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Old 06-11-2007, 05:53 PM   #14
G DiPierro
Location: Ohio
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 365
United_States
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Re: For those who complemented Aikido with Tai Chi please share your experience

Today there are essentially two types of taiji: the health practice, which is more popular, and the martial practice. Here's an interesting video on martial TJQ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmV7WL1A4Ww. I'd say that if your teacher doesn't do push-hands and qinna, then you aren't doing a martial practice. No problem not doing the martial applications if you are clear what you are and aren't doing, but it's not really taijiquan anymore at that point. Maybe this practice should be called "supreme ultimate relaxation (or health)?"

I would say that martial taiji can be as good as or better than aikido training in developing the skills that aikido purports to based on (depending on the teacher, of course). Health taiji probably would help your aikido somewhat, but if you enjoy that kind of practice and don't care about the martial applications of TJQ, then why worry about whether it will help your aikido?
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