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

Tai Chi Drill Post Exercise - Part One

I posted this drill some time ago and I got some pretty good feedback.  So I was thinking to myself, why not do it again?  If one time was good, twice has got to be twice as good.  Hope you like it.

This video demonstrates how to do the drill post exercise for Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan.  Tomorrow I’ll follow this up with additional drills that can be done to add some variety, and to practice incorporating turning the waist.

Your thoughts?

John

The Secret of Tai Chi Comes From Within

Tai chi really is all about listening to your body.  To paraphrase my friend and Duhism Master, Bob Tzu, ‘let psychology deal with the rest.’  I leave you with the eloquent words of the master himself.

It’s always me, me, me, me, me

“I’d listen to my Inner Child more if it didn’t speak in that whiny little kid voice.”

Bob Tzu

Your thoughts?

John

P.S. Visit Bob Tzu at www.Duhism.com

I found this great picture of Kirk Douglas and his inner child here:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1021219/Kirk-Douglas-91-unleashes-inner-child-ride-playground-slide.html

A Lesson In Tai Chi

When you attack someone, what happens?  Do they usually just stand there or do they fight back in some way?  Instinct generally prods us to defend ourselves.

You naturally see this in martial arts schools.  Most students want to believe their school is best and some are eager to prove it.  Most arguments of this type don’t escalate beyond words, but it always amazes me when a student from one school walks up to a student from another and begins talking about how great their school is - by inference how bad every other school is - then this same student gets upset when the other stands up for their school,  inferring that no other school could possibly match them.

A rare few teachers encourage this type of “My teacher can beat up your teacher” behavior.  However, many more do little to discourage it.  Being too dogmatic and making sure that everyone knows you’re way is the right way often proves to be nothing more than showing your own insecurity.  We only really care what others think of us when we are uncertain of ourselves.

When tai chi, and other martial arts, were needed to defend one’s way of life people understood the importance of secrecy.  If someone could study your style, they might find a weakness to exploit. That meant you weren’t around to defend the village any longer.

Tai chi is a defensive art when studied through martial intent.  Your opponent comes to you.  The best way to defend yourself is to have your opponent underestimate you.  If you are humble, an attacker may believe you are not capable.  This makes your job easier; easier is better.  Practice being humble, you’ll find it easier to get along with others and, if you’re lucky, you might be able to stop taking your blood pressure medicine too.

Your thougths?

John

The Tenth Principle of Tai Chi Chuan: Seek Tranquility in The Movement

While the Ninth Principle of Tai Chi Chuan is one of the Principles that seems easiest to understand and apply, the Tenth is likely the one that causes the most confusion.   In my e-book The 10 Principles of Tai Chi Chuan for Beginners, that I give away with my video Beginning Tai Chi Exercises, I give a brief description of the Ninth Principle that’s geared toward beginners.

Seek tranquility in the movement:
With Tai Chi Chuan, the movement is peaceful and tranquil. While performing the movements the mind is alert but peaceful. When practicing, the slower the movement the better the results. This is because when the movements are slow and deliberate you will find it easier to breathe deeply. This will help your energy sink to the dan tian, and has a soothing effect on the body and the mind.

Often relayed as “Seek stillness in the movement”, this Principle probably has the widest range of interpretations and is a major cause for confusion in newer students, not to mention those with more experience.  It seems to be an oxymoron.  How can there be stillness within movement?  I imagine this has more to do with improper translation than in the statement itself, although Eastern and Western ideas can sometimes conflict with one another, resulting in misunderstandings and confusion as well.

What I can do here is give you my interpretation on as basic a level as possible.  The real key to understanding any of the 10 Principles lies within the practice of tai chi chuan itself (taijiquan).  By working with each principle one at a time, testing each for yourself, and coming to your own understanding, you will slowly be able to incorporate them into your practice and your life.

As time passes, you will likely find your own interpretations and understanding changing.   A particular interpretation for a Principle my serve you well for years, and one day you’ll discover something that turns it upside down.  Don’t spend too much time searching for interpretations; find one that makes some kind of sense to you and work with it until you come to an understanding from the inside out.

As I’ve said before, tai chi is really all about awareness of your body.  As with breath, it’s important not to focus too much on what you’re doing.  Simply think about the Principle and set it in the back of your mind as you practice.  Your subconscious mind is much better at finding patterns and meanings than your conscious mind.

Allow your mind to be calm.  Just as you should use only as much muscle as needed to move when playing tai chi, you should only use only as much focus as you need.  Paradoxically I’ve found the easiest way to develop this skill is to focus with everything you’ve got on one aspect for a little while and then let it go.  In this way you first begin to understand this one thing, while other things may almost completely fall apart due the lack of focusing on them.  Later, once you’ve brought your focus back to other subtleties, you’ll find this one area has improved while causing improvement in other areas too.

One day you’ll come to realize something you never expected.  Something you tucked into the “back of your mind” a month ago, a year ago, or maybe even several years in the past.  I know this is still happening to me, and I expect it will for many years to come.

Your thoughts, experiences?

John

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

Tai Chi Life Skill No. 7

Most people who have studied any kind of martial art, or who might have wondered why their 2-inch penknife was confiscated by airport security, are likely pondering the martial applications of a ballpoint pen right about now.  Sorry folks but that’s not where I’m headed on this fine day.

I recently read a little known fact that got me thinking about, of all things, tai chi.  Tai chi and life skills to be exact.  I’ve written about this topic before but I think it deserves serious attention.  Attention to detail while letting go of preconceived responses.

Sometimes our egos get in the way of what’s best for us through preconceived responses, disguised as knee-jerk reactions.  We become attached to things that might not work all that well.  When your teacher or your master tells you you’re doing something wrong, go with it.  Standing there, defending what you’re doing probably won’t get you very far.  If you don’t understand something, say so; get the answer and move on.  Remember your teacher or master has already been where you are.  They too had to learn to let go of their egos.

Little known fact:

Following the sales success of his disposable ballpoint pen in Europe, French businessman Marcel Bich was ready to take on the international market.  He had named the product after himself, but realizing that Americans would incorrectly pronounce the name (spelled Bich) as bitch, he smartly dropped the H and called his pen Bic.

Of course this can be taken too far as well.  My Mother sent me a funny little first person story about a woman in Costco who didn’t care much about what those around her thought:

Funny Little First Person Story:

Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow
for my loyal pet, Biscuit, the Wonder Dog and was in the checkout line
when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I’m retired and have
little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn’t have a dog, I was
starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn’t,
because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I’d lost 50
pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out
of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that
it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply
eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally
complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to
mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with
my story.) Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because
the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff
an Irish Setter and a car hit us both.

According to popular rumor, this woman is no longer allowed to shop at that Costco.  So let go of your ego, but keep it close by… just in case.  ;-)>

Your thoughts?

John

P.S.  I found this little known fact in one of my favorite books:  Who Knew? by David Hoffman