So what do you train now?
I was always curious as to where some of you train now. Myself, I train Chen Taijiquan, I didn't think that I could find a style that is further then what I trained at tkf but there I am! I know of at least one other x-tkfer that trains there, though he trains at the main school so I don't see much of him. Two other x-students train at Eddie Wu's and at a Pak Mei school, so how about the rest of you? What is Chen style like? Well I'll repeat the two axioms that were told to me on my first day of training 1. When one part moves, all parts move. 2. All movement initiates in the dan dian. Actually I hit a minor milestone 2 weeks ago. When my teacher corrected me, ( which happens quite often) the first thing out of his mouth wasn't RELAX!!! After 3.5 years I was delighted not to hear that! Cam McGibney

Hi Cam, Good to see you on the new forum. As you know I am learning the basics of Xingyi now while maitaining my old PHS knowledge. To answer a question you had on the old forum, I don't combine the training as yet. When practicing on my own, usually I will go through my new Xingyi knowledge first, then my favourite motions/ forms of PHS/ Moh Kempo. Maybe one day I will be able to combine them but for now I don't even try. When I spar it is still all old TKF style. I really enjoy the internal aspects of Xingyi, though I am focusing more on the physical movement as I do have some old habits I need to change (pushing my butt back, not stretching my mingmang properly). The 5 element linking forms I love, and the weapons training is inspiring. Soon I will be getting into the twelve animals. That's it for now.

hello all
Right now I am in Victoria and I train in two new styles (I say two new styles because I still train PHS and moh kempo) which are Hung fut and Yoshukai karate. The Hung fut is I think about four to five hundred years old and is a combination of fut gar and hung gar. Our version of Hung fut is probally a little more based in Hung gar because our sifu trained in Hung gar before training Hung fut. It is a good style combining hard and soft with a lot of emphasis on stances. Yoshukai karate is a style simular to Kyokushin in that they train for full contact. Our club does not do any punching to the head because the believe is that it is easy to knockout someone by punching to the head but if you take that away not you have to train harder techniques (also to not get punch drunk as they call it) It is neat to train both styles, the way that I look at it is the Yoshukai is like skills class in the way that it is very dynamic and a great cardio workout and the Hung fut more like kfc/phs in that it is more grounded, more circular and focuses on multiple attackers. Also as I said I am still trying to find the time to train tkf/phs, which is hard because between Hung fut and Yoshukai I usually am training about six days a week but I manage to keep it up. I just brought a camera so I can video myself and self critique and also I just was able to make it out to one of grasshoppers sundays sessions and hope to go more. As Grasshopper mentioned I have not given much thought to combining styles yet but I am sure that the more I train that will happen naturally, picking my favourite moves and techniques from each style. Well I should go now as I am almost running late for Yoshukai. I hope to hear more of what everyone has been training and how they are enjoying it compared to tkf bye for now Ray Siochowicz

re
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Wow, Ray! You get to train six days a week? You are a lucky dog. Forget "Be Like Mike. " I want to be more like Ray. And if anyone is still wondering my "new" chosen path is Parker Kenpo Karate w/ a side helping of BJJ. J.K.

I now train in MMA

I used to train in the 80s at tkf and stop for about 15 years and started up again doing Hung Gar.

Here's a sample of Chen style http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6158449906821599804&q=taiji+push+hands Comments?

Hello Cam, Thanks for that. It looks really cool. Tai chi isn't my area of expertise. But aren't there several styles within Tai chi? Regards, MrE2Me2

Actually that's a difficult question Mystery Amigo. I could say there is only one style of tai chi, with lots of interpretations. or I could say there are around 8+ Family styles. The more well known being Yang, Wu , Chen, Sun, etc..as well as being the most practised, in that general order. The term "tai chi chuan" was coined by Yang Lu Tang(sp?), though he was taught by one of the Chen Family. Getting into the history is as contentious as going into Kenpo history. All that is agreed on is that Chen taught the art to Yang and Yang in turn passed on the art to others. Where and how the Chen family came to develop this art is one of the contentious parts. There are some sites that provide a good overview, I'll find the links and post them.

Hello Cam, Thanks for the info. Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Why should Kempo be the only controversial art, anyway? Regards, MrE2Me2

When I think about it, there are no arts that don't seem to deal without a certain bit of controversy. It all seems to stem from ego, male ego that is, sorry ladies but MA seems to be a male dominated activity. It is hard to escape the fact, that even secretly, we all desire all style to be the best and our sifu's to be unbeatable. Eventually we grow out of it, well some of us do! :roll: Even when I watch that clip that I supplied, I suspect my teacher would critique it, not out of ego mind you, my teacher critiques my fellow students and myself most unmercifully at times! It's a good ego crusher :oops:

Her's a link to a thorough history of the major styles of tai chi (taiji) http://www.itcca.it/peterlim/index.htm The Chen history is a bit controversial, at least to the Chen guys, but hey, it was written by a Yang stylist. go figger!

When I left I trained in Wing Chun and now I am training in MMA. BJJ mostly.

Black Tiger Style
I'm thinking about sending my daughter to this school. There's a link below to a few online vid clips, one of which features a form demonstration of the 'Black Tiger' Style. I'm curious to read what you think of it. I've never seen Simon's 'White Tiger' but would like to. Is there any online video clips of it anywhere, that you know of? Thanks! http://www.templeknights.com/video_gallery.html