Hello, and welcome to the latest issue of the Taichido Newsletter. In this issue, Gary talks about a visit from health professionals, why people start doing tai chi, and gives us a snippet of his wisdom that will be a part of the forthcoming interactive CD.

On the subject of tai chi and medical aspects, here's a paragraph from a report:Tai Chi Improves Lung Function In Older People By Jacqueline Stenson c.1995 Medical Tribune News Service:

For more of the report and others, please see the website (under 'Wider Tai Chi' - "Medical Research on Tai Chi", or click here

Regards, Mark

Please email mark@taichido.com if you have a view. Mark Allen, webmaster for taichido.com

Professionals Visit the Dojo and Ask Awkward Questions!

Recently I was pleased to welcome a couple of heath care professionals as guests to the dojo. As a kind of test case for a client (assessing access, safety, feasibility etc.) they came to speak with me regarding any validity in Tai Chi as a curative or aid to recovery from social or emotional withdrawal. Their client suffered and showed external physical damage following a road traffic accident.

I can hardly imagine how difficult this could be for this individual. The closest that I can come to empathy is to recall the time that I lost my front teeth going over the handlebars of a racing bicycle; and 18 months ago when I broke the end of my thumb. The former is an event of the distant past. That pain has now gone, but I would say that even to this day I am not comfortable with the dental prosthetic that still feels like a foreign object in my mouth.

The worse thing about the damage done to my thumb was the mess that it made of the nail. Despite the fact that even this 'detail' is now no worse than only half discoloured and half normal, and not really that crocked; I am still inclined to hide that thumb by folding it inwards and wrapping my fingers around it. That is my experience of a minor injury, and I am clearly still conscious of it repercussions 20 months later.

Why take up Tai Chi?

These professionals asked, "Why do people take up Tai Chi"? I yearned for a snappy answer, but none came; and only after ten minuets of a 'stream of consciousness' that was little more than thinking out loud, I admitted that I really I have no idea why anybody takes up Tai Chi. I don't even know quite why I took it up myself!

One of my motives was damage limitation; regretting avoidable aches and pains that were the legacy of 'harder' martial arts and a high risk indulgent lifestyle. Allied with this, perhaps because of the latter above, I also experienced a sense of alienation from a so-called "real world" that was in my opinion, being catastrophically mismanaged by idiots that I called 'earthlings'. Metaphorically, I had "a chip on my shoulder". Medically, I was clinically depressed, and looking for 'something'. 'Something' was missing, 'something' was gone.

Whilst confessing here that I was also inspired by the charms of David Carradine and his character in the TV series of "Kung Fu" ("when you can walk the rice paper") I do recall also hoping for some reduction of a certain clumsiness and an improvement in my depth perception. I did, I dare say, perhaps also wish for some superhuman power; x-ray vision perhaps, just some small compensation for my false front teeth!

It is impossible to say now just how the practice of Tai Chi assisted my personal rehabilitation; but I can say that this (and or some other) practice has provided me with sensible and rational answers to every one of my questions!

Alienation Lessens

In all of this time, many things have changed, inside of me and outside of me. But how many of these changes would have taken place, in one form or another, anyway? Tai Chi 'cured' me of the illnesses I didn't know that I had! When I imagined myself as the reincarnation of Grasshopper I was disappointed that I was actually still not able to "walk the ricepaper", but I kept on practicing anyway; not really encouraged that much by my teacher who kept on saying " be prepared to put more INTO your practice than you will ever take out".

When I finally came to accept myself as myself, my appearance to be my appearance, my character to be my character ... and as I gradually began to take responsibility for my own actions and learn the difference between positive and negative, and then see all of this as being in a state of permanent change ... alienation lessened.

I really enjoyed my interview with those two health care professionals, but it was essentially pointless. You can't get somebody else to this sort of shopping for you. Likewise, a search has no value if you begin convinced that you already know what you 'need' and when you need it by. It is paradoxical, yes, but to be in any position to gain, one must be prepared to give, give away, and be prepared to lose.

Internal Images - Symbolic Meaning

Aside from the day to day doings in the dojo I have continued on with and now just completed my part of certain text work relating to the exciting Interactive CD project. A feature of the CD is that it contains audio and text instructions of not only the postures and positions, it can also show brief analysis and interpretation of symbolic meanings and visualization. Considerable effort has been put into this project to ensure that every word and expression within it is 100% original and produced 'in-house'. The 'product' mastered by Mark builds upon lesson learnt through the production of the popular Web Guide (to Tai Chi Form) as found at www.taichido.com. I do not claim the words that I use to be 'mine' to own, yet I am content that they are not stolen. As far as 'visualization' are concerned, how could I claim that such internal imagery be wholly original?

With the saying of "Grasp the Sparrows Tail" an image is instantly created. And then there is "Wrestle Tiger", and another very different internal image is formed; and then "Repulse Monkey", and another and another and another and so on ... here there and everywhere!. It proved impossible to explain to those health care professionals that interviewed me, but for me it was this facet of Tai Chi that proved to be the most powerful and provocative incentive to change. The Tao that I was looking for was indeed this; the imagery, philosophy and myth of Tai Chi, and permission to 'interpret' as I wished.

Work In Progress CD - A Preview of some text

To illustrate some of the points that I raise above, and at the same time conclude this newsletter with some 'hot off the press' copy, I am pleased to reproduce below a preview of some reedited text due for inclusions on the work in progress CD. I describing various symbolic views of "Brush Left/Right Knee, Balance and Play Guitar".

"This posture represents the discarding of what is no longer required. Several "Brush Knee" and "Balance/Play Guitar" postures connect as a sequence suggesting 'discard what is no longer required', 'play' … and then again 'discard what is no longer required'. Therefore, the player 'discards' over and over - this being symbolic of the Taoist philosophy of "Banish Knowledge" or "Return to the Child".
Derived from hexagram 18 of the I Ching. This codified form of divination from ancient China says: "To be in accord with time it is suggested that you 'decay'".

To discard or decay? To discard is not necessarily to deny. To decay is not necessarily to die.
In this instance, to 'discard' may be compared to the Taoist philosophy of "The Action of Non Action". To 'decay' may be similarly philosophically interpreted not as 'death' but as a form of "Birth by Transformation".

Ancient Taoist's recognised several forms of birth including that 'from the womb' 'from an egg' and 'by transformation'. The shedding skin of a snake is a common illustration of these various forms of 'skinning', 'transformation' or 'transition'; like caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.

The creating of music is symbolic of the enjoy nature; to touch it and hear it. The strumming and fingering of a stringed instrument and the result of creating music is symbolic of being without worldly desire or ambition and the appreciation of harmony.

The posture signifies the coordinated use of the legs, arms, hands and fingers.
Between Brush Left Knee and Play Guitar the player 'balances' on the leading left leg and 'plays' not with a guitar but with forces or nature - forward and upward, back and down. Many of these balance moves in Tai Chi also offer opportunities to in fact 'relax' and 'dump energy' out through the empty foot and throw it away (like scattering tiny seeds in the wind) with the leading hand. Such forces applied as "a single ounce" may be used to topple an opponent; just like person toppling over backwards when rocking just that fraction too far on the back legs of a chair.

During the balance phase of this posture you might imagine yourself as the opponent and personally experience the irresistible power of the forces of inertia and gravity. Play Guitar:

Some say "Play Guitar"; some say, "Strum the Lute". All versions are acceptable, as long as it sounds better than "finger and strum a stringed instrument whilst standing on one leg".

The oval-shaped wooden stringed instrument originally refereed to was called a Pilpa; so perhaps "Play the Pilpa and be ready to kick with the left foot" is the nearest to correct!

Anyone that has played (or even pretended to play) a guitar will already be accustomed to this posture. Imagine that immediately after the balance phase of this posture, a guitar is tossed towards you. Just imagine that your task now is to coordinate your body so that you catch the guitar, balance it on your raised left thigh, finger a chord with the left hand and strum downwards with the right hand … all at once. This coordination is actually not at all difficult. Just Play!

Gassho
Gary