taichi or kungfu anyone?

Hi guys,

I'm considering adding to my routine a twice weekly class of taichi or kungfu. I feel it will help me get rid of some stress related health issues.

Does anyone have any experience, good or bad?

Thanks in advance

 Depends on how you plan to get rid of the stress - T'ai C'hi is meditative and mindful movement that can help you destress by focusing on the now, kung fu tends to be more about the whoopass, which can help you destress by working out the agression on a training dummy.

 So it depends on what you want out of your classes - though kung fy can be meditative, and I've heard of agressive t'ai c'hi masters, so I suppose it sort of depends on the personalities involved :)

Thanks Melkor. I did Yoga and Taichi eons ago when I was looking after my father who was terminally ill. It did wonders for my psyche, I was calm and centered amid the chaos of my life at the time.

I thought kungfu is a form of taichi too.

I'm lifting weights and speed walking on alternate days to maintain my hard earned fat loss. So I would probably want something for my brain, too much going on at the same time.

I'll take a trial class next week and see.

 T'ai C'hi is a Neijia and is rooted in Wudang temple, Kung fu is a shaolin tradition and is rooted in the Shaolin temple.

 Different origins, different traditions and different emphasis. Though martial arts historians note that there was no Indian or Chinese martial arts until after Alexander the Great brought pankration to India, so it's possible that they share a common ancestor.

 Ahem. Anyway - for your purposes, I'd think you'll find T'ai C'hi a better match for you, but try both and see which appeals more to you.

Ooops, my confusion. Thanks for the enlightment... :-)

I've trained in the martial arts for over 20 years (Okinawan karate, taekwondo and most recently T'ai C'hi and kung fu). I can tell you from first hand experience that, if you're looking to destress, choose T'ai C'hi, hands down.

T'ai C'hi is "moving meditation" -- a kind of relaxation through body, muscle and (especially) breath control. Control your breath and you control your world.

At the school where I currently train, The School for Chinese Martial Arts I take only Kung Fu. Due to financial reasons (recent job loss and financial setback) I can't afford both. Otherwise, I would do both.

You're spot on about them being related. In fact, I'll go so far as to say, you can't really understand either art fully without the complement of the other.

That said, given your desire to destress, T'ai C'hi has no downsides. I train in Kung Fu because as Melkor so ...um... delicately put it it's all about the whoopass (more to the point, "whoopMYass" as I need and love to sweat, Sweat, SWEAT when I train, so the KF workout does that with a passion). Also, while my art is not philosophically aggressive, there's no question that we train for defense, and there are plenty of whoopass techniques that fit that description. Now, we ALWAYS practice our breathing -- it's central to our art and approach, but that's a little less important than defending against a haymaker aimed at your head.

Now, any seasoned practitioner of T'ai C'hi will need only to speed up most of the techniques to illustrate how devastatingly brutal T'ai C'hi could be, if applied as a defensive art, but that would defeat the entire purpose. And that's not to say that T'ai C'hi won't make you break a sweat (it should, IMHO). But the mental state at the end of both classes is entirely different, I've found.

I'm tired and relaxed after training in Kung Fu. I'm energized and at peace after training in T'ai C'hi. Ultimately, that's the goal for KF, but, hey! I'm still a grasshopper.

I hope that helps.

All the best,

=Daniel

 

There are many different styles of both T'ai Chi and Kung Fu. The "usual" style of T'ai Chi isn't as combat-based as Kung Fu, and focuses more on developing your sense of center, from which your movement and power comes.

Kung Fu, while giving you an amazing aerobic workout, also gives you a process on how to channel your aggressions. Though, like melkor said, it's certainly "more about the whoopass" than T'ai Chi, which can be VERY cathartic in its own right.

I studied both T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Northern style Praying Mantis Kung Fu. By far, I was always relaxed at the end of T'ai Chi. When Kung Fu was over, I was just happy I could still stand upright. I'd say it was the difference between "peaceful" and "exhausted." Both made my blood pressure drop.

Whichever one you choose, if you give 100% of yourself during class, you will benefit tenfold.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I'm still debating which feeling I need more, being at peace or letting go of pent up anger... I'll probably try one class each and then decide. 

I remember about ten years ago, T'ai Chi could be self defense, some advanced students in my class were able to subdue an opponent in the blink of an eye. I only took the class for 6 weeks and had to drop it because my dad's health required full time commitment from me.

I also remember I was the only klutz in the class who managed to pull a muscle in my lower back, don't ask.

"Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly....

...until you learn to do it well."

In the same way, martial arts (T'ai C'hi, Kung Fu, etc.) is worth doing poorly.

One of the most rewarding things for me in my training is seeing the klutzes who -- despite the fact that they suck and that they KNOW they suck -- continue to come. Because, it isn't about 'I'm really a klutz at this!' It's about 'Do I have the humbleness of spirit to stick with it long enough, learning the lessons I need to learn along the way, until I'm no longer such a klutz at this.'

In many ways, my weight loss journey is like that. 

I think T'ai C'hi would be great as it relates to your goal. I have to offer up that while KF helps release pent up anger/aggression, to approach it as such is a bit misguided. Do Tae Bo instead. Martial arts is more about the journey within, discovering the source of conflict and resolution. My instructor has said, "The greatest battle is within." and it's oh-so true.

Sorry if that sounds 'preachy.' I'd just hate to see you start off on a path that may not take you where you want to go. Definitely take some classes (more than 1, I'd recommend). Get to know the energy of the teachers, assistants and students. That will help direct your steps.

All the best.

=Dnd

Thank you danielnotdan, I'll quote you next time I blow a bridge hand, LOL.

About the klutzes who continue, it's about the journey not the destination.

Take care.