As one old hippy to another, I've gotten great gains from Chen Taiji and

with the South Beach Diet.

Thanks again, guys. Hard to talk to the weight-trainer as I don't think he speaks English at all (and I certainly can't talk technical in Polish).

I'm not really into diets (but thanks anyway) as, at the moment, I am not fully in control of what food I eat... (don't ask me to explain that!). Suufice to say, I eat what's put in front of me and have little choice if I want a quiet life!

OK here goes.

It is impossible for a joint to generate power. A joint is a a point of articulation between two or more bones. Hinge, modified hinge and ball and socket. A joint only articulates voluntarily with a muscular contraction. The agonistic muscles shorten, 'pulling' from one bone to another via connective tissue. Accompanying anatgonistic muscles lengthen and relax to allow the articulation.

If joints could move without this basic truth, then ailments like MS, conditions like sciatica and drop foot amongst others would cease to exist. Also, the mere attachment of a prosthetic limb to an amputated limb would be enough to create articulation.

You can change the semantics to suit your training all you like. You call it 'hara' I call it the core, but the biomechanics and muscle involvement remain constant no matter what side of the dojo you bow on.

Weight training when done appropriately can help every and any activity. If you look at any, and i mean ANY physical persuit, those involved use resistance training as part of their performance conditioning.

strength and power are the clay, your skill specific training is the sculpting process.

Those who spend all their time gathering clay, and sculpt as an afterthought, never have the end result they could have.

Those who sculpt from limited resources, run short of materials and find their creation inhibited.

Strength training for MA is nothing more than a supplemental activity that should be used in moderation, with a focus on efficiency and performance. This then leaves time and energy to devote to your true interest- your art.

Many lose sight of this and become conflicted bodybuilders, leading to frustration and cries of 'weights make you slow', and 'weights inhibit your flexibility' etc etc.

True strength training and focus on hip, core and power, will not, in any way, disadvantage your MA training, be it internal, external or transcendental.

Ashe Higgs would probably be the best person to address this question as he has modified and incroporated mainstream resistance conditioning into his eastern based power generation philosphies. He has combined the internal with the external, embracing possibility, not negating it through slavish dogma. I have a lot of respect for his methodology, and I hope he finds this thread.

I've seen guys doing bagua with bricks balanced on their hands in books, and other such things. This kind of strength training is maybe different from western weightlifting, but it's still weight training of some sort.

I know Xingyi and Bagua sometimes use methods like this, is there nothing similar in Taiji?

@Cord - good post!

truscott, you have been informed repeatedly that these links are against forum rules, as they are advertising.

No more or you will be banned.

just a few thoughts. some tai chi masters advocate hopping out of bed in the morning and beginning practice right away. it really does set up your day well and for me the time usually goes very quickly. sip green tea to keep hydrated and regulate your blood sugar. hunger sometimes comes with lethargy so the exercise and green tea are an excellent combo. i have heard a chinese saying ' brown rice make skinny and fat people both right weight' you can lose a lot fairly quickly on a brown rice fast but it tends to clear out toxins at an alarming rate. to do that safely you might invest in an enema bag! eat some sea weed for minerals and such if you try it. walk! if you have a chen form you can lose weight with it. you have to do it a lot. try to do a certain number a day. repeat single moves a hundred times or so fast and slow.
if you eat anything with any sugar you will be hungry again very soon. eating sugar in the morning be it cereal or with coffee etc. will set up a pattern of consumption for the day. good luck brother.

you are right. we are all children. what is martial art training but self control and discipline?