November 2006

Monthly Archive

November 30, 2006

IS THE DANTIAN REAL?

Posted by taijiquestion under Health Practices
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Minor apologies, I was looking for a provocative title and the above popped right into my head. I think we can all agree that the dantian is “real”, and I won’t attempt to define it, except perhaps in a functional sense. Even then, I won’t talk about QI. However…

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming is someone who’s written a great deal about qi, based on his own scholarly studies, training, and practice. In one of his books, there was a PHOTOGRAPH of the dantian. It was an actual human abdomenal cavity containing the nested, coiled intestines. If you’ve had any human anatomy in school you’ll know that this is an amazingly long “roadway” for the foods we eat; they travel it slowly and our miraculous body converts it to the nutrition and energy we need to live, think, and move.

I won’t try to add more except to say that our “guts”, “dantian”, “core” (to use the currently popular expression), and “centre” (in TJQ and other martial arts) are fellow-travellers at the very least. Tonight when I decided to Google into this intestines/dantian connection, I found a very interesting article which ties in to the warnings we hear about the over-use of antibiotics (which seems to be accelerating as we build up our artificial, anti-natural postmodern world). If you’re concerned about the “end of nature” now in progress, here’s another piece of the puzzle:

http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-health/articles/149/1/Leaky-Gut-Syndrome.htm

 

November 25, 2006

SHUN AND NI: A STORY IN TWO HALVES

Posted by taijiquestion under Chen Style Taiji, What's it all about?
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When an opponent “comes knocking” I will first wait. It would not do, to treat a passerby as a housebreaker. I must compose myself at the window, and weigh the stranger’s intent. For me, I wish him to pass on by. I have my own affairs to attend to.When I detect that the stranger is at my doorstep and carries the attitude and tools of a housebreaker, I do not stand at the window any further. If I cannot “leave by the back door” then I must “go out to meet” the bringer of oppose-ition. This going-out is SHUN.It is also yin and yang. The opponent wishes to break into my house (my harmony) to rob from me [my harmony]. I respond – that is, taiji responds – by wishing to give to him.

Whereas the contend-er wishes there to be war, I wish there to be peace. What he gives to me, I must return it promptly. I cannot return it in its original state. This is transform-ation.

(Yin and yang: this trouble comes straight at me, with the lust of a hungry predator. I do not turn my back on the bear, nor do I try to out-bear him;  rather I become as a cunning snake that coils, enwraps, and strikes Achilles’ heel. Gentle taijiquan teaches this art. Nature’s way knows no good or evil, only the permanent harmony of life, death, and change.)

Shun goes forth; it ventures out to meet. There is a small joke here for “the foreigner wishing to understand”. In english, I would shun someone by deliberately avoiding them. In taijiquan, shun is the energy of actively engaging.

NI has its joke also. “Ni” backwards is “in”. Ni is returning, receding, coming back in. But the housebreaker ought not to welcome this seeming meekness on my part. Though my “coiling back in” may have a flavour of retreat/defeat, I do not make this invite-ation out of fear, but rather out of confidence and sound method.

I go in to come out again, stronger; nor do I come out the same way I went in. But if a violent stranger FOLLOWS me in, he will find himself not in the parlour, but in the root cellar.

Where he wished to send me against my will, he will find himself. I don’t wish him in my house. If he tries to enter, despite seeing it “occupied” (that is, if he fails to heed my SHEN or spirit of capability), I will lead him in a circle – back to himself. There he will sample the bitterness of his own medicine.

 

November 25, 2006

Posted by taijiquestion under Chen Style Taiji, The Chen 56 Forms
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Wong Er Ping & the Chen 56 Forms

A fellow taiji blogger suggested I check out this Master as a contrast to my “favorite”, Wu Dong. I must say, there’s a lot here to like: beautiful coiling, balance, technique, artistry.

 

November 23, 2006

LEARNING THE CHEN COMPETITION ROUTINE

Posted by taijiquestion under Chen Style Taiji, The Chen 56 Forms
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If you like the the look of the “Chen 56 Forms” (you can see two video clips of expert performances of this set; posted on Chen.quest.ion) and would like to know more:

You can order a video disc with companion book, for a nice price, at this web page:  http://www.taichidepot.com/shopping/chen/v,19001.htm

You can order a downloadable e-book, with a decent amount of photos and text, at:  www.martialtaichi.com

Both of these study resources feature Professor Wu Dong, who is well regarded.  I have all these study materials… it’s not the same as having a teacher, but it gives you a lot to work with if you are patient; self-critical; and also investigate other sources of information.

FYI, There are other “short” Chen routines created by experts to help the general public get started with Chen taijiquan.  Which is what I’m doing… getting started.   :)

 

November 21, 2006

Posted by taijiquestion under Chen Style Taiji, The Chen 56 Forms
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Chen Zhonghua Yilu Application

What can I say except: hope I can do this someday!

 

November 21, 2006

CHEN ZHONGHUA (JOSEPH CHEN) & HONG METHOD TAIJI

Posted by taijiquestion under Chen Style Taiji, The Chen 56 Forms
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Chen Zhonghua Yilu Excerpt

Here’s some advanced training material – presented with wonderful clarity.

 

November 21, 2006

WU DONG PERFORMING CHEN COMPETITION ROUTINE

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Chen 56 Forms – Professor Wu Dong

This is my current curriculum and taijiquan goal.

 

November 11, 2006

TWINING AND CSJ

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Since humans aren’t made of infinitely twist-able rubber, the body [parts] as they move through spacetime, must CHANGE FLOW TWINING FOR ADVERSE TWINING at specific, strategic points as the motion progresses. This is changing gears (or meshing gears). Since “our” gears cannot simply turn and turn in a single direction as a mechanical gear can, we must change “forward” for “reverse” repeatedly (that is, again and again) during taiji movement.Furthermore, this must be done smoothly or transitionally; not simply “engage-forward; disengage; engage-reverse” as a mechanism would. To the best of my knowledge, these “smooth” changes or reversals or switching-over of twisting direction, are facilitated by FOLDING, which is basically a three-dimensional u-turn.NO STOP AND GO, ONLY FLOW

To not make this u-turn, but simply stop (even for an instant) and continue in a different direction, is forbidden in taiji, since it “breaks the thread” of silk-reeling. Or to state it more correctly: there is no stop-and-go in taiji, only flow. If you stop moving, you’re not doing taiji, it’s that simple.

(Just as speaking is one thing, and singing, another. The world’s greatest speaker may not know how to sing; it is a DIFFERENT way of using the voice.)

Folding is a very fundamental concept in taiji, but like open-and-close (another fundamental concept) it’s hard to find good, clear explanation (at least in english… don’t know about chinese).

I believe this is due to the fact that a qualified instructor can SHOW you these things, until (hopefully) you “get it”; but it’s much more difficult concoct a potion of words that will accurately transmit the method to those who don’t know; even assuming one is good with words.

I don’t offer this article as that elusive “good explanation”… it’s merely my current attempt at trying to figure stuff out on my own.

I won’t try to talk about the two twistings, “shun” and “ni”, because I’m still trying to get a handle on exactly what these are… and what they aren’t. My ongoing study of that problem produced this article, which only puts forth assertions that I’m reasonably sure of.