| It seems such an obvious question to ask, but | | | | Which is the best style? |
| surprisingly it doesn't get discussed as often as I | | | | Adherents of different styles can't resist arguing |
| would expect: | | | | about which style is best. Actually, it is not styles |
| How can slow motion movement work in a real | | | | that win competitions or successfully defend |
| fight? The answer is that slow motion is the very | | | | themselves against attack; it's individuals. No |
| best way to safely train the central nervous | | | | matter how good the style, system, quality of |
| system and to memorise techniques with a | | | | teaching or training, it takes a combination of |
| partner. For verification, look no further than | | | | talent or aptitude, inclination and dogged |
| methods of hand-to-hand combat training for the | | | | perseverance to be a winner. Unless you really |
| military and law-enforcement officers. Training | | | | want to fight, (and that includes being willing to |
| always done at full speed would result in too | | | | lose sometimes,) maybe you should concentrate |
| many injuries, but pulling punches and not following | | | | on simply maintaining your health and well-being. |
| through with joint locks and throws is ineffectual | | | | Ultimate fist? |
| as training. Solo practice involving striking | | | | Tai chi chuan has been translated as supreme |
| explosively at full speed and acceleration, known | | | | ultimate fist. This implies that tai chi is superior to |
| as fa-jin or fa-li, has always been part of | | | | other fighting systems. Actually there are many |
| traditional tai chi quan, and is explicit in the forms | | | | ways to translate the term "tai chi chuan", as "tai |
| of Chen-style tai chi, but has also been an integral | | | | chi" is the name of the Taoist philosophical |
| part of the other styles beyond beginner level. | | | | concept after which the system is named. Most |
| Kung fu (Mastery) = time + energy spent | | | | of the traditional martial arts were in their |
| The problem with a sophisticated system like tai | | | | ascendancy before the proliferation of firearms. |
| chi chuan is that it takes a long time to learn, and | | | | Once it became easy for a relatively unskilled |
| an even longer time to train until responses are | | | | marksmen or infantryman to "defeat" a highly |
| completely natural and spontaneous. This is why | | | | trained martial artist as occurred during the |
| traditionally in China, martial arts training began at | | | | "Boxer Rebellion" of 1899-1901, incentive for the |
| around 5 years old, giving plenty of time for | | | | grueling and exacting martial arts training was |
| individuals to prepare their bodies, to temper and | | | | undermined, and the changing political landscape of |
| transcend their automatic (glandular) responses to | | | | early 20th Century China did little to support the |
| aggression. My own principal teacher used to say | | | | older martial arts traditions. Consequently it is |
| "train for 10 years before you show your skill | | | | unlikely that the fabled skills of the masters of old |
| outside of your own family". | | | | will ever be seen outside of kung-fu films. |