In what ways are Tai chi an d yoga beneficial to a fighter?

i asked about tai chi and some people say it can be beneficial, so in what way. I have also herd the Frank Shamrock used worrior yoga when training for a mach. So how are the two beneficial to a fighter?

In what ways are Tai chi an d yoga beneficial to a fighter?
2 words: FOCUS and CONTROL.



Depends on what kind of yoga you're talking about too:

Raja,

Hatha,

Bhakti,

Jnana,

Karma,

etc.

.
Reply:First and foremost, they help you focus your mind. The slower, less intense nature of Tai Chi and yoga help you clear you mind of all thoughts and focus inward. Focus is needed in a fight, not so you can plan your attacks, but so you can block out all distraction.

Second, it focuses the body. The slow deliberate pace of these arts forces you to hold your body in ways that fine tune your muscles. The degree of your control increases and during a fight you aren't wildly swinging about and leaving yourself open to counter attacks. Also with the added control comes added flexibility which in turn increases your threat range for attacks.
Reply:It makes you more focused, more balanced, more together.
Reply:Tai Chi helps the fighter with controled movements, breathing pattern, flexibility and the ability to meditate in any situation. In other words it calms your *** down so that you can concentrate on the task at hand. Makes you less vulnarable to making stupid mistakes that can lead to injury or a loss.



Yoga is basically the same thing, only it improves all the things Tai Chi does for you already. I feel that doing both is better than doing just one. Ballet or any form of dance actually helps fighters out as well, with footwork, movement inside the cage/ring, and again control. The best thing I have found to help me out with breathing control in training or fight is if you practice singing on its own, then sing aloud when training alone, like when you are running or working out. It helps you learn to control your breathe in an extreme situation, where most people will hold their breath for quick short periods while they strain in any way, you would be able to breathe and put more effort and power in what ever it is you are doing.
Reply:control, control, control
Reply:ok, "old people in the park tai chi" doesn't do crap for you except is an overrated form of meditation.



If by chance you find a teacher that can show you real tai chi- that is meant to be and is used to fight- AND you see that what you are learning is effective through resistance training, then it is beneficial as a martial art as there are many effective structures and close range throws.



NOTE: YES I SAID RESISTANCE with tai chi. Tai Chi is not solely "soft" it means not meeting resistance with direct resistance. It means meeting it with a force from a different direction. Any teacher that teaches you to be "wishy washy" and wait for your "chi" to develop- is doing you wrong. You will NEVER develop chi or proper technique by just "giving". You need to maintain your structure while at the same time use technique (which inherently requires some resistance or power to work) that approaches or nullifies thier force by using it in another direction.



Unfortunately my knowledge of tai chi is picked up in bits and peices from seeing people who can use it to fight. I would seriously reccomend anyone who has access to a teacher that trains realisticaly (ok, needle in a haystack factory) interested in a throwing style or grappling style to supplement it if they can find someone (yes, yes, carpet hair in a carpet factory) that teaches properly.
Reply:I honestly dont know about Warrior yoga but with Tai Chi, what it does is that it teaches the body desipline and strengthen it. it also teaches your mind to understand the flow of your movements.