I Thought Tai Chi Was USELESS?
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- Today I'm visiting Dr. Mark Cheng to learn Tai Chi applications for real fighting (Yang style). Although Taichi is a popular health practice, it's a Chinese martial art designed for self-defense... not relaxation or mindfulness!
Filmed by William Ustav
☯️ BIO: Jesse Enkamp a.k.a The Karate Nerd™ is a #1 Amazon Best-Selling Author, National Team Athlete, Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur, Carrot Cake Lover & Founder of Seishin International - The World’s Leading Karate Lifestyle Brand.
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WARNING: The advice and movements shown in this video are for informational and educational purposes only. Consult a health professional before engaging in any exercise or martial arts program.
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This video is under Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.
#taichi #martialarts #karate
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I especially like this video, which has a wealth of knowledge. Many of your videos are just that, a wealth of knowledge.
Let's not forget that in the last days, knowledge will be increased. Daniel 12 verse 4.
Yo Jess, I think you're a great mixed martial artist. Thanks for sharing. I hope to see you soon. In Christ forevermore Amen 😇😇😇😎
I like this. Maybe you can make an Video about Wado Ryu Karate or Kyusho Jitsu.
Hey, Just wondering if you can train with Aikido master, Christian Tissier in France? Cool Video!
I just did, another fascinating video with the usual enthusiasm and attitude that is an example to all martial artists, thanks for sharing.
Enkamp Sensei, what an honor & pleasure it was to spend time with you sharing & recording this. I look very forward to your next visit to LA! 🙏
I remember seeing tai chi in movies back in the 80s. It always looked pretty fly, especially when they were using swords, but sadly I never had the opportunity to learn it. Thank you for showing that it’s more than just “old people exercise.”
Thank you for knowing more about tai chi than the average person
Tai Chi is so cool imma try and learn it
Because of this video I have reached out to a local Tai Chi studio to see if they are taking members. I'm a long time martial artist who is now 64 and want to get moving again. Thank you, Doctor, for the inspiration.
Dr. Cheng, it's always a pleasure watching your instruction. I wish we had more instructors like you. Mahalo Dr. Cheng!
The coolest thing about Mr. Enkamp is that he makes himself the eternal student. He knew Taijiquan forms have martial application because he is a true martial arts expert who loves learning and has a thirst for knowledge with an open mind. However he meets all of these outstanding experts across the world and always makes himself their pupil. He is always the empty cup - for us. Thank you, Mr. Enkamp! Your humility and class is an inspiration.
Beautifully written!
🤣🤣 mr. Enkamp.
Just call him Jesse 🙂
@@PalmettoNDN That’s very kind of you ☺️ Just doing what I love! 🥋
Lol right @@Domzdream
Doing it right. You always show humility and an open mind…..but you are also prepared. Many thanks for sharing.
I really like the fact that he's VERY adamant in stating that you need proper pressure testing to find out if something actually works, and he doesn't even try to claim that what he teaches will definitely help in a fight without proper sparring and whatnot
How would you pressure test whether you can break someone's elbow or wrist? No matter how realistic you train you cannot exactly simulate a real life situation. Train with those that have been there and done it if you are concerned with how real it should be.
That's a very basic idea for anything you learn. Real Chinese kungfu 1st requirement but in most of the time there have bunches of ignorance or even cheater skip this. This also are some human nature to start their real test in an awkward way before they can be called expert for real.
Ch5477... It is important to have experienced teachers. But how much more important is it for "you", to have the experience. If you don't go out and test for yourself, you will never develop the skills you want. Even if your teacher did. Get out there and do it.
@@ch5477 Use an antamically correct dummy that can break apart and be put back together again. I don't know if that's a thing but I imagine it would be.
@@ch5477 Actually in china people are doing that with stuff from the butcher, like Buy a Real Cow Foot with Hoof for your freezer, since you do not want to eat the bones.
This video needed to be four times longer, so much knowledge, wisdom and philosophy I would love to see a part 2 with you exploring more of the practical application of Tai Chi, thank you!
@@ryanmay1298 I agree with the comment this could be longer. Lots of great teaching here!
Would love too see Jesse train this and apply it to his karate
This video alone is why, in my opinion, you have one of the top Martial Arts Channels on the internet. Extremely powerful lesson that will benefit all fighters if they keep an open mind.
The more you try, the more you learn.
Let's be honest. Jesse just wants to be goku and fight everyone on the planet.
Agreed
Also benefits no-fighters or mostly no-fighters like me:) and always in a respectful manner
I just want to say one thing that is wrong: sometimes a thing can be health practice, AND a martial arts. Until someone takes into account the body-mind balance that it creates, and your minds connection to all your internal organs and flows.... One cannot teach this martial arts for health practice, fully.
T'ai Chi student and instructor here. I love how Dr. Cheng started with application, then shows how it looks in the form. Really great video! Thank you both!
since when is tai chi combat? i thought it was a version of qi gong meditative movements similar to yi jin jing.. ??? at least anyone i know that practiced thai chi is non combat , never heard of combat tai chi. is this different ? why am i confused here?
@Maplefoxx-vl2ew I thought it was originally intended for combat. The forms even have kicks and punches.
As a Taiji player, the major obstacle to using Taiji for fighting is that most Taiji people do not fight. The tools are there, but people usually don’t do it. You learn to fight by fighting.
I’ve had a couple of tai chi classes, which was taught as a martial art rather than just an exercise form. My sensei demonstrated that even the most basic move learned had a self defense application. Unfortunately, this class folded.
So true!
Then how about just perfecting the form and learn to protect the body. Fighting gonna destroy your body, protecting lets others destroy themselves.
I am a CMA practitioner and long time Taiji player. I have followed you for a long time because you are a scholar and you believe traditional arts are functional and important. Thank you, please continue with this type of content, I enjoy it all regardless of the type of art you are covering.
As far as only practicing form and protecting the body and not fighting, two issues arise, first if by “protecting the body” you are only referring to health. Taiji authorities through the ages have all agreed that if you do not fully practice the martial aspect, you will not realize the health aspect. Secondly, if you are suggesting that the martial aspect of Taiji should only be defensive and derived from practicing the form, one cannot protect themselves by only defending, the only way to stop and attacker is to damage him, and fighting both offensively and defensively is traditional Taiji usage, the “yin and Yang” of usage if you will.
Aikido guy here. It's amazing how the Tai Chi movements are similar to Aikido! As my Aikido Sensei said, "At a certain level, all martial arts are the same."
I have seen many Aikido people that find Tai Chi supplemental.
It's the opposite, it's Aïkido (1925) that was inspired by Taiji Quan (13th century).
Linguistics student here. You can find the similarity in the phonics: "Ai - Kee" "Tai - Chee" even across two different languages. (I've also studied a teensy bit of Tai Chi Chen and Aikido. Teensy. Sifu will whup me if I claim to know anything more than that :P)
High level tai chi is close to high level judo ( look at the BBC video on Jigoro Kano), and bagua would be closer to high level aikido IMO - similar to the French Aikido master that Jesse visited
As a “white belt” in any and all martial arts, can confirm I perform them all the same at my level 😜
It's funny to see Sifu Mark so chill. I trained with him in the early nighties in Chinatown in LA, he was serious as a heart attack.
Shifu?
@@turquoise7018 yes. Chinese equivalent of "Sensei". Master/professor/tutor.
@@turquoise7018Shifu - Mandarin, Sifu - Cantonese. Slightly different by language variations but the meaning is the same ;)
@@turquoise7018bro do you live under a rock?
Maybe the Sifu finally embraced being relaxed. Takes some people many years😊
I had the great fortune to study Tai Chi with a Tai Chi Grandmaster. It was pure luck, I lived 2 blocks from Boston University, yes BU, in Boston and one day I saw a sign or maybe an ad for a Tai Chi class being held at the gymnasium. I think it was a PE credit course for the students but it was open to the public. I had previously been taking some Kung Fu in Hartford CT for a few years but moved to Boston because my job moved to that area.
Oh yeah there was a flyer that went out and now I remember it had a picture of Grandmaster John Chung Li on it. He looked like a very classical older Chinese gentleman. I had no idea what I was going to learn. As discussed in this video of course many people know of Tai Chi as being the slow moving exercises that many older people across Asian countries do in the park. And that my friends is totally awesome. Once you learn a whole Tai Chi form it can take up to 20 min or more to do it.
Doing the forms moves your energy in very profound ways. It's literally a meditation in motion. After you finish your body feels like it's humming along at a new level of energy. I recall many times doing the forms and afterwards I tried some stretching, stretching is huge in Kung Fu and other hard style martial arts. In Kung Fu they used to get you on the floor, legs spread as far as you can go, then someone would get behind you and push you even further. They push stretching to the extremes and it takes time to do the stretches to warm up and loosen the body. But the interesting thing there is no stretching in any Tai Chi class I ever took with any real Tai Chi master - HOWEVER after doing the tai chi form I tried stretching and to my amazement my body was not only able to do the stretches but I was able to go further into the stretches than ever before, my body was just more loose from doing Tai Chi then if I had been doing the actual stretches!
The reason is by moving slow you let the blood flow more smoothly. You combine that with internal breathing techniques. Your whole body benefits by circulating the energy in this way. Tai Chi is not about muscles, it's about what they call internal work. What I learned from the Grandmaster was there are 5 levels of energy - Chi is only the first level. Each level is like the distillation of the level before, similar to how they make maple syrup where it takes 4 gallons of sap to make 1 quart of maple syrup (don't take that ratio literally I do not know the actual ratio, just using that as an example), but in the same way you distill each level of energy from one level to the next. The last level is the highest which is a spiritual level I think called Shin or maybe Jing. Sorry sadly I forgot all the details. But I had a very real demonstration when Master Li astral projected into my room one time which was on a 4th floor walkup in Brookline MA, near BU.
You can believe what you want, you can look up this aspect as there is plenty of information online. My point is there are levels in Tai Chi far beyond what most people know or think are even possible from just the physical level.
But let's get back to Tai Chi practice itself. It is great because people of any age can practice and get benefits. Especially for older people who cannot do the fancy jumps or kicks or spins that the more high energy martial arts have. But even back 40 years ago when I did Tai Chi as a young man in my late 20s early 30s Grandmaster Li put us through our paces. Yes we did learn a really nice long form and that by itself was a great workout. But we also did something called standing. A static pose where you get into a horse stance and then round your arms like hugging a tree - then just stand there for 15 to 20 min, or you can do it for an hour or 2. These exercises are some of the most brutal exercises I've ever done especially when I built up to 1 hour. It changes you. Your bones can become like steel. Grandmaster Li often said "Tai Chi makes your bones heavier". It sounded a bit weird to my inexperienced brain until one day I was talking with him in the gym and he says to me "here hold my arm". Well that did sound weird but he held out his arm, I put my hand under it and then he let the full weight of it drop into my hand. OMG-G-God!! I was shocked how heavy it was. Now I had been doing Kung Fu and some body work and I knew what an average arm would feel like, nothing all that heavy. But his arm was about 5 times heavier that you would have expected. And he was a 79 year old smallish Chinese man, he didn't have bulky muscles. So I had to conclude that it the extraordinary weight of his arm, which literally shocked me, was due to his bones actually being very heavy. And so it was the tree hugging pose that acts like a weight bearing exercise that increases bone density, but to a much higher degree than most people realize. Of course Grandmaster Li had been doing these exercises maybe an hour a day for 40+ years so you don't get that overnight. It takes a hell of a lot of work. It was funny when Master Li had me hold his arm because as soon as he dropped the full weight into my hand I made a very noticeable facial expression like "OMG" and he laughed because he knew exactly what my reaction was going to be.
And so my friends I like to tell my story. I am now 40+ years after having studied with a true Tai Chi Grandmaster. He proved that to me on a number of occasions, 2 of which I have told you here. Tai Chi can be taught and practiced on many levels. Obviously you want to practice at a level that doesn't cause you injury which I think the extreme levels might do that if you are not careful. At it's highest level it is preparation for the transformation from the physical body to the spiritual body and spiritual world. I tell you this knowing some people may not believe it, or may not care or whatever. That's OK. But there will be some who will understand and maybe also had some similar experiences. I personally have not reached that level as my practice fell away for many years. But recently I have been working at getting back to a better level. One thing is I know what is possible to achieve. And it goes far beyond just learning how to do punches or kicks or redirecting energy which is a key factor in Tai Chi. Tai means grand or great, and Chi means energy. Together Tai Chi means the Grand Ultimate Energy which is the spiritual energy that I mentioned above. Chuan means fist or fighting so when people talk about studying Tai Chi Chuan they mean the fighting applications of the Tai Chi form.
Oh one other thing, when you study the traditional Tai Chi Chuan from a real master or Grandmaster you will end up doing a lot of drills. The form has many movements but in addition to doing the form they will often have you take 1 move and just repeat it 50 times in a row. I can tell you back then after many Tai Chi classes I would end up being more sore than any of the really active Kung Fu classes I had taken. Yet during the class the goal often was to only break a light sweat on the forehead. I rarely ever had broken out profusely sweating from a Tai Chi class like we did in Kung Fu classes. Tai Chi is designed to accumulate energy in your body and internal organs. It does not focus on building muscles at all, however you do develop muscle strength but the real point is to know how to accumulate and use Chi - the energy that sustains all movement in the Universe. I can say in my experience it's rare to see a Tai Chi Master with big bulky muscles. It might be possible but it's not what I have experience.
My humble apologies for rambling on. I feel I need to get this information out to whoever might benefit from it while I am still able to do it. Sadly Grandmaster Li died shortly after my 2nd year of studying with him in 1982. I was very fortunate to have had those 2 years to study with him. I have studied with a number of other great teachers since then, but never quite hit that same level of accomplishment.
Every tai ji master I met or trained under I'm china is built like a tank. Very physically strong. I think it depends on style and how much pressure it puts on your legs.
How lucky you were to have a wonderful teacher. It was good to read your story
My teacher, Master Ni in his best English would say, "Practice ten times, one hundred times different, one thousand times much different, ten thousand times much, much different. Practice, practice, practice!". I remember once doing push hands with him, and though visually, his form looked very soft, his arms were incredibly heavy, and then, something very frightening and strange happened. My nervous system began to destabilize and in an instant, I had this instinctive sense that he could have killed me had we continued doing just this basic push hands form. He was a very humble man, who never wanted to even have his picture taken. Once, while driving him to class, I said, "Master Ni, you should advertise to become well known." too which he replied,,"Do not want to be well known, just well liked." Back then we learned many forms, sword, double sword, saber, combination and more. To have studied with a Master in any discipline is truly a gift. To this day, and I am almost 80, when I practice on the sand at the beach, the surrounding atmosphere shifts where I feel as if I am moving through a liquid medium rather than air. It is also good to note that our orientation to the practice was meditative rather than combat. Master Ni was in his late 60s at that time and taught till he was close to 90. His philosophy was, before 40, low form (combat). After 40, high form (meditation). Mater Ni passed away in China some years ago at age 101. Now sharing this remembrance with gratitude and a warm smile. Bowing.
@ - 👍👍😊😊🙏🙏
that is really a great story and similar to my experience with Grandmaster Li who at one time did teach the martial aspects of his tradition and lineage. After the time he had me hold the dead weight of his arm, and it felt like solid steal, I knew he could probably easily take someone out with one sweep of his arm. The power he had was immense. But on the outside he was always so sweet and kind - smiling and laughing. He did not have a lot of students at that time.
But since then I have seen some people carrying on his form and style called Hwa Yu Tai Chi which means Beautiful Mountain Tai Chi. But also known as Liu Ho ba fa, or six combination eight method boxing. Something akin to bagua I think.
Whenever I saw him do the form his eyes would literally sparkle. This for anyone who knows about the 5 levels of energy shows a high level of spiritual energy, it's almost like he was glowing.
My understanding was he left China during the "cultural revolution" for fear of his life. Many people with traditional knowledge or skills were deemed enemies of the people, sadly!
At one point I had heard that he had a heart condition, and that might be why he passed away at only about 80 years of age.
The episode that I have been waiting for!!!!
This episode would've never happened if it weren't for you, Sir!!
Everybody is kung fu fighting ...🎶
In regard to Wing Chun and Taiji did you check out the Wu Yi Wu Shou form?
Hurry up and go to ultimate defense championship 🏆
I'm a Tai Chi guy. This is by far my favorite of all of your videos. Thank you. and thank you, Dr. Cheng
I am not a Tai Chi guy. And this is by far my favorite of all his videos! And thank you too.
It's an honour, Dr. Cheng!
What is the best way for learning on my own? I can’t afford a membership anywhere currently
Slow is fast, fast is smooth.
Loved this episode
Isnt it slow is smooth smooth is fast
@Totesnumber1fanforever balls....I messed it up.....cheers for letting me know lol....I was going to delete the comment...but I'll let my mistake stand....just to remember that sometimes I am dumb 😁😁
@@Totesnumber1fanforever correct 👍🏽
@@Totesnumber1fanforever slow is smooth, smooth is fast, fast is powerful.
@@Lordalexzader fast is invincible. Old Chinese saying.
It was refreshing to watch this. It reminds me of the quote: slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Jesse.. your opening up and going into Chinese fighting styles and learning about history has not just improved your understanding of martial arts but also open the eyes of many. Thank you.
This is the best advice on martials arts I've ever heard: slow it down and evaluate. See where you overbalance, see where your muscles give out, see the alignment of your feet to the rest of your body, etc. Brilliant training session. Thank you.
I studied and practiced taiji for around 7-8 years.
Now I'm doing kickboxing and BJJ.
I still use some taiji principles and it really makes a difference.
One thing the master never mentioned is chi gung (breathing) as part of taiji practice.
I'm not exaggerating when I say, chi gung breath work has enabled me to conserve energy to the point where Im still gtg even when every sparring partner is gassed and ready to collapse.
My training partners think I'm just really fit or genetically blessed or whatever, but really it's just chi gung.
Thanks Jesse. Your work is amazing. Greetings and blessings from South Africa
Breathing properly is probably both the hardest and most neglected aspect of any combat oriented discipline, the amount of times i have seen students holding their breath and hurriedly zipping through a kata or sparring i can't even count!
Chi gung is also exercise, so you’re probably more healthy/strong/fit than you think.
I had qi gong ( breathing ) from my wado ryu sensei , it was intense and i felt totally different after it.
Qi Gong is about using the full capacity of your lungs and how to manage that, i never forget this training and i see every martial art as a big puzzel , everything is useful! 🥋🙏☯️
Yes, breathing, muscle and energy transfer control. Your strikes should be more powerful as well.
When I was learning about meditation, I realized that there are many forms of meditation, one of which is movement meditation. Tai Chi is a form of movement meditation.
Among all forms of meditation, breathing is always the most basic and important. Only by mastering breathing can you advance your other meditations to a higher level.
I'm glad you also recognize the importance of breathing in Tai Chi.
I completely agree with the principal and functionality of slowing the form down, my teacher taught me the Yang 24 form which is usually done in a competition time of around 7 minutes, but he teaches how to slow it down and match it to breath to properly synchronise the body and mind, this slow version takes around 40 minutes for 1 pass though of the 24 posture form! This is key for balance and rooting, and provides a very solid connection to the ground to improve stability in defence and striking.
I also could not imagine being able to make improvements in the form or pushing hands without having the time this slow version gives to analyse and correct issues with your movements, structure and connection to the ground!
It’s the 108 form that takes around 30 minutes of you do it slowly.
@ it may well do, but my teacher teaches the 24 form slowed down to take anywhere between 35 mins to an hour, depending on your breath work and and focus. I have video’s of this if you doubt it. It’s slowed down to an extreme amount!
@ Really? Interesting!
@@OperaLars ruclips.net/video/vDNOD2u-UBg/видео.htmlsi=TFzHNRvSXxwoOgVo
Trained with a Tai Chi master for a bit during a summer vacation in highly school. We called him “the wizard”. The dude had incredible control over balancing himself and his opponents
YES. Ever since Kevin went to see Dr. Cheng, I had wished so badly that Jesse got to meet him because I knew the discussions would be fascinating. Dr. Cheng has delved so deeply into Tai Chi and its concepts, and it's always a treat to hear him talk about this often misunderstood art. 🙇
This video has COMPLETELY changed my view of tai chi. This was so interesting, I always thought it was just for older people in parks, not this, you were right tai chi was not what I thought it was, thanks for this jesse.
Tai Chi is shadow wrestling.
Actually Yang Tai Chi was made for old people, Yang Cheng Fu changed the Chen Version by boiling down in a way that the moves stay executable into old age.
@FuryoTokkosho You can argue this, it's superficially true in the sense that Yang Tai Chi in it's watered-down form can be more accessible for people with less athleticism. But Yang Tai Chi, like Wu Tai Chi, is absolutely a martial real deal if you train it intensively with an understanding of what makes it work.
@@cloudhand-taichi-berlin Boxing already works with half the techniques jab, punch, hook, uppercut, slip, dodge. Simplify did not take away the self defense aspect, but still changed in a way that is rather focused on increasing health then heightening destructive power. Thus Taiji got more famous for healing people from deadly illness then winning Lei Tai Tournaments.
Heh, you mean you never saw taichi master(1993)?😯
In my younger years I knew a nightclub bouncer/security guard in Sydney very well, that studied Tai Chi in China for a few years. I was at the nightclub one night and watched him step into a fight between 5 guys, 2 on 3. It left me totally speechless, suffice to say that it was all over in less than a min, and left me unable to explain what I witnessed, other than seeing 5 guys laying dazed, strewn around the floor.
Been there, done that (karate for 15 years, tai chi for a couple of months), the gains from tai chi were astounding! Nice work (as always), Jesse!
I think he has to be one my all-time favorite guest you've ever had on the channel. His energy, and logic, is just incredibly encompassing (not to mention entirely inspiring). Thank you for doing this!!
Wow, thank you!
Thank you for your kind words. 🙏
Since MMA, and even before, there has been the debate of what the best martial art is. Often the "best" is what's currently effective in MMA. But, both in MMA and channels like this one we are learning any martial art if broken down to it's practical application and practiced, can be effective. Love it!
The attitude in professional fighting is to follow the money. Basically just copy the fighting style of whoever is making the most money fighting. Joe Lewis even recommended this. It sounds legit, but it's also produced the most mentally disturbed generation of "martial artists" we've ever seen.
MMA is a sport. They have rules to follow. Real fight has no rules. So one, like Jesse, must humble themselves and learn from the traditional artists to uncover hidden gems like this video.
@rouenyu I understand the difference, MMA is still a very common measurement of what works.
why are you using mma as a measuring stick? mma is a sport, if youre distilling entire martial arts down to a few punches and kicks and locks within a cage that is governed by a ref then whats the point?
i get it, i do.... Bruce Lee! BUT everyone is literally looking at the finger pointing to the moon and missing all the heavenly glory!
Bruce Lee invented / INSPIRED MMA, he didnt actually tell everyone to go do MMA or he didnt say MMA is the best or be all and end all of martial arts!! far from it and every kid thinks MMA is a martial art style and a cool thing to have on their CV while poopoohing traditional arts like wing chun, tai chi etc??
ok if all westerners want to do is hit speed bags and punching bags instead of sitting in the horse stance or doing or finding out what chi sao is really for and what it leads to or what it can lead to then why dont westerners just take up boxing and abit of taekwondo with abit of judo on the side... sounds simple if you distill martial arts into MMA... again everybody thinking martial arts is all about fighting and trying to kill the imaginary opponent!!! what if i told you the art in martial art and the opponent is you, yourself
@antwango Both in this video and my comment, it's about the practical application in the ring or a street fight. Beyond the stances and mental and physical health benefits. So I'm not sure what you're going on about, but I get the impression you got some personal issues with westerners to work out.
Oh and answer me this. Would you rather get in a street fight with a pro MMA fighter, or a martial arts instructor of any discipline that has only practiced those theories on bags and in limited contact sparing?
MMA will always be a great measuring stick as it's one of the few places everyone can see full contact use of many forms of martial arts. Well usually a hybrid of many martial arts, but they do tend to specialize in one or another.
Tai Chi is like piano, first you get good, then you get fast. I've seen practitioners move lightning fast. Great video.
👍
Thanks for this video. I practice karate now, but spent many years studying and teaching tai chi. Many of my karate friends initially teased me about my tai chi background until I demonstrated the applications to them. To this day, without even thinking about it, tai chi moves will slip into my sparring, particularly blocks.
"Who doesn't believe..." Dude, no one who actually practices Taichi Chuan believes it was a health practice. It WAS a martial art, then disguised as health practice. Then....well, then commericalism happened.
Really enjoyed listening to this man though. What a blessing to hear him speak on both the traditional and applicable, practical parts. As a former practitioner, this was a treat to listen to.
Who cares whether it was or wasn't? Look at early 20th century MA recordings and compare them to what we have today. Ancient or even old hand-to-hand is unrefined and much less effective if compared to modern boxing, MMA and etc.
@alexmash1353 te equivocas, actualmente es peor, las MMA se enfoca en la cantidad que en la calidad, ¿o acaso no ves como pelea Alex Pereira? En la actualidad, la gente prefiere aprender a pelear de manera más rápida que de forma efectiva
@@ronaldmartinezleon7216 Modern boxing and MMA have science behind them. Old arts were rather crude and aren't that pressure tested anymore. Easily noticeable in the majority of monochrome videos.
Your problem with MMA seems to be more about the quality of coaches.
@@alexmash1353¿pero de donde crees que vienen conceptos como el uso del "núcleo" del cuerpo, el fa jin, el kime, el uso de cadera, etc.) Es cierto que artes tradicionales son algo toscas, pero aún así, tienen la ciencia detrás, como la conexión del cuerpo, la biomecanica, todo eso existe desde hace siglos, solo que en la actualidad se enseña más, pero se practica menos
I also liked that he drove home the point that practice with live sparring partners is paramount if it is to be used for self-defense
A lot of those teaching need this video, all the years of training and many sensei know great technique, but many times someone who’s done live drills will show them they miss the part of actually trying it on someone who’s not going along with your technique, they miss the subtleties of the technique that actually make it work.. my fav line on the mat “hey show me that, on me”
I have been training in Taichi/QiGong for many years, and it took long time in order to understand and start to unpin some of its secrets.
Great video, very well explained, Dr. Mark Cheng looks really good and and he is someone that has actually thoroughly tested Taichi application in a real situation.
Yes, Taijiquan is first and foremost a martial art developed by Chen Wang Ting, a general from the Ming Dynasty who returned to his village after the Dynasty's fall to the Qing. This period, the Ming-Qing transition, was a very violent time in Chinese history, and thus these fighting arts were shaped by real-world events, not fictitious fantasies about ancient Daoist hermits, etc. Yes, the healing arts known as Daoyin, aka, qigong, were eventually adopted into many different taijiquan systems as a form of healing/training exercise, which he mentions in this video, but they are not its basis. Practicing forms slowly is only one part of the overall practice, but also included are fast forms, lots of push-hands and partner drills, as well as full contact sparing. This is true for all of the barehands as well as weapons training. Excellent demo of applications by Dr. Cheng.
All due respect, it is open to debate as to the "real" founder of Tai Chi Chuan. I personally doubt any of the theories can ever be proven. Too long ago, and lack of verifiable, independent documents.
The fluidity of Tai Chi movements are so cool.
Moving 🧘♂️ meditation
What a revelation! I used to practise Tai Chi (and enjoyed it), but didnt buy into that "combat thing" because the instructors kept ranting about chi force, and soft pushing. It turns out, they only taught me half of the craft! By the way, the health thing is real, it worked wonders for my joints.
Taichi was invented for real fights and real conflicts, and were used in wars. Of course it's practical in real fights. It's just nowadays there's not much need for physical violence or self-defense, so taichi became a dance-like practice. lol
Sure, forget Qi force, in the sense of wanting a 'magic touch'. But 'soft' pushing hands is actually very important as part, just part, of rounded martial tai chi training. If you train this right, then the softer the body becomes, then also more stable and strong at the same time. And the mind becomes both more relaxed but also ever sharper, more and more 'on the spot' and instantaneous in its responses. Training the 'yi' (the intent), as it's known in Chinese.
@hangover4833 don't be delusional. This crap isn't effective
A taiji practitioner here, and I'm very glad to see some good Taiji fighting theories. If someone looks for Taiji videos in youtube, it will find lots of forms, I mean LOTS, and almost zero "convincing" combat techniques. I'm happy to see how Jesse contributes more to the expansion of real fighting arts than most of Chinese masters.
Thanks to Master Cheng for show us the traditional principles that makes Taiji a martial art.
Thank you Jesse, and congratulations for you endless quest!
I remember Ramsey Dewey mentioning this in a few videos.
I’m glad you were able to bring a tai chi practitioner to demonstrate these concepts and give concrete examples.
I liked when he showed a leg throw move that he learned from tai chi and trained people to use in MMA competitions
Nice video Jesse!
I am 54 years old and a former Judo and Karate practitioner, now passionate about Taichi.
I have always thought that Karate and Taichi were complementary practices, like Yin and Yang, internal energy and external energy, soft and hard, slow and fast...etc
Years ago I read Karate master Kenji Tokitsu's book "Shaolin Mon" in which he talks about the importance of including Taichi in the practice of Karate.
My Taichi teacher is 87 years old and still in a very good shape. Taichi makes miracles!
The transitioning between soft and hard.
Outstanding, Thank you! So fortunate to receive these high level insights into different concepts! A dear training partner of mine who was an instructor level black belt in Kajukenbo and Inayan Eskrima once admitted to me that if he had to choose a single school to train at, it would have been a Tai Chi school where we went to attend a seminar by Grand Master Cacoy Canete. The reason was the sifu of he host school. He had an incredible depth and breadth of knowledge. Tai Chi is for reals, as the youngsters say.
Very cool video. I always love seeing what many people consider "useless" martial arts reframed into more practical applications. Just goes to show that there's always some utility in every martial art, if you take the time and have the patience to find that application. Whether it's physical or mental, there's often a lot more "use" than many people are willing to see at first glance.
I am so happy that Sifu Cheng mentioned Hirokazu Kanazawa Sensei. He was decades ago totally right about Tai Chi and Karate-do. I think every hard style martial artist should consider to try out soft styles (Wudang, Tai Chi etc.) for a deeper and better understanding of himself, the art itself and his soul. Like always, great video, this was soo good. Thank you dear Jesse Sensei, please keep it up.
Thank you for this very informative, way too short video.
After practicing T'ai Chi for many years, I went back to full contact Karate. Our Sensei would work us to exhaustion and then have us spar. It amazed me how T'ai Chi had become deeply established into my muscle memory: no matter what my opponent threw at me, my body responded with lightning fast T'ai Chi power. I didn't even have to think about it.
Since then, I've continued with both traditions; it's a wonderful balance.
As Tai Chi and FMA Instructor of many decades it's great seeing the grappling flow that many Tai chi People just don't know or practice! (I was Lucky enough to learn from an older Chinese Gentleman, Dr. Kao Hwang who understood the Martial aspects) Thank you for putting this out, Jesse, love this video series exploring different systems from around the World!
great combo
Thank you Jesse and Mark. Dr. Mark Cheung is such a great ambassador for Tai Chi. Many great ideas shared in this video.
Xie xie... to both Enkamp Sensei and Dr. Cheng for an outstanding video and explanation of the benefits and fighting aspects of Taiji. As a student of Kung-fu and Taiji for the last 53 years, I bow with deep admiration and respect to you both.
Beautiful description. Marvel at Mr. Enkamp's humbleness and willingness to explore and adapt, uniting the Arts with honor.
Wow! This is brilliant! More karateka need to see this and have another look at their kata
"We need to create a situation where everyone wins. So that when everyone can't win, we're able to go that way too." Love that final thought. Collaborative teaching, giving students the power to go on their own. And thank you for being the perfect student as always: bringing out the best in your teachers.
1) I had a colleague some 25+ years ago who was doing Tai Chi this way (as an actual martial art, not a health-improvement exercise), and he was an insanely good fighter.
2) We sometimes do kata this slow "tai chi" way in my dojo, I especially love doing "slow-motion" Seipai.
This is so wonderful to see you sharing this, Sensei Enkamp! I've been practicing tai chi for both the martial and health aspects. It's so great to see it finally get the attention it deserves from the martial community.
This dude has an incredible Balance, also pretty nice guy. Would like to see another video from both of you! Keep up the great work!
No joke - Jesse has been MONUMENTAL to Martial Arts.
This is absolute gold
This guy is a consummate expert and fantastic teacher.
Anyone who Played Shenmue back in the day, would know, Tai Chi is much more than just an excercise form 😎I loved when Dr. Mark Cheng mentioned Kanazawa sensei, one of the Sensei's I often look at for inspiration. I often will do all my Shotokan Kata as slow and relaxed as possible, then again with speed and power. It gives me time to consider my form and improve, and I certainly see results from this. So when I hear a master like him say this, it's very reassuring, and is clearly a wise thing to do
I'm used to train my Kata reeeeeally slow as the master said! From the moment I started train like this (many repetition in slowmo and 1 or 2 full speed) I experienced a huge improvement of my body awareness! So cool way to study Kata! My favorite kata to train this way is shisochin
Half of Seishan is slow-mo. Still one of my favourite kata.
@Cailus3542 true, Sanchin and Tensho are slow as well but those don't count bc they are already meant to be practised in this way 😁
@karlm1495 Preferably without a wasp saying hello, which happened the last time I competed with Seishan. It didn't sting me, but it did keep buzzing around me for nearly all of the first half of the kata. My score was poor, but I was just proud of myself for finishing the kata instead of running away screaming.
That was the best explaination of tai chi applications i have ever seen. Really. And how the slow training applies to combat training.
There is an ancient saying that goes like this... The hands of a tai chi master always comes back with blood. Lots of stories about tai chi masters defeating every type of opponents.
any sources ?
Also lots of modern RUclips videos of self deluded tai chi masters getting the shit kicked out of them. Fighting against real opponents is the only way to get better, wishful thinking and fancy hand waving won’t get you anywhere.
@@davidmc8478
True that, however this guy seems the genuine article.
Their own blood maybe.
@ I saw this over 30 years ago but I think it might have been in a book from Roland Habersetzer whio is a master but also a historian.
One of my first instructors in shotokan, back in the 70's, made us all practise our katas at " tai chi" speed and only tensing for a split second on strikes. Made us all better martial artists
I've been training Taiji since 1998, and now I'm getting into my 50's, so I'm one of those old people now 😂 But apart from the martial aspect, Taiji has helped me with anxiety as well as two different kinds of chronic inflammation I was struggling with in my back and wrist. Before I started training Taiji, I had constant problems, but slowly they faded away after a few months of training!
It's really a complete package for keeping fit and learning to fight efficiently, and very few people are aware of this, so I applaud you for presenting the real purpose of this old and misunderstood martial art!
I love when he said you can come in with... whatever. Agree. That's another level of understanding. Awesome video.
Dr Mark Cheng knows Naihanchi too... just wow😮
I had the privilege of learning it directly from Ohshima Tsutomu Sensei back in the early 90s. Very much a work-in-progress & grateful for the tutelage of my current Shotokan instructor, Tom Muzila Sensei.
It's funny how a Taichi guy once insulted me saying I had no balance and yet a lot of these moves just straight up wouldn't work in a real fight. I find Taichi to be slow and beautiful but I'll need but I'll need to see real fights or real pressure testing sparring to prove to me that Taichi is more than just art or exercise. Still, I found worth in the video. Thanks for the video.
Jesse, I love your content, especially vids like this, your so humble and open minded, and learning about other martial arts is just fascinating to me, keep up the great work, karate nerd 😄
Thanks! Will do!
Tai chi is truly an unmatched and the ultimate combat technique against a none resistant opponent.
What a great guy, didn't expect so much practicality from Tai Chi. Jesse as always finds the most interesting people and lets them shine trough his respect and the will to learn.
I think that Dr. Mark Cheng is not only a skilful Thai Chi practitioner but a very talented educator too.
Much respect 🙏
Tragic thing about chinese martial arts is they’ve become a mere practice of forms. Like wushu practitioners they’re pretty much dancers. fewest know how to use them for fighting
To be fair similar things could be said about most Shotokan practitioners.
They do spar (point sparring), but the way they spar is 100% disconnected from their kata. It’s like two entirely different disciplines.
Program of the Chinese Communist Party ...
In one year of Sanda, a competition style of Wushu, after several years of taekwondo and ju jutsu, I learnt a lot of it.
When I was a practicing Aikido, my Sensei would always invite a Tai Chi Master to instruct us in the slowness of the art and the applications of such movements. By doing slow movements: learned balance, learned applications to better the movements. Aikido, as with Tai Chi, the movements are practiced slow. Though in Aikido, movements are practiced both left and right side taking and taking turns. That way you grasp the full intent of the movement without injuries. Once both are adept fully, then speed is increased and combinations are increased. It’s like small circle Jui Jitsu.
Mark is amazing, so glad you got a chance to do a video with him. From someone who's done a ton of Chen style taiji, it makes me smile seeing the martial applications of taiji presented and taught in such detail. It's sad how poorly represented taiji is in the western world.
Great video!
You're too kind as always, Sir. Nothing but respect for & gratitude to you!
As a Tai Chi practitioner and FIGHTER I 🫡 this Jesse!
Jesse I would love to do a video with you bro. I have 100k followers on Facebook and I always put out Tai Chi Fighting videos, just had a video with Michael Jai go viral too🙏🏾💯 luv what you do bro! Hope we can work! 🫡
Thanks for this! I've never quite understood tai chi, but this was extremely informative! I try practicing my Shotokan Cata in a tai chi method. It brings mindfulness to every movement.! Blessed be!
I live in Trinidad, in the Caribbean. I LOVED THIS! Big respect to Two Chi master and thank you for making this art relevant to today ! It is only now that I understand and fully appreciate Tan Chi!!! Also, greatest thanks to you, master Jesse!!!!
Wow tai chi has an insane move
Right?! 💪
I appreciate Dr. Mark Cheng's intellectual honesty clarifying applications "can" work, but if you haven't tested it, it doesn't. He explains the theory and logic behind compliant demonstrations but doesn't hide behind their illusion of efficacy like most traditionalists.
Amazing episode. Tai Chi is about grappling ☯️
People are surprised to realize that it is mostly a close range combat system, where you can feel the opponent's movement when it begins, and react to it. One of my teachers said that one of the goals is to unbalance your opponent, throw him to the ground, and hit him while he's down. The best time to strike is when he's falling towards you.
I've been training kyokushin and when I do katas I like to sometimes do them tai chi style/speed. I think it helps to practice breathing and balance a lot plus you can't use momentum so you strengthen muscles. But it also helps to fully focus on every movement and moment of the kata. Then of course I do them with speed and power as well.
This video clarified a lot about Tai Chi. Thank you Jesse for another great video.
Love these Tai Chi applications. I learnt Tai Chi for 10 years and my Teacher taught this type of Tai Chi. Combined with 10 years of Wing Chun, I kept all my teeth and nose straight in 15 years of Door work.
Love it. When I was his age, I did the same. Met will all other Martial Artists and practiced together showing each other techniques. Taking in what you like the best.
Good one! I've always felt like all the styles borrowed from each other. Balance and strikes are universal.
Im a disabled vet, and I can't stress enough the wonders tai chi has done for me where physical therapy only felt as if it was hurting me more. Not only did it help physically but mental healing as well! I ended up moving to a different state as I was starting to learn the application end. Sadly theres no schools by me now.
Dr Mark Cheng is a great spokesman for the art of Tai-Chi !
You're too generous, Master Mollica. I'm honored to have seniors like you to learn from.
I remember Master Mollica from Ohio in the 1980s , when Grand Master Chang DongSheng visited OSU. Master Mollica was an excellent teacher, from explaining how to fall, the Chang version of [Yang] Tai Chi, to some fun push hands progressions. I never found another teacher who was as comprehensive and patient.
Thank you. It’s been my pleasure. Glad to be remembered.
@ Not just remembered, Sir. Respected.
rrly appreciate Jesse's learning attitude in every video, that is so cool.
I feel like tai chi is great to add for any martial arts training. Chi Kung, Push Hands, the 24 posture form saves me when my herniated disc acts up. I had trouble walking for a month, but after practicing Tai chi, that 24 posture form gets me back running in 2 or 3 days man. But aside from health, the application is there. Jesse, I’m glad you do the work you do man. As usual, great work man. Great work.
Love how that guy languages Tai Chi applications and MA in general. Great Vid.
2:03 'Not having to stomp down' --- >>> Chen style side eye....
Ain't side eyeing Chen style. I'm just saying that for Yang style large frame practitioners, you have the option of training in a zero-impact format. If your chosen system calls for certain move & methods, that's cool with me as long as the practitioner's body is equally as cool with it.
Fantastic video Jesse! I was fortunate to have met Dr. Cheng a few months ago and train with him briefly and he's awesome! I really hope to train with him more soon. Very insightful look into Tai Chi with this video. Thank you.
I like what he said about having the attributes but knowing if you can do them under duress is a different story. It truly is how you train and pressure test etc.
An excellent video that demonstrated the effectiveness of Tai Chi as a martial art. Thanks to both of you for creating this.
One of the advantages of Tai Chi is that they have no preconceived conception on how a fight will proceed, what I mean is that there are no set responses to an attack that cannot be foreseen just follow its principles.
This is true and a bit different from the sports martial arts.
Whatever is done at warp speed is either right or wrong. You can not learn warp speed right off the bat. Everything starts slow so imperfections can be corrected. You can't fix imperfections at warp speed without experience. Muscle and mind memory is built up incrementally. Thanks for showcasing another awesome teacher Jesse! 👍
This concept of practicing something very slowly to get the coordination down is super relevant to video games as well, when practicing a particularly difficult combo, speedrun route or boss fight, it's great to understand every minute detail of the movements, as the saying goes "slow is smooth, smooth is fast"
I discover this man today and I'm so happy. This man is wonderful!
I practice Tai Chi for a short period. The martial aspect is fascinating.
I practised Tai Chi to improve my health, which it did, but we weren't taught martial applications. However I found in tense situations, when my sympathetic nervous system kicks in; I would feel my bodies response to the adrenaline, but my mind mind remained somewhat calm and was able to think clearly. Which I found very helpful indeed and tended not to happen before I practised Tai Chi.
I think the beauty of Tai Chi is that Tai Chi is whatever the person wants it to be. It's effective as a martial art. As energy working too. And for cultivation of health, of course.
Great video, Jesse!
Taichi is great for fighting, people just get confused because you can use it for opening doors and swimming etc too, anything where balance and intent motion is needed, Taichi can help you train.
That was excellent. Thank you for taking the time to make the video and share the experience with us
Yes! Jesse showing the world what Taiji is all about. Thanks for doing it honor brother ❤❤❤
It was really nice to watch Dr. Cheng start the karate kata slowly and Jesse recognized it instinctually and snapped into it
I always felt Tai Chi was foundational as well as interchangeable in the Martial Arts. I've practiced Tai Chi, and Quigong. When I was learning Karate we did slow movements that reminded me of Tai chi.
Chi gung is vital!
Years ago I used to go to Tai Chi classes with friends who had various sports injuries and were looking for something that could help keep fit. The first 2 hours were focussed on various exercises, but the last hour which came as a big surprise to me was the martial application of the form. Part of this use was of what we termed the "whip", along with how the movements in the form optimised correct use of stance, and being what I would call grounded and deliberate. Up until that point I had never realised how much there was within Tai Chi.