"But we want to be rightly educated, sir. What shall we do?"

First of all, see very clearly one simple fact: that neither the government, nor your present teachers, nor your parents, care to educate you rightly; if they did, the world would be entirely different, and there would be no wars. So if you want to be rightly educated, you have to set about it yourself; and when you are grown up, you will then see to it that your own children are rightly educated.

"But how can we rightly educate ourselves? We need someone to teach us."

You have teachers to instruct you in mathematics, in literature, and so on; but education is something deeper and wider than the mere gathering of information. Education is the cultivation of the mind so that action is not self-centred; it is learning throughout life to break down the walls which the mind builds in order to be secure, and from which arises fear with all its complexities. To be rightly educated, you have to study hard and not be lazy. Be good at games, not to beat another, but to amuse yourself. Eat the right food, and keep physically fit. Let the mind be alert and capable of dealing with the problems of life, not as a Hindu, a Communist, or a Christian, but as a human being. To be rightly educated, you have to understand yourself; you have to keep on learning about yourself. When you stop learning, life becomes ugly and sorrowful. Without goodness and love, you are not rightly educated.

(Krishnamurti)

The world used to be, in its various forms, a world of sacred, shining things.

 The shining things now seem far away.

 (Dreyfus & Kelly)

The task of the craftsman is not to generate meaning, but rather to cultivate in himself the skill of discerning meanings that are already there.

 (Dreyfus & Kelly)

Last tai chi class of 2018

I feel stronger and much more supple. Get less aches and pains, flexibility greatly improved. Also feel mentally stronger and more relaxed.
 More relaxed when dealing with attackers. Unlike other martial arts, Sifu Waller's tai chi is extremely pragmatic with regards realistic attacks.

 The training is friendly and relaxed yet still effective. There is no pressure put upon the individual. You train at your own pace and progress as you wish. Everyone in the class is treated the same, there are no favourites or cliques like most martial arts classes.

 (Paul B) 

The student as a boxer, not a fencer. 

 The fencer's weapon is picked up and put down again.

 The boxer's is part of him. All he has to do is clench his fist.

 

 (Marcus Aurelius)

We want to scale the steepest cliffs to lofty heights.
 But forget about ambition;
 get on with the work of climbing,
 this is what the sages tell us.
 Vinegar has its own sweetness.

 (Loy Ching-Yuen)

Beyond intention

When a person attacks you unexpectedly, you cannot have a plan in mind. You must simply respond and move appropriately. This is a condition that transcends intention.
Intention may be present insofar as you have no wish to be injured, but beyond that there is no fixed plan. The event happens and you are part of that happening.

Concentration?

Intention is not concentration. You are not narrowing your field of focus. It is quite different to that. 
Your gaze must remain expansive and peripheral, with the eyes receiving information rather than seeking it. Intention is the beginning of the movement, the middle and the end.
It is the way of the movement, the process. Do not mistake intention for planning. You must remain adaptive, flexible, changeable - preconceived notions are not the Way.

Broadcasting yourself

The need to broadcast stems from insecurity. By marketing your lifestyle and accomplishments you are seeking approval and envy.
If you seek attention, you will find it. But attention-seeking is less about courage than insecurity.
A person who dresses or acts to court attention is not bold; they are lonely. They want to be noticed. Their performance is intended to seduce you into adopting the role of audience.
Resist the urge to parade your accomplishments. Showing-off only attracts unwanted attention in the form of jealousy and resentment.
Chuang Tzu argues that it is foolish to advertise your wealth or your fighting skills.

Not talking

Instead of using conversation as a means of self-promotion, try listening and observing. Watch your own tendencies carefully.
Why are you speaking? What prompts the need? Are you talking for the sake of it? Do you have anything to say?
Are you softly spoken and polite, or are you loud and attention-seeking?

Soft

Sensitivity is a real challenge. Become attuned to your sensory realm: see, hear, smell and feel. Quieten your mind through meditation exercises and be here, right now.
Make everything you do soft. Your presence, your interactions with people, your physical manipulation of everyday objects, your voice, your manner.
Softness is not weak or ineffectual. It is subtle and elegant, graceful and powerful. In combat training, softness offers faster response times and less overt actions.

Slow

Moving slowly does not alert the nervous system. The mind ignores slowness. It is not seen as being a threat.
Watch how a cat moves. It is silent and stealthy, cautious and vigilant. It takes a lot more effort to move slowly. It taxes the muscles and enhances the nervous system.
You need to be in the immediate moment; aware of what is happening right now, of what you are doing right now. 

Deception

Deception is a major theme in The Art of War. It encourages the martial artist to avoid being showy and obvious in all facets of life.
If strong, appear weak. If capable, appear inept. Encourage over-confidence and provoke carelessness.

Anonymity

Modern culture encourages the individual to parade themselves publicly, to broadcast their fighting skills and draw attention.
This is not what The Art of War and The 36 Strategies recommend. It is not good to be noticed.
Anonymity is a common Taoist theme. By remaining humble and quiet, unremarkable and unnoticed, a person can proceed through life freely.
Drawing attention is perceived as being unwise because you cannot determine whether the attention is good or bad.

The drawbacks of exercise

Not all forms of exercise are necessarily good for you. For example, running may improve cardiovascular health but is also very hard on the joints.

Lifting heavy weights can cause significant tension to accumulate and - if the muscles are large enough - adversely affect the skeleton. Most forms of exercise have pros and cons; especially sport.

I am so glad to have found such a fantastic club to learn and train in tai chi. Both the teachers, Sifu Waller and Rachel, not only possess significant martial skills and knowledge regarding tai chi, but are also very patient with beginners like myself. I like the fact that in this club, tai chi is taught in a structured method ensuring beginners develop a solid foundation as they progress further. I like that even though there may be a lot of students training, the teachers have time to see how one’s own practice is developing and have time to make suggestions, give explanations, correct any bad practice and give encouragement. I like the fact that the club caters for students of all abilities with beginners like myself to highly experienced individuals who also help beginners.
I would recommend this club to any one interested in tai chi not only as a martial art but also for its health benefits. It is really a superb club.

(Mayur)

Isn't tai chi just slow motion exercise?

No. Some of the training methods are slow, and some are not. As the student gains greater skill, their movements become fluid and dynamic. They move at whatever speed the situation demands.

Slow motion movement, chilled out exercise or dance cannot be considered tai chi. Tai chi is more than this. It adheres to certain parameters, guidelines and rules of practice.

Sustainable exercise

In the longevity book The Blue Zones, Dr Robert Kane emphasised the fact that many forms of exercise - especially sport - often have adverse side effects that impede long-term practice. By contrast, as a milder form of exercise, tai chi can be practiced throughout your entire lifespan, making it a safer, sustainable choice.

Baguacamp