impressive, very impressive!...

Thanks Leo.... have set up a FB page for the Master to help the hits along!

facebook.com/pages/Darth-Vader-Does-Tai-Chi/145902565432863?ref=sgm

Thanks for the comment about the description! I am relieved - I didn't want you to think I was taking the p*ss! Phew!

brilliant, funny and strangely mesmerizing, i couldn't take off my eyes of it (the video would be just perfect if there were reflections of the lightsaber in the polished floor, somehow i missed it...)

Totally awesome. kudos!!!!!!

The Chi in Tai Chi (actually there are many spellings, Taiji, etc) is not "life energy" or "force" or anything related. The full name, Taiji Quan, means "supreme ultimate fist". Taiji or Tai Chi is literally "supreme ultimate". There really is no mysticism in Taiji. Just an FYI ;)

Awesome video, though.

I, too, felt the need to reblog this on Daily Cross-Swords. Nice work.
bonzuko.com

Cool video. But '4000 years'? Eh, no. As old as 12th century A.D., 'maybe'. Around 400 would be accurate from what I've read.

Wow, awesome... and so very cool. (music is great as well)

A really ambitious project, congratulations for taking this on.

I think the subtleties of the form which make it work are almost impossible to capture in the computer, certainly without a motion capture base (which would also need a lot of tuning). If it's your first serious attempt, then you certainly took on a difficult challenge, since all body parts have to be harmoniously coordinated in every single position and movement, otherwise it doesn't look right. A "hard" form like Wing Tsun would be much easier to model, as there is less requirement to make visible the flow of movement/transfer of force from the legs to the hands/sword.

Even commentators without taijiquan training seem to see that it isn't really right, which says something about how difficult a task it is.

For me as a Yang style teacher, I have to admit sets my teeth on edge a little - but as I (and probably you) know how long it takes to get a form flowing in your own body, I can imagine how much work is involved in getting a computer figure to move right, even if the key positions are accurately modelled.

But to be more constructive, if you are interested in improving this here's a couple of tips:
• Start from the bottom up - i.e.
1. Review weight distribution first. There's a lot of places where it's not quite right, so the model doesn't root properly, or the foot lifts too early (particularly drawing the back leg up after going forward off a bow stance).
2. Between left and right rotation (when left turning becomes right turning), the weight needs to sink slightly (make the figure root) to make opposite movements flow into each other. I could imagine that the vertical hip joint rotations that result from this subtle "sitting" would be pretty difficult to simulate. But this is the key to making the form flow, and it's why it feels jerky. The jerky bits are always where left turning turns into right turning.

• The figure will always look a little bit stiff as long as there's no chan si jing (spiral, silk-reeling energy) expressed outwardly in the movements. It might be enough to look closely at the co-ordination of forearm and pelvis rotation to give a sense of this, together with opening/closing of thighs/shoulders and knees/elbows. You could try modelling a couple of Chen Style movements (where this energy is more explicitely visible) for comparison and see if it gives you clues as to how to get this into the computer figure. Look for instance at Chenyu's Xinjia (youtube.com/watch?v=ptMHickAiVo&feature=related), where the Chan si Jing is really clear.

• I would slow the whole form down and try and make it a constant speed first, before trying to get the "waves" of energy that come from a varied speed. This is the best way to learn and correct a form in reality, and probably the best way to "debug" / see the little errors in a computer model too.

• Lastly, the fa jing elements don't work at all at the moment. I don't know how you can model the force transfer through the body and the sword in these moments, but they don't look right currently. You may be able to fudge it a little by getting some kind of whipping movement in the body and making the cloak react a bit.

But all in all well done!

Best,

Ernst Gruengast

Awesomely surreal!
Thanks for making this and sharing.

Great stuff.. really enjoyed it and great music. Thanks!

I think one of my favorite aspects are the point of view shots that show different characters viewing Darth from other locations throughout the Death Star. Something about that being such a simple yet profound way to build upon the original concept.

Great Idea. The force will be with you :-)

Good Job!! I´ve also blogged it...
ephemera.blog.br/2010/08/31/star-wars-tai-chi/
:-)

love it! who plays the music?

Thanks

John you missed the point about the name "Tai Chi". The "Chi" in Tai Chi is not Qi, or life force. If your Taiji teacher doesn't know that, study further please.

"Chi" in Tai Chi is part of the old Wade-Giles romanization of the sound "ji" in Taijiquan (Pinyin spelling). Please do not confuse the two!

"Taiji" *is* a mystical concept originating from Daoism. It is a description of the stirrings of Wuji, the primordial state, into the manifest world of differences, starring our good friends Yin and Yang. Whether Taijiquan as a martial art is mystical is the subject of debate, but the name has Daoist origins.

Please consult authoritative materials such as the works of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming at YMAA.com for info.

Thank you for your detailed information. As I mentioned before, I make to claim to expertise in the subject.

The vast majority of people I meet know nothing about Tai Chi (that is to say even less than I), its origins or the meaning of the name.

Aside from being a bit of fun, my hope with this video was to perhaps kindle some interest among non Tai Chi practitioners.

Very cool, and the background detail and music really made it. Strange seeing Vader do something so peaceful-looking, though, LOL.

And people need to cut you some slack on the details of the description, which are more accurate than not.

cool video~

Awesome job. Really hard to make such movements so perfectly for an animation. Although I understand the concerns of some commenters, man, I suppose you spent lot of time and put much effort on this. Congratulations for the job, for your efforts. Impressive. :)

Thank you. It was a labor of love. I am currently working a new one.