Le Taï chi qui aide le Ving Tsun...
Some of the ways that Tai Chi can help Ving Tsun............
1. A triangle has great strength when forces are applied towards any of its three apexes. However, its weakness lies in forces applied to any of the three sides. A circle or ball has the same strength all the way round. We have now remarked on the difference in basic structures between Ving Tsun and Tai Chi. Tai Chi creates a better and stronger structure in the upper body by understanding the shapes of actions so that they employ the tendons for support and not the muscles but does not have the same focus as Ving Tsun. By combining the two concepts as in the diagram in the photo of Einstein's blackboard at the end of this article, we can create a structure that has the best of Ving Tsun and Tai Chi. The subtle difference of arm positions enables the inner and outer gates to be covered all at the same time and gives a more 360 degree of coverage. The combined shape has more integrity to forces along its sides whilst maintaining a focus forwards. The shape looks like the bow of a boat or the structure of an old church window where a triangle would not suffice as it needs structural integrity from the sides of the triangle as well as the apex.
2. Tai Chi teaches how to manoeuvre your centre around internally and therefore there is no need to expend energy with footwork to move the centre. Thus Tai Chi centre moving is more economical. Your centre becomes elusive to the enemy. They cannot lock onto it. They cannot find it.
3. A greater understanding of "loi" as in "loi lau, hoi sum". "Loi" is in Tai Chi as one of the four basic moves - "Paan, loi, jai, aan". Translated from Chinese, "loi means that the point of contact with the opponent's force is not moved but tracked, kept with, accepted. One could use the word "receive" but it does not describe it deeply enough. Interception of enemy's force works to a certain degree as long as the enemy is smaller or the same size as you. If they are bigger and/or heavier they is small degree of clashing in most human being before they change. In many cases the nature of interception (i.e. intercepting a punch with a punch) results in contact being that each person has not fully obtained control of the opponent's centre unless one person is bigger and heavier than the other. With "loi", the enemy's force is received and your centre is moved by waist hips and deflation "soung". There is therefore no attempt to move the enemy's force of your centre but instead always move your centre away from the enemy's force. Contact with the incoming force does not move so the enemy cannot follow your centre but is led along their original path. This is called “leading the enemy into the abyss” or "separating their hand from their body". This is a better way for dealing with people larger and heavier than yourself.
4. Tai Chi teaches how to fight with the lower body and not the upper body circumventing the need to develop large arm muscles. Tai Chi like Ving Tsun creates power from the ground but the way it does this generates much more power than Ving Tsun can.
5. When someone punches you that is referred to as the full side. The other side is the empty side. Quite often when person punches you, Ving Tsun practitioners intercept the force to divert and hit back. Tai Chi says absorb and remove your centre from the force and at the same time hit the enemy on their empty side. The response is therefore still immediate and there is no chance of a clash.
6. Because centre shifting and many other actions are executed within the lower body as opposed to the upper body, it is much more difficult for the enemy to read what you are doing.
There are many concepts in tai chi that are also in Ving Tsun and in the writings above a Ving Tsun practitioner may think he recognises some of the Tai Chi concepts as being like Ving Tsun. Waist turning is also very important just like it is taught as important in the Chum Kiu form of Ving Tsun. However, tai chi does not treat the body turning like a cylinder. It treats the body as made up of many components. You have to be aware of each component, how it works and how it works in conjunction with other components. These components then have to be unified in action. This is deeper and more difficult than in Ving Tsun but creates a much subtler and more efficient way of working.
If we look upon Tai Chi not as a style, but as an approach it could be used within Ving Tsun and also other styles of Kung Fu. I therefore see tai chi as helping Ving Tsun not replacing it, just as running and cardiovascular exercise can help your Ving Tsun. Ving Tsun has an intent and focus that tai chi does not. It trains the mind to take out the enemy as quickly as possible. It has a direct and devastating approach to attacking. Tai chi does not. Tai chi tends more to use the opponent’s force against themselves. I have found that Ving Tsun can overcome many tai chi practitioners because they do not have “Martial thinking”, that they practise tai chi for health and do not understand the actions in a martial context, but with the top maybe 5% of tai chi practitioners, Ving Tsun cannot touch them. Fang Ning himself has said that it is good to have studied another martial art such as Ving Tsun or Bag Gua before you start tai chi so that you can approach it with “martial thinking”. -- Clive Potter --
Sujet: Quand le tai chi aide le ving tsun par Clive Potter... 
Sam 5 Mai - 11:57
