Reply #145: P.S.

[ForrestGump]

In sparring, the only thing anywhere near as freaky as going against someone who studies tai chi, or against someone (usually my instructor) who suddenly goes from fighting like a Shaolin dude or kickboxer and then gets all inscrutably taichi on my behind, is trying to go against someone doing drunken boxing. Drunken forms are often a novelty, inspired either by Jackie Chan films or modern performance wushu and not really either traditional or effective, but they're part of several kung fu styles and the stuff DOES work: it's all about broken rhythm and not doing what the opponent expects (and, conversely, doing what he or she does NOT expect, more so than the usual deception encouraged in good kung fu stylists, kung fu basically being a codified system of Chinese dirty-fighting). To do a drunken form, traditional or the modern performance kind, requires a good deal of athleticism even compared to mainstream martial arts, but the real key to it, if you watch it, is how deceptive it is in motion and intent and how broken the various rhythms are -- it's hard to fight that. Tai chi is very similar in that respect, at high levels, and is also distinguished by the same idea prevalent in the sport of judo and in aikido (present in most martial arts of any great worth, but KEY to these ones and a few others): use the oppoent's strength/force/motion/intent against them. Real fighting may not look as clean as even full-contact sparring, but proficiency in this concept gives a definite edge.