This Tai Chi Master Blew My Mind!

[@KevinLeeVlog]

What should I try next?

[@Justahuman20]

Wuzu quan(Five ancestors fist) , Filipino kick boxing "yaw yan", translationDance of death

[@johnelliott9823]

Martin Wheeler is relatively close to you I think - Beverly hills. Shares studio rent with Rigan Machado. Teaches systema

[@9ambler99]

More action 😅Don't just get beaten show your skills too

[@badomen8779]

Chi Kung, please.

[@dojo6785]

Hapkido

[@LawDescendant]

Been doing Yang style for 24 years now and it's nice to see someone who knows their craft explain it well to another humble martial artist who gives a good platform and open mind to see the beauty of our art. After all the bashing its received over quite sometime this is a breath of fresh air for us who want to see it done well and hopefully gain more students to keep our passion and lineage alive.

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@hamasmillitant1]

so i dont really 'practice' it, and ive forgoten all the names basicaly i cant tell the earth punch from fire punch although i use them. dad is a impossible master to please lol. but i did pick up a lot of it watching and im pretty good at sticky hands ive relied on it in many a fight. some fights have stopped before i even threw a blow because they simply cant hit me, when you practice slowy you get movements precise more easily. everyone should train there punches like they do in tai chi they would learn faster btw he demonstrated a few of the death blows but he didnt show the heart stopper i forget its name its where u bring arms up from waist block upwards with hands drooping then snap hands up and deliver 2 handed palm to heart/chest

[@dtoad5576]

@@hamasmillitant1 interesting. could you add more detail , i would like to know more what you're talking about. heart stopper, etc? earth/fire punch. any links of anyone else doing these on youtube? what is your lineage? thanks

[@nicerperson1]

I was a licensed Tai Chi instructor in the UK and taught classes in sports centers and gyms. I taught Sun style Tai Chi, and the aim was to help people improve their balance and help with their mobility and moving their joints. (also making me some cash!) Students were initially stiff and struggled to remember the movements. My solution was to teach the martial aspect in the forms. When they understood what was behind the (seemingly random) movement, they "got it". Learning the form became faster and easier, *_the physical moves and the mental intent came together_* and the result was greater than the individual parts. This is true for Chinese internal arts like Tai Chi, Hsing-I, and Baguachang.

[@robertmillar180]

Thanks, I like the idea of "synergy".

[@RingJando]

Licensed? Tai Chi instructors have no *license* - the practice isn't regulated by the Federal Government or individual states. There's no national standard for Tai Chi certification. Anyone can claim expertise . . . you are making a fool of yourself

[@martinogold]

@@RingJando There is no Federal government in the UK, and nor are there any states. 🤔 I don't know if you need a licence in the UK or not (I wonder if the OP means a certificaton of some sort), but you seem to be talking about the USA.

[@skunk12]

I challenge you.

[@FesteringRatSub]

how many street fight have you won?

[@VanishingNomad]

I want to see more Tai Chi application videos like this.

[@wutan_nj]

Good to see you demystify TaiJi for people. Most people makes fun of Taijiquan. Good work! Let me know when you want to do a Bajiquan (the 8 Extreme) episode!

[@gabrielzanoni3474]

People think they know everything today… in the era of the easiest information around, people are the most narrow-minded of all time

[@KyeCreates]

I recommended you on this channel! Definitely a perfect person to pick for that video 👍🏾

[@kbanghart]

​@@gabrielzanoni3474 so true. Humans getting defensive.

[@collinnicolazzo2065]

In my defense most people don't know or care about actually doing the martial art part and the steps to make it effective in combat

[@snmailist1470]

I'm so admiring bajiquan 🙏🙏 Do you have any KZbin channel for recommended ?

[@CharliePond]

I have watched hundreds of hours of yang style and never seen an explanation. Thanks for being so generous.

[@ajanitau3405]

This was one perhaps one of the best Taiji short lessons I've ever seen! Thank you!

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@justin57153]

Except no one is ever in their life going to "catch a punch". His first demo was complete bullshito.

[@mindandbody7971]

Which is why he said it was an accidental collision, and would never block a punch that easy. Mark has cross trained quite a bit and is far from bullshido.@@justin57153

[@erico2079]

@@justin57153 you have ever gotten off the couch let alone get in a fight...lmao..its like you are proud to show off your stupidity

[@PracticeTaiji]

09:37 This is a true Taiji master moment. After Dr. Cheng explains a range of applications of the same essential technique, Kevin asks "what if ___ ?" and the answer was instantaneous and seamlessly the same. No need to think about it; no need to change technique. Very, very good!

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@leibama59]

Your insane! You really think Thai Chi can work In real fighting applications???

[@PracticeTaiji]

@@leibama59 Yes. And I can also spell. Sorry for being so insane.

[@JustinThorts]

@@leibama59 Unless the laws of physics have changed in the last millennia - Yes. It's not what you do but how you do it. If you train Tai Chi and a martial art, if you only use it for health then no. Just like there are lots of people who suck at lots of martial arts including mma (because not everyone that does mma is great) because they do not train it properly. mma takes from traditional martial arts but is not an art, they do lots of fight training, sparring - good for them that is definitely the way to go but it doesn't teach like an art does. There's more to an art, it's a life journey of self discovery. Xu Xiao Dong took on guys that he knew were charlatans, not to discredit the arts but to show some people are all show and no substance, which is what he said. That's a good thing, because people should be taught properly and not fooled by such charlatans. There's more to life and Tai Chi Chuan than you realise, clearly. You are simply showing your own ignorance with this comment.

[@Akuston]

@@leibama59 many Kungfu are practical if you're training as it should for a fight; I'm used to spar with different MMA Gym to fight somebody whom out of my comfort zone and I'm able to throw and sweep in a Kungfu style technique so what? it's no different than other type of martial arts if you're training in practical manner and testing in reality with resisting opponent. Of course, If it does not not work I should have a doubt and finding an answer through actual training rather than watching KZbin and thought, Oh this is bullshit and kept that for my entire life without training the actual style. However, I do agree that many of them especially Taiji are Freud as they're trying to boast something that does not really exist such as chi energy in a manner of Kameha meha from a Dragon ball rather than explaining of a force in movement and biomechanics of the move itself.

[@NSaco]

Dr. Mark Cheng is a gem in the martial arts community, seamlessly integrating holistic methods with combat techniques, marking him as a truly comprehensive martial artist and teacher.

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@gw1357]

The transition of an opponent's linear energy into circular counter is one of those places where a chinese philosophy concept meets practical martial arts movement. Great teacher. Great piece.

[@Haannibal777]

Chinese martial arts are distinctive from other arts in that they are all circular. Generally one move chains into another without pause.

[@marekmaxpabianice]

Sure... the reality check is needed - this dude has never sparred in his life - prove me wrong and pop into a kick boxing gym for a friendly match and a showcase of energy

[@outsidethegarden]

@@marekmaxpabianice -- "here is the philosophy of tai ji, how it was developed, the combat rationale behind the movements, and some possible applications" is very different from presenting oneself as a combat sparrer. this is one problem with the martial arts, especially on KZbin: people with an MMA perspective (for instance) evaluate everything in terms of combat effectiveness, and are very close-minded about other perspectives. but if you're practicing tai ji (or aikido, probably other arts) you're not necessarily focused on combat effectiveness at all: you're wanting to learn to be centered and relaxed, able to deal with physical and verbal conflict without losing your emotional and physical balance. which turns out to have a lot of combat relevance. even if you can't kick peoples @$$, being able to defuse a situation -- or alternatively keep your head and get away -- are probably more useful skills for real life situations. though obviously, as you point out, that's not going to score you any points in the gym.

[@marekmaxpabianice]

@@outsidethegarden a lot of text. pop into an mma gym with a tai chi master, record a 30 sec video. Waiting

[@outsidethegarden]

@@marekmaxpabianice -- lol, you don't have the patience to read a lot of text, let alone think about what I wrote. instead you'd rather have me "prove" my point by making a video. when you don't even know what my point is. hint: it's specifically NOT about what happens in a gym. which means, from your point of view, that it's worthless. okay, then talking to me is basically a waste of your time, except for the enjoyment of making fun of me. have fun with that!

[@fredsmith5782]

It’s nice that Dr Mark Cheng just break down some of the most basic of the tai chi moves that everyone has seen. No flowery language and just demonstrated the applications.

[@Md-ht3cg]

Would absolutely love more with Dr. Cheng! I would really love a deeper dive into throws and locks from closer range

[@LowKickSlick]

Some throws from T'ai Chi Chuan: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHm8XmeIZpdlm5o

[@LowKickSlick]

More throws: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4m6omuahtatbas

[@nickyeng7444]

Such a great video! So much respect for Dr. Cheng. I wish this video was ten hours long!

[@ishetrying]

The stomp at the end made me chuckle. So casual and so brutal.

[@StefanoZamblera]

IMHO, according to sources available at today what we actually nameTaijiquan was implemented by professionist of martial and military world in Henan province; it was made to fight and kill people in battle, so it's off course brutal but not casual at all, it is totally willed. Soft gymn and slow solo practice is a later evolution for massification to pubblic and other kind of class teaching. Wishing clear skies from Italy

[@raskolm4494]

I just discovered your channel, what an excellent idea you had to go and interview all these experts. These guys know their art. Greetings from France

[@ch355_]

i admire how you always respond so positively to getting thrown. this was a great video and would love to see more from dr cheng

[@cesarag0723]

One of my prime teachers in the 90’s/early 2000’s practiced taiji, Korean style karate, and Aikido. Worked in dangerous parts of the city in public and private security. His versions of striking, joint locking, and take downs were always adding an extra bite than the usual. He was always showing cross applications for all 3. I knew it as very applicable. Wasn’t until social media trolls starting bashing it that it became a punching bag for comments. Thanks for sharing!

[@niidaimehokage5731]

So sad 😢

[@daviddaimary7734]

Tai chi and Aikido might have some stuff applicable against a person who has zero training but not really against anyone who trains in Kickboxing/Muay Thai or even Karate(especially the more full contact variants). It maybe has a lot more to do with how combat sports have evolved with sparring and full contact competition. Xu Xiaodong has done the whole tour of beating traditional martial artists in full contact fighting and he doesn't even use his bjj or wrestling generally. It's not trolling.

[@antwango]

tai chi is serious whether "mma" noobs want to bash it.... the tai chi practitioners dont care! the naysayers all eventually flock to the mystical chinese art later in life anyway when theyre old enough to realise..... we've all been curious and doubtful when looking at it surface level.... scratch that surface and you fall down a massive hole.... mma people dont last forever, tai chi has lasted centuries!... its an insult to even speak mma and taichi like theyre the same sort of thing.... mma isnt a martial art, and there is no structure

[@daviddaimary7734]

@@antwango MMA is just mixed martial arts. What do you mean by structure? In any case, I can see how Tai Chi is good for balance and mobility but in what is it's purpose. Please don't say self defense. Makes sense that it is for older folks. Fighting is a young man's game.

[@georgeprecious1036]

@@daviddaimary7734 it's more about how these styles are taught, most are taught with forms and balance and all that, the fight mentality and sparring are absent it's why Taichi and Aikido have had a bad rep. There are still people who have practiced for years with the fight mentality , if ever competitions are created around these fights, trust me they would have better rep.

[@bloodyhippozz1900]

nice job getting Dr Mark Cheng to join you. Respect to the both of you.

[@KevinLeeVlog]

Thank you so much!

[@jspk26]

Please, 2nd part.

[@Eitan.moskovitz]

His a real professional. And I'm not even talking about the martial art, I'm taking about the talk to the camera. He's constantly keep tracking what the camera see, and what been said on or off camera. That was pretty impressive. And also he move like a true master.

[@junichiroyamashita]

The type of consideration and measure one would expect from an internal arts master.

[@KingM119]

Awareness is a beneficial tool

[@suhribzevolution645]

Yes camera so good😂

[@Eitan.moskovitz]

@@eprd313 Seems fair enough

[@KahL1One]

I absolutely love your channel. Mostly because it displays in full context what it's like when Chinese martial artist finally cross-train in order to test out their methods with aliveness sparring application. This is a truly wonderful experience that you're sharing with everyone from video to video.

[@outerlast]

one of the "secret" of taiji form is that most of the movements and postures are so abstract that you can fill in the type of applications. this fits to any of the taiji styles, and that's one reason why in one style there are a lot of variation of long forms, e.g. in yang style you have standard long form, michuan, guangping, old 6 roads, funeipai, banhou, shaohou etc (they're not taught in one school though, unfortunately).

[@markwinsor446]

It's nice to see a Master be so down to Earth and accessible. No David Carradine pseudo mystical mumbo-jumbo philosiphizing... but I guess that' what a true Master would be like. Well played, Sir.... Thank You

[@johndough8115]

Plenty of Masters use Tai Chi's special terminology... which sounds very Mystical. That doesnt mean that they cant use it powerfully and lethally. Of course, there are a lot in these and many other similar artforms... that are not really capable of using their artform in sparring / combat. True Mastery, takes a lot more effort than most people are willing to put in.

[@johndough8115]

@nicholasgreen339 I agree with you. However, there are some terminologies that sound a lot more Mystical. Such as "Jin", and "Chi". Tai Chi has a lot of specialized terminologies within it. Some of it is actually very logical.. when you know what it means. "Chi" itself, is often a loaded term... that most people are unwilling to hear / accept. The thing is... In most Combat arts, the Term actually applies to a very real PHYSICAL body type and types of physical interactions. For example... Iron Body conditioning (hitting yourself, partners hitting each other..etc), toughens your body in a very special way... when combined with Specialized breathing methods, and the use of Dit Da Jow (Iron Fist Lineament). Rather than taking 20 minutes to explain an Internal fighters differences... the Chinese dudes might say "Wow... that fighter has Excellent Chi". Basically, a short form explanation, of a serious of complex processes. Of course, there are some Chinese arts elements, that use QiGong breathing / meditation, which use Chi is a slightly more Mystical way. But even in this case.. its True meaning, is about Circulation, Oxygen levels, and Special Brain Connections... for Hyper Awareness. There is a lot more. While there MIGHT be some actual form of invisible "Chi"... the thing is... its not really a factor in actual fighting abilities. At most, maybe you might be able to heal yourself a little faster via doing Qigong practices. Maybe you might even reverse a Cancerous tumor. But so called "CHI" in the non physical terminology.. is not going to make your strikes more powerful, at all (from my experience in these arts methods). The slow moving meditation like movements, will create a superior level of Awareness (internal and external / spatial). It will also develop super strong tendons and a much stronger body structure. Tissues will be able to expand and hold more blood... forming a sort of Hydraulic Shielding... which makes more strength as well as incredible level of Protection from Impact forces (Liquids cant be Compressed). Fighters with superior full body awareness... dont have to Switch Focus from one area, to another... and that is Key and Critical in high speed combat applications. You dont have time for any Delays... And... being unaware of certain critical Data... even for a split second, can be very Costly. Unfortunately, most modern people today, simply dont understand, and are not even willing to look into all of the benefits. They just assume its silly BS, and a huge waste of time. It took my fighting to a whole other level... where dudes in my own art... couldnt even come close to comparing or competing against me... as they never learned it, and or never trained it seriously + long enough... to develop the Benefits.

[@markwinsor446]

Read what I said again. Maybe you'll actually understand it, but I doubt it.@RancorousSea

[@markwinsor446]

I was referring to David Carradine specifically. He was a poser.@nicholasgreen339

[@GoldenbellTraining]

DOC! Been a role model/mentor of mine for over a decade even though we've never met in person.

[@DrMarkCheng]

Too kind, my Brother. Far too kind! Sending you & the family much love always.

[@reflexflow9088]

Great video, Master Lee! I taught Yang Family Style Tai Chi for 40 Years, and this is the type techniques, Dr. Hwang my Master taught us! It is rare to find this now days, and free style roll hands and sparring are mostly unheard of in most Tai Chi Classes, Great job of spreading the art!

[@fintasticgunstv]

Awesome video! Thank you for putting it together. I'm not a Taichi practitioner but this seems really legit - from an application perspective. The thing is... I've seen a lot of videos lately of martial artists critiquing that certain martial arts are just not "pressure tested" and would not be effective in a "real fight." But honestly, I think they miss the point. Most martial arts will be effective against those who have not been trained in any martial arts at all - that's the first thing. The second thing is like what Bruce Lee said... "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." I don't care what martial arts you practice. If you've dedicated your life to that one thing, you will be a formidable opponent to other martial artists who have practiced a bunch of stuff and barely mastered any of them. Thanks so much for this.

[@ambienthuman]

Showed this to my tai chi teacher of 40 years this morning, he was impressed.

[@Raw_id]

Kevin, another excellent job! Every martial art has its strengths and effectiveness. All subject to skill set, timing, positioning, accuracy and understanding of its practical application. Thank both you and Dr Chen for demonstrating Tai Chi's mastery. It must have been a true honor.

[@jojotwice8918]

problem is finding quality teachers like this

[@watts18269]

As someone who practices a style literally called practical tai chi chuan, this video warms my heart. No magic crap and a nice selection of applications from the form 👍🏻

[@GermanSausagesAreTheWurst]

Great style. I have a book and video by Dan Docherty.

[@watts18269]

He was a great no nonsense teacher. He was also one of the best fighters I’ve met in martial arts. Guy was genuinely scary af haha

[@palnagok1720]

Did 10 yr of cheng tin hung's taijiquan myself in melbourne.It was a very good martial base to start from.

[@watts18269]

@@palnagok1720nice! Do you still practice the form?

[@malmess2164]

@watts La merde magique comme tu dis, c' est ce qui fait que le tai chi est une pratique qui fait découvrir une façon d' utilisé le corps qui ne se trouve nulle part ailleurs, même si certains font du n' importe quoi .

[@runes.nielsen2084]

This is the coolest martial arts video I ever saw!

[@TheLoneHaranger]

Tai Chi is poetry. With a sting. Great video of the applications. First dabbled in TKD as a teen. Very much a 'hard' form. Picked up a VHS tape of an Australian Tai Chi teacher, about the same time, and I was hooked. Appreciated the holistic nature of the Yang long form. As someone told me, "Tai Chi is like being hit by water with the force of a truck". Became a devotee of Wing Chu style and Tai Chi 'clicked' for me. Certainly framed my basic defence and deflection strategies, in countless situations. That primary youthful exuberance and desire to inflict damage, thru TKD, faded. I learned that neutralising the threat is far preferable in most scenarios. "Do not return evil for evil". People are going to be stupid, but not my job to punish them for it.

[@dannytwitch3276]

Thank you thank you thank you! This was a real treat! I love TaiChi. Seeing this was awesome! 🙏

[@tranquil_dude]

Thank you for sharing! :D Even as a long-time Taiji practitioner, just by watching this vid I gained a bit of insight into some basic elements in Taiji. (especially how the same move can be a different "kind" of attack depending on the distance. one of my teachers has told me that that's what 4 of the 13 "basic postures" are actually about: cai -> finger range; lie -> wrist range; zhou -> elbow range; kao -> shoulder range; usually these are explained as different "kinds" of moves, but in the heat of battle one move just blends into another, and I feel it does make sense to simply take note of where the contact point is and act accordingly, and after watching this vid I think so to a further extent. while I'm at it, here's the other 9 "basic postures": peng -> redirect incoming force upwards lv -> redirect sideways ji -> redirect forwards (i.e. press into the opponent) an -> redirect downwards jin -> shift centre towards opponent tui -> shift away gu -> shift left pan -> shift right ding -> no shifting Supposedly, all "Taiji moves" are basically combinations of these 13 processes. Different teachers may explain them differently, but the main thing I wish to tell everyone is that in terms of "move set", Taiji really isn't as complicated as some people think, once you can see the elementary components. :) The difficult part is to condition yourself such that you can manage contact points, redirect force and shift centre as smoothly as the flow of water, which is a main ideal in Taiji.)

[@robertmillar180]

Nice explanation - thank you.

[@KiraLong-g3x]

Thanks for bringing another amazing teacher! I hope the traditional martial arts continue to be taught so that it’s gets to live on through many more generations.

[@rustydj]

Dr. Mark Cheng is the real deal! And i love his approach in teaching because it allows Taiji to be accessible to everyone, and lets people know that you don't t have to wait till youre old or have the misconception that its a "last ditch resort to when you cant do your fast martial arts anymore. Great video!

[@DrMarkCheng]

Thank you, Sifu De Jesus! You're too kind. 🙏

[@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454]

@@DrMarkCheng Are you related to Prof Cheng who had Lou Kleinsmith and Bob Lumish? They taught aikido as well, which is where I met them. After LK passed, he left his Chinatown tai chi school to a woman I never met, and his upstate aikido school to Bob, who I was close to. He was translating the Yellow Emperor’s classic. Someone who knew him better said his Chinese vocabulary exceeded 40,000 pictograms, about 10x the average modern Chinese university student. LK had been a direct student of that Prof. Cheng. - Matt’s dad Dan😊

[@DrMarkCheng]

@@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454 Sir, I believe you're talking about Prof. Cheng Man-Ching. While my father studied under one of Prof. Cheng's Taiwan-trained students, I have no blood relationship to that Prof. Cheng as far as I know.

[@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454]

@@DrMarkCheng Thank you for your reply. That time, their lives, and their application of tai chi principles in their aikido played a large part in shaping me as a man & martial artist. I still practice solo & I still go wherever I want without fear. Both Lou & Bob were also instructors at NY Aikikai under Yamada-shihan on 18th Street. I began my martial journey under a Kyokoshin black belt former 82nd Airborne at 14. I am at retirement age now & still work out daily. I study principles. I study systems to understand the fundamental principles. Thank you for what you gave me in this video. LK used to say that the serious teachers would say that the hard arts were to let young students work out their need for conventional power so that they could get the principles of the so called soft styles without distraction. I share that because I suspect that you will appreciate seeing the Tao of the arts move silently and largely unnoticed. Reminds me of some of the classical scholars of the Orient who were also examples of superior martial virtue. Hope these recollections lighten your spirit as yours has enlightened me. Where do you teach now?

[@DrMarkCheng]

@@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454 Your journey reminds me of that of my very dear friend, Dr. Eric Schneider, who also studied with both Prof. Cheng & Yamada Sensei, as well as studying Kyokushin. I'm in the Los Angeles area, but I'm not teaching publicly at this time. My schedule is so packed that not even 72 hrs a day & boundless energy would truly cut it, and these are all opportunities that I've worked & waited a lifetime for.

[@askaliu2943]

i love it when someone actually worked it out, AND is able to explain, and apply the techniques with much modern understanding. and this proves the thing i always been saying when ever an arguement comes up about "is chinese martial art useless", that, chinese martial art itself, just like all other martial art is effective, and each style has its pros and cons, the issue is the modern soo called "masters" teaching it wrongly, and the extreme lack of actual meaningful sparring / combat experience with their own style. And that Dr Chang is cool af XD 👍

[@jollyknuckles2138]

I learned the first 3 parts of the Hao Style Slow Set, which has its base in Yang Style. I was taught Play the Pipa was to manipulate the shoulder socket to push the opponent off balance like Kevin said. It can also be an elbow break. Great video!

[@SaiyanParmos]

This is amazing I love how they showed some Tai chi applications. A true practitioner right there

[@MRLuckyE85]

What great and humble personalities to encounter in the world of martial arts! Some faster or rougher than others in teaching/lecture methods, and are educational in all their own ways. I do personally like this method, and have always been a proponent of it. Show the technique alone, demonstrate with an opponent, slowly and allowing to showcase it in each part, then in combination. It feels more like a book being read out loud to give you the knowledge of the technique, rather than depending on demonstration of its power or speed to show the damage, or surprise it can inflict. Of course, as a student, it's of benefit to always be humble and have trust your teacher will not harm you for lack of their own control in demonstration. Flinching can lead to just as much harm by accident! I love the breakdowns, alongside the roots of what you'd see in "kata" (sorry, karate background, and I don't know the other terms that lead to the practical application. This is yet another spectacular video.

[@erykkai]

Great to see combat & defense applications for Tai Chi.

[@crcmunro1963]

I've studied taichi for a number of years , and my master showed me the martial side of it before the peaceful side ...so powerful

[@RainCloudwalker]

Incredible teacher. The practical applications blew my tiny mind.

[@CKevni]

Great video Kev! The rabbit hole of learning just keeps getting deeper and deeper.

[@Jenjak]

His dojo equipement says a lot on his martial skills. I see weights and protective gear which is bearly a thing in most Taiji schools.

[@peikonpoika83]

what about those plastic ak's :D

[@Jenjak]

@@peikonpoika83 I didnt see those XD

[@peikonpoika83]

yeah,personally i would avoid a instructor who teaches bringing martial arts into a gunfight @@Jenjak

[@Jenjak]

@@peikonpoika83 I agree. -1 point for him. Still look like a cool teacher though.

[@CanadaFree-ce9jn]

Tai Chi or Taiji is victim to a lot of McDojoisms; I was in one such school and never learned a single technique 6 months in. I then joined a Jujutsu school and learned from day one some of the applications of Tai Chi! If anyone is suffering in a Tai Chi McDojo, I recommend the book, "Taiji Chin Na" by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming where you will learn how to use your Tai Chi on a person. Get together with a fellow student that feels like you and learn the applications carefully outside of class if the teacher only knows nothing but the forms as exercise.

[@baldieman64]

Moving people through alignment and structure is a next level skill. I could do it to a degree, but full speed against a resisting opponent was often beyond me.

[@taichipandabat6153]

that is why Tai Chi Chuan is so deadly and people that goes around trying to do it needs to becareful, its like a double edge sword if not done properly and obey the principles you can run yourself in trouble. There is a saying in Tai Chi don't fight the person let the person fight themselves, use their strength against them. Easy said than done and requires alot of patience. btw i have been doing Tai Chi for 10 years now going 11

[@ricks4361]

Great demonstration solid. Have been learning Yang style for 10+ years and have not seen the separation kicks w the head throw 3:00 used that way. As Dr Cheng explained there are many variations available off of each single movement of the form depending upon situations. Thank you both.

[@BASE5NYC]

I live a few blocks from Chinatown in NYC and all the older people gather every morning and do their Tai Chi routines in the parks. It’s awesome to watch. Interesting to see it used this way.

[@terada2423]

Hey Kevin, great video. Just beginning myself with Tai Chi Yang style. Thanks for being on the receiving end of the demonstration of Dr Chengs technique.

[@tarasyanishevskyi6254]

WoW! I am impressed with this video and Tai Chi martial art. Great!

[@blaa443blaa2]

This was so good! Is amazing how great masters you can find nowadays around the World in different arts!

[@sammynatal6471]

I would love for my children to study under this Sifu. Much respect for his mastery.

[@noway4875]

My sifu is in China Wong yi mun nam Kung fu he knows the dim mak he learn yang style from dong ying Jie

[@RavenShinyThings]

@noway4875 has he ever stunned someone with those dim mak strikes, who had good defense and fighting skills themselves?

[@kbanghart]

​@@RavenShinyThingshopefully not

[@mtlim9146]

I am really impressed . Fantastic demonstration... You really show us what Chinese martial arts is all about.. thanks a lot . Hopefully you'll show us more !😅

[@Jenjak]

So cool to see a good Taichi teacher in action on a youtube channel !

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@BawdProductions]

Awesome... I started Yang Style when I was fourteen as an addition to my Shaolin Training. Love them all.

[@KeyserSoze23]

Tai Chi's combat effectiveness lies in its emphasis on redirecting an opponent's force rather than meeting it head-on, leveraging leverage, angles, and timing over brute strength. Its fluid movements enable practitioners to maintain balance and adapt to changing situations seamlessly, exploiting opponents' vulnerabilities. Tai Chi cultivates sensitivity to energy and relaxation under pressure, allowing for swift, efficient responses. Unlike MMA's aggressive approach, Tai Chi's strategy prioritizes efficiency and harmony, potentially disarming adversaries with minimal force while preserving the practitioner's energy for extended engagements.

[@te9591]

Basically that's aikido. Personally i think it was prolly developed as slow movement to strengthen a faster form of martial art while disguising it to look like a mystic dance.

[@Steel9k]

Well all combat systems effectiveness relies in avoiding head on damage and inflicting damage without the target avoiding (neutralising) it Any fighter eating an effective, real attack takes damage .. which can mean the end of the fight if the damage is high enough. With weapons it's even more obvious.

[@kevinhammond2187]

Tony H'o once submitted a room full of gracies😅

[@te9591]

@@kevinhammond2187 that a aikido champ?

[@florianhaas1848]

yeah...sounds really like a plan. Everyone has a plan....until he gets sth on his mouth😂 But really...no...its not effective.

[@punisher7772]

The graceful movements of Tai Chi Chuan is impressive. I love the head twist followed by the round kick to the back of his head. The Chinese internal martial arts have a lot to offer the martial artist as far as effective combative techniques. But so very few know or simply don't teach the application of the forms. They have to pass it on to someone or else the art will die out. And that would be really a shame to lose that knowledge.

[@Devilsblood]

I love that these videos are coming out to shed new light on these classic martial arts practices and reinterpreting them. Good work

[@johndough8115]

This isnt a reinterpretation. Its how they are taught and used in actual applications. An Interpretation, is someone basically "Guessing" how things are supposed to work.

[@Devilsblood]

@johndough8115 I respectfully disagree. It's because martial arts like Wing chun and Tai chi were always seen as jokes in the martial arts community. Seen as silly as a grown man dressing up as a jedi to see the next star wars film. Nobody believed that Tai chi was an effective martial arts, it was always seen as a goofy exercise that elderly people did at the park with movements that didn't resemble fighting. The reason I said that this vid is a reinterpretation, was because it was to show the real intention of a martial art that many have been saying is ineffective. I want these old martial arts style to still have a place in the world of MMA's and BJJ's.

[@johndough8115]

​@@Devilsblood Unfortunately, You, like most... are getting it Backwards. The Chinese arts have ALWAYS been Effective and Lethal. Its only after the Industrial era, where people stopped training hard enough... that the practitioners no longer were capable fighters. Im 50 yrs old today. I started doing Wing Chun when I was 20 yrs old. By age 23, the local blackbelt fighters from various arts schools... could rarely get a single hit on me... while I was lighting them up (Many of which were much larger and stronger than myself). Im my late 30s... I did a demo for an MMA fighter. I told him try to hit me... with any kind of handstrikes. I told him that he was allowed to use BOTH of his arms... but that I would limit myself to only using ONE arm against his Two. He almost laughed in my face... But after realizing that I was serious... he started firing strikes at me. For the next 2 min., he tried his best, but I easily deflected his every attempt. This caused him to get embarrassed, and thus, severely angered. As such, he decided to amp up to full power... against our previously agreed "Medium" levels of power (for safety sake). Of course, since power is FELT, nor SEEN... I didnt know this, until it was way too late. He fired off a combination: High right hook, immediately followed by a low line punch towards my abdomen. He smiled as he was throwing his hook... as if to say "I got this dude now!". I used an upwards forearm deflection to easily nullify his hook. I then took a single step backwards, while dropping my forearm vertically down into the path of his Incoming left "strike in progress". I used a downwards vectored Forearm deflection, with about 10% level of Fajin (short range explosive power) on it. At medium levels... and only 10%... that normally would not be enough to cause any issues / damages. However... since he chose to go full power + full speed.. with actual intent to harm... this vastly multiplied the impact potentials. His arm was easily deflected... but also, the impact almost shattered his arm / wristbone. He stopped fighting.. completely confused at what just happened. He was expecting to see me curled up on the ground, gasping for air. Instead, he was grabbing his wrist in pain... and I was still standing. I spent the next 2 min. explaining step by step, what transpired.. and how everything worked. He then smiled wide, shook my hand... called me a G0D, and said that he had never seen nor felt anything like that, in his entire Life. I said "Imagine if I had used Both of my arms". At this, he sobered up, realizing that I had merely been Toying with him... and still managed to injure him. I asked if he wanted to see more... and he agreed. We had THREE more 2 to 3 minute exchanges. The First was Kicks vs Kicks (Any Kicks or Leg Defenses only). He was proficient in Muay Thai kicks... but, Using Wing Chuns advanced soft leg fencing methods... I easily intercepted and deflected his every attempted kick. Right after the interceptions.. I immediately threw some rapidfire chained counter kicks to multiple places. He had no way to defend against them. By the end of the round, he had not been able to score a single kick. I had lit him up the entire time. The next round, was dual arms, vs dual arms (no legs / kicks). This time, I was able to use WC's trapping hands methods. It was a total slaughter. Id intercept, pin trap, then pummel him with multiple rapidfire handstrikes. He spend most of the round, trying to defend.. and failing. He didnt get a single hit on me... while I used him like a personal punching bag / wooden dummy. The final round, was "Anything Goes" (All limbs in play). This was the shortest rounds.. lasting about 70 seconds, before he stopped the fight. I would intercept his kick, step in, trap him up.. and pummel away. Or Id throw a kick, step and plant down into trapping hands... then pummel. It was nothing but non stop flurry of hits... and he had nothing that he could do to stop any of it. Eventually he realized how severely outclassed he was.. and stopped the match. Mind you... all of this was done, with bare fists... as I was at a mutual friends house, and didnt have any gear there. By this time... his Injury was causing him a LOT of pain... and so we called it a night. Id hear from my mutual friend, that before the end of the hour, his injury had swelled up nearly double in size... and that he was in great pains for many days to follow. The dude was no Joke either. He had previously trained in Krav Maga, before claiming that it wasnt realistic enough... so then moved into MMA training. He was eventually in the US Military, and he taught dudes there, how to fight. He had textbook level techniques: Fast, Accurate, and Powerful. He was a hair taller than me.. with a slight reach advantage, but about the same build. He was also about 5 yrs younger than me. Its not that he wasnt good... but that, he was going up against much better Technology... that he had no relevant training / answers for. And of course, I was not a "Casual" practitioner either... I was a Masterclass level fighter, by that point. Had I wanted to Cripple or End the dude, I could have done so, in less than 3 seconds flat, with Ease. But as good as I ever way... If you took a time machine back to see the Pre-Industrial period of China... I would not have stood much of a chance, against the fighters back then. They trained much longer, and much more hardcore... and had far more combat experience against other arts methods + weapons based combat experience.

[@Devilsblood]

@johndough8115 interesting backstory, but it still doesn't change the situation that old school martial arts are facing today. Now I'm on the side of old martial arts and am rooting for them to come out on top. You can't deny all the bad mouthing they have been getting. Don't you remember that video with the Chinese MMA guy beating up that classical martial arts guy to a pulp? I don't even need to tell you what's going on, they have vids of people trashing martial arts and saying a bunch of crap about them. I don't take part in that because I think history is important and has a place for future martial arts.

[@johndough8115]

@@Devilsblood Xudong is a Chinese CCP Shill. Those he chose to fight, were either cherry picked dudes that were clueless and Inexperienced... Or.. "Paid Fall Guys". The CCP does not want their general citizens to be able to have access to High level combat technology... as they still fear their own people rising up against them. Thats why they went after Falun Gong... despite it being proven not to have any combat teaching in it. They were just that fearful, seeing ever increasing numbers of citizens practicing it... that they hunted them all down... and ended up selling their Organs in the Black Market (typically to other CCP Members). The Chinese like to Copy a lot of things... and this is no different. They copied the same Scam as the Gracies. The Gracies made their way into fame.. by falsely claiming to be fighting various "Masters". Anyone with about 1 year of experience in the arts, could EASILY see that all of these cherry picked fighters, were completely Inept / Inexperienced / clueless. Easily exploited, with a simple feint tactic... into a basic takedown. None of the Gracies ever fought against a REAL Masterclass level fighter... and trust me... they Never will. They know the actual dangers of going up against someone whom knows what they heck they are doing. They want No part of it. Sadly... millions of young and ignorant minds.. were easily Brainwashed into thinking that BJJ, is the top martial art in the world. They dont even know, that BJJ is just watered down Jujitsu (Jujitsu being a much more Complete art). Meanwhile, I went to spar at a Jujitsu school... and since their fighters were being extremely disrespectful to me (and others), I decided to teach them a lesson. I proceeded to Knock Out their top 3 Blackbelt level grapplers, one after another. Same method. Short range vertical punch to their foreheads. Less than 6 inches of travel, from my mostly extended Lead guard hand. I never needed more than 15% of my full potentials, to do it. Those dangerously stupid.. high to low feint tactics, just dont work against a high level combat fighter, like myself. They were also very fortunate that I chose to be NICE to them.. allowing them past my Oblique Kicks to their Kneecaps. The sad thing is... if you go out there and actually harm a fighter to prove your abilities... you get Demonized globally. And or.. you get accused of Fakery. Also, its not just the CCP that dont want general citizens to know high level combat technology. The Globalist "Elite" have been intentionally corrupting all of the Arts, for a very, very, long time. I also believe they execute certain teachers that either dont play ball... and or, are teaching way too many students.. too effectively. I believe this was the case of a Sifu that was teaching Wing Tsun, not that long ago. Furthermore... its easy for them to Lock out a Teacher from mass exposure... by tampering with site algorithms, and or Shadow-Banning such people.

[@davidtice4972]

I throughly enjoyed this. I teach grappling, MMA and self-defense I see many things similar to what I teach and I got some new ideas here I will teach.

[@Crystals10000]

I love seeing these other martial arts being practical,keep it going :D

[@uclagymnastx-ing]

It's so cool to see you on this channel, Dr. Mark Cheng!

[@deangreen381]

Wow, very cool, thanks for sharing and special thanks for the english subtitles. That helps me as a non native english speaker!

[@AlexTseng007]

Thanks for demonstrating how playing the lute(手揮琵琶), to ward off(棚), commencing(起勢), and sing while(單邊) are applied in a real fight, benefitting me a lot. As a Tai-Chi learner, there are still unknown applications in the Yang's Style 13 Form, and 64 Form for me, such as to ward off in stepping forward and backward (上步棚,退棚), to roll back in stepping backward(退步履), to push in stepping backward (退步按), Heught pat on horse(高探馬), needle at sea bottom(海底針), Appears closed(如風似閉), Fan through back(扇通背), Raising Hands and Stepping Forward(提手上勢), Turn Body, Right Heel Kick (回身(右)蹬脚)etc. If the above form can be demonstrated in thier applications, that will be great!

[@couchpotatter]

Hey! I was taking MA classes from this guy at UCLA gym back in the 90s!... Amazing to see him pop up!

[@thestonewolf]

Every few years I would go to Chinese Martial Arts (various Kung Fu's, Win Chun, Win Tsun etc.). I did this because I didn't believe they were practical. The only source I have found that made any sense came from a KZbin channel... this one. Kevin has made me appreciate elements of these arts which is crazy considering I have sought this from personal experience over many years without success.

[@FreeSalesTips]

Ramsey Dewey has a video titled "Tai Chi is basic wrestling". Check out his demonstration of applying the forms in combat.

[@ehisey]

Honestly does not suprise me. To much has been lost over the last 100 years. You can find records in China from masters in the 1930's lamenting the lack of students wanting to learn to properly practice the skills. Combine this with Chinese masters by the 1950's simply not wanting to pass one the fighting applications as they felt there was no value to modern society in the applications, and focused on the health benefits and aesthetic of the arts

[@Arcknight9202]

That was really awesome! Thanks for sharing, Kevin. I would love to see more demonstrations of this in the future.

[@10base-teaparty97]

I love how Kevin has this knack for identifying what I'm going to see as novel and gets all excited about it. Even having seen a bunch of these, in the beginning when he's all "ohhh we have to show that from the other angle" I'm going "whatever, I've seen a Steven Seagal movie, elbow stuff" but no, what they show is in fact, really cool. I'm surprised every time and learn something I didn't expect.

[@alexanderren1097]

Fantastic video! I have a background in Karate so our forms look significantly different but I think a lot of the same close range striking and grappling principles are encoded into both sets of forms just in different expressions and ways to perform them. I feel like there’s going to be a huge renaissance in “traditional” martial arts styles using these practical analyses of the forms

[@chriseliopoulos9351]

Kevin, you sir are a gracious host. You allow your subjects to fully express their perspective. Then we can decide whether we would actually use it in a real altercation or not. Thank you & keep up the good work…

[@yvesnarbonne6688]

Impressive! Nice video, thanks!

[@Painfullyshy5650]

It's great to see Yang in application. Thank you so much!

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@michaelblack9458]

Awesome to see applications of simple movement

[@SodaPopin5ki]

Blast from the past. I took Dr. Mark Cheng's Kung-Fu course at UCLA in the 90s, and would see him at the Inosanto Academy while I was there. Thanks Kevin for the help at the Seminar last weekend! We were having trouble with dummy set application drill.

[@nabilabdrani3072]

It's always a pleasure to observe a master in action.

[@peterhurlander522]

Wow, I practice Martial Arts for 15 Years and never know, what I learn today about Tai Chi for Combat. This Master ist really a sympatic one and please show Us more from this cool and good English speaking Master 😉

[@markm1261]

Oh the memories. I remember how can something so gentle be so bold ? My eyes opened seeing a similar flow with Aikijitsu

[@tombrown9460]

I had some taichi training in my 20's. What shocks me until now, in my 60's, even though i had limited training the moves come out without thought when needed.

[@PracticeTaiji]

Nice to see Taiji on your channel. Dr. Cheng is an exceptionally competent martial artist. Though there's another important aspect of Taiji that wasn't covered here. I'd be happy to introduce you to it, Kevin. Keep up the great work.

[@GabrielPeaceforall]

Nice to see the approach. Myself been doing tai chi since 30 years and it works without planning so far. Always more to learn always alot of love peace and balance as a result ❤ You help the opponent to fight himself.

[@jarrodpelrine7229]

Thanks for this Kevin I started cross training different martial artist around 1998 in my experience the teacher's I came across that practiced whatever along with Tai Chi were always the most skilled and knowledgeable hands down Tai Chi is the top of the food chain when it comes to stand up combat

[@matthiasrigling2305]

so why does nobody train tai chi who does mma?

[@jesusiskingofkingss]

Dude go see a brain doctor 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@4saken404]

Wow this is amazing. It's so rare to see Tai Chi applications! Fortunately I was lucky enough to find a teacher that knew some but most of his students (as well as him) were older so he didn't get into it all that much. So a lot of this stuff is new to me. And shockingly effective! But something interesting is that the martial applications work both ways. Not only are there martial applications hidden in the forms but knowing the actual applications also helps with the art. It cleans up your forms! We were all doing a move - I forget which one, sadly. But it's one of the ones where one of your hands comes down but is in a slightly different position than with another move which comes more naturally. I had always struggled with and was confused by the nuances. So I asked my teacher and he simply explained to imagine you're being kicked in the groin. And just like that everyone in the class instantly got the hand position and foot stance down 100%. 😅

[@MrTacklebury]

I've always said that Tai Chi is an under estimated art. I actually learned a few and also use them for stretching routines after workouts. I'd love to find someone teaching here, but not many in my area.

[@latemanparodius5133]

Part of the trouble of Tai Chi is that it takes patience. A lot of folks want to get to the flashy stuff right away, but learning things takes time. Tai Chi is calm and relaxed as you're going through the form, as opposed to things like breaking boards and kicks that some other martial arts do. So... it leads people to go for the more visually impressive instead of Tai Chi, even though Tai Chi can really mess someone up. When I've looked at other martial arts, though, it seems like it starts as physical training and as things get more advanced, they get more skill oriented. Tai Chi, it's like it's inverted. Very skill heavy at first, and you build the strength as you go. I've dabbled a little with adding weights as I do form, and it really makes sure you have everything just right.

[@ryantinloy4965]

Dr. Mark Cheng is amazing, I followed some of his content on X in the past. Thank you for sharing.

[@btkhan7629]

Can we have more of Mark explaining some more of the Tai Chi applications. It was so illuminating. Thank you .

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@AndrewUKLondon]

Great video. Love it. Beautiful movements, connected through the whole body with release, showing the marital use.

[@floydraabe6959]

Wow, as a martial artist myself, I've always liked the Bruce Lee quote about soft arts for health, thank you gentlemen for showing the application of Tai chi

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@leejahn8856]

A thousand likes. I don't know if I've ever seen tai chi applied so effortlessly and effectively. I am curious as to whether many practitioners learn and practice the applications that were demonstrated? Would be interested in hearing feedback. I would guess that Dr. Cheng can make these techniques work at full speed but were he to do so in a 'not nice' way, I think it would be very hard on the attacker. Would be interested in hearing how he pressure tests his awesome techniques to have gotten to where he is at? Finally for what to try next, Dr. Chen explains his techniques very well. Would be interested in hearing him talk about just about anything, unbalancing, training method, is meditation a big part of his training, breakdown of time spend moving slowly vs quickly in training... Another suggestion for something to try next would be kali, how to enter and set up for disarms when opponent is attacking with speed and power from different angles and not just feeding you the stick. If I may say so, I like your work Kevin. Great job!

[@jamesthaxton5553]

That was a very good video. Kudos to you and Dr Cheng who taught. I study a different art, i.e. Isshinryu Karate. However, I saw elements of one of my katas in his movements, and it gave me new directions in translating those movements into locks and throws. Kudos.

[@GermanSausagesAreTheWurst]

A famous Isshin Ryu sensei named Mike Calandra also does Tai Chi. He says it changed his Karate for the better. He has a good KZbin channel. Look him up

[@jamesthaxton5553]

I am familiar with Master Calandra. However, I wasn't aware that he did Tai Chi. Thanks for the info.​@@GermanSausagesAreTheWurst

[@GermanSausagesAreTheWurst]

@@jamesthaxton5553 He is very good at it. He became a formal disciple of Master Chen. It's amazing how much stuff he knows.

[@Geekman333]

Love it. Traditional styles get a lot of hate in the modern world. Truth is, traditional styles are a much longer road to proficiency and the development of internal energy. It's well worth the journey.

[@KnowPorcelain1]

One of the best things in martial arts is seeing what people see, then showing them what they don't see, great content.

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@robcampbell6927]

This is awesome and thanks for sharing! I highly appreciate the respect shown as well as the instruction!

[@zer0tzer0]

Good to finally see practical Tai Chi. Ramsey Dewy talked about meeting a very old Master of Tai Chi in China, and he couldn't lay a glove on him without being throw to the ground.

[@tofuninja5489]

3:45 the crash sound and the proceeding 'wow...' was perfect XD

[@unifedgongfu]

there are so many ways doing same the same form. and each make a different analysis. but the important thing is to make the practical analysis. you can train the form slowly or fast - develops different things, and use same movement for many different applications. it is very important to spar and see how the clean training is coming true in more dirty conditions. Taiji is much more than just combat or just longevity etc.

[@chrishart3090]

GREAT video! Thanks for sharing such great value.

[@lilbearbjj]

Great video. I practice yang style mainly for meditation, posture and balance as a supplement art for my jiujitsu but now I have a better understanding of it. Thank you.

[@georgecardiff1946]

That was absolutely brilliant Kevin,,fantastic guest by the way.

[@JustinThorts]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZnThmqngduBsKM

[@josephbrewster1169]

Anybody that wants to take any martial art seriously as a fighting technique has to pay attention to the commonalities of motion that these actual masters are getting to. 1.Their footwork is often the same. As in, the place they move their lead foot in relation to yours. 2.They block punches with hand, elbow and shoulder and step into the opponent. 3. Distance control. 4. Opponent elbow control. Now, I'm not saying that this guy is automatically a great fighter. What I am saying is that the other 'masters' you see on the internet, getting their asses beat, obviously don't spar against live competition and this guy obviously has. There is a clear separation.

[@Zictomorph]

I like this guy. Very much in line with the Wu style I was learning.

[@FirstLast_Nba]

That was very enlightening.