The second thing is the impending arrival of the DVD version of Part One the Taichido interactive instruction CD-ROM. Designed to be viewed on computers with DVD drives and home DVD players attached to a television in PAL or NTSC, This has been a major job to convert from the original CD-ROM media into DVD format, a feat which has ended up with a complete rebuild from the ground up. However, I am expecting to be able to go live by the end of this month. Once Part One is out, the hard development work is done and so the rest of the parts (and an omnibus) should be hard on the heels. If you wish to be notified by email when the DVD goes live, then please visit the taichidoshop site and follow the DVD link. all the best, Mark

A Fresh Cycle Begins

\ /\ /heels.net is now converted from the 'portal' that it was into a blog style site with many of the features associated with this exciting new form of "amateur journalism". This is what I always wanted it to be anyway .... i.e. "an online diary or journal ... often allowing others to contribute, fulfilling to a certain extent Tim Berners-Lee's original view of the World Wide Web as a collaborative medium".

Those words above are the first that I posted on to a new site that I have called My Monkey Mind hosted @ http://monkeythree.blogspot.com/. Alongside that text (as above) I have put the following by way of a 'profile':

\ /\ /heels\ /\ /ithin\ /\ /heels.net first went online a couple of years ago as a portal, placing itself between taichido.com (online since 98) and home dojo.

Taichido was launched in the late 90's as a free resource and distance learning facility to encourage 'virtual' participation in Tai Chi. These days the website receives around about 90 Unique Visitors every day - which is good for a site that has nothing to sale! Messages of reassurance and encouragement are often left in the taichido guestbook. #399 made on 13th May 04 by an anonymous 'Taoist' in Canada says:
"It strikes me as odd that I'd have to pay for Tai Chi lessons, which is what I would have to do if it wasn't for you guys. Wanting to charge money defeats the basic tenets of Buddhism, which is to have no need or desire for financial gain. You are truly upholding the way."

I would like to return to this last message from a Taoist in Canada at the end of this newsletter and discus then a couple of paradoxes I sense to be imbedded within it; but I would like to get there by developing upon the theme of "the World Wide Web as a collaborative medium" and what all this has to do with Taichido.com - which is built and maintained by Mark and the sister site wheels.net - which I maintain myself here in the office beneath at my home dojo.

Idle hands ?

Mark wrote and compiled the last two newsletters and therefore I have had the last couple of months off - but only as far as the writing of this newsletter is concerned - and I have actually been very busy working on ways of expanding the news output from the three sites featured @ wheels.net - including taichido.com.

The new blog site /\ /\y/\ /\onkey/\ /\ind@http://monkeythree.blogspot.com/ is in fact just one of five new blogs launched as a running journals - one for each of the three sites featured 'within' wheels.net ... and then one to 'blog' w/heels.net (blogging the blogs?). So, like I said, the fifth blog called M y Monkey Mind, and this one is not like the others in as much as this one is a full functioning blog (live, interactive, inviting comment and contribution) - and I begun a few weeks ago to use this site to provide a free public domain publication of my emailed replies to questions and requests inwards to any one of the sites or subject headings of any of the three @ wheels.net.

At the beginning of this newsletter I brought the taichido gust book to your attention, just as it is brought to the attention of visitors of the site by saying on the first page:
"Many thanks to all those who leave their feedback in the guestbook - we do read them and appreciate your input!" The blog "mymonkeymind" now provides me with the facility to make "free public domain" replies in keeping with the ethos that taichido.com's functions to freely share information and experiences. So that is how "my monkey mind" blog currently begins - with a general reply to several of the most recent messages left in the guestbook. This is followed by a piece in response to a request for assistance in some research being done for a site called "SuperWisdom".

I have reproduced those responses below, however, the whole point of the 'monkey' blog is to encourage your involvement and contribution - so please do visit once you are done with this newsletter. Further explanation of the four other blogs now @wheels.net follows these extracts below.

"Cautious with Compliments"

On the first page of www.taichido it is said: "Many thanks to all those who leave their feedback in the guestbook - we do read them and appreciate your input!" I can personally assure you that this is true. I go there everyday, why not? It never ceases to amaze me that whist folk are free to leave any sort of message they wish, they just about all give gracious words of encouragement.

Guestbook entry #402 (May 25th): "Great site. Good to see modern design applied to Tai Chi." Phil, UK.
Guestbook entry #401 (May 21st ): "I came by way of seeking more information about Chi. Your site is well grounded, balanced, strong in a seemingly effortless way. Congratulations on translating the true spirit of your art into HTML." Christine, USA.

This is great ... and so encouraging! I say this despite the fact that I am most cautious as far as the receipt of compliments is concerned.

As a Tai Chi instructor who teaches on an individual basis, I occasionally meet folk that expect too much from Tai Chi - or worse still me! I have therefore developed a cautious attitude towards accepting compliments, especially those that endorse "amazing" - or worse still, begin with "you are". This can only apply to those that come here 'in person' to my home dojo to learn Tai Chi and here, in person, and it is perhaps the 'in person' bit that might wrongly raise the expectations of those that might be already expecting too much. So, I often remind them that all sorts of things may come out of my mouth ... but all I am trying to do is teach Tai Chi. These people pay the fair price of £5 per hour for this, words and all; therefore no further reward is required.

It takes me about two/three years to teach a person the Yang Long Form ... and that's about it! As far as I can tell, no one yet has clicked on www.taichido.com expecting a life altering event. That's good, because the best anyone can really expect is a website about Tai Chi. A good, free, unbiased, intellectually and morally sound website.

I get a big kick out of compliments like the two above because they confirm that the website www.taichido.com is apparently successfully achieving its aims.

"In The Heart"

On 25th May I received the following email:
Do you know of any quotes from Taoism, Buddhism, etc., that discuss the vital importance of Belly, Center, Heart, etc.? Preparing and article and searching diligently. Thanks! Tom Russell Arizona Less stress, improved relationships, more vitality. http://www.superwisdom.com/."

Hi Tom, I was once told to "just sit". This quote changed my life but I wouldn't attribute any transformation to the words "just sit" or any other shorter or longer combination or permutation of 26 letters and spaces. I put it down to conditions at that time and, as they say, where "my head was at" that time.

If my interest in Zen Buddhism has taught me anything that is to "keep words at arms length". But even this advice only works in context and does assume that we know enough about words and word games to know what "at arms length" means ... in this context ... and to know that the statement is a metaphor, moreover a metaphor with a hint of sarcasm or irony. Speaking of which ... without the title of the site that you are doing your research for I might have responded to you as one of my Tai Chi students did when I asked him 'out of the blue' what the Belly was and he said "that's where my food goes!" When I asked him for comments on "Centre" he said "that's where the big shops are". I then asked him "what is in your heart" and he said "I wish we could get on with some Tai Chi!

Some time ago I was myself researching "the Hara" for the rewrite of an article @www.taichido.com because, though written by a teacher that I respect, that article is for me is just a list of words and conceptual assumptions. During my research I ironically received an email that commented: "... all that stuff on your site about the Hara. Why don't you just call it "guts" and be done?" He has a point! I decided to leave the article as it was.

Notwithstanding all of the above I would be pleased to direct you towards On Faith in the Heart, by Sosan, the third Chinese Zen patriarch (d. 606 CE). This mentions the word "heart" several times, and though it is much longer than "just sit" it says the same to me. What does it say to you?

I visited http://www.superwisdom.com/ and then went on to your articles. I enjoyed reading "Pause, Yield, Choose" and "The Brilliant Lesson of Michelangelo" It is good see that this part of the site is (unlike 'the course' or the "unlock code to hundreds of pages of member only material at this website") free. You say there is "a ton of content @ "Ultimate Stress Management" but all I see is a 1 page preview?

I do wish you well is your research and do hope you find all of the right words and end now as I began with another quote you didn't ask for: If the package has a price tag - it is not spiritual. It might have been once; but when its packaged its a package!

Four more blogs:

"DO" - for taichido.com, "JO" - for my home dojo and "BU" for Pure Land Notes online

Four more blogs can now also be found 'within' wheels.net. These are a little less versatile in function because they are really just there as Journals - one for each of the three featured sites. The first of these three journals are "DO" - for taichido.com, "JO" - for my home dojo and "BU" for Pure Land Notes online. I'll say no more about these here now other than to confirm that several entries have already been made to all of these (including a small picture of Mark's unexpectedly early baby daughter) and they are all there now online for your perusal.

The fourth of these blogs 'within' wheels.net is called "threetimes" [me wearing three hats (taichi/DO, do/JO and BU/ddha)]. This is another personal journal that I using as an compendium of all the others. This one also includes many incidental links including some to articles 'about' blogging ... and all sorts of other stuff!

Something for Nothing?

What I do is I teach Tai Chi. That's it really. I don't claim to be an Martial Art expert, or a therapist ... or for that matter a journalist or an author - and I never pretend to be what I am not. What I do is teach Tai Chi - and that is what taichido.com, my home dojo and this newsletter is all about and 'for' - and all of this is course completely free.

As much as I wish it were not this way; the system that most of us function within dictates that "time is money". True, in a democracy we can do what we wish with the time that we have got - but if we want to share in benefits that this system brings with it we must agree or contract to spend some portions of our time doing stuff for money and ... bottom line, pay the rent.

So, in reply to the Canadian Taoist that I mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter I would like to say: Yes, with some determination and application it is possible to learn the whole of the Yang Long free and for nothing with taichido.com and the free Netguide - and I am very pleased that you have because ... that's what I want to do ... teach Tai Chi. But please do be aware that this is made possible by the people that do (only because they are able) come here to learn 'in person' with me because this, the £5 per session that they pay (and the sale of CD's and the soon to be DVD's) are this facilities only source of income and funding. That ... and time.

Paying the Rent

When these newsletters began two and a half years ago I was working shifts in a large hospital (waste management) and in between shifts I slept, ate and taught Tai Chi to anyone willing to pay £5 per session. Coming here to this house involved giving up use of the large indoor spaces that went with my previous job and occupation (resident caretaker of a local community/church hall), so the largest room in this my new residence was immediately 'put aside' for training and practice (i.e. a dojo). But that had to be done because what I decided that I wanted to do was teach Tai Chi.

Putting aside the largest room in a house I couldn't afford in the first place was I suppose just as foolish an act as setting up dojo in the first place seven years earlier ... but that's what I do - I teach Tai Chi.

Having now got to the end of this newsletter I am very pleased to tell you that I quit my job in the hospital some time ago and have since concentrated upon teaching Tai Chi ... and contributing to taichido.com ... and helping to build CD's and DVD's and all of the rest (now including five blogs) ... and finally the pieces have fallen into place and I can now truthfully say that "all I do" now is teach Tai Chi ... sleep, eat and pay the rent!

Gassho, Gary Robinson