To the very end
I have been teaching
the Yang Lang Form for more than six years now and the number of
enthusiastic beginners that I have encountered in this time must now be in
three figures. It may then surprise you to learn that in all of this time
only one group has stayed together long enough - as a group - to reach
"Part Three - Conclusion" ... together ... as a group. Even then, between
Preparation and Conclusion there were many comings and goings within the
group and only one person was there (in the group) from beginning to end.
That person was Sue, and therefor regardless of all comings and goings
from thereon in, she remains as "Senior Student", at least until such time
as she becomes an Instructor or ceases altogether to attend.
Instruction with Sue's
group in 1996, and when she and the group reached the end of Part Three;
we then simply started then again from the beginning, and did so in 1999.
It therefor took Sue three years to learn the Yang Form. More precisely,
it took me three year to teach someone (Sue) the Yang Long Form - and it
took this amount of time because I was not only 'teaching' Sue; I was
(with her assistance) also trying to maintain a group that was subject to
and accepting of the practicalities of family life and other such
overriding responsibilities and commitments.
Sue did very well to
learn the whole of the Yang Long Form, but she is not congratulated for
her Tai Chi or her learning; no; she is congratulated on her patience and
perseverance, and for a consistent attitude that is sure to transform any
student/teacher relationship into one of trust, friendship and mutual self
discovery.
From the very
beginning
To learn Tai Chi correctly
it is necessary for us to overcome or adjust our desire for attainment and
understand that the anxious "what comes next" attitude is more destructive
than constructive. Postures cannot be ticked of as 'done' in a day, week,
month or whatever. Sure, any posture may be replicated in a moment, but it
takes considerably longer that this to understand or refine any one of
those postures, for each of them has a complex relationship or correlation
with less apparent philosophical ideas, the nature of the tao and the
workings of the Tao Teh Ching.
Notwithstanding all of this, Tai
Chi is actually and properly identified as an "Internal Martial Art". To
understand this more we should perhaps take a closer look at those three
words:
1) "Internal". This refers to a) the physical and b) the
spiritual.
a) The silly mistake that some of us make regarding
spiritual development during the Tai Chi process is to assume that some
'awakening' will simply happen as a result of striking several postures
one after the other. This is of course not so. I do however confess that I
did (assume) this myself at first and 'plodded' through the form expecting
some kind of miraculous transformation to take hold of me and enable the
'transcending' all kinds of obstacles and obstructions. The only thing
that happened was that the delusion that I was immersing myself in became
deeper and almost inescapable from. This personal confession is just
another example of the blunt (crude/not subtle) destructiveness of the
extreme Yang "what comes next" attitude that may approach, and at worse
become, addiction and dependency. Such 'grasping' is long way from any
spiritual awakening - and looking in wrong direction anyway! The way of
Tai Chi is to look inward and not rely upon any outside form.
b) The
great physical benefits that may be derived through the diligent practice
of Tai Chi are brought about by the massage of the internal organs that is
in turn brought about by the gentle 'coiling' of torso in coordination
with controlled breath. These 'benefits' are therefor rooted
internally.
2. "Martial" here
refers to a body trained in the ways of physical engagement when
necessary; however, "fighting" is an aspect that has been over emphasized
and developed as egotistical exhibitionism as competition (and Hollywood
fly by wire) has proliferated (in the west).
A martial artist, like a
soldier, is a bad martial artist if all that he/she can do is
fight!
3. "Art". Sometimes
the "martial is dropped from the definition of Tai Chi, thus rendering it
to an "internal art". This compromise reflects a trend that is leading
gradually yet effectively towards the redundancy of Tai Chi as a form of
self defense. Is this good? I don't know - however it is clear is it not
that modern terms of engagement rely almost entirely upon weapons and
plain aggression. This is martial art with the art (and thinking) removed.
The biggest 'baddest' weapon or the first strike (right or wrong) wins.
The dictionary definition of "Art" is: "Skill, esp, human skill as opposed
to nature; skillful execution as an object in itself ..." And an
"artist"?: " ~ those in which mind and imagination are chiefly concerned:
knack; cunning; stratagem ..."
Other Project Developments -
Important Update
Regulars to this
newsletter (and www.taichido.com and its sister site formally known as
"Dai Chi's Taichido") will be well aware already that I am captivated by
the nature and possibilities of the mediums of web and the Internet, and
that I am personally involved in one way or another with several other
website and projects including the 'homely' Dai Chi's Taichido and the
more formal www.threewheels.net (Japanese Shin Buddhist Temple in London,
UK).
As has become my custom, I devote this part of the newsletter to
updates on these other activities that are the wheels within wheels that
come together to be 'me' and define 'what I do' - apart from Tai Chi.
Pure Land Notes Hard
Copy and Pure Land Notes Online
I continue preparation (going backwards
to become familiar with a DTP program!) to take over from Jim Pym* as
editor of the 'hard copy' "Pure Land Notes - Journal of the Pure Land
Buddhist Fellowship".
In the last newsletter I also spoke of tentative
plans to develop an on-line version of Pure Land Notes and accordingly
informed you all that "although I have no set plan at present, I can
foresee a useful potential for further development of this 'other project'
and the creation of another website called either "Wheels-Within-Wheels"
or "Pure Land Notes On-line"". I am very pleased to be now informing you
that a brand new and professional (no banner ads) site:
www.wheelswithinwheels.net was, with Mark's guidance and assistance,
launched just a few days ago on 5th November '02.
Wheels Within
Wheels
By the time of publication of the last newsletter I had only
gone as far as creating a 'hub page' titled "Wheels-Within-Wheels within
my home site. Please, if you visited this page or any of the linked sites
within it, update your browsers/history now and, if you please, add
www.wheelswithinwheels.net to your list of favorite's to use this
simplified and free facility that enables leaps in any direction between
Taichido.com, my own Home Dojo, Pure Land Notes (online), Three Wheels,
Amida Trust and others.
My "Home Dojo" - Dai
Chi's Taichido
This site has been again fully updated, simplified and
much easier to use, with a more visible index of and other 'easy reading'
articles such as "tips for beginners" within the sub-section "Dojo Notes"
(http://www.wheelswithinwheels/homedojo/dojonotesful). Designed as a
backup resource for those real and in the flesh folk that actually attend
My (real/the top floor of this house) Home Dojo; this mini-site, the
original 'sister' to taichido.com also details the availability of Tai Chi
and Chi Kung instruction/private tuition here with me in
Southampton.
Three Wheels
The
last update to Three Wheels: "Development of the Other Garden, Volume 2"
seems to be further back in time now than the few months that it actually
is, primarily I suppose because the weather (in the UK) is so very
different now to what it was then, when we toiled in the heat of the sun,
heaving about around that two ton rock! Please visit "The Other Garden - Volume 2
(picture feature) to see what I mean!
There has been less news from
Three Wheels recently due to the temporary absence of Rev. Sato-san.
However, I have produced a significant document (web pages) that will be
published in one form or another soon, following proper discussions with
Sato-san and other necessary permissions. Watch that space! In the
meantime, I continue to consult with Three Wheels and the parent body
Shogyo- ji, Japan regarding reformatting the English translation version
of the Japanese Temple's Home Site. News on this significant project will
also, inevitably follow.
If you have any
further enquiries, questions or comments upon the 'other sites' please do
not hesitate to contact me. E-mail link at the foot of this
page.
And back
again!
There is a story about
a cook that was able to make an indescribably delicious soup; the
beautiful taste being attributed to "a secret ingredient". A King called
upon the cook and demanded (King's can do that!) that he make him the soup
with the "secret ingredient". The ordinary man agreed and asked the King
to sit and wait and went to the kitchen to cook the soup.
Half an hour
passed and the King inquired, "Where is my soup"? "Adding the secret
ingredient now" came the cook's reply. And then another half hour, and
another, and another. Every time the same question from the King and the
same answer from the cook. "Adding the secret ingredient now".
Finally,
hours and hours later the soup arrived. The King slurped and exclaimed
"this is the most delicious soup I have ever tasted. Everything that
everybody said about it was true! The taste is truly indescribable".
The King then asked "what is the 'secret ingredient'". "Patience your
Magesty", replied the cook.
With this newsletter
now written, my attention turns to "Part Three of the Yang Long Form", and
the present groups nearness to to the completion of the three parts of the
Long Form.
Whilst some members of the group (assembled in '99) will
have by then learnt the whole of the Long Form once, Sue, who is still the
senior member of the group will have, in theory, 'learnt' it twice! Thus
my previous measurement of "three years to learn" holds firm. i.e. 3 years
= learnt once, 6 years = learnt twice, 9 years = thrice ... and so on.
Nevertheless, I am sure that Sue would herself be the first confirm
that she still has a great deal to learn; not from me - but herself. In
turn, the group can learn from her ... and I can learn from the group ...
and so on, and so on, and so on.
This is the internal nature of Tai
Chi, complete with its capacity for internal growth; when complete with
dedication, perseverance and patience. Sue is a fine example of a student
of the Internal Martial Art of Tai Chi.
Some time ago I began
a series of articles that were intended to be an ongoing record of the
progress of the present group through Part Three of the Long Form.
Unfortunately the series suddenly halted and was left hanging at "Fair
Lady Works at the Shuttles". Between then and now there has frankly been
nothing to report. This is not to say that the group has made no progress,
it is just (as is the nature of Tai Chi) that the progress has been in the
inward direction and (reassuringly) difficult to describe or document.
Following this period of introspection the group has strengthened
bonds with each other and now practice and 'progress' together as one - as
a group - and the group - as a group - is now ready to move on to the
concluding postures and transition moves of Part Three of the Yang Long
Form.
Allied to this, work on many of my other activities (please see
above) are contentedly on cruise control at present and I do expect to
have more than enough time to kick starting the "Part Three Series" again
very soon and pass them on for future (next month?) publication
@taichido.com.
I began this series of articles with the assuption that:
if the group that meets here with me in the Home Dojo are at this
particular stage of training, then there is a fair chance that at least a
few of you out there in the 'virtual dojo' might be at the same stage; and
may therefore aprreciate the notes, product of 'the group' may provide. My
further assumption must now be that you, the virtual goup, whoever you may
be; are now able to enjoy the soup all the more now that you are aware of
the secret ingredient!
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