He who knows when he has got enough is rich.

(Lao Tzu)

Knowing yourself

Coming to terms with yourself is not so easy.

It is necessary to observe your mind, emotions and behaviour without judgement.

To learn who you are and what motivates your actions.

Most people are so busy chasing the accoutrements of life that they do not make time for themselves.

Tai chi encourages you to slow down and eventually stop.

This may be harder than you imagine.

Balance

Balance is a dynamic process, not a fixed condition.

Sensitivity must be cultivated, along with awareness and presence.

Learning to feel how your own body responds to stimuli, how it moves and what problems it encounters is a profound journey of personal discovery.

Along the way you may become more comfortable with your own physicality.

You may begin to slow down, to notice things.

 The marvellous quality of nature-violence, unlike ego-violence, is that it does not spring from intolerance and self-hatred.

So there is no anger in the rainstorm that carries everything before it,
or in the fish that devour their young in obedience to natural laws we know not,
or body cells when they destroy each other in the interest of a higher good.

When nature destroys, it is not from ambition or greed or self-aggrandizement,
but in obedience to mysterious laws that seek the good of the whole universe
above the survival and wellbeing of the parts.

(Anthony De Mello)

 Taoism is unique in that it is probably the only major religion in the world whose practitioners as a rule have not sought great secular power. In the past, Taoists took on such power only out of necessity to correct specific abuses. After these excesses had been corrected, they were always ready to relinquish the power and fade away, or "leave no footprints" as they put it.

 (Bruce Frantzis)

 Beginners often have the mistaken idea that their qi alone is going to be enough to defeat an opponent without needing to master the skills of hitting, kicking, throwing and joint-locks.

 (Bruce Frantzis)

 At the very base of this health crisis is the cancerous spiritual malaise in the West, a fundamental disharmony that keeps people from positively engaging with life and relaxing in virtually any circumstance that life can throw.

(Bruce Frantzis)

 Here is natural instinct and here is control. You are to combine the two in harmony.

 If you have one to the extreme, you'll be very unscientific. If you have another to the extreme, you become, all of a sudden, a mechanical man - no longer a human being. So it is a successful combination of both, so therefore, it's not pure naturalness, or unnaturalness. The ideal is unnatural naturalness, or natural unnaturalness.

 (Bruce Lee)

 Most people have never attained a level of performance in any field that is sufficient to show them the true power of mental representations to plan, execute and evaluate their performance in the way that experts do. And thus they never really understand what it takes to reach this level - not just the time it takes, but the high-quality practice.

 (Anders Ericsson)

 Our class is like Alexander the Great teaching Dad's Army. Sifu Waller's not even trying. It's unbelievably powerful and looks like nothing. It's beyond impressive. I think it's the ease and speed at which Sifu Waller does it. It's like a magician with a sleight of hand but obviously with potentially deadly consequences. It's amazing to watch and utterly awe inspiring. 

Sifu Waller is incredibly quick sometimes it's impossible to get your head around it. The more I get into this, the more I realise how lucky we are as a class. Most people could look their whole lives and never find anything close. I find the class to be very empowering.

(Karen Laws) 

 Try, whenever possible, to wait for your attacker to throw the first punch for this is the moment when he uses the greatest amount of strength and so you will have far more force to 'borrow'.

(Lau Kim Hong)

Applause

Having escaped/evaded the attacker, do not stand there waiting for applause.

Incapacitate the assailant efficiently and leave.

Messing about will only increase the likelihood of further confrontation.

Do only what is necessary and depart without fanfare.

Living skilfully

Taoism and tai chi require a person to develop a growing awareness.

This requires immersion in the present moment and a calm mind.

By slowing down we can see and feel more, become more sensitive and alert.

To live skilfully we must accord ourselves with what is happening and be fully awake at all times.

If our mind is dreaming of some distant goal, we are not rooted in the immediate and it is only the here and now that can produce any outcome.

The means

People argue that the end justifies the means...

Yet, the end cannot be divorced from the means. Means and end are part of the same process.

Without the means there would be no end.

The means is the vehicle or mechanism for the production of the end.

Sadly, in our world, the means is considered only in terms of time and money.

Restraint

When things do not go the way we want them to, we are trained to lose our temper and try to force the outcome we desire.

This is not healthy.

In tai chi we are encouraged to allow others to go their own way. Whenever we encounter an obstacle, we seek to flow around it and avoid confrontation.

Even in self defence we look to use restraint; to do only as much as is necessary. Why cause harm to another?

 A bow pulled too far will break.

A blade over-sharpened will not hold an edge.

(Lao Tzu)

 Body building and weight lifting are fashionable activities today. The emphasis is upon developing external muscles which creates an armouring effect that can eventually distort the bony structure. It is the over developed musculature that actually torque's the bones and discourages them from bearing additional weight. The body attempts to compensate and problems arise.

Running does not necessarily in and of itself improve posture that is already poor and constricted. It often exaggerates problems due to the substitution of inappropriate muscles. The repetitive inappropriate development of the musculature (as in body building or weight lifting) often leads to diminished sensitivity. Stress occurs in the knees and lower back, encouraging injury.

 Swimming is an activity that can either create structural problems or release them depending upon the way it is taught and practiced. Professional swimmers are known to develop shoulder tendonitis and kyphosis. Overriding head/neck righting reflexes (as occurs when the head is repeatedly turned but the body does not follow) eventually result in overdeveloping shoulder muscles, pinching nerves and distorting the rib cage.

Various sport activities emphasize strength, endurance and speed. Development of muscle control rather than skeletal balance takes precedence. Gaining speed at the expense of mounting tension, is too often the goal.

(Liz Koch)

Standing still

Standing in one place advertises your position. You are literally a 'sitting duck'. You need to move spontaneously and freely, without any preparation or preamble.

This requires presence, awareness, composure and physical relaxation.

Evade

No matter what occurs, it is advisable to evade the attacker. If your opponent cannot make contact, they cannot inflict injury upon you. Agility is essential.

 People who are compulsively active are unstable,
while those who are addicted to quietude are indifferent.

One should have a lively spirit while in the midst of tranquillity:
this is the mentality of the enlightened.

(Huanchu Daoren)

Spontaneous

A cat can go from complete passivity to combat readiness instantaneously. It does not tense muscles and prepare. It just moves.

The cat does not psyche itself up, rock, dither or demonstrate any of the characteristics you often see demonstrated by human fighters.

Only a skilled student tends to move smoothly and calmly in response to threat. Beginners are jerky and tense.

Agile & responsive

Have you ever watched how a cat responds to perceived danger? The entire body moves as one, drawing away from the threat, coiling and expanding.

This is akin to the amoeba-like movement students acquire from reeling silk exercises if they take their training far enough. The cat evades and counters without hesitation or doubt. It moves.

 Never stealing

Injuring no one
Who can discredit me?

Do you think that I’d climb down from an elephant
To ride on the haunch of an ass?

 (Songs of Mirabai)

Get a feel for it

Some things can be taught, whilst other things just occur.

You cannot teach someone to ride a bicycle. You just cajole and encourage. You do not really teach anything.
The learner figures it out for themselves. They get a feel for it.

Internal martial arts are like this.

Over-training

Tai chi is not dance, gymnastics or boxing. Do not treat it like weight-lifting, either, and try to build muscles.

Over-training can harm your body and will reduce your enjoyment of the art.

Do less rather than more.

Stagger your training across the week and do a little every day.

If your training exceeds an hour a day then you are doing too much.

Even a skilled student should constantly trim off unnecessary exercises and keep their daily practice time down.

Qigong

Qigong is intended to condition your body, to develop stamina and endurance.

But be wary of trying too hard.

If you find that your body is aching considerably and you feel really tired, you are doing the exercise incorrectly.

Let-go of your tension and relax into the posture.

Imagine that your arms are on strings or resting on something.

4 ounces

When in contact with another person, 4 ounces of pressure must be maintained.

This is not accomplished through effort.

Relax.

Let gravity do the work for you.

Tension

Beginners wear themselves out training qigong and partner work with too much tension.

Remember to use only the minimal amount of strength; use only what is necessary to hold your limb in place.

Anything more is wasted.

 When you do tai chi, you shouldn't sweat.

Sweating is a sign that energy is being dissipated.

It comes from tension and it's as if you are depleting your bank account.

Doing tai chi, you want to accumulate energy, not spend it.

So, if you sweat, you should stop and rest.

(Cheng Man Ching)

 To rejoice even in a harmless game means that you delight in someone's defeat. 

(John Lash)  

Get help

If you find yourself prowling the web looking for some way to assuage your boredom and vent your wrath, you may have some problems.

Rather than pour your heart out via TikTok, why not talk to a real person?

There are counsellors and therapists in most cities around the world.
Seek them out. Talk to them.
Find a constructive release for your frustrations.
Let a caring professional assist you. Find meaning and balance once again.

Online manners?

One of the problems with the internet is that it encourages all manner of unpleasantness.

Blogs and chatrooms allow malignant people to insult strangers anonymously.
Bad feeling and gossip are rampant.

Troubled people are free to pour out hatred and malice, with no risk of consequence.

This is not healthy.

  Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say: "In this world, Elwood, you must be..." - she always called me Elwood -  "In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me. 

(Harvey)

Do Nothing Day

Make the time to do nothing at all.

Have a 'do nothing day' in which you ignore:

1. the phone

2. chores

3. responsibilities

4. commitments

Release your burden

Shedding unnecessary belongings, commitments and habits can free up your life. Instead of doing 15 things, you do 3.

As with all things in life, your success in this endeavour is entirely relative to how earnest you are.

  Seeing an old man who wanted to take up philosophy but was embarrassed, Socrates said to him, "Don't be embarrassed to become better at the end of your life than you were to begin with."

(Thomas Cleary)

Tai chi chuan?

Tai chi chuan is a Chinese martial art. It was developed hundreds of years ago and draws upon Taoist observations, Chinese traditional medicine, biomechanics, physics and combat. 13 patterns of movement are used to express power.

To train the art correctly you need a highly-skilled Instructor who can offer a very comprehensive syllabus.

A good health-only class will offer

1. Exercises to improve strength, balance, relaxation (qigong)

2. Optimal body use

3. Learning a complex sequence of movements (form)

4. Meditation training

5. Partnered drills

  Over the centuries many variations of the movements have been taught, but provided the principles are adhered to there is no need for the student to doubt the authenticity of what he is being taught.

 (Paul Crompton) 

Locked knees?

Locked knees or overly-straightened legs prevent the knee from acting as suspension for the body.

Relax the knees but do not bend unless squatting down to lift something.

Hamstrings?

Most people have very tight hamstrings.

Unfortunately, the back compensates for tight hamstring muscles (by slouching); giving the illusion of greater flexibility than is actually present.

We address this in the syllabus by way of psoas exercises and leg stretches. The training is done carefully, gently - in a controlled manner - without exertion or strain.

Buttocks

Most men and women sit too much. This can lead to under-developed gluteus maximus muscles; which is bad for the back in particular. Weakness in these large muscles can affect the whole body.

Buttock muscles are supposed to be akin to a vertical oval for each buttock. There should be notable muscular development; the outcome of healthy everyday squatting.

Shoulder tension?

A lot of people experience pain in their shoulders and reduced movement.

If you ignore the shoulders entirely and focus instead on their legs you will inevitably discover that their legs are tense.

Once the legs are freed up the shoulder problems fade...

Too much sitting?

The main problem with sitting is gravity, loss of circulation and the tightening/shortening of your muscles.

Muscular tension stops your joints and vertebra from moving freely. When the hips, groin and sacroiliac freeze-up, the overall skeletal mobility is reduced.

Bipeds

Monkeys, horses and other mammals have arms and legs of the same length. Humans are different. We are bipeds. Our legs are much longer and stronger than our arms.

  The risk of heart failure was more than double for men who sat for at least five hours a day outside of work and didn't exercise very much, compared with men who were physically active and sat for less than two hours a day.

(Dr. Deborah Rohm)

We weren't designed to sit. The body is a perpetual motion machine.

(Dr. Joan Vernikos) 

Foetal position

A lot of people sit at a desk, operate their mobile phone, drive the car or watch TV in what is essentially a standing/sitting version of the foetal position.

We start life in that position. But we do not want to revert back to it as we age.

Fix

Appeasing the symptoms will produce no lasting benefits. It is akin to taking a pill in order to mask/hide the symptoms whilst the underlying pain remains.

Fixing the problem usually entails some sort of lifestyle change.

Stable

For optimal body use we need the pelvis to naturally sit beneath the abdomen.

The physical centre of the body contains a lot of water, our intestines etc and needs to be pretty stable.

Stability is accomplished by encouraging the pelvis to operate naturally and without interference. This may involve stopping existing bad habits in favour of letting the body re-align itself.

Posture

The pelvis is pretty large. If you turn it to the right or to the left, the entire upper body is affected. Turn it too far and the knees bear the brunt of the turn.

If you tilt it forwards or backwards, the entire balance of the body changes. Pretty soon you are leaning.

Although the pelvis itself has limited scope for movement, inclining or rotating the pelvis has a major impact on posture.

Core stability

People talk a lot about core strength but not much about core stability. The two concerns are not the same.

Core strength is about the muscles of the lower body (crotch, groin, hips, buttocks, lower back, legs and abdominals) whereas core stability is about keeping the pelvis favourably aligned.

  Remember, when moving, there is no place that does not move. When still, there is no place that is not still.

(Wu Yu-hsiang)

 

Arthritis?

The body must be exercised carefully, with a clear emphasis upon safety and relaxation. Dr Paul Lam (an expert in using tai chi for arthritis) emphasises the importance of:

1. Higher stances
2. A lot of qigong to improve breathing, relaxation and healing
3. Looking deeper into the art of tai chi in order to improve students awareness and understanding

  Programs for fighters should consist mostly of compound exercises. These allow for intense work on a maximum number of muscles in a minimum time.

(Frederic Delavier)

  When you dwell on the sound of your breathing,
when you can really hear it coming and going, 
peace will not be far behind.

(Paul Wilson)

Remobilise

In order to increase mobility the emphasis needs to be upon working the body both in class and at home between lessons. Adopt a multi-faceted approach:

• Strengthen your muscles

• Align your skeleton better

• Sit less

• Stand less

• Stretch more

• Improve balance

• Gain coordination

• Increase bodily awareness

• Be mindful of how you use your body

Step?

In order to get closer to something, we step. This is a fundamental human skill, yet so many people reach beyond their natural range instead of stepping. Why is this?

Laziness? Poor body awareness? Naivety? If you reach rather than step closer, you sacrifice your balance, and with it your strength.

It is absurd to think you are going to get anywhere by giving only an hour a week to your practice or that you can regularly skip classes. Martial arts is not like a bridge club, where you drop in when you have nothing better to do. Martial arts will always make greater demands on your time than would most hobbies or avocations.

(Dave Lowry) 

 Some people in this culture believe that the “consumer” is entitled to good service and if they feel wronged are entitled to take their custom elsewhere. This may or may not be a useful strategy with plumbers, electricians etc but foolish in the extreme in relation to tai chi.

(Peter Hobson)

The Chen form derived from battlefield military movements, where people wore medieval body armour that had to be compensated for. The Chen-style stances were specifically designed to achieve these compensations and obtain a workable position from which to realistically throw an armoured opponent.

By the time Yang had reached Beijing, times had changed. With the advent of firearms, battlefield armour became obsolete; hence, the need for techniques to deal with armoured foes had passed.

Yang and his students had to deal with situations encountered by bodyguards, not armies opposing each other.

(Bruce Frantzis)

An inch

There is a point where something is weak, then it becomes strong, only to become weak again. Like a 'bell curve'... The human lifespan is like this: a baby, to adulthood, to decrepitude and death.

Seek to do only what is necessary to find that optimal point of strength. Sometimes it requires just an inch of movement.

Just enough?

It is so tempting to stretch, to extend, to reach. To force, to push.

Don't do this. Just do what you need to do to accomplish the result and nothing more.

Aim for this ratio: minimal effort achieves maximum results.

A different way?

Tai chi advocates moderation in all things. e.g. over-training is as bad as under-training. If you do not train enough, there will be very little fitness benefit and no martial development.

If you train too much, the body will become tired and there is an increased risk of injury.