The success of a movement
defensive or offensive,
depends on whether we perform it at the right time or not.
(Bruce Lee)
No speed
Tai chi is slow. It is trained slowly
and practiced fairly slowly in self defence.
To an observer it may sometimes look fast. Yet it is not. It is simply
appropriate.
How then can tai chi be used in self defence without speed?
Timing.
Second hand
The second hand on a clock moves tick by tick around the circle. Move. Stop.
Move. Stop. Move.
The movement is not spread around the arc of the circle.
This kind of move/stop action is not energy efficient.
Is there an alternative?
Instead of moving and stopping with
every second, the hand could move smoothly through the seconds.
Each second could pass in motion, rather than an abrupt move/stop action.
Momentum is not lost, the hand glides slowly at all times.
Now consider the martial arts...
Tai chi is not a move/stop system; it aims to maintain a continuous thread of
motion at all times.
This removes the pause/hesitation of stopping.
Pre-emptive
The tai chi person moves at the first sign of body motion rather than
waiting for the strike to fully manifest.
Between the stimulus and the response, there is no longer a pause followed by
abrupt action.
Any lapse of attention or bodily tension will hamper this process.
Now think of the second hand ticking around the clock face: moving then
stopping...
Rather than speed, the tai chi person is striking between the ticks.
They are striking in the moment between the thought and the action, when the
attention wavers and the body prepares for movement.
Preparation usually involves tension, pausing and hesitation.
Slow
The apparent speed of a tai chi strike is the consequence of
spontaneity.
By removing both postural tension and hesitation, there is a smoother movement.
This is why tai chi is performed slowly - it softens the nervous system and
allows for unimpeded action.
Jerky
Jerky movements alert the nervous system.
We experience an involuntary 'flinch' reaction to an incoming jerky motion.
When the attack is flowing and slower, this does not occur.
Part of tai chi timing is to strike without alerting the other person's nervous
system.
Page created 2 April 2002