it. They did a really good job. I had him make it heavier than a normal Katana and much heavier than the bamboo competition swords. It gives me a nice upper body workout.
    1200880719_f.
     
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  12. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++


    Nice @Minuteman. Slow and deliberate means you are in the moment too.

    My first Sifu would make our practice weapons heavy. Was always a good vein popping workout. Our practice guandao was made of lead. Not just the half inch thick blade, but the guard and shaft too. The guandao is like a heavier bladed naginata. Our training swords were made extra heavy too. When you use a regular one, wow! Much easier.
     
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  13. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    Using the sword makes the workout more fun. I get bored with the treadmill,bike etc for cardio. I can get my heart rate up pretty good with this. I do it slow at first as a warm up and for meditation, but I can increase my speed and really get the heart pumping!
    I am nowhere near good enough to go at full on competition speed!!
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2015
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  14. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++

    I was looking for that picture in my first post online, but couldn't find it.

    But I found this statue of Zhang Sanfeng. He was purported to be the founder of Wudang and the creator of tai chi.

    [​IMG]

    One of my tai chi classes' students wanted to have more of an identity. I teach for free and am casual in my classes. Anyway, it was my lead sword students idea. And the other students were all for it. So after getting their input into what they wanted, I came up with the calligraphy for Sanfeng Taijiquan. The calligraphy will be above stylized lines symbolizing three peaks with a small yin yang above it. Part of that was because some students wanted to reference Mount Olomana (it has three peaks) that shadow our class.

    Sanfeng is significant to me because he is the creator and head of the tai chi lineage tree. Also, his name was originally Tong Junbao. He changed his name when he got to Mount Wudang and saw the three magnificent peaks. See the connection? San means three and the feng in his name means graceful. Anyway, I like the name and logo and significance. And my students do too. And at this stage in my life, I am really partial to Wudang tai chi and martial arts. I am just not any good at it. Over the past several years, I have been invited by a couple of the tops masters at Wudang to come and train. Oh how I wish this happened when I was in my teens or 20's. I would have been my ready physically then, even though I am more ready mentally now. But not having a family with kids to care for would have made it more worthwhile. You gotta put in the time. And I cannot commit the time now with my family and business.

    So one student's son is a graphics guy will will make up the logo from the pieces I gave him. Another student will do the embroidering. Embroidering will be nicer and cooler than printing, so we will do polo shirts instead of t-shirts. Little things make them happy. Costs will be whatever the costs are. Some teachers or school make good money on that kind of stuff.

    I am not a commercial guy when it comes to martial arts. I still remember my first day with my first Sifu. I was five or six. I am too old now to even remember exactly what age it was. But I was little. He knelt down and tied my belt for me. Hey, I started with a black belt. Woohoo. It doesn't mean anything. I asked Sifu what it was for. And told me it was just to remind me to breath properly using my lower tan tien (which he explained). By the time I went to college, I still had the same belt even though I was his favorite student, one of his senior students by then, and helped teach. My class dues were $5 per month when I started and it was still $5 per month all those years later.

    Anyway, also found this cool drawing of a Wudang warrior.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++


    Looks like fun. My old neighbor does this. He trains at the powerful, famous, yet secretive school here on Oahu. I think @Bear knows which one I am referring to. If I recall, you need a referral or two to maybe get accepted.

    Many years ago, I trained in Escrima and Muay Thai. Our training area was like a martial arts buffet. There were at least six different arts training in that place. We trained downstairs from a Kendo school. I think we were louder. :whistle: I still remember my first day there, we had challengers. Wow! Surprising. Exciting. Not sure what happened exactly. Three toughs came in. My teacher went outside with them and came back shortly to teach the class.

    This teacher was young, fit and good. He gave me a good taste of MMA before MMA was popular. Not like how you see it on TV, but he mixed the two arts. And he taught me about real intensity of training. I trained intensely all my life before that. But this guy was different. We did exercises and drills to failure, at least three sets each to failure, to warm up for the real training. Training and sparring was always full speed, full power, full contact. And with the escrima, we always used live weapons. We had pads for sparring, but not for training. I already knew I was going to be tired and sore. But somehow, each class had a mystery. Was I going to hurl today? Fun.
     
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  16. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I dabbled in a lot of different martial arts growing up, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kendo, Judo . I always loved them but my family moved around so much that I couldn't stick with any. I never went to the same school two years in a row growing up. I took a little from every one though and I use it now for workouts. I've always wanted to build a combination gym/dojo on my property where I can workout with a small zen garden beside it to relax afterwards. Maybe when I retire.
     
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  17. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    Read my mind G-Man!
     
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  18. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++


    That's how it is. Use what is useful to you, just catalog the rest.

    Your gym/dojo and garden sounds nice.
     
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  19. Hanzo

    Hanzo Monkey+++


    Never too old. Besides, you know the saying right? Young guys fight, old guys just kill you...
     
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  20. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I am currently reading "The Lone Samurai". The life story of Miyamoto Musashi the famed Japanese swordsman. Undefeated in over 60 matches. It's a fascinating study into his use of the mind as a weapon. What we today would call psychological warfare. By studying his opponents beforehand and determining what would upset their mental state. Whether it was keeping them waiting or by "insulting" them by using a "sword" carved from a boat paddle. He got into their heads and their own hubris, rage, indignity led to their defeat. I've seen too many people who fixate entirely on the mechanics. Endless practice of forms and techniques, which is fine, but they ignore the mental. The mind can be your greatest strength or your greatest weakness.
     
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