Little children use Pi Chuan

Tim's Discussion Board: Xing Yi Quan: Little children use Pi Chuan
   By Babe in the woods (Unregistered Guest) on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 08:13 am: Edit Post

I have helped with kids classes in various styles at various schools throughout my training, and I have consistantly noticed one thing--very young children asked to punch something without directions will do almost the exact movement of Pi (of cource not the whole form with stepping, but the circular dropping-chopping strike without cocking the hand back behind the head--like Pi with just the lead hand and no stepping) the vast majority of the time, the only difference being they use a fist with the knuckles pulled back so that the palm-heel is the striking surface. The second most common swing is a wide bola hook (crescent punch), usually, again using a fist but the palm-heel as the striking surface--but this is a distant second, and the younger the chid, the more likely they will use Pi. Almost all young kids have a strong aversion to hitting anything with the big knuckles, especially a straight punch with the big knuckles.

Taoists place tremendous importance upon following nature and on children as being closer to nature than us (but what did they know, those crazy bastards ate Mercury). I am going to refrain from speculation to encourage it from others on the board.

Whatch think? Are there deep implications to this, or is it just an interesting coincidence, or is it "shut the (blank) up, stupid" post?


   By Michael Andre Babin on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 10:54 am: Edit Post

When I am fooling around with my senior students and practising applications in a non-rehearsed manner I find that I can often hit them, even the good ones, by using a very simply hooking swing.

This "childish" technique is a very functional one if you have any weight as well as good timing and distance skills. Funny because this very action is often looked down on by modern teachers of taiji who equate it with being unsophisticated and childlike, the implication being that someone like them would have no trouble dealing with a good swinging hook, whether large or small. I guess they don't get hit enough...

As to children, and the way they fight. It's fun to speculate but there are too many factors at play (i.e., a lot of school yard play has as much to do with establishing dominance as it has to do with developing or demonstrating fighting potential).

On the other hand, I have always suspected that we are "hard-wired" genetically to do some physical actions from our millions of years of being wandering hunter/gatherers more easily than others. If you watch our near cousins, the chimpanzees, interacting aggressively with each other in a zoo or nature documentary, you'll get an idea of why humans like to throw things and why two guys in a UFC cage act the way they do.

P.S. My apologies to those who don't believe in evolution and to those with the cajones and youth to get into such fighting venues. ;-}


   By Charles W on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 02:06 pm: Edit Post

Man, I teach little 4-6 year olds karate. There have been 2-3 that when we practice basic self defense, like blocking a haymaker, really friggen light up my lung points on my arm.

It freaks the hell out of me that a 3 foot kid can give my arm a wallop like that and awesome at the same time.

Alot of the adult students can't give me a whack on the arm like that.


   By Tim on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 06:05 pm: Edit Post

Charles,

What you should really be worried about is that your lungs are in your arms.


   By Michael Andre Babin on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 09:18 am: Edit Post

And why wife keeps insisting that a man's brains are really in his crotch!


   By Bob #2 on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 11:47 am: Edit Post

and where does she insist your brains are?


   By Babe in the woods (Unregistered Guest) on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 01:10 pm: Edit Post

Ouch!


   By Charles W on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 01:34 pm: Edit Post

Tim,

That doesn't bug me too much really. Now if someone pops me in the mouth, and my ass starts to hurt...well then we have a problem.


   By Rich on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 12:48 am: Edit Post

Once I was hit in the ass and my mouth started to tingle.

Does that mean I was talking out of my ass?


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