John’s Tai-Blog @ Camp Tai ChiTai Chi and anything I can relate to Tai Chi … like life

The Patience of A Tai Chi Player… No Saints Allowed

I was looking around for some fresh material for today’s post.  What I found is, as usual, a bit unusual.  I came across an obscure site while Googling “humor”.  I ended up on a page authored by Denis Robinson of the University of Auckland.  Mr. Robinson has embarked on the monumental project of translating the key ideas of philosophy into words of one-syllable.

The exact reason, or value of such an undertaking is a wonder in itself.  Be that as it may, I found this one statement curiously made me think in a tai chi way.  (No I wasn’t even trying to use only one-syllable words.)  A sample of one-syllable philosophy in a minute.

Of the many uses and benefits of tai chi, is that it helps us feel better, one might even say it makes us glad we do it.  “Gladness”, as an end in itself, is a worthy goal.  Like tai chi it relaxes our muscles, reduces our stress levels, and boosts our immune systems, to name just a few.

Even when I’m feeling extremely tired, I find tai chi has a way of digging into my core and pulling up energy I didn’t realize I had.  I may still be tired afterward, but I seem to forget all about my exhaustion while lost in practice.  I’m always glad I practiced and I find I sleep better too.

Another thing I find it interesting is that people sometimes describe uneducated or dim-witted folk as “capable of speaking in only one syllable words”.  If you actually try to phrase even the simplest of concepts using only one syllable words, you would realize just how difficult it is to pull off.

On a tai chi note, uninformed folks will watch a skilled tai chi player and think, “That looks pretty easy; I don’t think I’d have the patience to do that.  It would just bore me to tears.”  I’ve never heard anyone who’s actually tried tai chi say it was easy, or that it bored them.  Those who don’t stick it out don’t seem to have the patience or interest to develop the focus it takes to get any better, but they never say they’re bored.  The practice of tai chi requires incredible focus and can be all-consuming at times.  It’s one of the reason’s it’s such an effective stress reliever.

So in the spirit of simple things that are not at all easy to accomplish, I give you a bit of one-syllable philosophy.

“Is the right thing to do what makes most folks glad? Or should we say not quite that,
but that the right thing to do is the thing which most makes folks glad,
where when you count folks you weight each one by how glad it makes them?”

Does this bit of philosophy leave you glad or confused, and can you see another way to apply it to tai chi?  I’ll bet someone reading this has a different take on it… your thoughts?

John

P.S.  If you’d like to visit Denis Robinson’s page:  http://fragments.consc.net/djc/2005/02/phil_in_words_o.html

Say What You Will, But It’s Still Tai Chi

If you don’t do this, it’s not tai chi!  If you do this, it’s not tai chi!  Tai chi is only…  Maybe they’re right.

Everyone has a different opinion of exactly what tai chi is, and what is tai chi.  I’m no exception, but I try to follow Winston Churchill’s example on this one.  Yes, he was incredibly opinionated.  He could be domineering, and was exceptionally eccentric.

When Churchill was at his home outside London his idea of a good conversation was one in which he did most, if not all, of the talking.  When he was in the city however, he believed everyone should have their say.  When you think about it, it’s just plain old-fashioned good manners.

When you’re away from home I believe it’s best to conduct yourself in a manner that allows others to have their say.  It doesn’t mean you have to agree with them, only that you don’t have to cut them off at the knees if they disagree with you.  If you’re in someone else’s home it’s bad manners to insult your host.  This applies to visiting other schools as well.  It’s not your home so bite your tongue and use soft words if asked for your opinion.

At the heart of tai chi is avoiding conflict, not creating it.  Avoid aggression and aggression will generally pass you by.  Is it really important that others agree with you, or are your beliefs so unsubstantial they can’t stand up to those of others?  Do your beliefs require defending to keep them from crumbling?  When we close our minds to opposing ideas we risk stagnation and we stop growing.  When we stop growing, we begin to die.

“Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people’s idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.”
Winston Churchill

Your thoughts?

John

The Medicinal Side of Tai Chi, Is It What You Think?

My senior training brother and fellow taiji disciple, Michael, coined the term SPD for those times when we think we’re really good at our forms and it’s true… in our heads.  SPD stands for Self Perception Disorder and I’ve come to the conclusion we all do this all the time, with many things.

In tai chi I can work hard at a form until I think I’ve really gotten it down, and then my teacher, Miriam, or Master Cui come along and point out how it could be better.  With tai chi, as with life, the refinements never end.  To me that’s the real beauty of it.

We do this with others too.  We see them doing something we don’t yet know how to do, or we project things on to them that exist mostly in our minds.  Later we inevitably learn we’ve distorted reality yet again.  Usually by then we know the person well enough to accept them for who they are.  Duhism Master Bob Tzu put it so eloquently in his blog yesterday.

Well that’s just perfect

“When you can see all beings as divine and perfect, then it’s time to cut back on your medication.”

Your Thoughts?

John

P.S.  Visit Master Tzu here:  http://www.duhism.com/

I found this image on Fliker.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karlburn/2742420441/

Happy New Year, Year of The Tiger

With this year’s beginning falling on the Western Valentine’s Day, I guess you could say this is the year of the kissing tiger, at least in the West.  I for one am eagerly looking forward to this year.  Being an Ox, I’m happy for my year to be finishing up.  It’s been said that the year of one’s own birth animal is generally a trying year.  For me this has definitely been the case.

The Year of the Tiger is a year symbolizing growth.  I hope this year turns out to be one of true growth for World economies, your personal life, and of course for all areas of my own life.  I therefore wish you 恭賀新禧 (gōng hè xīn xĭ), Happy New Year - a year filled with happiness, love and prosperity on all fronts.

John

__________________

The following description for the Year of The Tiger comes from http://www.yearofthetiger.net/:

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, which commences on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. The Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, and it is a sign of bravery. This courageous and fiery fighter is admired by the ancient Chinese as the sign that keeps away the three main tragedies of a household. These are fire, thieves and ghosts.

Tigers are physically powerful, gracious, independent and brave, they are extremely bold animals. They are friendly and loving but can also selfish and short tempered. Tigers seek attention and power; frequently they are envious in a relation. Tigers live dangerously which often leads to trouble. They are intolerant, take risks and are always searching for excitement. Tigers are also instilled with a good dose of courage.

The Tiger has an overpowering attraction and is very kind and always takes on the character as protector. The Tiger flourishes by power and attention and takes advantage of all circumstances it gets itself into. The Tiger is a natural leader and loves to be the centre of attention. As a rebel it goes up against authority and speaks out about wrongs in society, and willingly puts up objections. Even if you don’t agree with the beliefs of the tiger you admire his way to protest.

Just as how their counterparts in the jungle are impulsive, so too are individuals born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger. When people think of tigers, it is their vigor and power that comes to mind first. But it has also been noted that tigers are known to share and are unselfish animals. The reason people admire the tiger is due to the fact that they are ferocious and domineering on the outside, but they are just as noble and distinguished on the inside. These are the same personality attributes that persons will have who are born in the Year of the Tiger.

People that are born in the Year of the Tiger are generally well liked because of their charismatic personalities. Often, failing at a given duty or being unproductive in his personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a deep sense of depression. A Tiger is always at their happiest when they endeavor to climb the ladder of success. Attaining the top spot is his foremost purpose; being in a position of power is her ultimate goal. They are quick learners, need to be challenged and often prefer to work alone. Some Tigers tend to change careers more frequently because they get bored quite easily. They are natural born leaders and perform at their best if working towards positions of power and influence. So once there is no further room for progression, they will often move on to something else.

Anyone that is born in the Year of the Tiger is usually straightforward and outgoing by nature. They will never give up no matter how aggravated they may become. But, they are also full of suspicion and at times will take hasty action. Never lose sight of the fact that Tigers are smart and instinctive.

People born in the Year of the Tiger always take pride in being different from others, and normally demonstrate their originality best in their homes. Their homes are typically filled with exotic possessions. It is no surprise that one of the Tiger’s favorite gemstones is the cat’s eye, but tigers also love the sparkle of rubies and diamonds. They like to spend money, and also to share it. They can be very impulsive spenders because they know they can at all times make more.

The Year of the Tiger is the third year in the cycle of “Heavenly Branches”. Customarily, it is called “Yin”. Those born in the Year of the Tiger are compatible with the horse, dog, and dragons. The year 2010 is another Year of the Tiger. It is the ji-chou year. Jji is the sixth of the Ten Celestial Stems and yin is the third of the Twelve Terrestrial Branches and marks the Year of the Tiger.

Were you born during a Year of the Tiger?
You were if you were born in one of these years:
1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, and 1998.

P.S.  I found this tiger image here:  http://media.photobucket.com/image/tiger/HellWard3-WellsideGossip/Tiger.jpg

Tai Chi’s Arrow of Truth

You’ve probably heard me say it before, but a tai chi master is said to be able to respond so quickly to an attack, it’s as if they are reading their opponent’s mind.  You could say they’re human lie detectors, able to sort out diversionary attacks from real threats.  All right maybe you haven’t actually “heard” me say it before, but you’ve read me saying it.  It’s a figure of speech, so lighten up.

What got me thinking about this today?  I was doing one of my favorite things, scouring the internet for little known and interesting facts… yeah I’ve hear it all before and some day I do plan on getting real a life.

The story I was reading was on LiveScience.com, one of my favorite stomping grounds.  The title of the story is “Airports Could Get Mind-Reading Scanners”.  Imagine walking through an airport and thinking, “Gee, I wonder if they’ll notice my underwear is made of highly explosive fabric?”  Suddenly security surrounds you, rushes you into a side room and quickly disarms you… how embarrassing.  OK I’ll admit that may be a little far fetched, and maybe you personally wouldn’t be thinking that, but you get the idea.

As it turns out these “Mind-Reading Scanners” aren’t exactly that, but the technology is still pretty impressive.  You see the idea is to place images that only certain groups of people would recognize, in unlikely locations around airports.  Sophisticated computer monitored cameras would see people reacting to these images and alert the authorities so they could be questioned.  Wait till the lawyers get a hold of this one; talk about profiling. 

Next time you’re running through the airport and suddenly think “Oh no!  I don’t think I turned my heat down!”  If you happen to be looking in the wrong place at that moment, you could miss your flight.  I think the moral of the story is clear.  When you’ve got a very important trip and you can’t afford to miss your plane, arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before your flight… just in case.  If you are pulled aside, be nice to those in uniform and tell the truth.

Who better to sum up this post, with an age-old proverb, than our Middle Eastern friends:

“When you shoot an arrow of truth, dip its point in honey.” ~ Arab Proverb

I’m not quite sure how this proverb relates to airport security, or tai chi for that matter, but you gotta admit it’s got a certain ring to it.  Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  You can read the LiveScience.com article here:  http://www.livescience.com/technology/mind-reader-scanner-100128.html

I found this image of Achmed the Dead Terrorist here:  http://media.photobucket.com/image/achmed%20the%20terrorist/jnoble87/Misc/silenceIkillyou.jpg

The End of the World? Not for Me and Tai Chi!

Today I’m going to go out on one of my tangents.  Just thought I’d warn you.

How many times have you seen someone make a big deal out of something?  Something that either isn’t all that important, or something they have absolutely no way of effecting?  Not that I’ve every done that of course, but have seen it done… from a distance; that is while standing some distance from my bathroom mirror.

Tai chi is not about reaction, it’s about response.  If you’re crazy enough to study tai chi as a martial art and you try to guess what an opponent is going to do, you stand a pretty good chance of getting it wrong and having to react after their well on their way to kicking your butt, slowly.  If you don’t try to guess, but instead ready yourself to respond to whatever is thrown at you, you stand a much better chance of being effective.

Life is neutral.  It doesn’t care what you make of it, or even what your reactions are.  It just keeps moving along… or not.  Good planning is like practice; it prepares us to respond to what life throws our way.  It’s not fool proof though, so you need to allow for a certain amount of rolling with the punches.  The alternative to this is to either think you have the right answer(s) or to try guessing what’s next.

Apply the tai chi mindset to your life.  Prepare as best you can and be ready to respond to whatever comes your way.  If it’s a Greyhound you’d better be ready to jump out of the way - the bus, not the dog.  If you happen to jump off a high cliff in the process you’re probably on your way out, but if you’re ready to respond you might just get lucky and land perfectly on the upper branches of a randomly placed, perfectly formed evergreen.  It’s not likely, but it has happened before and I can again.

What got me thinking about this deep subject?  Why the great Master of Duhism himself, Bob Tzu.  You see people are getting them themselves all worked up over the coming end of the world.  You know 2012, the end of the Mayan Calendar.  If it’s going to happen I doubt there’s much I can personally do about it.  So I don’t worry about it… much.

You never know what Life will throw your way.  For instance I heard Bob’s insurance agent was giving out calendars, so now he’s my agent too.  He gave me a new calendar and then I noticed he’d marked “vacation” over the first month.  I wonder where he’s going?

Here’s Bob’s Duh of the Day, inspired by his insurance agent. 

It’s too heavy to hang on my wall though

“Okay, everyone can relax now. My Mayan insurance agent just sent me the 2013 Mayan calendar.”

Your thoughts?

P.S.  You too can get Bob’s Duh of the Day by signing up on his site:  http://www.duhism.com/.  I picked up a copy of The Duh of Success while I was there.  Fascinating reading, what there is of it, and it’s worth every penny.  Yep, you guessed it; it’s free.