Some simple Dao forms

They are full instructional DVD's on the forms. These particular DVD's don't include martial application, but do do a thorough job of teaching the forms and some of the philosophy behind them. Each DVD is broken down into several lessons so that the forms can be learned a piece at a time. Hope that helps.

It is difficult to learn from videos and books, this I will not argue. However, it is not impossible. While I would not recommend the video and book route for someone with no martial background, the video and book route is a valid option for those who already have some martial training. I don't even believe it has to be in the same style, though style conflicts could cause some confusion. (I'm thinking external vs internal styles here) Anyway, some folks don't have the luxury of a local MA school or have schedules that allow for taking regular classes (since most MA schools have evening classes think about a person who works a 3pm-11pm type shift) or some people a just too broke to afford $60 friggen bucks a month for classes. This is why the books and videos exists as well as being reference for those who do get classroom instruction. True pictures in a book don't often show transitional movement this is the advantage of video, like matrixing menus where you can pull up individual movements in a sequence are an advantage DVD's have over the old VHS tapes. But learning from these mediums can and has been done both in the present and the past.

I do have a martial arts background in TKD, I have learned taijiquan solely through independent means. I had to unlearn much of what I learned in TKD to be able to do taiji, I have also had to learn to listen to my body to be able to feel when a move wasn't correct to what I was learning the movement should be. I did get lucky and end up with some coaching from some taiji instructors I have met through webcam video clips, and this has helped a great deal, but I have had very little of that. I have also had to do a great deal of research into my chosen martial art, more so than I think I would have done had I been taking regular classes. I have spent hours meditating on the Taiji classics and thinking about how they apply to what I am doing. But I do feel that if another person is willing to put the same amount of work in that I have been doing, that they can learn the same way. Now learning independently does mean my skill will develop more slowly than someone who takes classes as I can't participate in Push-Hands practice but there are other ways to develop root and balance, I practice those.

As for martial application once movements are worked into muscle memory strange things can happen. I was fooling around with some neighbors a while back, and when one of them threw a punch at me (this was not a serious fight.. just some goofing around sparring type stuff) I ended up unconsciously going into the posture "Play Pipa" and putting him into a joint lock and taking him down with it. There was no conscious thought about this on my part, the movement just occurred. Now was this because I have a background in marital arts and may have learned a similar technique years ago, was it because I practice the 37 form twice a day every day, or is it because I'm just that dang good. Well, I thoroughly doubt the latter. I'm no prize fighter, and I'm no pro athlete. However, I have seen supposedly "Untrained" fighters beat trained fighters. There is something to be said for how the unconscious mind works when presented with a pattern of movements to give it options to work with. This is also part of the beauty of taijiquan, when practiced correctly (or close enough to correctly that the intent is there) the form does contain the true essence of the art to include the applications. Would a person learn faster having an instructor show them the application, yes, of course but the same learning can be accomplished independently by a person willing to put in the time and effort.

Thank you, and having to react to some your writings has forced me to think more deeply about what I do and reflect on why I am doing what I do. It seems part of the essence of Taijiquan is practicing that one kick 10,000 times. Yes, we have very long forms in comparison to other styles but that's the point for each aspect of our styles a person learns one maybe two forms. One form for Jian, one form for Dao, one maybe two forms for open hand. The key is not how many forms are known like it was when I took TKD but how well we perform that one form.

As for sword play, I think that it is this same essence of single form training that truly builds the skill of a true swordsman. It is practicing that one trust, that one parry constantly until there is no thought in the movement that makes us swordsmen. As for wooden swords, I would prefer to use a metal blunt to make my muscles learn the weight and balance of a real sword, I use wood for safety because of having a young child who could easily get injured by a mis-step with a steel blunt. I also remember the stories of Yang Lu Chan and Cheng Man-Ch'ing and the dang feather dusters.

Yang Lu Chan defeated the pole master by using a simple feather duster as a sword. Cheng Man-Ch'ing begged Yang Chen Fu to teach him swordsmanship and was handed a feather duster and told to go practice with that. Years later Cheng had the skill to spar with an aluminum foil covered wooden sword for hours and not once let the foil on his blade get ripped while doing so, nor be defeated by any of his students. This why why we train the way we do. Regardless of style and our styles of learning those of us who train in the Chinese arts know that by studying them we have made lifelong commitments to these arts where progress is measured in decades not months, but this is how be build true skill.

One of the things I like about taiji is that it is a minimum force art. "four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds" as the classics say. To me it is the minimum force skills that need to be cultivated in the modern world. If I truly wanted to just hurt people, I could get a gun from a pawn shop fairly easily. After five years in the active military, I know how to shoot a good day at a range would give me all the brush-up I would need. However, that's not the point. To me martial arts are about self-knowledge first and foremost, restraint and discipline second, and fighting skills lastly. It is through honing those latter skills that we develop the means to develop the former. Not to mention, and I'm not meaning to bring religion into this but i happen to be Wiccan, our foremost law is "And it harm none, do what you will." While there are allowances for defense of self and family the first rule is that prohibition against causing harm. This is why I like the minimum force styles they fit well with my own personal belief system.

Who was it that said the most effective warrior is one who can win without fighting?

Oh wait, I think that was Sun Tzu in the Art of War, if I remember correctly.