Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNAV_AurtKI

AND

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zeqVJKg55g

Agree!

Watching the American judges I'm once again reminded of one of my favorite sayings. The confidence of the amateur is the envy of the professional. "Amateur" being the judges.

It seems as soon anyone tries anything in the video they get warned - It´s got to be hard to win if you´re barely allowed to touch your opponent

That was a fun documentary, thanks.

no problemo

have the ladies over at EmptyFlower seen that clip yet?

did anyone hear a collective gasp?

It seems a classic example of a competition based around someone's idea of what Tai Chi should be as opposed to the reality of a physical confrontation between two individuals (be it sportive or otherwise).

Thankfully the UK has yet to get this bad, though they have tightened the rules in some of the comps so that it sometimes degenerates into who can shove who the hardest.

I've often noticed in big organisations based around physical culture, mostly martial but I've seen it in yoga as well, that you often get two camps. those that love to train but are crap at organising and those that don't train as much (or sometimes at all) but like to organise and get their importance from their place in the hierarchy.

I think if the balance tips to far to the latter then you tend to get situations like the one in documentary. However if left to the former then nothing ever gets organised (because lets face it, I'd rather be training).

It would be a lot of fun for two folks to make their way through the competition, then when they face each other one pretends to be effected by the other's incredible chi power.

The judges would crap-their-pants.

lmao. Possibly some fake blood capsules in the mouth for added effect?