Rhythm
Caine: How have
you been old man?
Po: Well. And you?
Caine: Ah, good. The years have been good. Quiet and measured. Flowing slowly
like water.
(Kung Fu)
Even pace
Dancers understand rhythm but few martial artists have any idea at all.
It is very common for the tai chi form to be practiced at a steady even pace,
with each movement timed by the breathing.
Yang Cheng Fu style is different and if you seek to impose regularity on the
form, you miss the point.
An even pace trains predictability, and that is the last thing we want.
Pao chui
Tai chi people usually work at one speed: slow.
Slowness is good for developing muscle tone, balance, control and accuracy; but
will fail in combat.
If the art is to be viable in self defence, we must vary the pace constantly;
stillness, motion, pauses - with no apparent rhythm.
This should not be a random process, however, for like the dancer, we must be
guided by the rhythm of the movement itself and our partner.
Pao chui trains broken rhythm in a pseudo-combat scenario.
Random
Our form must not be random.
The movements are designed to twist and turn the body to avoid incoming punches;
to store power and then release, before storing once again.
Randomness is wasted motion; we seek the opposite - optimal body use at all
times.
You should never move without purpose or resort to feints.
The form has its own unique rhythm.
Movement
When the spine closes, it must open again and when the hips is turned one way,
it must return again.
When the weight moves to one leg, it must shift back to the other.
These constant changes are at the heart of the form.
They are a necessary by-product of the way in which we use the body in tai chi.
Everything must come from and through the body, like a wave travelling through
water.
Expression
Bruce Lee maintained that our physical movements must express our innermost
selves.
The passion and intelligence of a person should be discernable when they move.
A tai chi form reflects the awareness of the student; a beginner's form will
look uncertain whereas an advanced student's form looks confident and alive.
You must move as though surrounded by danger, yet unmoved by the threat.
The form should have dignity and grace, composure and power.
Jeet kune do
Jeet kune do is essentially the principle of finding your own rhythm.
You must feel what works for you and have the confidence to trust yourself.
Our syllabus was designed to offer students a wide variety of learning
experiences so that they can trust the material and follow their own judgement.
Your body
People are seldom comfortable with their own bodies.
A variety of outside influences make you unaware and physically awkward.
Bad habits and postural faults lead to a limited sense of feeling.
Tai chi aims to re-unite you with your body.
Feeling rhythm
When you practice the form, you find that the movements have a certain duration.
The combination of waist, spine and weight shift lend each movement its own pace
and unique character.
A long, sweeping movement could never be delivered using fa jing and a short,
abrupt movement would certainly require it.
As your experience grows, you learn the rhythm of the form itself.
You must blend the rhythm of the form with the rhythm of your own body; and the
synthesis of the two is your form.
Rhythm in combat
Combat is never neat and tidy; the pace will switch abruptly from total
stillness to a sudden burst of speed.
Your rhythm must follow the way of the opponent; changing as they change,
endlessly combining stillness and motion.
It is important that your solo training reflects this; uneven and never
predictable.
The subtle shifts and changes found within form will produce a less predictable
rhythm when faced with an opponent.
Page created 5 August 1999