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)