|
|
||
| Beyond logic | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
.JPG)
Words and ideas
Modern culture perpetuates the
misconception that anyone can understand
anything providing it is properly explained to them. And that the failing of the
individual is caused by a shabby explanation.
This is absurd. If a concert pianist patiently taught you how to play
the piano, could you hope to match
their skill? A ballerina? An airline pilot? A surgeon? A chef? A tailor? An
engineer? A mechanic?
Words have severe limitations.
Blind and lost
To understand anything we
need context. Reference points.
Case examples. A comprehensive mental
representation. A knowledge base.
We need experience,
parameters, guidelines,
limitations,
applicability. We need to know where the
pieces fit together, how and why.
A novice does not and cannot possess this. No
matter how eloquent or detailed the explanation nor how thoroughly they
study.
Talk is cheap
A 'verbal understanding' is no understanding at
all. The ability to regurgitate information in no way
means that you possess
the skills or the understanding...
The student has
nothing to offer but an absolute willingness to follow the teacher's
instructions and direction without question or comments or personal
improvisation.
(Dave Lowry)
Logical steps
A student acquires knowledge and
skills by following a clearly defined tried
and tested syllabus. The training methods
instil muscle memory, cultivate
awareness and encourage
mindfulness.
Throughout much of their learning process the student must simply do
what they are told. Without alteration, improvisation or real
understanding.
The student may have modest glimmers of insight
but these are partial and fail to reflect a
more comprehensive grasp of the material or its
true nature and purpose.
Comparisons
It is quite common for a student to become
frustrated by their lack of understanding.
They often seek to make comparisons
between what they are encountering
and other unrelated sources.
The outcome is akin to seeking to understand Susan in terms of Melanie...
Pointless and self-defeating.
Tell me...
In the hope of deepening their understanding, the student
presses for further explanations, new insights and
expects gratification. But this is
not the way...
Instead, the student needs to take the initiative
and plough through the books in the reading list and
practice their tai chi at home between
classes.
Reading the recommended books and
completing assignments serves to provide a contextual knowledge base. It is
essentially furnishing the mind with
relevant information it can draw upon.
The clouded mind sees nothing
Another obstacle impeding the student is their lack of
presence. Their minds
are usually filled with noise. Polluted with ideas
and distractions.
Many of the qigong and
tai chi training methods are concerned
with bringing the mind home. Back to the here and
now.
If you cannot see what is right
in front of you and are not actually
listening to what is being said,
what hope do you have of learning? Or understanding?
Beyond words
The problem facing the student is ultimately neither their own naivety,
distracted minds nor lack of adequate 'motor
skills'... it is something else: not everything will fit the form of
words.
Can you explain the colour red to a blind person? The taste of a dosa
pancake to somebody who has never eaten one? What love feels like? An
orgasm?
Expertise
When an expert (in any field of study) shows a
spontaneous demonstration of skill, they are drawing upon experience and
abilities that are largely intuitive. The skill comes from the
subconscious mind.
Even if the expert patiently breaks down their performance afterwards;
step-by-step, their explanation will be inaccurate because in
truth they don't fully understand what they did.
They just did it.
It happened. The ancient Taoists called this
process 'tzu-jan', meaning "of itself so"...
According to the book Maximum Brainpower, modern psychologists are
now investigating this same phenomena.
Tai chi drills
You need to become exceptionally sensitive.
You need to be capable of 'listening' to what is happening.
You need to adapt, change and improvise again and again and again.
Our drills cultivate these skills. If they did not, what
purpose would
they serve? As you become increasingly competent, you are less and less
able to explain
just how you defended yourself.
You just did it and it worked.
This is tzu-jan.
Coalescence
The I Ching teaches us that events, people and
circumstances coalesce to create 'the moment'. In order to get the most
benefit, we have to align ourselves perfectly with what is taking place.
This is 'wu wei'. Not forcing.
The challenge facing us is that the moment is instantaneous, unique and not
reproducible. It continually changes. In order to deal with this, we must
flow.
That is why we learn to listen, to
feel, to be sticky,
to follow. Thinking won't help at all.
Ego
Our enemy is the ego. Self-consciousness involves
thinking about ourselves. About competing, winning,
succeeding. About looking cool.
This is useless in combat.
We need to be immersed in the event, not thinking about ourselves or the
opponent.
There is no concept of an
enemy or opponent in tai chi.
Likewise, the emotions associated with either - anger, hatred, friendship -
also have no use and therefore play no role in this art.
(Scott Rodell)
Combat
In a real life combat situation you need your body and mind to
act as one. They need to evaluate the situation, respond accordingly and
make continuous, successful on-going changes as it evolves.
Your conscious mind simply cannot perform this type of action. It would be
like a Formula 1 racing driver pondering
every manoeuvre... Suicidally slow and inefficient?
Tai chi trains the exponent to adapt, change and
improvise rapidly, effectively and automatically. If you cannot do this -
and you're entangled in thoughts - you're just a
novice.
Worth reading
•
Not knowing
•
Perception
•
Presence
•
Tzu-jan
•
Wu wei
Page created
21 May 2002
Last updated
16 June 2023
▲