The lost art?
To approach what is with an idea, a conclusion, a dream, is not to
understand what is.
(Krishnamurti)
The surface
Tai chi is often imitated by people who are enamoured with the idea of tai chi.
Dancers, external martial artists and performers copy the appearance of the art,
and sometimes even claim to be teaching it.
A simplistic perception of tai chi leads people astray.
Rather than spend years exploring the intricacies and subtleties of this
fascinating art, most students opt for a more superficial alternative.
Other classes focus on form, as though form were somehow the whole of tai chi
chuan rather than just a fraction of the training.
The principles
Very few classes are offering the
principles
of tai chi these days. It is in danger of becoming a lost art.
Given the untold thousands of practitioners worldwide, this may sound absurd.
But tai chi can only be considered 'tai chi' if it conforms to the parameters
that constitute the art.
Training the superficialities of tai chi will never give you any real grasp of
the art.
If you want to find out what tai chi is really about, you will need to commit
yourself to a lengthy, arduous journey of discovery.
This is a life-long journey and it has no conclusion.
Copy?
The problem with modern culture is that everything is so slapdash and fickle.
People are not prepared to be patient and put in the work. They want a quick
fix. They want immediate results.
You cannot apply this same attitude to tai chi.
Could you play Mozart after a couple of
piano lessons?
It is naive to imagine that tai chi can be understood by simply copying the
mechanical movements of somebody else.
Within the body there are countless details taking place. These cannot be
determined through observation alone.
The mind also has a unique part to play in tai chi.
Body
Tai chi body mechanics are explored using form and neigong. Form can be seen as
the what, whilst neigong is the how.
Despite outward appearances, tai chi involves a very unusual way of moving the
body.
The body is incredibly soft, with no excess muscle tension. It is
fully-connected at all times.
All parts of the body move as one.
These brief details may sound simple enough but they are not easy to master.
Most practitioners are very disconnected, tense and forceful.
Good body use requires unusual sensitivity, spatial awareness and a cultivated
nervous system.
Mind
Unless your mind is calm and composed, you cannot possibly train tai chi to a
high level.
Self defence assumes a well-trained mind and relaxed emotions.
Beyond these concerns there is taoism.
Tai chi draws upon the observations and insights of taoism and you cannot expect
to make any headway in tai chi unless you are well-versed in taoism.
This is not going to be easy.
Taoism is often contrary to the modern way of thinking.
To understand taoism, you will need to re-perceive reality and that is no small
feat.
A very serious long-term commitment to regular study is required.
You will have to drop all of your existing opinions and established modes of
thinking.
Energy
At the root of tai chi is energy.
The entire art is based upon the skilful exploitation of the attacker's energy.
You learn how to go with the flow, roll with the punch, borrow kinetic energy
and utilise it well.
Your body is also trained to generate and release energy.
Beyond the obvious use of kinetic energy there is a more subtle level of energy
skill: wu wei, yielding, 4 ounces of pressure, 13 postures and jing.
These topics cannot be summarised in a few words or understood quickly.
They are the study of a lifetime.
Self defence
Tai chi self defence is nothing like the external arts. It approaches the entire
experience of combat from another perspective.
You cannot transplant external attitudes in tai chi and expect them to work.
The art is way too subtle to be forced into being.
Gaining skill in tai chi self defence is a thorough, patient process.
Students pay attention to every detail and learn how to feel rather than think.
Instinctive responses are cultivated, along with composure, timing, rhythm and
jing.
Discover
Tai chi may well fade from our society, replaced by a hollow art that merely
resembles the outer shell of tai chi.
Will anyone miss it or realise that it has been lost?
It seems unlikely. People wallow in their ignorance. They are smug in their
superficiality.
Tai chi will only survive if enough individuals ignore the modern obsession with
performance art and karate-style applications.
The real art is still there.
You can find the principles in numerous sources and learn them from many
teachers.
Just be wary of going astray.
Page created 5 August 1999