When Strength Meets Skill: Rock Climber Discovers Tai Chi's Hidden Power

[@kingofaikido]

Oh Man, Chester..! You're a 'real master teacher' in the true sense of the term! You take what could potential become a confrontation, honor the energy coming in, whether intentional, verbal or physical or the combo and turn it around by melting around it, turning what might have gotten ugly into gold. Alchemy! The result is that everybody gets to feel like a superhero, which is, technically speaking, the end goal of taichi. I respect such teachers. Other strategies (which seem counter-productive) that I've encountered by different masters included such means as: A) Ignore the challenge, B) humiliate the student by throwing him, or C) both A+B and D) all the above and fail to teach anything except fear! Whereas, your measure of success in your classes seems to be that the student should succeed..! Whoa..!! What a revolutionary concept..!!

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Haha at A+B+D. You’re totally right though, the true measure of success is the students’ success! That’s why I say with every one of our online courses: this course is for you. 😃🙏

[@benjaminstevens6043]

Totally blown away. I would really really love to explore these skills. You're teaching leaves a real impression on me, thank you so much for the demonstration!

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Thank you for the kind comment! To the extent you would love to explore these skills, check out our online courses, from free qigong courses that benefit your health, to internal art fundamentals that fully explore the skills I share here! Thank you again for the comment and welcome to our community. 😃🙏

[@petertuongnguyen7999]

Superb!. No words can describe how deep and high level this teaching is.❤️😀 🙏🙏 Shifu.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Thank you for the high praise! 😃🙏

[@tempawestbrook7245]

Thanks for sharing👍

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Thank you for your kind comment! 😃🙌

[@kaisekiryori]

One of the very few people nowadays who can demonstrate the Qi and Yi levels of taiji (beyond the fascia work), v v rare!

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Thank you for the kind words. 😃🙏

[@robertjordon1984]

Thank you and very nice Sifu Chester. I just wondered is it possible to use the fascia techniques alone against your opponent if he is much bigger and stronger than you, I ask because I remember that fascia techniques are purely relaiant on physical strength and not involving the qi, song or yi? Also should the fscia techniques fail and you need to sink his force to say, your feet, to make the process work does it matter which foot you sink to or is it generally both feet? My understanding is that one usually sinks to the back foot but I suppose it depends on the posture.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

There’s some limit to how much bigger and stronger they can be. Like the incredible hulk can probably still push me over even if the hulk is totally off balance ha ha. Beyond that though, fascia techniques begin purely physically but move into a realm that is more than physical, into the realm of intention. We will explore that in the next video! When you sink your mass with Song, you can sink it to either foot. There’s no rule you must follow. And you’ll probably notice one or the other in the situation is easier or more ready for it! Good questions and thoughts! 😃🙏

[@outerlast]

i kind of want to see this type of demo with bodybuilders, if you have the chance to meet one of them :) and one question, is zhongding special, or are there also different meaning for the other four (forward, backward, left, right)?

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Next time I meet one willing to appear on KZbin with me I'll make a video ha ha. Zhongding is special. Left and right is really "look left and look right" so they carry elements of Yi intention and how that affects everything. To a certain extent you can consider all 4 cardinal directions as directions of expanding your awareness, with Zhongding as the anchor that keeps you grounded as your awareness expands. Does that make sense? Really great question, thank you! 😃🙏

[@outerlast]

@@phoenixmountaintaichi oh that's an interesting interpretation. thank you for your answer :)

[@aureumsilentium6518]

Thanks for sharing this, it's very interesting. Is it possible to get your course on your website by paying through Paypal?

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Yes send an email to us with the contact us link and we can arrange that. Thank you for your kind comment! 😃🙏

[@aureumsilentium6518]

@phoenixmountaintaichi Shifu It seems like I can't contact you through the "contact us" form, do you by any chance ave an email that I can write you to? Thanks

[@aureumsilentium6518]

PS I've also written on the website 's dashboard under another user's comment

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

@@aureumsilentium6518how odd! Use Zongqing Lin at phoenix mountain taichi, with no spaces of course, and a .com at the end. And I’ll try to fix the contact us link meanwhile!

[@kanedgy4562]

I watched the whole video and I still don’t understand,so it’s possible to combine physical strength with tai chi? it actually helps with it? and does it only help by using the muscle density you gain from training?

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Yes it is definitely possible to combine physical strength with Tai Chi. Tai Chi is not just turning off all your physical strength, but to discover the balance of the appropriate level of strength that supports your posture and movement, yet does not stiffen you to limit the capacity to transfer momentum or master your energy. Most often people are too tense so initial training emphasis is to relax and not force strength. Once you have calibrated to the right level of strength/relax balance, which is the true state of physical Song, we begin to train you to strengthen yourself so that your Song, built upon your fascia and connective tissue, can support even more force and transfer momentum more quickly. Most strong people though, have a hard time not using their muscles excessively. This gentleman is particularly good at relaxing and maintaining his body posture, due to his skill level with rock climbing. Does that make sense? Thanks for asking the interesting question! It is totally worth going into and clearing up! 😃🙏

[@krenx]

The physical body is trained and transformed in Tai chi, but it is not done in the way normal muscle building most of the world are used to. It involves releasing the Muscles and joints to gravity, maintaining certain conditions for a long time to allow fascia to stretch and transform into Taichi requirements. Muscle development is not the goal of Tai Chi training.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

@@krenx That's right. The primary goal of Tai Chi is to transform the body and its connections with the internal elements of our consciousness (Yi), energy (Qi), and spirit (Shen). Muscle development is not the goal of Tai Chi training, but appropriate level of muscle strength and physical health is good, to the extent that a healthy and worry-free body can help make this journey more comfortable and efficient. Good points! 😃🙌

[@krenx]

Refined fascia conditions is not something you can learn some quick technique to overcome. It is a quality that has been refined and cultivated over a long period of time. So for the rock climber who was trying to align his fascia to maintain balance, it is not really possible in that moment without having trained the proper conditions. These alignments is not something you can do, it is more like something you become. Thus the reason why authentic Taiji Quan is not easy to find, and not easy to train, and not easy to teach.

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

Good points! But I am glad that he tried and asked the interesting questions, so that we can see and learn a few things in this video. And his ability to organize his fascia is also not see quick simple technique. This is a fellow with some good instinct and talents for learning the internal arts. I'm glad to meet him! Thank you for your insightful comments! 😃🙏

[@andrewearlwu554]

2nd

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

🙌😃

[@TeShan-lf7kq]

🙏🎸☯️🕉️

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

🙌😃☯

[@gabaryahyasharahla2467]

Sifu Chester, i came across this video. And i fell you may be the only one who could explain or and provide clarity on what is displayed though i have watched your teaching on fa jin but i wanted to know if you were aware of the different methods provided: kzbin.infoWHuaufTOF94?si=SFfu0VHfPmsGa7yW thank you for your consideration ahead of time

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

That's a very nice demo. What he is showing are different "channels" of conducting force and momentum through the body. In the spiraling method, you are conducting the momentum through the superficial connective tissue fascia, as well as joints and tendons, to spiral the momentum from larger radius body parts (torso) into smaller parts (arms and hands). As the radius decreases, the velocity increases, causing a sharp transfer of momentum. In the integrated method, you are firmly connecting the body together with your connective tissue allowing the entire mass to transfer at once like a wrecking ball. In the shaking method, you are producing one wave of force in one direction, and then sharply reversing it, much like cracking a whip. This creates a sharp increase in relative acceleration, like pulling a rug out from under someone while they are running forward on it, they will shoot forward even faster. This combined with the whip like mechanism of decreasing body mass as we move from torso to hand, causes an acceleration in velocity as well. Because momentum transfer is mass1 * velocity1 = mass2 * velocity2. So as mass1 (body) decreases to mass2 (hand), velocity increases by the same ratio. Does that help? 😃

[@gabaryahyasharahla2467]

YOU ARE BRILLIANT. TRULY. That was extremely clear. Now which do you prefer if your preference was displayed. Or are there other versions that better compliment your martial personality. Again i knew i came to the right source. Thanks ahead of time. Im watching you latest video as we type/speak. 😊​@@phoenixmountaintaichi

[@gabaryahyasharahla2467]

Also it seems the first is tai chi the second is xing yi and the third is bagua. Correct me if my analysis is off I know one can use what seems fit but each style does have an intrinsic energy characteristic

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

@@gabaryahyasharahla2467 Ooo I like how you phrased it "versions that better compliment your martial personality". I enjoy freedom and spontaneity, so I like jin expressions that allow me to move in any direction at any moment. Integrated jin can do this. Spiral jin can mostly do this, but is limited in directions that we can spiral in. Whipping jin does not do this because of the two steps required to release one direction of jin. I like the non-elastic jins used in Yang Tai Chi, because the lack of elastic tension allows me to fully experience the energetic qualities of Tai Chi practice while preserving maximum freedom and spontaneity. I quite agree with you about preference and martial personality. To me, the ability for us to each refine ourselves and our art, to express ourselves completely and truthfully through our movements, is what makes this a martial ART. It may be a sport, and it may be a combat method, but when you fully express yourself through it, it is art, is it not? 😃🖌

[@phoenixmountaintaichi]

@@gabaryahyasharahla2467 That can be true. There are Tai Chi that are more spiraling (Chen style) and less spiraling (Sun style). Xingyi is well known for its integrated power yes. And there are schools of Xingyi that uses whipping force, such as Song family, and ones that use spiraling force more, such as Che family. In Bagua too there is schools of substantial coiling such as Sun Zhijun's Cheng style, and schools that are more integrated jin, such as Gong Baotian's Yin style, as well as schools that notably uses whipping, such as Gao Yisheng's Gao style. Look up these styles on KZbin and you can see how different masters enjoy and emphasize different aspects of the art. And it is a testimony to the depth of the arts when you see all the ways it can be expressed by different masters! 😃