I Tried Tai Chi (not what I expected)

In this video I tried Tai Chi Quan! Oh And Push Hands?
Please make sure you guys check out Sifu Chris over at sevenstarkungfu.com
Their KZbin is ​@heintzdog
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/ @senseiseth
If you want to see more from me, go to senseiseth.com

[@user-dd6on5cr3u]

Tai Chi has brought Seth one step closer to Sumo replacing Karate as his base.

[@KurtAngle89]

That, giving his build and his football upbringing, makes pretty much sense

[@SenseiSeth]

I practice sumo 100x more than I practice karate these days

[@TheCCBoi]

Sumo is low-key GOAT 🐐

[@Reflectionmaterial]

Wrestling or Sumo seems a better base in general. A ton of situations end up in the clinch. Seth also showed how usefull Sumo is in self defense situations etc during the self defense championships. Being able to throw people or run them into walls, furniture, other people, trip them over curbs etc while stopping them from doing it to you is kinda handy.

[@IamHattman]

Honestly, getting good with push hands like this would probably be really good for sumo.

[@joshuachristofferson9227]

☯ As a Practitioner of Taijiquan sine 90's, I'm happy to see Seth keeping an open mind about this very Experiential Kinesthetic Art. I'd strongly suggest he tries the other 2 main Soft Forms, Hsing Yi & Baguaquan.

[@dougnettleton5326]

He could also try "liu he ba fa". The paradox of lhbf is that while it's claimed to predate the three better known "internal arts", it has elements of all three.

[@Scarecrowswdsmn]

Excellent, Seth, I’m glad you’ve found push hands. I hope more people find this aspect of tai chi, it’s dying to the philosophy and the health practices… it also bleeds into Sanda as well, it’s all part of the same thing

[@Purwapada]

yang style and it's descendants is mostly changquan with errors like "double heavy". It became especially corrupted by being promoted as qi gong which appeals to hippies. Real Tai chi comes from creating rotations from pivots which is extremely difficult to do. no hippie stuff

[@koraegi]

Excuse me Wuxia novels tell me Qigong can move mountains

[@Purwapada]

@@koraegi lol

[@GabrielAKAFinn]

The hell does that mean. Rotation by definition occurs around a pivot.

[@Purwapada]

@@GabrielAKAFinn By making a pivot tai chi establishes a point on the body which remains fixed, (not moving in horizontal space), while the other parts align in relation to that fixed point, this creates rotation by means of continuous leverage.

[@tranquil_dude]

I'm currently practicing under Yang style and I agree with what you say :) Sadly, in the Taiji community in general, a lot of these true principles are rarely explained to students when they're starting out. :| Instead, they're told to practice in a certain way and expected to "eventually develop what needs to be developed". Or they're given instructions that describe a desired effect but aren't really helpful to the beginner. e.g. asking the student to "maintain structure" in the face of external force (e.g. a push from the training partner) Technically, the instruction is not wrong, but what tends to happen is that the student misunderstands what the purpose of that "structure" is, and uses it to resist the external force (when the main point should be to maintain his/her balance), resulting in "double heavy". While I'm at it, there's also instructions like "feel your opponent's feet through the contact point" or "redirect your opponent's force into the ground" etc etc. Again, technically those are not wrong, but what often ends up happening is that the student misunderstands what "feel" and "redirect" mean, and instead try to *do* stuff to create those effects, resulting in unnecessary tension, again leading to a subtle form of "double heavy".

[@MatthieuSCHREK]

That was great ! When I was practicing a bit of aikido back in the day, some "random" old guy ( who I was told, was even better then the instructor but wouldn't assume the teacher's role ) took me appart from the other guys and made me practice this hand pushing thing. I learned a lot in just two or three sessions. What a boss this guy was. This episode made me remember all that.

[@tomtom4405]

"Sticky hands" (push hands) with one or both hands and "sticky sticks" the same thing with a staff/stick. Haven't done this for years, brings back good memories, thank you!

[@KevinLeeVlog]

This is very cool!

[@mrmushin1]

I am surprised kev, you never did this when you did Taiji

[@SenseiSeth]

You’re very cool Kev

[@KevinLeeVlog]

@@mrmushin1I was saving for part 2 lol

[@hypramgeth7449]

You can improve one inch punch stuff with tai chi as well. It's like people collected exercises that have a 'what the hell effect' and made it into a dance. It's misunderstood because it's so sacred, it's not a complete combat training system and it doesn't train you to throw magic fireballs but it's full of surprises.

[@toddellner5283]

I am lucky enough to have found aTaiji teacher who has had good training including power generation. It isn't just for uprooting. The short power hits like a hammer and makes you feel yhe force all the way through your body, Nasty and effective

[@davidcdun8896]

That sweating from doing almost nothing, is chi working, Chi Gong (氣工) in Chinese. Chi Gong is actually mental work, you put your focus on where is should be, and the body follow the focus.

[@WesternCommie]

I have only been in 1 Kung Fu gym, but they were very interested in their history. In case you are wondering, it was 3 generations from Yip man, which means absolutely nothing in reality.. Even the worst students of these masters can still claim they were trained by them. It is still good that they care about the history of their art though. That is to be respected.

[@tts626]

Great that you found some folks doing the martial side of Taiji so that people can see it's not just dancing in the park. Though when you know how to do that "dance" the way it's supposed to be done, it's quite the challenge too =)

[@axj5]

the best waterbender in the world, Sensei Seth

[@senpapi3058]

I feel like Seth would be either an earth or lava bender

[@LairdErnst]

Sensei Seth is definitely an Earth Bender. I’d go so far as to say a Metal Bender with how much he’s grown as a martial artist.

[@nunninkav]

Looks like a very nice compliment to Sumo. It's like, the Aikido version of Sumo, much more nuance. So, I undestand why Seth wants more, as this is a very realistic and purposeful form of grappling. Never heard if it before Seth, thanks for the introduction.

[@htw7867]

I did Tai Chi growing up. I was taught a very different philosophy of Tai Chi than what I see today. Watching MMA fighter challenge “Tai Chi” masters and these so called masters being pummeled is no surprise. Tai Chi’s history was that the combat styles were changed long ago and probably lost to history so that it became more a walking meditation. The “masters” shown on KZbin taking on MMA were no masters. They had no sense of balance. So here are some of the things I learned from more traditional masters: First, don’t fight, best way to not get pummeled Second, Tai Chi fighting and sparing applications are very different than the forms and push hands technique is part of actual practice of the fighting forms-it is quite a work out. Third, the essence of Tai Chi fighting is practicing NOT being hit. The master I trained with self acknowledged one hit from a Mike Tyson and your done. There is always someone bigger and stronger and faster. Tai Chi combat training is avoiding your opponents force, step aside and let their momentum carry them away from you and use their strength to your advantage. That’s the whole point of push hands technique is developing not strength but misdirecting the opponents strength away from oneself and allow them to stumble. Lastly, it’s about health, meditation, avoiding fights. However training Tai Chi for fighting starts with push hand technique. Start slow then go fast. And mostly, train not to take a hit. Why, because there is always someone bigger, stronger and faster than you. The best fight that you can win is one you walk away from and never start in the first place.

[@smakajo400]

Yeah I was informed by a Push Hands practitioner that Push Hands is "finesse Sumo with cloths on."

[@blockmasterscott]

0:38 That’s what a lot of people think about Tai Chi, just moving your hands. As an instructor, it’s so hard to tell a lot of folks that Tai Chi is actually a lot of work that will leave you heaving for breath when done correctly. And they’ll refuse to do it right too. Tai Chi when done correctly is extremely strenuous. It’s got a lot of grappling and joint locks and joint breaks. Tons of take downs. But to use an insulting term, “park people” simply refuse to learn the applications, proper breathing, postures and so on. All they want to do it wave their hands around. It’s really frustrating.

[@cosmic.turtle]

“The bait and switch by society” is a great way to put it. It’s been frustrating seeing people talk about and rate taiji as a tool for self defense without having any real knowledge about it. But that’s true in many things in life. Taiji is meant to be the physical expression of the Tao and in the the Tao te Ching it says “Higher people hear of the Tao They diligently practice it Average people hear of the Tao They sometimes keep it and sometimes lose it Lower people hear of the Tao They laugh loudly at it If they do not laugh, it would not be the Tao”

[@McTeddyGames]

I think the most interesting part of this video for me was the direct meeting of sumo and tai chi, force vs. flow. It was cool to see both approaches being effective in their own ways.

[@fallingleaveskungfu]

Nothing makes me happier than to see Chris getting more exposure. A legit old school gong fu bad ass. 👏🙏

[@GMMephisto]

Sounding like Jesse here, but in 12:12 is the same lock arm ideia that we have in Bassai Dai. Tai chi is Karate too. 😆

[@stefangurguriev1047]

I like this, this would go very well with wrestling and it basically is wrestling. I think those drills would be very helpful

[@mrmushin1]

Yep

[@iflotaichi]

"The most body conserving of all the martial arts".. That's actually a very accurate description... Also that "tai chi teacher" is very top heavy, tiny calves... big bicepts... opposite physique of what real tai chi develops. TBH you move in more of a tai chi manner than he does and if you assumed a very low stance, similar to your sumo training, he would gas quickly. Students very unrooted... A lot of people teaching chinese martial arts realize that they need to teach tai chi as well to get students...

[@ntrslmgb]

That actually looks pretty dope. One of my favs from this try out series

[@TheNinjaEveryDay]

Great video! I really enjoy seeing you train with these Kung-Fu gentlemen!

[@mayadog2497]

I had a teacher that was part of the first diplomatic trade between the US and China. He was one of the American representatives for martial arts that traveled and studied in China. I had been taking TaiChi with him for a while before I asked about martial applications of what he was teaching us. From then on, after class, he would teach (try to ) me how the moves we had learned were used martially. After being effortlessly tossed around for weeks by him and very rarely ever getting the edge on him, I had asked him how long it can take to master the slow soft form before its effectively used in a martial manner. He responded that hed been at it for 25+ years, and although he could effectively use it martially, said he was still a long way from mastering it. I had studied and practiced TaiChi and Chi Kung, on and off for 4-5 years before I set it aside. But...years later, when I had the opportunity to learn some JuJitsu and MuayThai, the meager understanding and ability I had developed from it definitely carried over. The balance and motions that I learned and practiced definitely gave me a step up from knowing nothing, and actually both helped make me a difficult person to move, and a difficult person to catch. Ive been fortunate to have traveled in asia and seen old folks out in the morning dew in parks doing both TaiQi and push hands. Some of them were very impressive, and the way that they moved was so graceful and balanced for such aged people.

[@everettknight8591]

What we See today in Pushing Hands is the beginning stages,when we enter the intermediate stages the nuances of Tai Chi come into play. It can become dangerous if not taught and supervised correctly

[@penguintaco9038]

I'm learning Yang family tai chi. As a hard stylist, it definitely gets me out of my comfort zone

[@dp7933]

I studied at a school where the master was former South Korean presidential guard, Olympic coach.. tkd and hapkido master There was also a judo master who was literally the old man with the broom-- he cleaned the school. Even though there was that economic difference, it was obvious the owner respected him. Then there was the tai chi teacher. I think he was a computer programmer from tai wan. Normal students just saw him as a friendly harmless guy. It took me a while to pick up on it, but the other masters in the school reacted to o him with respect f not abject terror. He was the nicest guy you could ever meet. The masters feared him. It was weird.

[@fireeaglefitnessmartialart935]

The push-hands as a game, ive done at my first mma gym. Predominately in the wingchun class we had, and sometimes outside of class for fun. I even changed aspects like, one guy only fists and the other open hands, or on a box, or 1 open hand, 1 closed hand, etc. It was fun and i think it definitely helped my overall training.

[@wolfgangrecordings]

you need to screw that desk down seth. wibble wobble wibble wobble

[@createthiscom]

That sensitivity drill looks very similar to the wing chun sensitivity drills.

[@reltcstone2]

that was fantastic and enlightening. Much deeper than i was anticipating. great find seth, i think you should do more classes with him, seems great for you.

[@SenseiSeth]

I have done quite a few videos with him! Definitely going to take more of these classes off camera thougg

[@reltcstone2]

@@SenseiSethHell yeah, I can see a lot of good application for these systems with some repetition. Bet it'll be great for that muscle memory for clinches

[@johndough8115]

@@SenseiSeth A tip to developing much faster: Tai Chi's slow forms.. are designed to develop super strong Tendons, and other Tissue + Bone density changes. These attributes, will greatly change how you can use your body.. as well as the output potentials that you are capable of. You can try Slow motion pushups (7 seconds down, 7up to get a small idea about the benefits of slow form training)... But anyway.. here is the tip: When doing the Slow forms of Tai Chi... you want to make it so that your entire body, is barely held up by its own muscles. Meaning, that you are on the verge of falling to the floor, like a sack of Jello. This is to Vastly limit your reliance on your Muscles. This causes a great deal more physical STRESS, on your Tendons, Tissues, and Bone Structures... These forms are meant to be practiced for a minimum of 1 hour long sessions. It probably takes about 20 to 30 minutes, before your tendons start to get effected by the long term strains. As such, the work that causes the most change in your bodys development... will likely only start to happen, if you push past the 30 minute marker... and into the hour long time frame. You are then to do this work, at least every other day... for at least 3 consecutive months time. These internal changes, are not quick like muscle changes. They can take a lot more time to develop... but... once they are developed.. your body will act and react, very differently from other Artists. In my case, I was 6ft tall.. but I was only a mere 150 lbs, when I was fighting. I used to move 500 lbs arcade machines, all by myself... up and down staircases (using a Dolly, but still no easy task). Ive lifted and moved things that others larger than me, struggled with... due to my training in the Internal Arts methods. Due to these Stronger "Super-Tendons". This... along with other training... has also made it very challenging for even fighters that were like 2x my own mass and strength, to be able to move / uproot me. As I can use my tendons, to act like shock absorbers... and then use to the Collect the OPs energy... storing it like a compressed Spring. If I choose, I can release this stored energy out, explosively.. and send the OP sailing many feet away. I once did a demo, where I had a guy push against my arms. I told him to try to move me backwards, with all of his might. He was unable to budge me... and then I stepped forwards, and released the stored energy that he gave me... and send him a good 11 feet away from me... crashing to the floor... And since he was on a slick floor (this took place at a "Target" store), I believe he slid another 5 feet backwards... on the floor. He was so impressed with this, and something else I showed him... that he became one of my Private students. While I never learned Tai Chi officially... I did do some of its training methods, within the branch of Wing Chun, that I studied under. I was also cross training in many other arts methods... such as replicating some partner Push Hand drills.. practicing explosive pushes.. doing hardcore Shaolin style Iron Body conditioning.. Static Qi-Gong like Meditation sessions, as well as Yogic like Breathing exercises... and a lot more. The technology that developed within arts like Tai Chi, is often found and shared, within many other artforms... most especially, in other Chinese arts. It only makes sense.. because the highest level of technology, would have been recognized, valued, and spread to others... as a result.

[@tonygallagher6989]

At the very least, tai chi gets a lot of people up off the sofa who would otherwise be stuck there.

[@ottebya]

Ive seen this before, in fact it was the first kind of Tai Chi class I ever went to we did push hands, I feel like it is a very specific niche in Tai Chi as a whole and I think the "in the park Tai Chi" mixed with the push hands vibe is when you get to real Tai Chi - obviously anything that benefits you and your goals is not bad or inauthentic but dont get stuck in a narrow understanding of something's full scope

[@motoryacht-wannahave5502]

Complete Tai Chi Chuan contains both of these elements, as well as much more. For an interesting read of both the art and history of especially Yang-lineage You could look at Sifu Dan Dochertys Complete Tai Chi Chuan.

[@jjschm20]

It feels like Sumo training would transfer over to this. I feel like Seth tapped into sumo training for this.

[@gregoryford5230]

I did what was possibly a mcdojo kung fu as a teen, that was also big into taichi with a strong emphasis on push hands. It has served as a great base for everything from BJJ to HEMA.

[@gabeflame7803]

You know what you really need to try? Gatka! It’s a traditional Punjabi martial art, and that region is known for producing some of the greatest warriors in history!

[@zenry2434]

Hey Seth! You should try out mas wrestling. Martins licis and odd haugen practice it in California. Very cool sport extremely different than anything you’ve made videos on

[@justin8865]

Man that instructor, tai chi trt is what he signed up for.

[@kickwriteteach2313]

4:05 is a criminally underrated joke.

[@TheVampireAzriel]

That smile at the end was maniacal

[@stevoz748]

I support Seth taking a break

[@TheMgs501]

since we in ramadan i challenged seth sensei to fasting ramadan ( no water no food from dawn to sunset)

[@Encai.]

U should try shuai jiao chinese wrestling

[@rimbazirlana5375]

hey sensei seth have ever tried pencak silat? if you havent can you try it

[@Sifu-Myers]

Awesome to see you give Tai Chi a try. If your still looking for traditional martial arts check out Jiang yu shan. Hes a monkey kung fu master. Hes got youtube videos as well.

[@moshedimawalaadormeo]

looks like something similar to chi sao but the movement is much slower and wider

[@mrmushin1]

Same idea. But different techinal goals

[@deepsoul7418]

Why do You Try the R.A.T. Fighting System?! I heard it's suppose to be the epitome or end goal of what Bruce Lee was trying to develop through his style of Jeet Kune Do to which one of his students named Paul Vunak finished in his stead.

[@lesterjones239]

Thanks!

[@agricolaurbanus6209]

I think Sensei Seth is right, looking at the first instance of training, before the Kumite, he could profit a lot from doing these 'push hands'. It looked quite edgy, instead of fluent. I also think it is more about training perception rather than just balance or techniques.

[@thomasperci1954]

Avatar fact, tai chi was the martial art they used to create the movements for waterbending

[@FretboardToAsh]

4:04 He had ten minutes to come up with that one.

[@LucyDaisy11]

Hello Sensei Seth you are amazing!

[@landonbaker8429]

Weapons expert in population 1

[@itzikca]

That was interesting you should explore tai chi a bit more 😊

[@keraatkins7833]

Interesting I can see some moves being used in other martial arts

[@MrPistachio9000]

You should give Qigong a try. 😄

[@BrentCox2B]

That dude has HGH gut(Palumboism) for sureeeee. Also the fact that he is that jacked is a little sus. I would have been interested to see them do the pushing out of the square drill with Seth really trying.

[@pandas5839]

Still asking Seth to do a day of Olympic/folkstyle wrestling

[@WhatAnimeIsThis]

you should collab with my former sensei.

[@RobertAgarHutton]

Nice video and well done.

[@everettknight8591]

ALSO... JING...FA JING!!

[@Anorexiaification]

Nice Tai Chi in the park you have!

[@efemertkurt6777]

hey seth pls try Zui Quan(drunken boxing) sometime

[@JOEARLOPO]

Must be hard to find a class

[@efemertkurt6777]

@@JOEARLOPO probably

[@varanid9]

Looks kinda like Sumo for regular folks.

[@r.t.972]

Dog Brothers Martial Arts :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[@ReeseRozum-sm1zs]

I was hoping you would try tiushou

[@FartFactor10]

You should try okichitaw if you can it’s a pretty young Canadian martial art so it might not even be outside Canada

[@Dave-zo7ks]

I took a couple of years of Tai Chi instruction from a not-quite-elderly woman several years back. It was mostly focused on the exercise component but we did push hands occasionally. After class one evening, I asked her if she could show me one or two of the martial applications of the form we were learning. She absolutely rag-dolled me. It's no joke.

[@_munkykok_]

Screenshot or it didn't happen

[@neinlives9424]

its absolutely a joke, you just suck

[@daveshif2514]

yup ti chi xian is extremely similar to jiujitsu or karate.

[@tommckellen342]

This will be an unpopular opinion, but you (Seth) are doing the tai chi right. The instructor was wrong to stop you with the wrestling clinches and Uchi matas. These moves are all in the Tai Chi form. This group is 70 percent there but Tai Chi is even closer to MMA, Judo and Sumo than you think it is

[@toulousegoose1150]

Same! My Mandarin tutor was an elderly woman who taught Tai Chi classes with the Mandarin speaking local community. She took me to class with her so I could be around more native speakers. Those tiny old ladies threw me around like a rag doll-- after a brutal leg workout. Glad people are out there showing how rough it really can be!

[@reflexflow9088]

As a Tai Chi Instructor for over 40 years and a FMA Teacher who has worked with many MMA Fighters and Martial Artist, this is exactly what Tai Chi is and the way it should be practiced, but rarely is! Great Video!

[@Purwapada]

conflating push hands with application?

[@steveforde7475]

@@Purwapada yes it might have been the context of the coach's explanation was lost in the editing. But there is a danger with Push Hands that it becomes something of a circus trick. Too much focus on not being moved and confusing Push Hands with wrestling (a valid training, bit it's not Push Hands) and it's definitely not fighting, a bit like a football (soccer) player who practices ball juggling but never actually plays the real game.

[@Purwapada]

@@steveforde7475 yes well said

[@kevinschultz6091]

@@steveforde7475 - yeah, to me it looked like what I would consider a deca dena (chaining/back-and-forth) loose drill, designed to emphasize and train one aspect of an art. In the Memorization/Integration/Application model of learning, Push Hands looks to be the Integration aspect. The instructor did mention more applications: ie, the discussion of locking up with underhoods vs. just punching the guy, for example. And this may be one reason why Seth was doing so well - in addition to being a generally well-trained marital artist, he may have a tendency to go for more wrestling or sumo techniques....which works to score points (or win, in this case), but doesn't necessarily train the underlying skill that the drill/game is supposed to. Which is a limitation of the ruleset, I would imagine: it's there to train Push Hands, but wrestling techniques actually work better in that context to achieve the stated goal of the drill. And the actual martial art techique that you would use against a wrestler (push off and punch) isn't allowed in the drill, so there's a tendency to use the technique that works, as opposed to the ones you're supposed to be practicing.

[@Livingtree32]

Nah, the people in the video have absolutely no clue about Taijiquan.

[@bryanquick3349]

tai chi looks soft as hell until you see folks who know what they're doing uprooting people and tossing them like pizza dough

[@stryed3483]

Especially Chen Taichi. They have such a strong base and can quickly move their weight around.

[@P.G.1966]

INTERNAL CHI.

[@peterclarke7006]

@@david9180 oh please don't do the silly martial art "wot am bestest" thing...

[@kpsiex]

​@@david9180because?

[@_munkykok_]

Mmmhm... Pizza dough!

[@Tondor50]

Hard to argue with anything that improves balance, strength, range of motion and awareness of what your opponent is doing. Thank you for sharing this journey with us Seth,

[@rabiesbiter5681]

Real Taijiquan also just involves playing with your opponent's balance while your opponent tries to mess with yours. In Judo, I've heard that called the "kuzushi game." Play the kuzushi game enough and you'll be ragdolling people in Judo.

[@daveshif2514]

@@rabiesbiter5681yup, being trained in tia chi xian is as good as being a judo blackbelt. judo has unique techniques but the fundamentals are unparalleled in tai chi

[@tommckellen342]

This will be an unpopular opinion, but you (Seth) are doing the tai chi right. The instructor was wrong to stop you with the wrestling clinches and Uchi matas. These moves are all in the Tai Chi form. This group is 70 percent there but Tai Chi is even closer to MMA, Judo and Sumo than you think it is

[@modernchow]

its cool to hear you speak about tai chi in a similar way to karate as overall a long game. Also Sifu Chris is a cool instructor. can't wait to see the uncut version if there will be one

[@SenseiSeth]

Uploading it rn!

[@junichiroyamashita]

Connected to this,you may want to look at Armwrestling,Devon Larrat promotes a variant similar to Japanese Arm Sumo. You may find more similarities with Tai Chi.

[@emptyemptiness8372]

Traditional taijiquan training is no joke, i went through it when i was younger, living with Sifu studying taiji style boxing. Retired now with teeth like a bucket of smashed crabs, healed broken ribs ( from training). It was brutal and there is a big difference between indoor learning and public, or there was back then. I worked a a bouncer in gogo bars in southern thailand, all i had was my taijiquan and i never needed anything else. Those that mock taijiquan have never been hit with the real thing.

[@sharpe8888]

Who was your sifu?

[@dougnettleton5326]

​@PaMuShin I don’t know what kind of tai chi you practice if you never sweat. Maybe you were dancing. Many years ago, I read an article about tai chi in a martial arts magazine. The gist of it stayed with me: "It doesn’t matter what style you do. Just, do your form. If you're not sweating at the end of it, do it again. Repeat until you are sweating."

[@warfighterarmy]

He speaks of energy and liquid conservation through exhalation. This is often the result of medition in motion, also known as a state of zen. Learning proper breathing techniques and focus allow you to sweat much less during training and recover from adrenaline/nerves. Ironically, this carries over into everyday life.

[@dougnettleton5326]

​@PaMuShin Thanks for your reply. Thanks for your advice. I'm not sure how you conclude that I spend my time eating donuts and reading magazines, based on a quote from a magazine article I read more than 3 decades ago. Towards the end of next year, it will be 5 decades since my tai chi journey began. Do you just read books or do you practice some form of tai chi?

[@dougnettleton5326]

​@PaMuShin Again thank you for your replies. You don't know anything about me - nor I you. Maybe you should think about it. Maybe what you think you know is wrong. If you have to work to sweat or are exhausted after your practice whatever it is that you're doing has nothing in common with my practice. Most people, that I practice with, report feeling energized after practice. Some complain that they can't practice at night because they won't be able to sleep if they do. The goal of my practice is to maintain quality of life as I age. I'm just over 6 feet tall and weigh 168 pounds - a great improvement the sickly 138 pound student who returned to tai chi practice four decades ago after foolishly quitting for six years. I'm extremely grateful for the gift of health my teacher gave me, through many hours of supervising my practice and guiding my training. You suggest I rudely opined on you ignorant statement that you should not sweat doing tai chi. I suggest you don't pontificate if you don't want to be challenged.

[@IceWyte]

Seth been watching you for 4 years now and your content just keeps getting better and better. Its gotten to the point that you're absolutely my favourite KZbinr on the platform and I insta click any new video you post! Keep smashing it!

[@SenseiSeth]

Appreciate you 🙏🙏

[@Leo_HuangAB]

The birthplace of Taichi is not Chen village. Chen village is the birthplace of Chen Style Taichi. The original Taichi birthplace is Wudang Mountain where Taoist Monk Zhang Sanfeng set up shop to create what we know today as Taichi

[@LairdErnst]

Normally Tai Chi Sifu start people out by teaching the forms of Tai Chi (this what I’ve read and experienced other martial arts I have done) and that would be more of what Seth was expecting. He jumped into combative tai chi and dealt with the finished product.

[@sharpe8888]

I'm sure he had heard of them. Combative Tai Chi places are rare

[@TheElbowMerchant]

I'm guessing this is not the type of Tai Chi that the "masters" in China tried to use against MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong. This one looks like it might have some practical applications in a fight, as opposed to the type that takes place in a park. That's not to say that park Tai Chi doesn't provide some benefit to its practitioners, as I'm sure it helps with breathing, mindfulness, and a form of mobile meditation. Either way, I definitely learned something from this video, and I was thoroughly entertained, so that's all I can ask for in a Sensei Seth video.

[@redrenegade7724]

Correct. All those "masters" received their certification from the government. They are cultural/tourist assets, not real martial artists, who have never sparred. This video shows a much better application of tai chi.

[@rojcewiczj]

Those "masters" were magicians, not martial artists. Those videos should be titled "MMA vs man who pretends to know Tai chi"

[@bemusedalligator]

park taichi is more like yoga than wrestling.

[@johndough8115]

Slow motion training, is very beneficial to Specialized Strength Developments, such as Developing super strong Tendons. However, its only ONE part of this Combat art. Tai Chi, has all elements ranges of combat. From long distance interceptions, to short range strikes, standing grappling... locks... and throws... as well as like +10 different Weapons (Swords, Staffs, Spears, and many more). Additionally, the special breathing aspects... help to create far greater bloodflow circulation, which creates a very different type of tissue / muscles.. and you also get faster and more robust Healing, on top of all of this. Also, the Brain starts to generate new neuron connections... which greatly expands your Bodily positional Awareness, as well as your External Spatial 3D awareness (taking it to a whole other level of abilities). If you want to see a small example of how challenging Slow Motion training can be... Start by doing simple pushups. Do one set, at full speed, until failure. Then a day or two later... Try doing a set in slow-motion. At least 7 seconds down, and 7 seconds up... until failure (no rests between. just a nonstop controlled movement, through the entire session). You will notice, that you will only be able to do a Fraction of the number of pushups, when doing them slowly. This is partially because when you do them fast, you are using gravity... allowing yourself to fall without resisting much... then you are relying on a Momentum Cheat, to help get you back Up. When you slow things down, you cant just let yourself drop instantly.. nor do you have any momentum, to help raise you. As such, your muscles (and tendons) are constantly being Challenged, throughout the Entire Range of Motion. You will develop much greater strength along the Entire path of travel. You will also start to develop stronger joints and tendons... since more time is spent challenging them. In Tai Chi's standing version... you have your arms away from your body for almost an entire hours worth of time (the typical minimal amount of time, spend doing these forms, to gain serious benefits). One of the keys to gaining the proper development while doing these forms... is to try to relax your muscles to the point where your body is almost about to go limp... and fall to the floor, like a pile of Jello. This minimal amount of Muscle efforts, causes your tendons and other tissues, as well as your bone structures, to take up much more of the STRESSES (Work). As such, you start to develop Super-Strong Tendons and other Strong / Density tissues + bones. These strong (yet flexible) tendons, can create a sort of Super-Human like strength. Even much larger and stronger fighters, will have difficulty in moving you.. and or, in them trying to Bend your Posture into a point of weakness / failure. They allow you to also use your tendons.. sort of like Springs... where you can absorb the OPs energy without Uprooting you... and then COLLECT his mass-energy, charging up your "Springs"... and finally you can Release that Stored up energy... to uproot and send them Flying away (or, you can just use an explosive short range strike). Xu Donger is nothing but a Chinese CCP Shill. Hes like the Gracies of China. The Gracies made False claims about fighting "Masters". Yet anyone with any decent amount of training in the arts, could EASILY see that none of these guys were Masters... and in fact, it was very easy to see, that they all were very Incompetent / clueless. The Gracies Cherry-Picked such Artists, because they wanted Easily Exploitable targets, for their Scam. They didnt want to actually risk getting injured (Or Ended), by high level / Masterclass level Fighters. I personally would be able to take out XU, in less than 5 seconds flat (Permanently). I dont say that lightly, either. I have 30 years, spanning many different artforms... and Im used to fighting against FAR more skilled OPs. Many of which, make my skills pale in comparison. And let me tell you... if you think the UFC fighters are "Scary" ?! lol You have never seen, nor felt what its like... to spar against these dudes. There simply is no Comparison. A masterclass level fighter, only needs 2 inches of travel (or less), for example.. to generate enough power to cause Internal Ruptures within the Enemies body. Also, a Masterclass level fighter, isnt fooled by simple Feint tactics, like the Gracices use to set up their Takedowns. In fact, I once attended an Open Sparring event at a Jujitsu school. Normally I dont use Damaging, or KO level forces... when I spar... But, if fighters show me open Disrespect... then I give them a small TASTE of what I typically hold back. These guys were all Blackbelts, and they clearly wanted to "Prove" themselves... via harming others intentionally. One of them started making funny faces, and funny noises... in a display of disrespect, when I went to spar against him. As such... I chose to knock him out, and two of their other Blackbelt fighter, right after dropping him. I used my mostly extended lead guard hand, with a vertical fist punch to their foreheads. I used less than 6 inches of travel... and I never used more than about 15% of what I was capable of delivering. They ALL tried the same feint tactics... such as feinting high, then trying to rush in for the low takedown. But Im a Masterclass level fighter, and we dont Fall for such Simplistic tricks. They were also all very lucky, that I ALLOWED them past my short range Oblique Kicks to their Kneecaps... without Incident. I only ever use such a kick once... at a fraction of the output.. and it put a fighter out of commission for an entire month. And I only did so.. because he said: "You, and Wing Chun... are Sh*T". After he healed up... he never fought against me the same way. He stayed as far away from me as possible... to the point of not really being effective at all. Before that point, he use to rush in like a freight train... and use his greater mass and strength, to try to drive me to the ground (often succeeding, because I refused to use crippling / KO level output. I also refused to play a Grapplers Game, to "change" my typical combat level responses... to suit a Sportized version of Sparring). Anyway... Tai Chi has a lot of high level combat knowledge, and abilities. Its just rare that you can find a teacher that actually knows + is willing to teach you the actual full Combat Art. Its also such a deep art, that you will have to train it every single day, for several hours a day, to be able to develop all of these skillsets (which is a problem not only with Tai Chi, but all high level Combat arts). Since a lot of people are both Ignorant, and are lazy... most modern practitioners will never learn these arts... or... they just wont ever develop them to effective Masterclass levels of capabilities.

[@dakaodo]

It mostly comes from the same place in name. I'm sure a lot of tai ji quan masters who can't fight will claim to be from a certain lineage to appeal to authority and borrow legitimacy. Maybe they even actually trained in that lineage at some point. Maybe a few of them even sincerely believe their training gave them the keys to the fighting kingdom. But they lost the mental and physical training and mindset that makes for functional fighting skills. People who do tai ji in the park for health and wellness in their old age are generally learning a branch of tai ji that has deliberately deprioritized or even entirely abandoned the training of a fighting mindset. But someone who can fight well using tai ji quan is someone who can fight well. Tai ji quan just happens to be the means of expression they happen to use. Seth kind of touched on this when he related his impression of tai ji to sumo and any other kind of wrestling. Without fight-focused mindfulness in your training, any martial art can be turned into a laughingstock. Faff around doing push-ups, and you get bad push-ups. Faff around doing martial arts, and you get bad martial arts. It's just a skill, and skills are just tools that can be used well or badly depending on the person. This applies to any martial art that's gone through phases of popularity, being watered down, used by well-intentioned but misguided practitioners, used by deliberately misleading charlatans, etc. How many krav maga people actually have the mindset and capability of an IDF spec ops soldier? How many capoeiristas know how to use the spirit of the malandro to trick, deceive, and mislead? How many tae kwon do tournament point fighters also train strikes with power and followthrough? Some do, many don't. Because the vast majority of people who pay for martial arts classes don't have to confront the real and likely possibility of personal violence, so they bring a lot of cognitive biases and preconceptions with them into their training, and they are rarely disabused of these misconceptions by the harsh reality of an actual confrontation. Like, for decades sometimes. A capable fighter is probably going to have one or more of these qualities or experiences: being hit harder than they expected, dealing with adrenaline dumps, knowing how to lose and go again, knowing how to learn, adaptability, listening (through physical contact, as mentioned in this video for tai ji), a balance of judiciousness and assertiveness/aggression, accepting that the world is a bigger place than any one person and there's almost always going to be someone you can beat and someone you can't beat, knowing your current limits but being willing to push and expand those limits. A lot of people say that these experiences give rise to humility and wisdom and this often does happen, but that's not a hard requirement for becoming a capable fighter. There are more common or universal traits to good fighters that you can add to the list.

[@nyhyl]

I am a Taijiquan practicioner myself and this is exactly what Taijiquan is. Everything else people usually think of when they think of Taijiquan is also a part of this art but they also heavily relate to Tuishou. In Taolu/form training you develop body awareness, fluid motion, mind-bidy-connection, breath application and relaxed, heavy body.

[@reamus9102]

Love seeing someone give Tai Chi a real chance instead of dismissing it as something for the grandparents in the park. So much more than that! Hopefully we see a part 2 as you explore it even more?? 🤞

[@reamus9102]

@david9180 haha 😄 that's one way to look at it!

[@torg2126]

​@@david9180 "By the time I'm forty, I'll be the worlds most dangerous cripple." Tai Chi exists as a vitally important supplimental art, that allows the users of harder, striking based arts to both avoid and recover from injuries. Also additional conditioning is useful

[@MichaelWestonAnimates]

Taiji 11 years, Bagua 10 years, with bits of cross training and sparring (Shuaijiao, BJJ, Boxing, Kickboxing) throughout here: It's sad to see the folks in here reflexively rejecting this practice. These attitudes are what hold Taiji practice back from greater legitimacy and practice as a part of combat arts. It's true that there are much softer, more subtle push hands practices, and they definitely have their place in skillbuilding. But the intermediate and higher-intensity ones are critical bridges to actually being able to use those skills *for anything.* The people saying "These people don't know what Taiji really is" or some variation are generally the ones who can't actually do anything with what they've learned.

[@GoldenbellTraining]

Cool stuff - David Chin delivered the challenge letter to Bruce Lee that became the Wong Jack Man fight. Chris has probably heard what actually happened since David Chin was one of the few people to witness the fight. I also studied Guang Ping Yang Style Taiji under Henry Look's line - another Kuo Lien-ying student.

[@dmcclendon79]

Push hands was my favorite. Over time it definitely helped develop sensitivity to being grabbed, pushed/pulled. In our moving step practice, sifu would allow us to use chin na and slaps to the face. Good video as always!

[@sp0rsk]

I remember my first tai chi class back in college and it was like "okay here's how you uwatenage" and when I complained that I *knew* that was a sumo move he yoritoashied me out the front door.

[@SalvadorTrakal]

Tai Chi is Kung Fu (skill developed through practice), it's just an "internal" system, different way of learning but just like any traditional martial art, it has punches, kicks, throws, joint locks. Big emphasis on sensitivity and Qi Gong, good for your health and development. I like Chen Tai Chi, more explosive movements and good forms. There are more cool internal systems to explore out there!

[@jasonsecretsword7606]

I prefer Yang for it's ability to generate power from stillness. Same Jins as the later stage Chen but less visible to the observing eye and the opponent.

[@SalvadorTrakal]

Awesome!, I've practiced more Yang than Chen, but I like both, and they are very close relatives. Since I mainly train Northern Shaolin, I like the explosive movements of Chen. I also know a little Bajiquan form and enjoy it a lot!, thanks for sharing your thoughs!

[@4saken404]

I wanted to get into Chen since before I even knew it existed. I had only ever done Yang on and off for years but always instinctively wanted to do incorporate a more explosive style into it. And then one day someone showed me what Chen looked like. This was a "House" style so I'm sure how similar it is to mainstream Chen... but the guy demonstrating it looked and moved like Bruce F***ing Lee. It was perfect! Only by that time I was already well over 40 and my current sifu was into his 60's and his age was making it less and less likely I would ever get a chance to learn it. And of course it was WAY too hardcore for anyone else in the class to be interested in. So it never came to pass. Damn. I wish I could go back in time and could have gotten private classes on that. One of my big regrets in life.

[@SalvadorTrakal]

@@4saken404 I hope you get to practice it!, you could try baji quan, which is "similar". you could find some basic forms and practice them, legend says Yang Luchang lived in Chen Jia Gou, he copied the movements and from that he created his style (Yang), so if he can do it you can watch some videos and practice!

[@seadawg93]

Love this! It’s so cool how respectful you are and how make a point of finding legit instructors. Looking forward to a future push hands competition win! 🥇

[@manlymanmann7592]

"I've never sweat from moving so slowly" that's fuckin' it man. you get strong in muscles you didn't even know you had.

[@lusteraliaszero]

this must be an incredibly exciting thing to stumble into when you're that deep in sumo

[@SenseiSeth]

100%

[@camiloiribarren1450]

When the Tai chi concepts are applied properly, it’s not just “old man kung fu”, it has plenty of good explanations and techniques that lead to grappling; it can improve anyone’s martial arts. It helped me with sparring in my Goju Ryu For more tai chi knowledge, check out Coach Niko who focuses on tai chi push hands

[@johndough8115]

Tai Chi is not just limited to Grappling. It has one of the highest potentials of Lethal level Striking abilities... called "Fajin" (Short range, explosive power). A Masterclass level fighter in the Internal Arts, should find it very easy to KO any fighter, with a mere fraction of his output.. and with less than 6 inches of travel. At full potentials... he should have the ability to cause internal Ruptures within the OPs body... with only a mere inch or two of runway. I, myself, mastered Fajin expression. To date, Ive KO'd 4 different disrespecful fighters, using a short range vertical punch to their foreheads. I used less than 6 inches of travel, and never used anything more than about 15% of what I was capable of generating / delivering. 3 of these guys were Blackbelt fighters in Jujitsu, at their Open-House sparring event. The other fighter, was a mix of Capoeira, and Kook Sul Won (A Korean blend of TKD and Kung Fu). Tai Chi tends to use open palms, in an "Explosive Push" format, for demos, and to be "Nice" to their training partners. However, Fajin expression, is used in Actual combat application... not "Pushes". It seems like a lot of Tai Chi practitioners, dont even know this... which may boil down to certain lineages, or teachers.. choosing not to teach this aspect of the art (or it being lost in these certain branches). Of course Fajin isnt only in Tai Chi. Its supposed to be within pretty much all Chinese combat arts... usually taught last, and often only taught to the most skilled and Trusted of students. Its sort of an Open-Secret of all Chinese artforms. It sounds unrealistic to most... and unless you have taken a Fajin hit from a Master of it... most will never believe / understand... and think its mere delusional fantasy.

[@Purwapada]

@@johndough8115 stop writing long cringe paragraphs

[@AngriestPeanut]

@@johndough8115That…is not…how…physics…and musculature…works…

[@MasterBlueSiytangco]

That’s cool! There’s a clip of my two students competing while I’m judging their bout on here… 5:39

[@sifudough]

Gotta say...I'm disappointed you didn't learn the no-knockout style of taichi... JK - I love the amount of respect you give to other styles, and even incorporating PRINCIPLES of each style into your overall philosophy of martial arts. Especially the way you approach push hands and drills around 4:00-5:00.

[@Purwapada]

no knockouts came from george dillman, nothing to do with tai chi historically

[@tranquil_dude]

There may indeed be a link between TaiJi Push Hands and Sumo. In ancient China there was a combat sport called XiangPu and written as 相扑 ("pounce at each other"). Yes, those are the same characters used to write Sumo nowadays. XiangPu was roughly similar to Sumo, except with less emphasis on body size. According to a Japanese sports encyclopedia, Sumo originated from Tang Dynasty China. It's highly likely that this "original Sumo" was referring to XiangPu, or a variant of it. (an even older name for XiangPu was JiaoDi, 角抵，”horn butting", referring to its origin myth) Later, XiangPu got subsumed into ShuaiJiao (摔跤，modern Chinese word for wrestling), but (here's my speculation: ) a primitive form of XiangPu may have been adopted by the early developers of TaiJi as their main sparring style, and then renamed firstly as DaShou (打手, "hit hands") and then TuiShou (推手，“push hands"). (of course, the sparring can also include non-wrestling type attacks) Hence why you feel that Push Hands principles are so intimately applicable to Sumo. :) Also why passerbies often have difficulty distinguishing between ShuaiJiao, Push Hands and Sumo techniques. It looks like they overlap ... because they do! :) If anything, it's technically correct to say that you're practicing Taiji ShuaJiao (太极摔跤)。 It's like the term Aiki-Jujutsu. The first term (Aiki) is the ideal you're following, the 2nd term (Jujutsu) is the sport/skill you're applying it to. As the Shifu in the video has explained, the term TaiJi by itself refers to the general concept. TaiJi-Quan (太极拳，“TaiJi Fist") refers to the martial art you're applying it to.

[@imstupid880]

Was going to say the same thing, but you said it far better than I ever could 👍

[@ewo4365]

There is no relation between Taiji Push Hands and Sumo. This instructor has no understanding of Taiji training & Push Hands. All these aggressive shoving and throwing is San Da.

[@conmcgrath7174]

I have to comment, after many years doing full contact 'punchy-kicky' stuff I still had an open mind and would seek other styles/serious people to learn from them if I could? Sometimes I met absolute 'arseholes' who had many stripes on a belt and were happy to take money from people who actually thought they were learning something? I once got so angry that I battered 'sensei seven dan' out of his own dojo, no I'm not proud but he richly deserved it.The balance of that was that I met so very many genuine people and even a few 'warriors'. One thing that remains with me to this day, a Tai Chi guy deliberately circling his head to hide the devastating blow coming behind it? This is the opposite of 'telegraphing'. My total respect to all who train, lying there on the ground, half sparko.,looking at a ceiling and thinking 'I am paying for this?' Get up. go again! Blood sweat and tears, nothing can compare!

[@DannysComicCorner]

This looks like it would help you a ton in sumo

[@Jenjak]

Thank you for finding a real taichi teacher, and not go in the first mcdojo you found. ^^ My teacher says partner work is 50% of taichi. not 5% or 10%, it's 50%. So a school that is doing close to 0% push hands is not a good taichi school.

[@EliteBlackSash]

Chinese Wrestling originally looked very much like what later developed into Sumo. Shirtless “Shanxi Style” (No Jacket) competition still retains some of that. In Baoding “Combat” Style it’s called the basic / “Bull Fighting” stage. Tai Chi retains it too, but most ppl like to deny that aspect exists. Toph from Avatar is based on the style Southern Mantis, which is a Hakka style of Kungfu. People who survived a lot of conflict. It features probably even more extensive sensitivity and listening drills than Tai Chi and Wing Chun combined. Except… the training is way Way WAY more practical, and violent lol. Most people quit just from the body conditioning, alone. Think… boxing medicine ball training, except it’s person conditioning you. Damn near full-blast. Back and forth. And yet you’re training Timing. And THEN you do your sensitivity drilling. When your body, and arms are already damn-tired.

[@dandiaz19934]

Honestly mad respect for this gym for pressure testing all the stuff they teach. Only that will sift through the bullshit. Super happy to see them train by fighting.

[@manlymanmann7592]

that's real taiji. but if you only saw people practicing the form, you wouldn't know it. that's the "bullshit" you're talking about.

[@shaynehawkins713]

Tai chi can be very combative. You learn the form but also its application. I would stand one leggged in arhat carries a cauldron for half an hour. Then do the other leg. Tai chi is pushing, pressing, drilling, throwing and strikes. Its still incorporated into bruce lees art jeet kune do. I learned basic moves of tai chi from jeet kune do then studied the art in full. In free sparring i used it often. You make it functional in sparring.

[@DeadpoolAndFriends]

This looks like a LOT of fun! If they had competitions near me, i'd go get my ass kicked.