First of all I mean apology in a sense of practical explanation of benefits of Shen Wu versus other types of MA (apology is not meant in any offensive way since obviously Tim doesn't have to apologize to anyone). Tim and his students often have to defend good old wrestling boxing and other more down to earth fighting methods from unruly internal enthusiasts who have inflated ideas and expectations. However the opposite is rarely heard. Suppose I am an MMA person doing muai thai and ju jitsu + some wrestling to round everything off. Why would I choose tai chi or ba gua or shing i if I am interested in practical ability? Of course a practitioner defines his own success in fighting skill but a style is a style and a method is a method there should be reasons why they exist. So the question to Tim is what are relative advantages of what Tim teaches over other stuff? I also want to hear opinions of some Tims students who had the opportunity to fight guys with less "exotic" training. Too many people dismiss chinese methods and a comprehensive description from an expert in the area is in order.
Thank you.

I went over some of the practical benefits of training in the IMA on the "Self defense through Tai Ji in a matter of months" thread (it was my post of July 17, 2002). To sum up, I believe the IMA emphasis on principles of body use and strategy, and the creation of 'techniques' based on these principles to be extremely helpful to the learning process. Skills can be acquired and power can be developed fairly rapidly once the student understands and begins to internalize the priciples of body use and movement.

In addition, the emphasis on sensitivity and the various training methods used to develop sensitivity allow the student to achieve a higher level of proficiency in a shorter period of time than arts based solely on repetitions of forms and techniques. The overall strategy of application in the IMA is to 'stick and follow.' This ability is also one of the only practical methods that will allow a much smaller person to stand a chance against a much larger opponent.

Since the principles of movement and strategy are universal, they can be applied to any range of fighting and give the students parameters within which they can spontaneously create their own 'technique.' This must be as every individual is different and it is impossible to memorize a specific technique for all possible situations. Techniques from other 'styles' can also be absorbed. Our idea is that, in the last analysis, there are really no such things as 'styles,' only people moving in some sort of relationship. The principles you choose to train by will determine YOUR abilities, your abilities are not determined by your teacher's abilities, nor the name of your style.

Since principles exist outside of any stylistic divisions, they cannot be the property of any one method or art. The emphasis on internalization of the principles of movement and application found in the IMA can help to greatly expedite the learning process and the development of practical fighting ability. Training in this manner allows students the opportunity to begin unrehearsed sparring practices fairly early on, so a laboratory of practicality is created. Finally, teachers of the IMA have, over time, developed a balanced method of training which is health building rather than stressing over-development of some parts of the body at the expense of overall health.

Tim. excellent post.

Perhaps part of the problem with the reputation of cross-training lies in the very glut of "young masters" who study one or two years each of a variety of hard styles and then as they move into middle-age add a slow taiji form or modern pa-kua form or qigong to their bloated curriculums!

It's quite depressing to surf the net and see website after website promoting these new styles to the general martial public. While I'm sure that some of these innovators are doing their best and may even have something to offer to beginners; I'm equally sure that even more are fooling only themselves and/or their own students with their abilities or are creating a new style to.make money or boost their egos.

There aren't too many modern Sun Lu-tangs or Chen Pan-lings; but that lack also shouldn't mean that we assume that people with martial genius don't happen anymore. Cross-training when you have a solid foundation in one art can really help the learning process in terms of the other Chinese internal and external arts. Sadly, most modern practitioners don't have a solid foundation before they go off studying other approaches and lack the apptitude to absorb not only the similarities but the differences between the arts that they are learning.

In particular, from my limited experience, usually the students who are most keen to cross-train prematurely tend to focus on how the new art(s) are similar to what they already know as opposed to trying to analyze how the new system/teacher does things differently. And, as sometimes the differences are subtle, it can be problematic to "sort the wheat from the chaff".

Of course, I could be wrong (my wife assures me that this is often the case!)

Michael,

I don't think your wrong in this case. Nice post!

Why train in the internal martials art @ Shenwu? My goal is to be able to be an effective martial artist even when I am past my prime. IM systems of Xing Yi, Ba Gua, and Tai Ji have for many years cultivated a method to transmit true fighting abilities from teacher to student and I believe that those methods have evolved considerably at Shenwu through the synthesis of Tim's experiences and natural gift for teaching.

If the goal is to have real fighting ability even at an advance age, why not train in a system where this is cultivated from the beginning? I have an average physicality (some would say below average) and athletic ability. I could never be faster, quicker or stronger than someone who is more genetically gifted. The only choice for me is to find a way to use my body to its full potential through training in the proven methods IM.

Meynard,

You said it, man.

Tim,

"Skills can be acquired and power can be developed fairly rapidly once the student understands and begins to internalize the priciples of body use and movement. "

How many hours/day would you estimate is needed
to realize the principles "fairly repidly"? If it is even possible to generalize.

Thanks,
David

David,
As always, I think it depends on the individual. Most of my new students can more than triple their striking power in a week of training. Of course, being able to apply the force against a live opponent takes more time. On average, students that train in the academy about three times a week and do some training/conditioning at home begin to develop useful skills (are able to make constructive responses against unrehearsed attacks) in a couple of months. Like any other art, the potential for improvement is limitless.