|
|
||
| Finding balance | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
.JPG)
Paint it black
It is tempting to regard tai chi in the same way one might
consider a conventional martial art.
A dead giveaway might be the black uniforms.
Tai chi students do not wear clean white cotton suits.
Yin/yang
Taoism embraces all sides of our character; recognising that people are
both good/bad, strong/weak
and so on.
We cannot be one without the other.
The key is to find balance.
A harmony of apparent opposites.
Deception
Many martial artists think of
Bushido
and 'honourable' behaviour...
Yet,
The Art of War is not friendly; it is based on deception,
not openness.
Misdirection, secrecy, inscrutability and
mystery are fostered. See the contradiction?
Obscurity
was his nature, as well as his profession. The byways of espionage are not
populated by the brash and colourful adventurers of fiction. A man who, like
Smiley, has lived and worked for years among his country's enemies learns
only one prayer: that he may never, never be noticed.
Assimilation is his highest aim, he learns to love the crowds who pass him
in the street without a glance; he clings to them for his anonymity and his
safety. His fear makes him servile - he could embrace the shoppers who
jostle him in their impatience, and force him from the pavement. He could
adore the officials, the police, the bus conductors, for the terse
indifference of their attitudes.
But this fear, this servility, this dependence, had developed in Smiley a
perception of the colour of human beings: a swift, feminine sensitivity to
their characters and motives. He knew mankind as a huntsman knows his cover,
as a fox the wood.
(John Le Carre)
Secrets & lies
Chinese martial arts were never taught
for the purpose of community spirit.
They were fiercely guarded secret methods designed to defeat
other schools who
wanted to steal your art.
This is why tai chi looks like dance.
To the untrained eye the art is innocuous and the
skills cannot be discerned.
Stealth
Historically, it was not good practice to advertise your
martial abilities.
Broadcasting yourself invites challenges.
People can see your strengths and
weaknesses.
Keeping silent is better.
The ideal situation is when nobody can tell
what you are capable of.
Attitude
A tai chi student must embrace more unconventional role models:
Of course, we do not kill or steal.
But the attitude behind these approaches teaches important lessons.
Qualities
An assassin can kill with precision and
ease; they are not
messing around.
A thief is quiet, stealthy, cunning and
observant.
The illusionist employs psychology and
biomechanics to mislead your
attention.
Ronin are highly skilled warriors who serve only their own interests:
without honour or master.
The final chapter of The Art of War deals with
spying; it is an art that
requires considerable ingenuity and
nerve.
The dark arts?
In the distant past little was known about Taoism.
Many of its adherents belonged to sects and esoteric
schools. Others were hermits who lived in remote
places.
Teachings from books with curious names such as
The Way and Its Power, Book of Changes,
The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings
were treated with suspicion.
Secrecy, rumours of great
power and deliberate obfuscation led to
tai chi being
regarded with considerable fear
and superstition.
Can you become a warrior/sage?
In our class there are
4 types of student:
Student
Clearly an attender cannot expect to ever call
themselves 'warrior'...
Although, to be fair, tai chi people seldom think of themselves as being a
warrior. It is far better to be a sage.
Sages are wise.
The yarns of seamen have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which
lies within the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was not typical… and to him
the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping
the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze.
(Joseph Conrad)
White & black
There are countless images of friendly tai chi people on the web.
They wear white suits and smile a lot.
That is 'friendly' tai chi; tai chi for
health.
It is not the
martial side
of the training hall.
Find balance
The tai chi student must learn how to be
friendly, warm, sincere and compassionate yet recognise that in combat there
is unfortunately a need to be ruthless on occasion.
Balance requires appropriateness.
And restraint. The biggest danger we face is
ourselves.
We wear a black
uniform and we train very dangerous skills... we also need control.
Page
created 3 April 2007
Last updated
16 June 2023
▲