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| SAFETY: |
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| What is the general safety situation like? China is a very safe country, and even the larger cities of Beijing and Shanghai are safer than most American cities. It is nonetheless important to use common sense precautions such as not walking alone at night and traveling in groups. Pickpockets are common in and around tourist sites. |
| What is traffic safety like? Traffic safety is perhaps the most serious threat to you while in China. In practice, pedestrians and bicycles do not have the right of way. It is important to use caution when crossing the street and riding a bicycle. |
| What about housing safety and theft? The hotel and dormitories are very safe. Security guards patrol the premises 24 hours a day. Housekeeping staff is courteous of your belongings, and we have never had a problem with theft from the hotel or dormitories. |
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| MONEY: |
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| How much money will I spend? In the past, program participants budgeted around $8USD a day. Your only real expenses are meals and incidentals, which are inexpensive in China. Unless you are a real shopper, you will be able to live comfortably on between $200-$300USD a month. |
| How much do meals cost? On average, meals cost between $4-$7USD a day depending on your tastes. |
| How much does transportation cost? There is no lack of transportation options in Beijing! Buses crisscross the city and are the cheapest way to get around at 1RMB a ride, or roughly $0.13 cents. The Beijing subway currently has two lines in operation, one line that loops the city's second ring road, and another that cuts across the city from East to West. A subway ride costs 3RMB. Taxis are a convenient way to get around town. Taxis here start at 10RMB and increase by 1.6RMB per kilometer. A taxi across town or downtown costs around 30RMB or $3.75USD. Many students also opt to buy bicycles. A working bicycle costs between 100-200RMB, and is a very practical way to get around. |
| How do I get money or exchange money when in China? Travelers' checks can be exchanged at the Xi Jiao hotel and on campus. It is possible to withdraw local currency with an ATM card at a limited number of Bank of China branches and international bank branches. In addition, credit card advances are available at larger banks downtown for a small fee. |
| What is the exchange rate? The official exchange rate for US dollars is approximately 8.27RMB to $1USD. For Canadian dollars, the exchange rate is approximately 5.25RMB to $1CND. The exchange rate for the British pound is approximately 11.87RMB to $1GBP. These rates are for travelers' checks, which incidentally trade at a slightly higher rate than cash. |
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| Phone / FAX / Internet |
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| Is there a phone in my room? There is a telephone in every hotel and dormitory room. |
| Should I bring my cell phone to China? Should I buy a cell phone when I arrive? Cell phones are very convenient and inexpensive here in China. Many program participants find that once they get involved in classes and activities, they are seldom in their rooms to take calls. Therefore, cell phones allow participants to stay in touch with new friends and contacts. If your current cell phone is a GSM phone with a detachable SIM chip, then you can purchase a new SIM chip in China to use your current phone. If you would like to use a cell phone during your stay in China, EducAsian offers a cell phone rental service to program participants. Participants can rent a GSM phone from EducAsian for the period of time that they will be in China. These phones operate on a pre-paid phone card system. Phone calls are inexpensive, and a $12USD phone card usually lasts around 2-3 weeks. It is also possible to buy a new cell phone upon arrival. Phones range in price from $100USD to $500USD. A SIM chip (the phone number) costs $25USD. These phones operate on a pre-paid phone card system. |
| How do I make an international/overseas call from China? There are several options for placing international phone calls from China. First, you can continue to use your ATT, MCI, Sprint, or other calling card plans, although be sure to check the rates and compare with other plans before coming to China. Second, family and friends from the States may want to try 10-10-834. The service is hit and miss, but when it works it's about 25-33 cents per minute. Third, pre-paid internet phone plans like dialpad.com can be an affordable way to call home. Lastly, IP phone cards are an affordable and convenient method to place international calls. These cards function like pre-paid phone cards, and the rate is about 15 cents a minute to the United States. |
| How do I send and receive faxes? There is a fax machine in the EducAsian office. The fax number is 86-10-6234-7905. Program participants can also use the fax machine in the business center of the Xi Jiao Hotel. |
| Where can I access the internet? Where can I check my e-mail? Free internet access for EducAsian program participants is provided in our student lounge at the Xi Jiao Hotel. There is a plethora of internet centers in and around the Hotel and University. The price for the use of the internet in these locations ranges from 8-10RMB per hour, and the speed is usually very fast. If you haven't done so already, you should set up email accounts on the web at hotmail.com, yahoo.com, etc. You can also use telnet to access your university e-mail accounts. |
| How much does it cost to use the computers at an internet center? The use of computers and the internet at the internet centers around campus should cost around 8-10RMB per hour. Often the price at non-peak times is slightly lower than during peak times like the early afternoon. |
| What is the internet connection speed in China? The internet connection speed varies depending on where you access the internet. The EducAsian student lounge has an ADSL connection. Many of the internet centers have DSL connections. |
| Is there a firewall in China? Yes, there is a firewall in China. Certain internet sites are blocked by China's Ministry of Information Industry, however, e-mail services and many other sites are allowed through the firewall. |
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| Food / Entertainment |
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| I am a vegetarian, is that a problem in China? In general, it is not difficult to be a vegetarian in China. Many Chinese dishes are vegetarian, and restaurants can often prepare dishes made to order. For example, sweet and sour pork can be prepared with tofu instead of meat. |
| I am a vegan, is that a problem in China? For vegans in China, it is important to ask how, and with what ingredients, dishes are prepared. There are numerous vegetable dishes in Chinese cuisine, but some of these are prepared with meat, seafood, or eggs. Asking for dishes to be specially prepared without meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy products is not a problem for restaurants. |
| What is the food like in China? Chinese cuisine varies according to the region of its origin. There are four main categories of Chinese food: Lu Cai, Chuan Cai, Su Zhe Cai, and Yue Cai. Typical dishes from the northern plains, or Lu Cai, are dumplings, spring rolls, hot pot, and stir fried chicken. Chuan Cai, or Szechwan cuisine is famous for spicy dishes like pepper and chili tofu and stir-fried pork with bamboo and mushrooms. Su Zhe Cai, from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, is renowned for its vegetarian dishes and dishes such as braised pork and crab meat balls, sweet and sour fish, and stewed pork. Lastly, Yue Cai, or Cantonese style, has a variety of ingredients and produces a fresh and light taste. Well-known dishes are dim sum, shark's fin soup, stir-fried crab with ginger and scallions, and stir-fried beef with black pepper. Each city is home to hundreds of restaurants serving different varieties of Chinese food, as well as Korean, Japanese, Western, and South East Asian cuisine. Street stalls also serve fired pancakes, popcorn, and other snacks. And, if you really crave American fast food, there is no shortage of McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and other chains popping up around the country. |
| What is the nightlife like in Beijing? In China? The nightlife in Beijing is thriving. With a variety of clubs, bars, discos, and live music venues, it is impossible to become bored by the selection. There are a number of local upcoming events-oriented publications in which events and live music events are listed. In the larger Chinese cities, bars, karaoke clubs, and discos are not in short supply. Smaller cities, however, do not have as much of the variety as cities like Beijing and Shanghai, although going out to dinner or to see Chinese opera with friends can be equally entertaining. |
| What kinds of cultural events come to Beijing? Beijing attracts a large array of international acts, from the Beijing International Jazz Festival to the Icecapades. Each year, Beijing plays host to numerous international operas, ballets, symphonies, and art exhibitions. |
| What is there to do for entertainment? There are a wealth of entertainment options in the larger cities of Beijing and Shanghai. International concerts and exhibitions are quite common, as well as the more traditional Chinese arts of Peking Opera and Acrobatics. There are many free monthly magazines with general listings of coming events, as well as online newsletters with updated listings. |
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| Chinese Classes |
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| What if I have only studied traditional characters, and my school only uses traditional characters, is it a problem if I only studied the simplified characters? No, you will just have to work a little harder. First of all, most characters are the same. Second, there is a very logical system behind the simplification process, and it is after all simpler. Third, EducAsian has a number of helpful books and will arrange special tutorials for those interested. |
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| Application Deadlines |
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| When do I have to apply to come on an EducAsian program? The EducAsian application deadlines vary according to program specifications. In general, we encourage program participants to apply at least a month before the start date of the program in which they would like to attend. |
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| Credit Transfer |
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| Will I be able to transfer credit to myhome institution? EducAsian program participants can transfer the credits earned in China to their home institutions. The universities that program participants attend are internationally accredited; therefore most international universities accept credit received from these schools. EducAsian urges program participants to check with their home institution's credit transfer requirements. In addition, participants on certain programs can receive a transcript from the State University of New York at Brockport. |
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| Weather |
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| What is the weather like in Beijing? The weather in Beijing varies considerably during the year, from hot and humid summers to dry and cold winters. The average temperature during the winter months of December to March is -7 - 5 C. The spring in Beijing is short, but mild with an average temperature of 10 - 24 C. Summers in Beijing are very hot with temperatures in the 20 - 31 C. Fall is probably the nicest season in Beijing with crisp temperatures ranging from 6 - 18 C. |
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| Other: |
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| Where can I do laundry? Dry-cleaning? The Xi Jiao hotel and the dormitories on campus do have laundry facilities for student use. These machines operate on a pre-paid card system. The Xi Jiao hotel offers a dry-cleaning service to hotel guests. In addition, there are many small dry-cleaning shops located in and around the campus. |
| What should I bring to China? EducAsian sends all program participants a pre-departure packet including a detailed packing list, Lonely Planet China guide, Chinese-English dictionary, EducAsian luggage tags, and other pre-departure information. |
| Should I bring along reading materials? Are books on China allowed through customs? The EducAsian library is stocked with quite a selection of language resource books, travel guides, novels, and history books. In addition, there are several large bookstores in Beijing with foreign books on offer. As for books that are banned by the Chinese censorship bureau, if your luggage is searched at the airport and contains a book that has been banned, the book can be confiscated by airport security. Otherwise, you can bring in any books that you like. |
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| EducAsian Wushu / Martial Arts Program: |
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| What makes EducAsian’s program better? Our Wushu program has been developed and refined over the years by the very people who have come to China specifically to learn martial arts. They are now working to give the best experience possible, they have taken into consideration all of the trials and hardships that a serious practitioner will encounter while trying to study martial arts in China. We have also added extra training, access to a modern weight training facility and a service team that will be there to address your every need including assistants that can come into the class to interact between you and the teachers to help you get the most out of your program. Most importantly our director loves Martial arts and cares very deeply that all of society gets a positive experience from it, even if it is just being happy to see it. To do this he will make every effort to ensure you will go back home with proper and correct knowledge of the Chinese martial arts. Perhaps the most difficult barrier is language. So we recommend students to at least try to learn martial arts terms in the Chinese language, if not fully learn the language. Proficiency in the language will help you more than anything, and our programs offer more opportunities to study Chinese and give our participants of our years of experience in helping foreigners to learn Chinese. |
| How can I best prepare for my Wushu training in China? First we recommend that you get a physical fitness checkup from your doctor, as you should before beginning any exercise program. Next the best tool you have in your body for success in physical endeavors is your heart. Begin a good cardiovascular program. Running and swimming are two great ways to address this. A simple weight training program can increase your early results as well. The squat and dead-lift, are two great exercises that strengthen the legs and back. Also the abdominal muscles are key. Sit-ups, leg lifts and crunches are great for those. Nutrition is also a key factor. Proper dispersal of carbohydrates, proteins and unsaturated fats coupled with plenty of water is a basic guide for keeping your body well fueled. |
| What can I expect to gain from the course? Every person is different, so really what you put in is what you will get out. We are not the military, and you will be in a foreign country, if you choose to not attend class or train lazily, no one can force you to push yourself. You may be reprimanded by your teacher, but in the end it is up to you to do the work. In the martial arts one must train hard and study hard. Tireless training, eating properly and resting adequately is all up to you, and are the factors which most affect your success. We have designed a program that teaches you core material. In addition we have designed specialized courses to help you maximize your time. We can only guarantee the quality of the classes and activities you will attend, the rest is up to you. |
| Are the teachers good? The teachers themselves are some of the top coaches in China, The Beijing University of Physical Education makes a policy to only hire the best coaches. Students of the foreigner program also have gone on to become world champions in some cases. However, just because you attend this program does not guarantee you gold medals. Also, the Coaches are not "Mister Miyagi." Don't expect them to hold your hand all the way through the program. There may even be days when you feel the coach is ignoring you. Remember that you are not the only student in the program. It is also worth noting that Chinese coaches tend to yell more and give you a harder time when they see potential, and especially when they like you. Listen to everything your teacher tells you, if you don't understand, ask your classmates to explain if you still don't understand a one on one translated conversation is only as far away as your drive to ask. |
| Is there any etiquette or protocol to know about? Teacher: "Bend your knee" Student: "I am." If the student was, then the teacher wouldn't say anything. Simple logic. |
| What is the food like? Fried cat with string beans. just kidding, but you can find it if you want. On the BUPE campus there is one Korean restaurant, and two higher quality Chinese restaurants. In addition, there is also a small western style bar/cafe. There is also the school cafeteria which is the cheapest. Nutritious, not always good looking, yet tasty food is served there. There is also a Muslim canteen that caters to Muslim students, i.e. no pork. Beyond that, there are many snack shops, and a little noodle and dumpling stand. The area surrounding the EducAsian office is called "Wu Dao Kou" and offers a much more diverse menu as the main student area of Beijing. There are several western cafe's and bars, coffee shops and even a McDonalds. The most abundant type of food is Korean, as the highest number of foreign student in the area are from Korea. Also many Japanese restaurants are strategically hidden around, and of course what major city would be complete without Pizza and plenty of Chinese take out. Beijing itself is full of restaurants from virtually everywhere in the world. |
| What if I get hurt? For simple sports related injuries the school of spots medicine on campus is perhaps the best clinic one could ever find for treating sports injuries, especially those related to the martial arts, offering professional care and clean facilities. All students are insured, and are covered under a special policy that takes into account the nature of a Martial Arts training program. Beijing is home to a number of first rate hospitals as well as clinics that are designed according to western standards. The most important thing to remember is that you need to keep your teachers and our advisor apraised of any injuries or illnesses. |
| Will we go to the real Shaolin temple? Yes, the Song mountain Shaolin temple in Henan province is on our list. The birthplace of modern Zen Buddhism and the place that developed Shaolin martial arts. |
| Are Shaolin monks real? Yes they are real. Meaning they are real martial artists and do train hard. But most are not real monks. Many have wives families, eat meat, and don't even follow Buddhism. But they do all train traditional martial arts. Their hard work as Martial artists can not be denied. Many dress like monks but this is to carry on a tradition and to entertain. But their training is real. While some say their forms level is not as good as the Beijing team, they train different things for different reasons. Despite the current state of Shaolin monks, their history is very real and in many ways what people envision. The temple has been involved in many key episodes of Chinese history. Not all the monks at the temple were fighting monks. It was also a place of great learning, and was one of the top translation stations of Buddhist texts into Chinese. Most of the monks you see are true martial artists, however, the monks of Kung Fu movies are of a time lost. Now the Shaolin temple is a theme park and historical center for martial artists. Unfortunately much of the history that is taught in the west on the subject is gathered from Hong Kong story lines. |
| Is the Shaolin temple the birthplace of all Martial Arts? This is a very important point and one that has been taught falsely for many years. NO, NO, NO. Shaolin Temple is not the birthplace of all martial arts. If this were true, then that would mean that all civilization and warfare began there as well. While it can be argued that China is the birthplace of all martial arts, it is absolutely not true that it began at the Shaolin temple. China has a history of over five thousand years, mixed in with that history are many periods of martial arts science and development. One simple proof of this is the book by Sun Zi, “The Art of War.” This was first written around 2500 years ago, which is about a thousand years prior to the founding of the Shaolin temple. Even before that book there are thousands of years of martial arts history. This and other topics are covered in the lecture series given during the course. The Shaolin temple was, however, a place that accelerated martial science and theory, and is key in Martial arts history, if not as key as Hong Kong films may make it out to be. |
| Can I learn to fly, or any of those other spectacular things in Kung Fu movies? The China University of Aviation and Aeronautics is not far away and classes can be arranged. Another symptom of Hong Kong cinema. While we deny nothing, we can tell you with out a doubt that such auspicious skills cannot be learned at the Beijing University of Physical Education. People need to have realistic goals. Yes, some of us here believe in magic, but we are only able to arrange for you to learn skills that are within normal human physical development. If there is sufficient interest, a session on film stunt-work and tricks can be arranged, so at least you can learn to look like you are flying. If nothing else, in our lecture series, we will explain how all the tricks you see on Kung fu movies are achieved. |
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| Wushu / Martial Arts: |
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| What is wushu? First one should translate the term properly into English: "Wushu" is Mandarin for Martial Arts. So technically Wushu refers to anything inside the Martial Art’s world as seen from a Chinese perspective. In Japanese it would be said Bu jutsu, in French artes de martriex. But in the modern times the word has come to refer specifically to modern Chinese martial art forms competition, generally recognized by the faster more artistic expressions of the forms with difficult maneuvers added to enhance competitiveness and demonstration factor. "Wushu” is an international competition sport in which more than 80 countries currently participate officially. Wushu is also currently under review to become an official Olympic competition sport. But what is "Wushu?" Many countries have fighting styles but what makes it a "martial art" is the art and the culture behind it. Wushu has Chinese culture deeply intertwined into it. This separates it from other Martial arts and makes it stand apart from other fighting styles. Without this thorough infusion of China's culture and history, it would just be fighting. |
| Is Wushu a style? No Wushu is not a style, as earlier stated, but it has become stylized and more recognizable in it's unique form of competition sport. |
| What is the difference between Wushu and Kung fu? The literal translation of Wushu is martial arts, while the literal translation of Kung fu is time spent with work. One of the biggest problems in understanding martial arts is the improper use of terms. Perhaps a clearer way to look at the term Kung fu is to express it as "aquired skill level" So the term Kung Fu can be used to describe anyone who has a high level of skill in any endeavor, but it takes on a special meaning in the world of martial arts. As a result of many films and television series the continued use of the term Kung Fu has simply come mean chinese martial arts for most people, even some chinese use this term to refer to martial arts, but this is a result of popularity of the word, mostly from Hong Kong films. The relathionship between the two terms can be more specifically looked at as Wushu simply being the root, and kung fu is a proficiency of the skills therin. Ie the ability to apply those techniques as a result of dilligent study, practice, and applied experience. With the factors one can be said to have Kung Fu. |
| Isn't competition Wushu just a flashy dance sport, and useless in a fight? This question is one that usually gets people's pride all worked up, but if you want to look at the question squarely, yes. Competition Wushu is just forms and series of movements. If you only practice the form without further investigation, then those techniques perhaps will not help you in a true fight situation, Please note that I said "without further investigation" any form from any style, any movement for that matter is absolutely useless unless one trains to use it in a situation. So if you only train for forms competitions without asking how can I apply this move, yes it is useless in that sense, but Wushu will give as much as you want. If you want to use moves of a form then one must study and investigate their uses, then practice them. only then are they useful, even in Boxing, on can shadow box all day, but without proper knowledge of how to apply the punch it is just throwing out your arms in away that resembles a fighting technique. So reasonably speaking if you want it to be useful you have to work to make it useful. |
| What good are forms to a martial artist? There are many uses even for those who have no desire to compete. Firstly, practice of forms builds the basics of martial arts. In any style learned. Beginning with on stance, then a technique later stringing them together into lines, and eventually full sets. No martial artist can progress properly without proper attention to basic techniques. Forms develop these skills to ready the practitioner for trials ahead. Beyond this form practice is an incredible cardio vascular workout, it pushes the athletic potential of the body. Mental focus is also developed. Learning sets of complex maneuvers is a great mental task, and increases mind body coordination and opens neuro-pathways. Coordination, balance, speed, strength, flexibility, timing are just a few of the qualities which set training reinforces. |
| Aren’t there many useless wasted movements in Chinese forms that aren’t used in a real fight? As most experienced fighters will tell you, you can't practice a set or form that will show you how to deal with every combat situation. This has to do mostly with athletic condition, reflexes, strength, some luck, and much experience. Forms give you a physical and mental foundation, and in most cases if you want to learn how to fight, you have to actually fight. Experience is the only real teacher of how to get off your techniques effectively. Training can only prepare you so much, but form training, especially Wushu, will give you certain physical advantages, such as a broader range of movement, additional strength, and fluidity of movement, all of which are never useless. |
| What are all those low stances for? To strengthen your muscles and build a strong mobile base. Strength in awkward positions makes normal positions that much stronger, again a broader range of movement is also acquired. |
| Are there belts, levels, or dans in wushu? There are no belt systems in Chinese martial arts. Some schools may rank their students, but this is only within the school itself to help a teacher keep track of student and has no official international credit. There is a "Dan" system though. In Chinese the word is "Duan," which has the same meaning as the Japanese "Dan" which refers to the advanced degree of the practitioner. Non-Chinese can get ranked in Beijing with the international Wushu federation. It consists of much testing. |
| How long does it take to get good? This is up to you. There is no set time. But you have to be realistic. Many people watch films and see an apprentice gain skills at an alarming rate and pull off amazing moves with minimal training. First realize. that those are films for entertainment. Most of the actors have had those skills for a long time and worked long to get them, and the really amazing skills, are usually achieved with wires, smoke, trampolines, and a great deal of good film editing. If you want to be good, you have to train with everything in your being. It is not a good idea to set time limits. A common mistake is for people to say "I want to be at a certain level by this date." While it is good to have goals, it is hard to limit yourself to the amount of time one has to achieve a certain skill level, and in most cases, this actually slows progress, as one tends to overlook the small but important details to achieve larger superficial results, thus leading to an eventual breakdown. Be patient. Work hard. Ask questions, try to improve on every lesson learned. Then improvement comes surprisingly fast. |
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| Sanda / Sanshou: |
| What is Sanda? Sanda or Sanshou, is China's answer to competitive combat sports. Best described it is a combination of Kickboxing, and wrestling takedowns. One can score by knockdowns and ring outs. Of course a knockout will win the match. It is a very straight forward combat sport. |
| What is the difference between Sanda and other fighting styles? Sanda in it's original form tended to be a means of competition for the martial artist in China, and each fighter tended to show tendencies of their past training. More recently though, Sanda has become a focus in itself, and has developed strategy that fits the sport. Unfortunately there is not much that separates the sport from other full contact events. It is mainly a standing, fighting sport, that allows take downs, but does not include ground fighting. As in other aspects of Wushu, it tends not to be the style that is better, but the practitioner who can push themselves to be the best. |
| Is there a difference between Sanda and Sanshou? No they are two names for the same thing. |
| How does Sanda in China differ from Sanda taught in other countries? There are differences in the way the Chinese train. The strategy tends to be towards point. Since the Sport awards the most points for takedowns and ring outs, these takedowns are trained and drilled to a lightning speed of execution. |
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| Taiji Quan: |
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| What is Taiji quan (Tai chi chuan)? This question is covered in much more depth in our lecture series. It could be said that Taiji quan is an internal martial art, that is a physically applied aspect of the chinese science of Yin and Yang, or the nature of opposites. It is a fighting style that was developed after generations of scientific study in the martial arts, and is still developing today. Taiji quan today is most easily recognizeable by the martial arts form that groups of elderly people can be seen practicing in parks. This is mainly due to the fact that one great side effect of it's scientific straegy is that it promotes a health body and boosts the condition of the internal organs. |
| What Taiji is taught in your program? The full course in BUPE covers all the Major family styles, as well as the modern competition styles. During the course of one study term a student can only learn so much though, but all of the major forms are available for learning. If a student has a particular form he or she would like to learn, and it is not being covered during the time of attendance then it may be arranged for that student to have private lessons in the desired form. But don't fall behind in your regular course work. Pushing hands is also introduced when a student shows more proficiency in the basic courses. Also as part of the cousre Bagua zhang and Xing Yi quan may be introduced to give a broader perspective of Chinese internal styles. |
| What is an internal martial art? Again this will be covered more in depth in our lecture series. Anything referred to as an "internal martial art" tends to be a style that focused around using the intentions to lead movement, rather than just action and reaction. Internal martial arts also tend to draw their energy first from the Electromagnetic forces of the Body (or Qi) rather than using brute strength to apply their power. From a position of muscular system, internal martial arts tends to rely more on skeletal alignment and tendon strength rather than larger muscles movements for their applications. Internal martial arts tend to be more scientific in application and training methods, build fundamentals deeply before actually giving the meat of fighting applications to a student. This is truly a question that cannot be covered in a simple faq. If you are truly interested in this subject, I would suggest such authors as Yang Jing Ming, or Bruce Kumar Frantzis. They are both martial scientists and practitioners who explain the subject in a very readable and explicit way. |
| What good is Taiji quan if it is so slow? You may have seen mostly elderly people practicing taiji very slowly, and even younger practitioners do it slow. This is the form they are practicing. The form is practiced slowly in most taiji styles, although there are fast explosive forms as well. If one is asking what good is it, I assume you mean in a fight. In actual applications and self defense situations the moves are sped up to actual fighting speed. Of course you can't move so slowly and expect to overtake an opponent with fast reflexes. But the inner peace and quietness gained by training the form slowly, can help one to slow down a situation in ones mind, giving you an opportunity to analyze physical data more clearly. There are many benefits of training slowly, but if you only train the form and never think about fighting applications don't fool yourself into thinking this makes you a better fighter. One has to keep clear that forms are forms and fighting is fighting, forms give you the basics and a chance to analyze your own positions. If you want to fight you must fight and think about actually applying techniques. |
| Why do people practice Taiji quan so slowly? Training slowly has several effects, for one it allows you to improve your stances and positions through self analysis. Having more efficient postures and eliminating gross wasted movements is one of the major benefits of taiji quan practice. If you do it fast you don't have time to analyze, even in Fast form styles you do it slowly in the beginning. Also Taiji practice is one way to bring a practitioner to a meditative state. Moving fast boosts the heart rate, hastens your breath, constricts the muscles and blood vessels cutting blood flow to the brain and pumping more blood into the muscles. These physiological changes make it quite hard to remain in a meditative state. Taiji quan is also a form designed to train you to keep your heart rate even and blood flow balanced even though you are in a stressful situation, such as combat. Training slowly keeps you in stressful stances for longer periods of time thereby increasing your strength in fighting postures much faster than training at fighting speed would. Slow training at first can be very stressful, you may even find your legs shaking, this is because your body takes time to adjust to new physical stimuli. In time you get stronger, and when you are stronger you will then start to be able to relax more. One other point in taiji that many people are concerned about is breathing control, when you move slowly you are able to control your breathing more than if you were at a sprinting speed. |
| Isn't Taiji just for old people? Absolutely not. In fact people who begin practicing earlier benefit more from taiji than those who begin at more advanced stages in life. One of the main reasons for this is that the body adapts to new stresses more quickly at younger ages. Many of the better masters we see tend to be quite old, this is true, but they didn't just begin. Many of the world’s top Taiji masters have been training the art since early childhood, a lifetime of practice got them to the stage they are at, They probably were even quite skillful at very young ages, but they just happen to be a little more experienced and much wiser at the older ages, so their skill is that much greater. |
| I heard Taiji is a fighting art, is that true? Yes absolutely. It is hard to see it when you see a group of elderly people doing the forms at a very slow manner and in a fuller non aggressive attitude, and usually these days many people are not taught the fighting concepts of the art. I have heard people advertise Taiji as the peaceful martial art. I have also heard of people who take up the art because it does not involve combat, nothing could be further from the truth. Taiji does promote inner peace, and quietude, but it's fighting applications are some of the most scientific, and some might say most vicious of all martial arts. While the numbers are far less, there are those that still understand the true nature of the art today. Taiji quan is a complete art, and it's gifts in all areas can only be realized if it is fully investigated and understood, cutting oneself off from one part of the learning is detrimental, and restricts a practitioner from ever attaining the highest levels. I am not saying one must learn to fight and then go around killing people, but knowlege of fighting in the art opens up subtle doors in the more peaceful aspects that may not have been seen in a more basic study. |
| What is pushing hands? Pushing hand is the first introduction a Taiji practitioner will have to human interaction with the art. It is the foundation for the fighting aspects of the art, but it is more as well. Pushing hands offers a practitioner the opportunity to work with a classmate to test and see ones strengths and weaknesses, it allows one to gauge their own development, and is a handy tool for identifying shortcomings or unseen mistakes in one’s form and postures. Pushing hands itself has developed into a competition of it's own. There are yearly competitions around the world now, and many participate, unfortunately some place pushing hands proficiency above actual taiji proficiency, thereby digressing it into a tug of war match testing each others strength rather than actually utilizing true taiji fundamentals. The problem there is that lower level practitioners have made an advancing tool the focus of their practice, thereby impeding their own advancement. It is key when practicing pushing hands, that you are not competing with your partner, (unless you are actually taking part in a competition of course) Pushing hands is a tool for one to self analyze and help a partner do the same. |
| Are there different types of Taiji?, What are they? There are five main styles of taiji or families. These are Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu, and Sun. In addition to those styles, several modern competition styles have been created, mainly the 42 forms and the 42 sword forms. These are the most prominent styles, inside those styles themselves there are several subdivisions. There are several smaller styles that were developed outside of these styles as well, but never became as famous. There is no one style that is really better than another, it depends on personal taste, and body type. The theories inside are also slightly different, and some of the developments within the styles represent the generations of research. Martial arts is a science that develops along with those who train it. You can't keep down the human mind, we discover new things about old ideas everyday. |
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