Sticking to the opponent in "Fa Jing"

Sticking to the opponent in "Fa Jing"

If one wants to get better at Tai Chi, it requires sensitivity to opponents' movement, the ability to ting jin, stick to the opponent, and intelligence under pressure. I see no reason why any of that cannot be maintained into old age. Even Western Boxing's clinch (before it became the disgraceful stalling tactic it is now) could be said to have once relied on some semblance of sensitivity. Even with that, the bout between Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes went to grappling and trapping range 10 times in the first three minutes...once every 18 seconds. This means "practicing push hands and sparring to develop sensitivity and finesse" with a variety of opponents.

How can anyone expect to develop sticking from just practicing the form?   I see no place where Master Hwa promises a "flowering" of self defense ability. Additionally, no one ever promised folks "Pie in the Sky" in Classical Tai Chi and on the contrary the limitations of what we do have been spelled out even more than I got at Wu's Tai Chi Academy.  Learning to stick to opponent in close quarters   This step requires a willing and trusted partner and ones own willing participation. How to learn to spar with Tai Chi, particularly  if one can find an other style martial art partner , particularly one who is physically stronger then they will find the guy will just ram down your centerline and smash you out of the way. . Then you have  to stick with his smashing, not run away.

 

As one gets older, they are no longer going to be the fastest or strongest so they have to rely on feeling out the opponent.  If one can't beat with speed then you  have to stick.  This does not mean you are not going to get hit.  In his fight with a Hard Style opponent, Wu Gong Yi was limited by rules not to stick, if he could, then I think things would be much different and perhaps not "called a draw". 

 

It is indicative of modern-day Tai Chi where mistakes are made,  if no one is there to correct, it ends up being good exercise but it is definitely not Tai Chi. Classical Tai Chi has to be good for both health AND martial purposes. The martial teaches one to "stick" by first touching then following the opponent's movements. In many Internet pictures of “Tai Chi” practitioners are not being corrected when arm , legs go in wrong directions (which muddles your senses and one can infer they are training to follow only themselves, not an opponent) is indicative of modern Tai Chi.  A good example of sticking shown in the video of Master Hwa is that in certain instances Tai Chi trains one to vigorously follow the opponent.