That depends upon what type of taichai u take


RagJohn

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There apparently are 2 types, the combat oriented and the non-combative. It also depends upon how soon you want to see results. TaeKwanDo was/is intented to make an effective fighter out of you in a few months. It was created for training soldiers. In the land of the gun (US) H2H training does not have the almost religious importance given to it in the Orient, where civilian gun ownership is basically non-existent. Most of us don't face much likelihood of needing such defensive skill, or if we do think so, we carry a pistol. Given that outlook on life, I believe that TKD will get you where you want to be, ability-wise, and free you up to do other things. The kick-training create a sense of awareness of proper distances for given types of attacks, as well as greatly enhanced balance, if you really work at it long enough. Even if you never build real power with anything but the front snapkick, the roundhouse and the side-thrust kick, you will have created a lot of confidence in yourself.

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By "taichai" do you mean Tai Chi? Or are you drinking Chai Tea?

Myself, taichi was mostly about focus, concentration, internal experience, much like yoga. Tae Kwon Do was mostly about fending off an attacker and being able to break boards. But that's just me. As a security guard, I never carry offensive weapons because other people's property is not worth killing for. I do carry defensive gear (kevlar) because other people's property is not worth dying for. As for guns, they are over-rated. Just my professional opinion. You might have a different opinion based on your own professional experience.

Edited by Michael E. Marotta
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Tai Chi movements can be applied to combat situations, absolutely--if you understand their purposes and bring them up to combat speed. But that is generally not what it is practiced for. It's sort of like when Bruce Lee was talking about how, unless someday new people appear that have more than two arms and two legs, things will remain the same.

Tae Kwon Do is one of the most widely-practiced martial arts out there. The kata and the general form of it are basically from the Okinawan styles, but with wider stances, higher kicks, and other things. Okinawan movements are much tighter, closer. TKD was streamlined, and made easier to teach to broader audiences, I guess you might say. It also evolved into more of a sporting, competitive form. You can be in for a very rude awakening if all you have is TKD training. One thing you will find out is that high kicks are generally unrealistic in street situations. TKD is not (usually) taught as a true combative form--the targets are not prioritized for that. A TKD man that is used to regular sparring would most likely not be targeting the eyes and throat, for instance, because it is illegal in sparring for obvious reasons. Hapkido training is an excellent compliment for TKD.

rde

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When you are cannon fodder for old farts, everything looks like balls of lead and it all stinks.

When you are not cannon fodder, you can see the splendor in the fields and stop to smell the roses.

I feel sorry for aging cannon fodder. I mean it.

Michael

Michael:

Not sure what you meant by the above, but it reminded me of the following quote freom Ayn:

"When you have made evil the means of survival, do not expect men to remain good. Do not expect them to stay moral and lose their lives for the purpose of becoming the fodder of the immoral. Do not expect them to produce, when production is punished and looting rewarded. Do not ask, 'Who is destroying the world?' You are."

Adam

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Tai Chi movements can be applied to combat situations, absolutely--if you understand their purposes and bring them up to combat speed. But that is generally not what it is practiced for. It's sort of like when Bruce Lee was talking about how, unless someday new people appear that have more than two arms and two legs, things will remain the same.

Tae Kwon Do is one of the most widely-practiced martial arts out there. The kata and the general form of it are basically from the Okinawan styles, but with wider stances, higher kicks, and other things. Okinawan movements are much tighter, closer. TKD was streamlined, and made easier to teach to broader audiences, I guess you might say. It also evolved into more of a sporting, competitive form. You can be in for a very rude awakening if all you have is TKD training. One thing you will find out is that high kicks are generally unrealistic in street situations. TKD is not (usually) taught as a true combative form--the targets are not prioritized for that. A TKD man that is used to regular sparring would most likely not be targeting the eyes and throat, for instance, because it is illegal in sparring for obvious reasons. Hapkido training is an excellent compliment for TKD.

rde

Well said. I have an inherent bias against TKD for the reasons you state, and because of the watered-down/strip mall mentality factor. A sub specialty of Tai Chi is Chi Kung, which is called an "internal" martial art. I have been doing a version of that called Zhan Zuang, which is more or less "standing still" as a complement to my Okinawan Kenpo. Too early to tell if any results, but interesting nonetheless.

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Adam,

From the tenor of the OP's flood of posts over a couple of days--which focused on martial arts, meat-headed opinions, macho posturing and outright bigotry, I see him as nothing but cannon fodder for the politicians he has served.

His character-type is to be leader of the gang immediately around him and to set the rules for the members, by force if necessary. That's why I don't expect him to return. It was made clear that he would never get a gang off the ground here--much less be leader--and he has to obey restrictions to post when he violates the posting guidelines. (But if he does return, he's welcome within the guidelines.)

That leader urge is a sham and I believe he knows it. The real leaders of him (the old farts handing down his orders over his life) are types of people he will never be able to become. What's worse, he knows it. He has to, since he's not completely stupid. That's why I think he likes to toy with people--to pretend he's in control.

But he's nothing but cannon fodder. Trained cannon fodder, but still cannon fodder for old farts.

Michael

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Michael:

Understood. He was like peeling an onion for me.

I disliked his entire persona. Extremely self contradictory and shallow.

The assertion of the Pershing "story" was quite revealing. Additionally, the sheer volume of posts was instructive.

Very Kimmlerish in approach. Seems like Kimmler has vanished into the void also.

Adam

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