wing chun and tai chi

[churn-ging]

hi all,

i posted this same thread on the internal art forum, but wanted to post it on here too.

i was wondering if anyone on here has had any experience training both of these arts at the same time? i am considering taking both of these arts and was wondering if training in tai chi would affect my wing chun, or vice versa.

if you have or are doing this, please tell me some of the experiences or troubles that you have had with either arts. i am wondering because the tai chi structure is different from the wing chun structure and i wanted to know if the two arts would be conflicting or not.

[old jong]

Hello.
I did that for a while. I learned the Yang 24 movements form and was doing push hand and applications.I felt that it conflicted with my wing chun so I stopped Tai Chi.
I think (IMO) it is better to crostrain (If you feel like it) in something with nothing in common, like BJJ or something.
Wing Chun is unique in it's way and it should not need to be completed in the standing up business!
...Now ,I know tat some can manage to do it but it was not for me. ;)

[wingchunalex]

I do tai chi and wing chun. I find tai chi helps my wing chun, it makes me softer and more flowing so i don't use strength. it didn't hurt my form or structure at all. I've done wing chun for 6 years and tai chi for 4 and i love it. my sifu's sifu did wing chun and all three internal arts (tai chi, bagua, hsing i). tai chi really helps me to relax, so i don't tense up. it didn't hurt my chi sau at all, tai chi helps me flow better so i don't get tense and just react, im more in control. tai chi is a really good accompanyment to wing chun. my sifu calls tai chi mediation in motion. it helps with chi developement. this can be debated but here is what i say-tai chi (yang style especially) is specifically for chi development, sil lim tau is not. it would serve you a lot better to do sil lim tau at a moderate speed (with the tan sau section slow) and then do some tai chi for chi developement instead of doing s.l.t. at a super slow speed. just don't try to mix tai chi and wing chun in appliacation, like doing "bush knee" or "parting the horses main" in chi sau. lol. or doing pak da in push hands. lol. i focus a lot more on wing chun. maybe 10 to 15 % tai chi and the rest wing chun is how i spend my time. tai chi is more for relaxation, meditation, and chi development. so i think it is a very good idea to do a little tai chi on the side.

[Axiom]

I can't speak as someone who has a lot of experience in either Wing Chun or Tai Chi, but I am studying them both (still very much a beginner in both arts).

My Sifu practises and teaches both arts (I learn both from the same guy) and he says it's complementary.

So far, I have really enjoyed studying both arts :) They seem different enough to me to avoid confusion.

[old jong]

Looks like opinions can differ! ;) I guess it is up to the individual. :)

[fa_jing]

I have considered studying Tai Chi but I thought it wouldn't fit well with Wing Chun. This is because Tai Chi is more front-facing (I think).

-FJ

[churn-ging]

Thanks people for your responses. I was wondering if having studied two years in wing chun would give me a solid enough foundation in that art so that when I learn tai chi, I won't be getting the two arts mixed up? Or confused by either one?

After two years of doing nothing but wing chun, I feel like I have a solid enough foundation to be able to sperate the two arts so that I can learn them both. But I won't know unless I try. But I am just curious to find out what you all think.