20080317
Pushing Hands
Pushing Hands is such an essential part of tai chi for me. Dealing with the other person is what it's all about. I'm lucky to be able to push hands at least twice a week - the interaction shows me how much I have still to learn.
20080224
Ward Off
Ward off should come from the back of the heart, through the arm(s), the fender of your space, sensitive to the partner (or, opponent), listening to him (her), responding with due diligence, opposite side ready to thwart any effort to invade your space uninvited. Alert, aware, paying attention to your partner(or, opponent) you are giving them your full attention, sunk in stance, relaxed in posture, turning at the waist when needed.
20080126
tai chi painting photgraphy travel
tai chi ch'uan, painting, photgraphy, and travel are my 4 current themes to develop self-understanding.
20071126
A Topical Thought
The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.
- Henry David Thoreau
- Henry David Thoreau
MMVI XI XXVI
This is where I'm at for the past while, working away, a bit here and a bit there. Trying to get into 'The Feast Is Foward' mode, and enjoying it when
I do.20070911
20070910
20070427
How Long Must I Practice?
The answer is illustrated quite well at this introductory page for Aikido FAQs. Scroll down to " An old story might tell you some of the mindset you ought to apply when studying martial arts". All your attention must be on finding the Way.
'lifting hands' & 'playing guitar'
these are two positions for rooting discipline when 'the heart of the foot should adhere to the ground' [see Book 4 of my previous entry]. Here, one is reminded of the fundamental rooting practices, standing on one leg first and then the other for several minutes. One can use fingers on the back of a chair at first to help maintain balance and gradually get to the point of not needing the hands at all.
20070317
my 20061106 entry continued
Others books that I have read are in the last few years are:
TAI CHI The Supreme Ultimate by Robert Galante, Weiser, ISBN 0-87728-497-0
From p. 89: "The Solo Form presented in this book is the 'short' Yang style as taught to me by Grand Master Cheng Man-ch'ing"
T'AI CHI Classics, trans with commentary by Waysun Liao, Shambhala, ISBN 1-57062-749-5
From p.95: "The T'ai Chi Form originated as the thirteen postures of meditation. these are the eight postures, or directions- ... - in combination with the five different ways to maneuvre the eight meditative postures ..."
Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, by Cheng Man Ch'ing, North Atlantic Books, ISBN 0-938190-45-8
From p. 91: " 'I'm not a meat rack; why do you hang on my body?' "
There Are No Secrets, by Wolfe Lowenthal, North Atlantic Books, ISBN 1-55643-112-0
From p. 61: "Mastery of the art of Tai Chi Chuan is difficult; one of the functions of push hands is to remind us of how far we have to go."
The Tao Of Health and Longevity, by Da Liu, Marlowe & Co., ISBN 1-56924-718-8
From p.52: "Each of the individual movements has a potential use for self-defense, and some are named after this use. Other are named after the movement of animals that they imitate."
TAI CHI The Supreme Ultimate by Robert Galante, Weiser, ISBN 0-87728-497-0
From p. 89: "The Solo Form presented in this book is the 'short' Yang style as taught to me by Grand Master Cheng Man-ch'ing"
T'AI CHI Classics, trans with commentary by Waysun Liao, Shambhala, ISBN 1-57062-749-5
From p.95: "The T'ai Chi Form originated as the thirteen postures of meditation. these are the eight postures, or directions- ... - in combination with the five different ways to maneuvre the eight meditative postures ..."
Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, by Cheng Man Ch'ing, North Atlantic Books, ISBN 0-938190-45-8
From p. 91: " 'I'm not a meat rack; why do you hang on my body?' "
There Are No Secrets, by Wolfe Lowenthal, North Atlantic Books, ISBN 1-55643-112-0
From p. 61: "Mastery of the art of Tai Chi Chuan is difficult; one of the functions of push hands is to remind us of how far we have to go."
The Tao Of Health and Longevity, by Da Liu, Marlowe & Co., ISBN 1-56924-718-8
From p.52: "Each of the individual movements has a potential use for self-defense, and some are named after this use. Other are named after the movement of animals that they imitate."
20070309
"En los árboles canta el viento" : Federico García Lorca
flowers open
days grow
sun-heat again feels good
days grow
sun-heat again feels good
present scheme of work
3 short forms each day, alternately left-hand side and right-hand side. First, a wake-up one, da capo, followed by a long slow one, adagio, this one is still my most difficult to practise, and then, my favourite, fast and cheerful, allergo. Now, I can look forward to my breakfast because I've made a start.
20061112
who maintain the Tao do not want to be full
"Chapter 15
In ancient times, those who were well educated were in communion with heaven, and were subtle, profound, mysterious and penetratingly wise.
Their depth was unfathomable.
Because of this, they appeared reluctant, hesitant, like one wading across a stream in winter;
Wary, as if there were dangers on all four sides;
Solemn, as if a guest;
Yielding, like ice on the verge of melting;
Pure, like uncarved wood;
Broad and expansive, like a valley;
Chaotic, like muddy water.
Who can still muddy water and gradually make it become clear?
Who can make the still gradually become alive through activity?
Those who maintain the Tao do not want to be full.
Just because they are not full they can avoid wearing out and being replaced. "
from
http://www.terebess.hu/english/tao/tamgibbs.html
In ancient times, those who were well educated were in communion with heaven, and were subtle, profound, mysterious and penetratingly wise.
Their depth was unfathomable.
Because of this, they appeared reluctant, hesitant, like one wading across a stream in winter;
Wary, as if there were dangers on all four sides;
Solemn, as if a guest;
Yielding, like ice on the verge of melting;
Pure, like uncarved wood;
Broad and expansive, like a valley;
Chaotic, like muddy water.
Who can still muddy water and gradually make it become clear?
Who can make the still gradually become alive through activity?
Those who maintain the Tao do not want to be full.
Just because they are not full they can avoid wearing out and being replaced. "
from
http://www.terebess.hu/english/tao/tamgibbs.html
20061106
written published sources
The five main written published sources in the last nine years are in the order I read them over about that time span are:
1 Tai Chi by Paul Tucker, Lorenz Books, ISBN 1-85967-503-4
2 Principles of Tai Chi by Paul Brecher, Thorsons, ISBN 0-7225-3474-4
3 T'ai-Chi, The "Supreme Ultimate" Exercise for Health, Sport, and Self-Defense by Cheng Man-ch'ing and Robert W. Smith, Tuttle & Co., ISBN 0-8048-0560-1
4 The Tai Chi Book by Robert Chuckrow, YMAA Publication Center, ISBN 1-88696-64-7
5 T'ai Chi Ch'uan Ta Wen by Chen Wei-Ming, North Atlantic Books, ISBN 0-938190-67-9
They all helped me at the stage I first read them, the last three in particular are still referred to regularly.
1 Tai Chi by Paul Tucker, Lorenz Books, ISBN 1-85967-503-4
2 Principles of Tai Chi by Paul Brecher, Thorsons, ISBN 0-7225-3474-4
3 T'ai-Chi, The "Supreme Ultimate" Exercise for Health, Sport, and Self-Defense by Cheng Man-ch'ing and Robert W. Smith, Tuttle & Co., ISBN 0-8048-0560-1
4 The Tai Chi Book by Robert Chuckrow, YMAA Publication Center, ISBN 1-88696-64-7
5 T'ai Chi Ch'uan Ta Wen by Chen Wei-Ming, North Atlantic Books, ISBN 0-938190-67-9
They all helped me at the stage I first read them, the last three in particular are still referred to regularly.
20061101
Need for Homework
You have to understand a field well before you develop a good nose for what needs fixing. You have to do your homework. See this article
20060830
El lugar y el momento es ahora
Short Form (LHS), GuardianSalutations 1 to 4 and Heart salutations are mostly what I work on alone.
20060817
A little more on Figures-of-8
Figures-of-8 have expanded quite a bit since the last time. 2 hands simultaneously describe figures-of-8 in a vertical plane, starting with palms up(say) in front of the the tantien or heart area, the top half reaching out and up for the heavens energy bringing it down through your head and the bottom half reaching down and out to take in earths energy, and then up through your coccyx.
Further expansion of this is when we describe a similar figure-of-8 in a horizontal plane, reaching out around the person in front and coming back through his/her heart to your own, and then continuing through to reach behind and gather the energy from the guardian and bring that back to your own heart.
Finally, we want to emit this to the partner(person in front) ...
Further expansion of this is when we describe a similar figure-of-8 in a horizontal plane, reaching out around the person in front and coming back through his/her heart to your own, and then continuing through to reach behind and gather the energy from the guardian and bring that back to your own heart.
Finally, we want to emit this to the partner(person in front) ...
20060331
Figures-of-8 with palm up & Figures-of-8 with palm down
I am now practicing 4 figures-of-8 with my teacher and fellow classmates. Two with palm up and two with palm down.
The palm up is where we began, at heart height, leading originally with the thumb. So, RH would go anticlockwise, following the thumb up and over the top "circle" of the eight at head height, down to starting position between "circles", thumb now pointing R, palm up and then continuing down to the R around the lower "circle" at tan tien height and on back to the starting position.
LH is similar starting clockwise outwards and upwards, and ...
Another RH one is to begin palm up and leading with pinkie-finger, anticlockwise, inwards and downwards to bottom and back to starting position between "circles", and the clockwise upwards to top and back to the starting position.
LH is similar, starting clockwise inwards and downwards, and ...
Palm Down. First, here is the hardest one. Leading with the thumb, inwards and upwards clockwise to the top, continuing around and down to starting position between "circles", and then down anticlockwise to the bottom and around to the starting position.
LH is similar, starting anticlockwise upwards to top, thumb now pointing L, around and down to starting position between "circles", and then down clockwise to the bottom and around to the starting position.
Much easier is the last one; RH, palm down, following pinkie, lead off outwards, downwards clockwise and back to starting position between "circles", and the anticlockwise outwards and upwards to top and around to starting position.
LH is similar ...
20060306
Every Which Way
I'll need everything I have, intellectually, emotionally and physically, to come up with the burst of energy to accomplish a new skill or take in that new lesson.
To know what I'm capable of constant challenge is needed, so that the form must get deeper and on top of the basics I must add more twists and turns that bring me into the form more and more.
To know what I'm capable of constant challenge is needed, so that the form must get deeper and on top of the basics I must add more twists and turns that bring me into the form more and more.
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