Taichi

[tszlai]

Hi, I am a newbie from Hong Kong. I don't know whether taichi practitioners would be a rare breed here.

I hurt myself very badly in the thigh at age 18 when doing taekwondo. Now I am 32. I have read Mr Kurz' book and regained my flexibility and am able to do the front split now after 6 months of trying. (In fact, I was not able to do the front split even when I was 18.)

OK. That's it for my testimony. Finally my question.

I have been doing taichi for 2 years and have started to be able to relax myself. As everyone knows, one important training part of taichi is the slowly-performed routines. All taichi instructors say the relaxed slow motion can increase coordination, sensation,... and thus speed.

Is it possible?

-- From a confused taichi student who have been shown the martial arts application and who have read a little about speed training

[dragon]

I've never met anyone who practices only Tai chi,and so i've never seen just how fast such an individual could be.
I think that to be fast you have to practice being fast,it's not something that happens by accident(unless you are naturally gifted).
That said,i do agree with what your tai chi instructors said.To be able to hit fast(or hard for that matter) requires correct body position(Tai chi from what i have experienced is great for teaching balance whilst moving) and staying relaxed before the impact(either tensing on impact for power or the recoil/whip for speed).Again,Tai chi teaches this.

From my point of view i think Tai chi is good supplimental training for speed but i would also do specific speed drills too.

Dragon

[Thomas Kurz]

I have been doing taichi for 2 years and have started to be able to relax myself. As everyone knows, one important training part of taichi is the slowly-performed routines. All taichi instructors say the relaxed slow motion can increase coordination, sensation,... and thus speed.

Is it possible?

Yes, it is possible.

Slow, relaxed movements teach getting rid of unnecessary tension, wasteful motions, and “blank spots” in techniques. (Blank spots are points of a technique, which an athlete cannot imagine properly while thinking about the technique. These spots are the cause of technical errors in physical performance. More on it in “Science of Sports” at p. 31 and p. 183.)

But there is more to tai chi than slow, relaxed motion. See Chen-style tai chi. As I see it, the point of tai chi is to develop relaxed, well-timed, spontaneous and uninhibited application of force. This may come through reaching high awareness of movement--be it by moving slow or fast, very relaxed or very tensed.

More at http://www.nytaichi.com/martial.htm and http://www.c-c-c.org/classes/TaiChi.htm .