Producing
our own book
It has been decided that we (taichido.com i.e. Mark and I)
will be producing our own book and publishing it some when
in the summer of this year. Our decision became definite following
our recent most satisfactory complete revision of the booklet
that accompanies our triple DVD "Learn Tai Chi -The Complete
Long Yang form".
I fear that when I talk in this way that I about to now I
sound like a salesman, but nevertheless I think it must be
said that the term "booklet" does not really justify
the depth or complexity of the content we have squeezed into
it. At present the booklet simply 'comes with' our 3 disc
package - yet it provides precise and detailed step-by step
instructions of every posture, connecting move, weight shift,
arm configuration and wrist rotation in the classic, longest
and most comprehensive Yang (family) Long Form - as most recently
interpreted by Cheng man-Cheng. It is not my most creative
or entertaining piece of work ... but it by a long way the
most purposeful and practical and I am actually not aware
of anything quite so comprehensive available elsewhere in
either DVD or book form.
We will not be looking for a publisher. Like all that we do
here @taichido.com, we shall develop and produce the whole
thing ourselves 'in house', independent of all assistance
aside from professional binding and printing. This way we
maintain complete artistic and editorial control. We have
already decided that the revision of our 'long form booklet'
(as mentioned above) will form just a portion - perhaps half
of the proposed 'bigger' book. As far as the rest of the content
goes, we are as yet a long way from decided.
One likely source is this newsletter, or at least a savage
edit or 'best of' from back issues. There must be at least
a half a book of material that we may harvest from over 70
issues - which works out as about 100,000 words! Then again,
we might begin from scratch and create something original
or new. One consideration is photographs or images. Whatever,
and as Mark said, what we don't want to do is produce just
another one of those quite pointless publications with reams
of text on one page and disconnected and decipherable photos
on the other.
And now it occurs to me that this newsletter may assist us
enormously in another way - and that would be to put it to
use to ask you for feedback and suggestions on this specific
matter. So the question I beg you now respond to is: If one
half of a book featured detailed (not creative, simply purposeful)
instructions on how to do (the mechanics of) the Yang Long
Form; what would you like to see the other half filled with?
Please do give this some thought and email us your comments
or suggestions.
Long term subscribers to this newsletter would know that the
prospect of publishing a book has been raised before. Having
thus already put some thought into it I did in fact compile
a Foreword and a few chapters of text some time ago. I gave
it the working title "TAICHIDO BOOK" and in the
Foreword I set out to attempt to clarify that title. I agree
that this might be a little self indulgent - but my thoughts
at the time were that if or when we do go to print in book
form we itso-facto go 'on the record' and therefore a clear
and irretraceable statement of certain ideals and, lets be
frank, a 'system', method or idiosyncratic 'style' might be
in order. I have attached some of that below and this newsletter
ends on that note. I do hope that you enjoy or are entertained
by that prose but end for now by saying again that if you
have got any other ideas, no matter how random, we would be
more than pleased to here from you and happy to take on board
all of your comments and suggestions.
You will not find the word "taichido" in any dictionary
or martial art reference book.
Essentially "taichido" is a composite word; one we
simply 'made up'.
Aside from the Romanisation of the written words of "tai
chi" from the Chinese and "do" from the Japanese,
the two are altered further by rolling them up into the one
word title of "taichido".
The first part, that is the words tai and chi are quite commonplace
these days. Plenty of people now have heard of it and 'know
what it means'. However, even some that practice it are unaware
that long before I took this liberty of adding the word "do"
to it, the word "Chuan" had been deleted or dropped
from the full or original description of this highly efficient
martial art and form of self defence with significant spiritual
content. Sadly it is not just the word that has been dropped.
Along with the deletion of "Chuan" Tai Chi has lost
a significant portion of what made it what it is … or
was.
Over many years Tai Chi has been led away from its roots and
is now seen by many as a cross between yoga and dance. Some
may say that it is also a form of meditation and a means of
spiritual and personal development - but few have any suggestions
as to how this development may be achieved and fewer still could
point to any real meditative content aside from the fact that
it is done slowly or rhythmically. In effect, along with the
medative or spiritual content, the "Chuan" (self defence)
aspect of Tai Chi has these days been all but removed entirely.
Some exponents do not even know that it once was a most effective
form of fighting or self defence.
Therefore I suggest that my confessed corruption by addition
of the word "do" does little more than redress the
balance a little and clarify the fact that Tai Chi is more than
just 'movement that makes you feel good' and that it is a rich
art form of substance and depth. However I do I suppose confuse
the issue again by mixing the languages and cultures of China
and Japan.
Tai Chi Chuan is deeply rooted in Chinese culture as a "soft
internal" martial art and traditional exercise. Its method
of self defence is par excellence.
Judo, Aikido and a few other (Japanese) systems stress the yielding
principle of Tai Chi but none attain the same degree of relaxation,
suppleness and subtlety.
Judo and Aikido are products of Japanese social, military and
martial art culture. There they are known as the BUDO arts.
Thus:
The "DO" as in taichiDO is like the "DO"
in BUDO - so let us first examine that word:
BUDO
Budo emerged in 1750, being based upon the warlike Japanese
systems of Bujutsu.
"Budo" is a compound of the word bu, meaning war or
martial; and do, meaning path or way. Specifically, Budo is
a Japanese term describing martial arts.
"Taichido" is not so much intended to mix of Chinese
and Japanese but a combination of high ideals interpreted in
a way that as Westerners can understand and fully appreciate
in its depth in practicality and spirituality.
Etymology (Etymology is the study of the history of words)
"BU" - AS IN BUDO
The Japanese word for the 'martial' in 'martial art' is bu,
and this originally meant 'courage'. Thus the original inference
of the composite word bu and do/way was "The Way of Courage".
"DO" AS IN BUDO
When the suffix "do" is added to the name/title
of a Martial art it indicates that the art consists of more
than just combat or martial dimensions.
Budo "martial way" arts also emphasize the growth
and development of the individual's spiritual and physical
well-being. Personal growth, not just self-defence, is in
fact the primary purpose of such arts.
Through long practice and training, the martial artist who
practices a Budo style will achieve spiritual, mental and
emotional peace.
Budo arts are derived from the combat arts - they did not
develop independently of them. Authentic budo forms can be
traced back to the Japanese hereditary warrior class, the
Samurai (bushi).
"DO" is originally derived from the Buddhist Sanskrit
"marga" (meaning the 'path' to enlightenment).
The term refers to the idea of [1] formulating propositions,
subjecting them to philosophical critique and then following
a 'path' to realize them.
Furthermore [2] "DO" signifies a 'way of life'.
in the Japanese context, "do" is an experiential
term, experiential in the sense that practice (the way of
life) is the norm to verify the validity of the discipline
cultivated through a given art form.
The modern budo has no external enemy, only the internal enemy,
one's ego that must be fought.
Further reading on "Budo" can be found @wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budo.
Should you visit that page you would find other links there
to "Kyushindo" and "Kenshiro Abbey". Both
of these subjects are covered thouroughly @www.wheelswithinwheels.net
as: "The Life and Times and Accomplishments of Kenshiro
Abbe 1915 - 1985 With Philosophical and Scientific Analysis
of his Unified Theory of Kyushindo". http://www.wheelswithinwheels.net/kaksd/kaksd_index.htm
|
