Tai Chi Chuan 1957

Niall Keane

"The lads" practicing some drills in 1957.

Tai Chi Chuan translates as "supreme ultimate fist" the "supreme ultimate" is the correct name of the "yin-yang" symbol, so really it maens "Yin-Yang Boxing method". If one looks close at the drills, excusing the video quality, a drill may "programme" or "condition" the nervous system to react in a certain "counter-attack" way, but also is used to harden / condition the "opponents" (training partner's) body.

This extends to (for example) "bag work" drills not on the video where the puncher tries to drive back the opponent where he tries to withstand the blows and give no ground or keep his "form" the idea of "the unbendable hand", fluid, soft, yet unbending.

Here in the west, and these days much of the east "Tai Chi" seems to focus on solo practice, especially the hand form, and where as I would agree that certain aspects of martial arts can benefit from solo practice (done when theres no partner around, never miss an oppertunity!), traditional kung fu has always stressed a path of drills to sanshou (unbond hand, ie free fighting). But this is not a case of drill for years and then test, but traditionally a principle would be examined through drill each class and end with free expression (sparring). Lost in translation, I guess?

The "lads" here are part practicing, part demoing, (so dont expect free sparring) but notice the repetition, the "roughness" of technique (the practical) and consider how far removed even these "drills" are from the average "Tai Chi" class in Ireland?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etp3rbC0QQo

http://youtu.be/etp3rbC0QQo

da mo

I've scared a good few students away with application training. They're not used to it!
Nice video