Tai Chi Sword

[Coolwater]

Welllllll... our open hand class is expanding into a sword form. It starts Tuesday. I sure hope it's a short form and that I'm better with a sword in my hand than I am with an open hand!

[appeace]

Oh how Cool!;)
I wanted to study sword forms but never found anyone in my small town who had any experience with them.
I know you can do it!

Good luck:D

[Littledevil]

good luck. I am sure you'll do well.

[Coolwater]

Oh, I expect that eventually I'll get it: in tai chi you're "a beginner for forty years," you know. I consider myself terpischorically impaired, but our sifu says I get points for persistence and am much better than I was when we started.

[pukkie]

Good Luck !!

[Coolwater]

Thanks, pukkie. So, here is my latest piece of silliness: most of the beginners swords all look the same, so I ordered a simple sword from a school shop in Pennsylvania. I phoned and talked to the sifu there about the size and weight. The sword came, and I took off the tassel and added one that is a bit different, so that I can tell mine from the rest. I was ready!

Well, I outwitted myself. The sword teacher here uses a form that includes some very close moves that other forms don't have, and my new sword is about 2 inches too long. I'm likely to chop myself in the ear as the sword goes past!!:eek: David, our open hand sifu, said that he's never seen a move like that one, and the guy in PA never had heard of that, either. I guess I'm going to have to undo my pretty tassel with the green dragon and the gold beads, put the red tassel back on and exchange it for a shorter sword.

heh! You should have seen David and Nancy, the sword sifu, dancing around with my Nerf sword. It is exactly the right size! :D

[Coolwater]

First class. You know you're doing it wrong when you hit yourself in the butt with your sword. :rolleyes:

[L_Shell]

First class. You know you're doing it wrong when you hit yourself in the butt with your sword. :rolleyes:

At least it wasn't anything else or anyone for that matter.

[appeace]

Bwaaaa--so sorry, Cool.:o What an image:D Thank God you not using a staff or aluminum sword????;)

[Coolwater]

We ARE using aluminum swords! Very light and flexible, though. Lucky for me: lf these were real swords, I'd be in a world of hurt. Let me see if I can find a picture for you.

[appeace]

Yes, I have seen those--I was thinking more along the line of the hard ones as used on Highlander. Even though not sharp, they can inflict a nasty cut or bruise if mis-handled:eek:

----still a very funny image:D

[Coolwater]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Coolwater/sword.jpg

This is from the shop where I got mine.

[appeace]

Hey--neat! I like that one, tho it does look like you could still cause some damage with it!
Better wear a be-hind shield--lol;)

[Coolwater]

Oh, har de har, :p:D How about a chain mail tunic for a "rear guard action?"

The blade is whippy, so if you were to poke someone with it, it would bend. Mind, if you caught someone in the eye, you could hurt him, but otherwise, I think the worst you could do would be to offend your target.

[renate]

:o:o no doubt and good one on the hiney shield :D:p

Renate

[Coolwater]

Siiiighhhh... I suppose that until I get the move down, I should wear an aluminum tray on my seat.

[appeace]

Hehehe--no need. Im sure you will get the move quickly!:D
Even if not, if thats the only "damage" you incur, count yourself lucky.
My brother knocked himself out trying a nunchuck kata!:eek:
Of course, dont listen to big sis who told him not to start with wooden ones!:rolleyes:

[Coolwater]

heh heh! Foam might have been a better choice!

[appeace]

Yup--although I think my chucks sustained more damage than his head did!:rolleyes:;)

[Coolwater]

Well, I don't know exactly what this form is, but it's not tai chi. Sifu David agrees, but we've decided to keep doing it anyway. The teacher swears it's a form of tai chi, "but it's wushu." Wushu just means any form of martial art, doesn't it?

One thing seems sure, and that is that this is a demonstration form of some sort. It's fairly short, and the movements are quick and have some pretty cool flourishes. There are fast tai chi forms, but I've never seen one with flourishes. Tai chi tends to be slow, functional ,and rather plain. This form is fairly quick, and has us showing off, and cradling our blades against our forearms, something you'd never want to do with a live blade.

Dear Lord, I sound just like an Amish person, don't I? "Flashy, ain't? Zee's sinnin'.""

[appeace]

I know the teacher one town over has a Wushu Kung Fu school. I have seen them demonstrate cane and sword forms and they were very quick with flourishes. Much more showy than our Tae Kwon Do forms which are more street fight oriented.

Didnt Tai Chi begin as a hard fight form then evolve into the slow, exercise, meditative form we are used to today?

[Coolwater]

Welllll... depends on whom you ask. About the evolution, I mean. There are folks that use tai chi for meditation and medication, of course, but it's still a hard fight form. In other words, once you learn the moves, you're supposed to learn to do them for fighting. How that part happens is a matter of some argument. There is general agreement that the moves will be in your brain when you learn to do them internally (slowly), and while some say that's all you need, the serious practitioners say no, there has to be more than just learning the form. Some argue that you have to practice the forms fast and spar aggressively, and others argue that push hands ( a strange little form of balance sparring) and a more judo-like approach (employ your enemy's aggression against him) is best. I have to say, some of those old slow guys are really impressive; their timing is so perfect, that they seem to merely step, reach out, and the younger, faster opponent just falls down. Those sifus aren't working up a sweat at all.

Then there are the Chen practitioners who make a lot of claims about how their extreme form is the first and only true tai chi, and that the later forms, like the most common Yang forms, have moves that are are "agreeable," and easy. Well, certainly they are easier than the extreme extensions that the Chen gang promotes, but it is also supposed to be harder to knock down a Yang practitioner because their stances are, well, less extreme. Nancy Falconer takes tai chi as a serious martial art and she gave us a demonstration a couple of years ago. She does both Yang and Chen, and for a variety of weapons. Her Yang form is pretty fierce when she does it fast, and she sure doesn't sneer at it!

I wouldn't know the truth of it, however. When they say, "30 years a beginner," they mean me.

[appeace]

I did see a program on tv which explained part of what you said. However, from the film makers source, Tai Chi was explained as originating from the Shaolin monks as a hard form then was translated into a soft form by other instructors.
There was a section showing a monk doing the hard version and I would be very hesitant to take him on!

Yes, 30 years a beginner! Ive been learning for long and I always say "learning" because I always find something new about my art every so often.

I would love to learn TaiChi but we have no local instructors and, thus far, Ive not found a internet instructional link that did not cost an arm and a leg--but I am still looking!:D

[Coolwater]

I would love to learn TaiChi but we have no local instructors and, thus far, Ive not found a internet instructional link that did not cost an arm and a leg--but I am still looking!:D

Or maybe donate the fees to a children's fund? ;)

[appeace]

??--you lost me there:eek:

[Scarpetta]

DVD's can teach some elements. Perhaps as a martial art form, Coolwater understands much more than I. I like it for its exercise/relaxation and according to this article, it has many benefits.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091004141000.htm

In part:

Researchers theorize that the technique may be effective because Tai Chi promotes coordination through relaxation, rather than muscular coordination.

Lot of links even on that page.

No doubt learning such a discipline is best served by individual/class instruction, but in lieu of that, seek out a good DVD!

[appeace]

Hey--good idea, Scarpetta!--thanks

Who would be the best teacher to look for?
It has to be the slow forms due to arthritis in my back--thats why I can no longer compete in Tae Kwon Do and even do those katas slower than usual.

Any suggestions?

[Scarpetta]

You may find this site helpful and there are some videos to observe the styles.

http://www.everyday-taichi.com/tai-chi-exercises.html

Have a look in the video clip section and see if any of the forms or qigong forms appeal to you.

Tai Chi for Arthritis was created from Sun and Yang styles to ease the pressure on joints and encourage mobility.

http://www.everyday-taichi.com/tai-chi-styles.html

[Coolwater]

Yes, it might be that if you take chi gong or one of the tai chi classes that specialize in arthritis, as Scarpetta suggests, you could improve enough to try a longer, more traditional form.

Oh, you should have heard us moaning and groaning in class last week! One torn rotator cuff (surgery next month), one pair of arthritic footses (mine), one permanently damaged wrist, achy muscles from flu shots, and an old shoulder injury from being in the very center of a gas explosion. That last was our sifu: I don't know why he isn't dead. About 20 years ago, he opened the oven door to see why it wasn't heating up and the next thing he knew he was getting up on his hands and knees, and the kitchen was gone. There was nothing left but rubble, and he wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious. :eek:

Anyway, the weather was cold and rainy and we were really whining! :D We did the form a couple of times, and everybody felt better except the fellow with the rotator cuff. Then we had a nice discussion about adapting the form individually to feel better instead of worse. That may prove to be the most useful class we've ever had

[Scarpetta]

Your sifu is both a fortunate and not so fortunate person!

As for the: Then we had a nice discussion about adapting the form individually to feel better instead of worse. That may prove to be the most useful class we've ever had

One must do that (adapt) or defeat the purpose. I just sometimes go for the 'bubble durbon' when that happens!

Sitting at a very cold football game made hip and shoulder problems more stiff, much more painful. When practicing Tai Chi only makes these things worse, alternative 'calm and tranquil' can be achieved temporarily with a hot toddy!

[appeace]

OMGoodness--was his Guardian Angel ever busy that day!:eek:
Yup, cold weather here making everything very stiff and achy:(
Thanks for the wonderful advice. Im going to check into finding a DVD on tai chi for arthritis and see if I cant adapt it until I get back enough flexability for regular tai chi.
Perhaps take off a few pounds in the process????--HOPE!
Taking a toddy before hand sounds like a great idea to loosen muscles-----or, at least, dull the pain!--ACkkkkk:rolleyes:

[Coolwater]

What, "drunken master" tai chi? :D Be sure to learn to fall first: that's one thing tai chi doesn't teach you. Sifu David was talking about watching a drunken master kung fu match; he said that the style prevents the opponent from guessing which direction the strike would be coming from, and it was hilarious to watch. Seriously, though, alcohol taken internally really is a good muscle relaxant.

Yeah, his shoulder still hurts, and as I said, he should have been blown to the same smithereens everything else was. He's taking the sword form in spite of the pain, because he thinks maybe the exercise will loosen or realign whatever got pinched. It hurts, and so I'm ambivalent about it. Arthritis is improved by exercise, but other forms of damage can be made much worse. Sifu says he'll give it the full six weeks, and if the shoulder gets worse instead of better, he'll quit.

Petta, what is bubble durbon? Do we drink it or think it?

BTW, Pet, while I may have some info in my head, mind that I've never claimed to be any good at actually doing this stuff! Three years has given me a bit more than half a long form (a reeeeeally long form), the basic steps of which a terpsichoric genius like AP would have had down in very short order. The phrase 30 years a beginner is very comforting, because it may actually take me that long.:rolleyes:

[appeace]

BBWAaaaaaaaaaa:D Falling down is exactly why I did not care for Judo or Hapkido!
I figure if a big, burly, guy gets me on the ground, I might as well give up cause its VERY unlikely Im gonna be able to get my old , fat derriere up fast enough to do anything!;)

Ive seen some demos of "drunken master" kung fu and it would certainly work against me. I laughed so hard I fell off the bleachers!:D

[Coolwater]

:D:D:D

[Coolwater]

Oh, Bubble durbon! I GET IT!

Once a nice molice pan, saw a bittle um,
Sitting on a sturb cone chewing gubble bum;
"Hey," said the mmolice pan, "won't you simme gum?"
"Chat fance molice pan," said th bittle lum.

[Scarpetta]

:D bittle lum! I probably threw you with the 'bubble', never could spell bouble! :D

[Coolwater]

Bubble sounds right! But combined with Durbon - a French city, isn't it?- it sounds like a cocktail with blobs of tapioca in it. Alternatively, there was a hoax about a Tibetan medical philosophy called Durbon, and for all I know, it could have had a metaphorical bubble in it, and you could have been a believer! :confused:

(mock pitiful) I try so hard to understand... :(
;):D

[Scarpetta]

Oh I am a believer in 'bubble/bouble-durbon'. Good for what ails you.

Tibetian medical philosophy/hoax? That sounds interesting.
Perhaps they needed a 'bubble durbon'!

[Coolwater]

A bubble durbon couldn't do any worse to them than the hoax did. Hoaxes are interesting; I think so, too. I spelled "dur bon" wrong, but since it's just an invention, it only matters as far as trying to find it on-line.

http://christopherhansard.blogspot.com/

Shades of Bridey Murphy! I think the bubble has already burst!

[Scarpetta]

He doesn't sound like a nice fella. Hook him up with
Orly Taitz !

[Coolwater]

My turn: WHO?

Hang on - I'll google the rascal.

[Coolwater]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/10/judge_smacks_down_birther_orly.html

Good grief. What a pea wit.

[appeace]

Yeah, Im not even an Obama fan, but I think this birther stuff is way wrong.
Even if he was born outside the US, he was born to a US citizen, thus making him a US citizen unless he renounced that citizenship at some point. Too hard to prove that--so deal with it!:cool:

[Coolwater]

yep. :cool: