Search found 116 matches
- Sun Mar 11, 2012 10:24 pm
- Forum: Chinese Swordsmanship
- Topic: Terminology
- Replies: 6
- Views: 14811
Re: Terminology
Well I absolutely agree that "true edge" and "false edge" are useful for recording a movement in writing. It's like being able to differentiate between your inside line and your outside line, or your upper arm and your forearm. It's just that much more specific. I'm actually a HEMA practitioner, so ...
- Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:27 pm
- Forum: Chinese Swordsmanship
- Topic: Terminology
- Replies: 6
- Views: 14811
Re: Terminology
Well, the edge of a jian is called the "jian ren"(剑刃), but I don't know of a specific term to differentiate true and false edge. The term isn't that meaningful for a symmetrical double-edged sword(it would change depending on how you hold it), but for a dao you can differentiate between the edge - "...
- Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:36 pm
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: Conditioning training for Taiji
- Replies: 3
- Views: 12370
Re: Conditioning training for Taiji
I have experienced finger jabs from wing chun people who do this kind of trraining, the whole prncipal behind wing chun is softness and sensitivity especially in Chi sau, which is what got me thinking about this for myself. In my experience, which includes Wing Chun, it seems like the main surfaces...
- Tue Aug 23, 2011 5:28 pm
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: Trying to teach Taichi as martial arts
- Replies: 29
- Views: 51998
Re: Trying to teach Taichi as martial arts
My goal is to train people up to a standard so that I can practise the partnered aspects, and to re-establish taijiquan as a legitamate and respectable category of martial arts. Are your students the type of people who would take a real martial arts class? If not, you may have to get used to the id...
- Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:27 am
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: Trying to teach Taichi as martial arts
- Replies: 29
- Views: 51998
Re: Trying to teach Taichi as martial arts
First, I would make it very clear to any incoming students that Taiji is a martial art, and you will be teaching it that way. Scott Rodell is a great example of that. It may scare away some students, but unless you have a commercial focus, that should be okay. I also encourage you to be honest with ...
- Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:55 am
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: Websites relating to Chinese martial arts
- Replies: 4
- Views: 13920
Re: Websites relating to Chinese martial arts
For information about Spear, Staff, Shield & Saber & both the two-handed jian & dao see: http://www.chineselongsword.com/ http://www.chineselongsword.com/img/saberindex.gif I came very close to putting this one in my original post, but I assumed you guys already knew about it. This is a very intere...
- Mon Aug 08, 2011 7:04 pm
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: Websites relating to Chinese martial arts
- Replies: 4
- Views: 13920
Websites relating to Chinese martial arts
I'm a collector of martial arts resources, both in print and electronic forms. I have found plenty of great websites for European and Japanese martial arts, but I have yet to come across many good online resources for learning about Chinese martial arts. Obviously, we all like GRTC, but apart from t...
- Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:49 pm
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: Taiji toes
- Replies: 3
- Views: 13131
Re: Taiji toes
It's worth considering that sometimes the footwork in a martial art is optimized for a certain type of footwear. Modern footwear often has substantial heels, which can interfere with the footwork in certain martial arts. By the same token, you may run into the occasional problem wearing strange foot...
- Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:59 pm
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: What is distinctive about Taijiquan?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 61460
Re: What is distinctive about Taijiquan?
I appreciate the questions you are asking Michael, like your blog it is stimulating. Thanks! Feel free to add your comments. Eventually I want to get some good debates going over there, but it's still new. But one could consider what taiji is historically, at least recently it has become synonymous...
- Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:19 am
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: What is distinctive about Taijiquan?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 61460
Re: What is distinctive about Taijiquan?
Roland, thank you for getting this thread back on track. PS! I personally think that the whole quest of "why is your art different than mine" is futile if the purpose of the excercise could be re-phrased as "why should I learn your art". Nobody but you can answer this question. If you feel that you ...
- Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:14 am
- Forum: Chinese Historical Arms
- Topic: Opening for Dao Sword Guards
- Replies: 8
- Views: 19434
Re: Opening for Dao Sword Guards
In archaic times many of the sword fittings were made of nephrite, because it was one of the hardest and toughest stones they could find. I can't say how it would perform in an actual fight. Basically, I made it for looks not fighting though. Well as I understand it, nephrite and jadeite were prize...
- Wed Jun 29, 2011 2:23 pm
- Forum: Chinese Historical Arms
- Topic: Opening for Dao Sword Guards
- Replies: 8
- Views: 19434
Re: Opening for Dao Sword Guards
Photo of the black jade (Nephrite) sword guard I carved. As soon as I get a sword for it I will cut out a space in the middle to accommodate the blade. In its high polish finish it looks like a metal tsuba made of shakudo. I may even attempt to carve the remaining fittings if I can find enough of t...
- Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:14 am
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: What is distinctive about Taijiquan?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 61460
Re: What is distinctive about Taijiquan?
I have never been clear about the reasoning behind the assigning of the Taijiquan 13 with the specific philosophical correspondences. To be honest, I think that the premodern mentality was a lot more comfortable with arbitrariness in matters like this. I'm still not convinced that these relationshi...
- Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:33 am
- Forum: Chinese Historical Arms
- Topic: Butterfly swords/knives
- Replies: 14
- Views: 30997
Re: Butterfly swords/knives
I suspect that the full basket hilt was the choice of those who used a sword in an untutored manner, and those with elaborate skills prefered a hilt style, D guard, half basket, or a shell guard, that allowed more freedom of movement. Let's not forget, though, that this is probably not a general ru...
- Thu Jun 16, 2011 11:05 pm
- Forum: General Taiji Quan Discussion
- Topic: What is distinctive about Taijiquan?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 61460
Re: What is distinctive about Taijiquan?
In nature straight lines do not really exist, when they appear to they are always formed by circles or arcs. About the only exception to this is an object falling towards the attracting body exerting gravity upon it, or an object moving in absence of gravity. A bullet fired in space for example wou...