Internal Fighting Arts 39 Graham Barlow

What happens when a tai chi person takes up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Graham Barlow, the man behind the Tai Chi Notebook blog, did just that. He is a tai chi student and teacher, and a black belt in Jiu Jitsu. He has also studied Xingyi and Choy Lee Fut. In this conversation with Ken Gullette, Graham talks about the differences in the conditioning required for groundfighting, and whether any skills transfer between the two arts. They also discuss the concept of "real" self-defense and whether it requires the ability to take on an MMA fighter. It is a free-wheeling, real-world conversation between two guys who love martial arts.