Accord
The magic of life is in
the fact that every littlest thing,
both in and around you,
expresses, and in action uses,
the same power that hurls the stars through space
and causes their fire;
that bellows in thunder and whispers in wind;
that produces a giant tree from the microscopic germ of a seed
and wears away mountains to thin clouds of dust.
(Alan Watts)
Finding accord
There is a
pattern and
order to existence.
Accord entails finding balance with everything else.
It is a harmonising process.
By relying upon
feeling and
intuition rather than thought, a person can
find accord.
When you can sense and move with
tao, accord naturally occurs.
Alignment
Tai chi aligns the body in such a way that it moves with the minimum
effort to produce the maximum effect.
By feeling how the body wants to move, it is possible to operate in a
natural, comfortable manner.
Accord cannot be conceived by thought.
The body should never be forced to do what feels uncomfortable.
Wu wei
Wu wei means
‘going along with’ and refers to the process of moving in accord.
Water is a
good example of wu wei in nature, as it remains soft and
yielding irrespective of any obstacles encountered.
Accord in self defence
Finding
accord during
self defence practice is quite demanding because it requires a
high degree of physical sensitivity.
Rather than impede incoming force, a tai chi student
joins with the opponent and sticks to them.
This stickiness is a skill in its own right, as it requires the ability to
adjust your body in response to tension and movement from the opponent.
At no point in tai chi should force meet force.
If force is imposed upon a student, they must yield.
Page created 11 June 1999