For years there’s been a divide in the Tai Chi Community: those who study tai chi as a martial art and those who study it only for the health benefits. I just read an interesting article that appeared on LiveScience.com. This article is about the human appendix and it’s usefulness. That got me thinking, about tai chi no less. I know, I know, how unusual.
This terribly engaging article is titled The Appendix: Useful and in Fact Promising, and it examines some new information regarding the appendix and it’s role in helping us fight off disease – I like words that give you their real meanings without needing to look them up, “dis-ease”. Whether you practice tai chi “just for the health of it” or as “the ultimate martial art”, tai chi is also very helpful in helping us fight off dis-ease. That however, is not quite what I got out of this article.
My teacher, Miriam Holland, has long touted the benefits of learning a few of the martial applications behind the forms even if your interest in tai chi is strictly health based. Since I put it like that you’re probably asking, “Why does she thing that, and do you agree with her?” I’m really glad you spoke up here because otherwise this would have been the end of a very short post, and you my friend, would have been left nothing but annoying questions, feeling wholly unsatisfied. See it really does pay to speak up.
I remember seeing a student in class, years ago when I was still a tai chi pup, who wanted to learn the “peaceful moves of tai chi”. She was rather put off with the idea that we played with swords and sabers, and other nasty things. She abhorred violence and anything associated with it; she never seemed all that well physically, and she didn’t stick around. On the other hand most of the students I study with, and those I teach, have at least passing interest in the martial applications. Over the years I’ve witnessed a number of people progress into better and better health because they continued to practice, and because they focused on the right things.
You can find plenty of people who just learn the moves and run through the graceful forms who receive health benefits too, but most of these folks also tend to loose interest over time. Doing the forms for the sake of doing the forms can be mind numbing. Learning applications however, does much more than simply keep you engaged.
Now I can hear you asking, “Alright John, I’ll bite. How does learning a few applications get you more health benefits from tai chi?” Well, I’ll tell you how. When you focus on how a form is actually intended to be used, you change your focus. You’re no longer looking at how your arms and legs are moving around, and you focus on where the point of contact should be with an opponent. As you focus on the point of contact while being “loose with structure”, you change the way the energy moves in your body and you begin to open up the energy pathways within your body. As you open up your energy meridians, energy flows more easily through your body, even when you’re not doing tai chi.
Now you could say, “Well then, I’ll just focus on my hands as I move.” That’s better than nothing, but it doesn’t accomplish the same thing. You see when you focus on the full application you also make sure your entire body is properly aligned, that your elbow is moving in the proper manner so you are not able to be countered as easily, that your hand moves up into position while your arm maintains the correct structure so you can release the force into an opponent. All of these things cause the energy in your body to flow differently, and over time you’ll begin to feel the energy moving. That’s when you begin to learn tai chi, and when you get the most and longest lasting benefit from your practice.
Please don’t misunderstand me. You don’t have to take tai chi to the level of martial art to get the benefits; neither will just knowing the applications make you a powerful martial artist. However, once you can incorporate the essence of the applications into your practice, you will be a healthier person… and, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want that.
Your thoughts?
John
P.S. I found this photo here: http://quakeragitator.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/i-got-your-accountability-right-here/
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walt (60 comments)
892 days ago
You wrote: “When you focus on how a form is actually intended to be used, you change your focus.”
I recall trying to catch the gist of a move when I was first learning tai chi. My teacher made a fist and indicated I should grab his wrist, which I did. Simply by twisting his wrist, he was free of my grasp. No words involved, but that move was never the same for me. I’ve never had to use it in a fight, but it’s in my quiver, so to speak.
Another time, I was learning a sideways step. My teacher came beside me, and did the move — into me! — nearly knocking me over. I “understood” the move at that moment.
There’s a rough translation into English from the Classic of Thirteen Tai Chi Movements that says, “Remember to be consciously mindful of every single move and try to feel its meaningfulness…”
There’s something about knowing the “intention,” or application of a tool, that carries it into a deeper dimension. It’s like when an artist has an enhanced depth perception, compared to the average person. I’ll suggest that that “depth” is understanding.
And no, I don’t want to fight.
John Crewdson (479 comments)
892 days ago
Walt,
Well put. I’ve had a similar experiences with my Teacher and my Master. I had an experience with a new student last night too.
I was teaching her the commencing form and demonstrated a couple of applications so she would now how to move properly. Her eyes just lit up when she got it.
I’m glad you’re not into fighting either.
John
walt (60 comments)
892 days ago
By the way, I wanted to say that, when you wrote, “…As you focus on the point of contact while being “loose with structure”, you change the way the energy moves in your body and you begin to open up the energy pathways within your body…” it did not just go by me. I’m not sure how you meant it, but I think you hit on something pretty profound.
The way I’m taking it, is that it relates to the concept that the mind can lead the chi, i.e., directly affect/effect the physiology. I had not thought before about how understanding a fighting application might aid in that process.
Food for pondering!
John Crewdson (479 comments)
892 days ago
Master Cui tells us not to focus on manipulating qi directly, but to let it happen. Laoshi Holland, my teacher, gave me this insight pretty much the way you just explained it.
John
relax (2 comments)
149 days ago
I’m happy to have read this!