Beyond Strength: Tai Chi's Internal Path to Mastering Joint Locks

[@CharlesEBusa]

Every video you post is gold, Chester! Thank you so much!

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Thank you! This one was a question and request from a KZbin viewer so it’s great that we have people thinking up these interesting questions too! 😃🙌

[@CharlesEBusa]

@phoenixmountaintaichi Absolutely. Thanks for interacting with us as much as you do. I truly believe you're on a mission to make this world a better place through the practice of internal martial arts. What's obvious is that even though you're revealing principles that might have been passed on to only a selected few back in the day, training is still our responsibility. Just because you know the "trick" doesn't mean you can do it consistently, unconsciously, and on anyone. And anyone willing to put in the work will ultimately set out on a more spiritual journey. Thank you!

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

@@CharlesEBusawell said! I agree and I do think that people willing to do the work, who set out to practice these skills, and who are open to the inner transformations that make these skills possible, will indeed embark on a positive spiritual journey! So I am optimistic for a future and I’m glad we are all enjoying this journey along the way together. 😃🙌

[@LightsOnMultiMediaMindArts]

The five levels of the internal are getting clearer and clearer. Thank you.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Woohoo! That’s one of my goals for everyone to understand! You see great masters out there demonstrating these skills and offering their explanations of their art and sometimes people are confused because they differ. But really they are just talking about different moments on the climb up the Tai Chi mountain. And when we can all be on this journey together it’s a lot more fun and successful, right? 😃🙏

[@andrewearlwu554]

Your Taiji class makes the class I used to go to until recently so 1 dimensional... but that class gave me enough details to be able to engage in your material in greater depth than otherwise.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

I think things happen for a reason and your class totally helped you to begin that journey and create a helpful foundation. And then we discover new things now when it’s the right time for us to understand more deeply and to grow completely! Glad to meet you at this moment in your journey and looking forward to sharing the rest of the way, all the way to the top! 😃🙌

[@andrewearlwu554]

@@phoenixmountaintaichi I first learnt Taiji in high school in 87 for a year, then stopped due to conscription. Then after so long, for some reason I had the urge to learn it again last in Aug ... Good time to start again 😁

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

@@andrewearlwu554perfect! 😃🙌

[@dzj20p]

Once again a Great Display of Internal Strength !! Even had a little bit of the Single Whip thrown in.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Thank you! I want to say that Tai Chi internal strength, aside from Song’s mass transfer, is mostly a way of borrowing force. So to the extent that it looks powerful in this video, it’s largely thanks to Ray really resisting and thus having force that I can turn back on him. So different practice partner will yield differences in how dramatic the results are. And we as practitioners improve as we elevate how completely we can take control of their force. Does that make sense? Thank you for the kind comment! 😃🙏

[@40JoCharles]

This video is delicious. 👌🏼 Thanks for sharing. 🙂🙏🏼☯️

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Thank you for the awesome comment! 😃🙏

[@JaroBerce]

This question delves deeply into the art of yielding versus resistance and the delicate balance between control and acceptance in martial arts. Certainly, a joint lock functions effectively when the opponent resists. But what if the opponent possesses a fundamental understanding of Tai Chi principles and chooses not to resist? Instead, they accept the movement and avoid engaging in a struggle against themselves by not opposing the joint lock. In such a scenario, does the joint lock still prove effective?

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

That is a great follow up question. In this video I showed ways of reflecting or borrowing their resistance. Yielding will create space and slack before the joint lock fully locks in. Before that lock completes, the skilled practitioner can redirect the forces and directions so that the destination is anywhere but the lock. What can one do about this kind of yielding and redirection? One is to complete the lock before the yielding gives them an opportunity to redirect. Another is to redirect the redirection. And when both person want to lead the flow of momentum and force? Who will be the leader after it happens? That’s a game that you explore in push hands, and refine through your own inner mastery of Qi, Yi, and Zhongding. Because in the end it’s not about technique but about what’s inside: the attributes and mastery the practitioner has harnessed and made a part of themselves, is it not? Thanks for the nice question about what is more than the obvious technique! Where has your practice taken you, beyond the techniques you have trained and mastered? 😃🙏

[@JaroBerce]

​@@phoenixmountaintaichi - Thank you for your thoughtful response. I completely agree that techniques are merely tools to establish the basics, and it is essential to go beyond them to truly understand the art. While I still have much to learn and am well aware of my own "weak points," I am striving to deepen my knowledge and refine my experience. I greatly admire your approach to presenting what lies beyond the commonly taught aspects of Tai Chi, which I often refer to as “waving the wind.” To me, Tai Chi serves as a foundation for movement, a principle that transcends its immediate practice and offers value across all aspects of life-whether in navigating daily challenges or enhancing other martial arts styles. Thank you again for your reply. I look forward to your next video, particularly if it explores this fascinating "game" of directing and redirecting energy. 🥰🙏

[@robertjordon1984]

nice demo Sifu. I notice when you floated up the opponent with one limb you then made him sink with your other arm or side. Is this in keeping with the fact when one side floats up the other side must sink or could you make him float up and sink with the same side, yoru arm being just an extension of this floating and sinking occurring in your body?

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

You you are right you can do it with the same side with your arm just being an extension to express the Yi. And Yang. You can also begin the lock by Yin drawing them in to loosen up their resistance and then applying Yang expansion for the final lock and pain. That’s probably a better technique but for some reason my mind only thought of showing the other way on video. 😃🙏

[@robertjordon1984]

@@phoenixmountaintaichi Thanks Sifu Chester yes it would be good to see the other way of doing the technique in a future video hopefuly, so a side by side comparison

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

@@robertjordon1984sure! I can present that in a future video!

[@kingofaikido]

Yes, we have the same thing in aikido, except most instructors apply the Pain Method and clumsily too..! Speaking of Chinna, I think your use of taichi principles makes it work better, although teaching it via the principles of leverage also helps. Your point though is that there are methods which supersede leverage. In the sung version, it's more like a wave. In the ling-chi version, it's more like a drill, would you say?

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Right! I would say the Song version is indeed like a wave and the Lingqi Neijin like a whirlpool or whirlwind. The Song version is not really optimal for qinna because it tends to knock people away and you have to go after them. I show it to illustrate the mechanic but you would be right to think the later methods are more optimal. It is possible to overcome advantages in leverage but of course the more advantages you can have in your favor the better, right? 😃🙏

[@CraigHocker]

Only bad Aikido instructors do the pain method. In over 30 years of Aikido, that has never been the idea that was taught. Aikido wrists locks are about affecting the body and thus breaking balance and not about inflicting pain. Pain only might occur if the person grabbing tries to stiffen and fight, so they inflict the pain on themselves. You are simply taking up slack and being soft and relaxed and moving your whole body from your center, and their legs buckle and are not sure how that happened. Essentially the 4th and 5th (Yi mastery) stages he talks about here is akin to what one should learn to do. Not conflicting. I can do it very fast and with very small movements.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

@@CraigHockerawesome! That’s the impression I got from the good aikido I’ve seen, that it’s like our 3rd and 4th and 5th stage. I’ve not felt it first hand so couldn’t say for sure. Thank you for sharing and clarifying! 😃🙏

[@kingofaikido]

@@CraigHocker "Do it fast, with very small movements"... Keep trying Craig. It's not about that either. Is your background in aikido mainly Tohei-related? That guy was a hypocrite par excellence. I grew up around his teachings and taught his style for over a decade professionally. Unfortunately, it leads people, in the name of self-Ki-development to become incredibly insensitive to other people's ki (chi). It's really a grotesque misappropriation of the teachings of Ki. I found this style to be the most inhumane while it preaches the exact opposite. I suppose it comes the closest of all aikido groups to a cult. My own opinion, after 35+ years of aikido is that it's truly disgusting what they do in the name of aikido. It makes me feel sick to the stomach actually. I have a strong aversion to untruths of any caliber, although I do have admiration for some of the more clever cults...but that is not a sentiment I would direct at Tohei. No way.

[@clementray1410]

So if you can do this at a high level a person moving externally can't oppose you with li

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

The key is to maintain your Zhongding, your centering and tai chi mindset while everything is happening fast and powerfully. 😃🙏

[@riptiz]

Great video again. Shows how the simple lock which is also used in Aikido in a different way is used in an advanced way in tai qi.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Yes! And you can see Aikido use it in very sophisticated ways at high levels, with elements of Neijin, Yi, and Qi mastery. So it’s cool to see another tradition arrive at related technologies! 😃🙏

[@13SonoftheVoid13]

In a fight, no one grabs wrists, they punch you in the face.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Yes in a fight some people will focus on punching you in the face. And that is something you can deal with using other skills as well. At the same time, you will see that in BJJ training and competition, wrist grabs are common and wrist locks are highly respected techniques, because they instantly put an end to a conflict by subduing a relatively weak and vulnerable target. And anyone who is a pragmatic fighter would appreciate a way to instantly win, leveraging their strength against a vulnerable target, would they not? Good stuff to think about, beyond punches to all the other attacks from wrestlers, grapplers, or someone who maybe doesn’t want to punch you but wants to grab you or rob you, that you had not considered yet but can consider now. 😃🙏

[@13SonoftheVoid13]

@phoenixmountaintaichi No disrespect intended, I studied with Bow Sim Mark, Donnie Yuen's mother. Having been in some actual fights, though, I feel that explosive shock, followed by chin na and dim mak are a more effective combination. Your techniques are very sound. Let's agree that pressure points are the key to ending conflict.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

⁠@@13SonoftheVoid13Wow Bow Sim Mark! And Donnie Yen’s mother! I love his films. That is very cool. 😃 You’re right that going to explosive shock or dim mak can be more immediately effective. Yang Jwingming, who wrote several massively long books about Qinna said “to be merciful to your opponent is to be cruel to yourself” highlighting the difficulty one can experience choosing to use a control technique instead of a strike and there’s definitely wisdom to that and your choice as well! In the big big picture of thing these are importantly thoughts to keep awareness of yes. 😃🙏

[@13SonoftheVoid13]

It is not cruel to return what is given, but simply the Tao. With great skill, one may learn not to harm, but the risk outweighs the reward. A fool enters the space of another at their own risk.

[@13SonoftheVoid13]

@@phoenixmountaintaichi Your skills are clear and beautifully instructive. In teaching, you know what is coming, but when it goes down, it is usually a shock, to which the appropriate response is a shock. After that, it's up to skill to determine what lesson to teach. 🤔😉😏🤨👁️.