One is taught in accordance with one's fitness to learn.
(The Silent Flute)
Effectiveness
Does your martial art work?
That is a good question.
The effectiveness of the
martial art depends upon the person doing it and appropriateness of their
actions when assaulted.
It has nothing to do with
strength,
speed,
gender or
experience; it is your ability to keep a
cool head and apply the
art with
awareness
and
skill.
Our school trains students to respond in a manner that feels right to the
individual.
Although everyone adheres to the
tai chi
principles of body usage, movement and relationship, the
application of the
material differs according to the
person.
Edward De Bono:
A carpenter can use all the tools of carpentry but at any one moment uses the tool that seems appropriate for the situation.
Not fighting
Our school is not training people to enter the
Ultimate Fighting
Competition.
We teach
self defence.
'Self defence' is the ability to get out of a situation without being beaten
up.
Nothing more.
It is not fighting; it is escaping.
Damage
If a self defence system is effective at damaging the opponent, then it
cannot be used full contact in class.
In fact, it should only be used full contact if you have absolutely no other
choice available.
Tai chi self defence was originally designed to incapacitate or potentially maim or kill the opponent, not for
demonstrating or fighting.
If the system didn't damage the opponent when used full contact, then what
would be the point of learning it?
How do you train it?
Our
tai chi classes involve a
lot of 'play';
adults can play exuberantly without anybody getting upset or
injured.
Imagine that you have a gap in your
defences.
Your partner sees it and they want to let you know...
Should they:
Tell you verbally?
Strike you full contact?
Tap you playfully?
Option 1 is too slow and fails to
illustrate the weakness adequately.
Option 2 does let you know but breaks your nose.
Option 3 also lets you know but there are no hard feelings and no risk of
injury.
It is possible to strike or grapple with somebody vigorously without
actually harming them.
Analogy
Consider this illustration:
Think of hot water.
If you turn the hot tap on and put your hand under the stream of water...
your hand gradually experiences more and more heat.
Eventually the heat becomes uncomfortable.
If your hand remains where it is you will be scolded by the heat.
Is it necessary to suffer blistered skin and burns in order to realise that
the hot water is going to cause damage?
This is why we have a nervous system.
Page created 29 November 2000