Bearing
Generally speaking,
it is essential to make your ordinary bearing the bearing you use in martial
arts,
and make the bearing you use in martial arts your ordinary bearing.
(Miyamoto Musashi)
Bearing
'Bearing' is the way in which you carry yourself.
How you stand, how you move.
It is not the same as
posture.
Bearing encompasses behaviour as well as physical positioning and
body usage.
Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi's
advice concerning bearing is worth listening to.
He asserts that your bearing should be constant, whether you are in combat or
performing an everyday activity.
It is important to consider why he says this.
Everyday
If you consider the way in which you move your body
throughout the day, you probably adopt a wide variety of physical shapes.
Extremes are usually avoided, as these can lead to
injury and
damage.
Invariably, you move in a fashion that is comfortable.
This may be regarded as your familiar
body
usage.
Tai chi
Our school only teaches natural, comfortable body movement.
There are no extremes, no pushing, no
strain.
We encourage easy stances, relaxed movement of the joints and a calm
temperament.
Comfort
If your tai chi is not physically comfortable, it may be that you are too
tense and lack the necessary release.
Tai chi should feel quite similar to everyday movement except that the
emphasis will differ.
Self defence
In
self defence, your
bearing must feel natural.
Your
demeanour
should also be relaxed and comfortable.
Physical or emotional tension
will prevent you from employing tai chi effectively, so your bearing must be
composed.
If you seem friendly and amiable, but not nervous, you offer a poor target.
If your tai chi body usage feels familiar and comfortable, you are more
likely to do something constructive in self defence.
Awareness
It is necessary for your everyday bearing to change when you learn tai chi.
You must become more
aware of your body and the way in which you
use it.
This will cause a subtle ongoing change to occur.
You will see more, feel more, be more receptive; how you interact with your
environment will
alter.
Gradually, there will be little difference between your everyday bearing and
your
martial.
If you find yourself performing 'stork spreads wings' whilst waiting for the train, you have sadly missed the point entirely.
Page created 9 May 2000