And so he sets off
on a path to mysterious destinations. He does so in spite of observations by
others that such a way is naïve, outmoded or idealistic. He goes because he
knows others have gone before, because the unchanging direction of the way
attracts and calls to him.
He goes because he is compelled. He sets out on a journey of a lifetime
because he senses that this way is the one to lead him to a place very much
worth the going.
(Dave Lowry)
Context
The situation in which something is located or operates has
tremendous bearing upon its
nature.
Meaning is determined by context.
Context is essential; it grounds a subject by its specificity - it binds and
knits together.
Framework
It is important to establish the context from the onset.
Context represents a framework for the information that follows - a box
within which subsequent insights may be placed.
By establishing the context, your information will be correctly associated.
Differences
The problem with context is that everybody has a different life experience.
We have been educated differently and our upbringing, opinions, memories and
tastes colour our
perception of reality.
Establishing a base line for context can be quite a difficult task.
You need to pare the subject right down to the essentials and make no
assumptions concerning the background and experience of the student.
Confusion
Context narrows down the field of study.
A statement such as "It is hot!" has no meaning unless you can
determine what "it" is.
"It" might well be the weather, a cup of green tea, a bath...
Or the speaker may be using slang to refer to something they perceive as
being impressive.
When the context is muddled, the
understanding becomes twisted.
Focus
In our school of tai chi the beginners syllabus is quite sophisticated.
It introduces a variety of fundamental
tai chi
principles which enable the student to
build the appropriate foundation for the material to follow.
Students are invited to explore the principles solo and with a partner in
order to better grasp the significance of the
insights.
By spending quite a lot of time working through the underlying material,
beginners develop the necessary context.
Instead of seeing tai chi in terms of
karate, wing chun,
kickboxing or ju jitsu - they see tai chi in terms of
tao.
Tao
Taoism is not a religion.
It is a form of
physics, where the properties and power of
the natural world can be observed and understood.
We learn to
move with the flow
rather than against it. To use
softness and
allowing
instead of
force and
tension.
Perception
If you begin your tai chi training with the appropriate context, you cannot
go far astray:
Tai chi chuan is and
always has been a martial art
- health-only practice is more akin to qigong rather than tai chi
- you must be capable of applying your tai chi against a wide variety of
realistic attacks
-
self defence involves much more than form applications and pushing
hands
Tai chi does not use muscular tension and locked joints
- it is a soft martial art
- the body remains loose and free at all times
- a free body and mind are spontaneous
-
jing is employed rather than force
Tai chi is about 'how' you use your body
rather than 'what' you do with it
- it is means, process-oriented
- the unique tai chi way of moving the body is paramount
- everything stems from neigong
- 'form
collecting' is pointless; focus on the
how rather than the what
Tai chi follows the principles observed by
taoism
-
taoism identified natural ways of doing
things and documented the benefits
- the
tai chi classics,
Tao Te Ching,
I Ching and other books have utilised
this knowledge
- a keen grasp of tao and
zen is necessary
Tai chi is more than simply an exercise
- it is an
attitude
- tai chi is an approach to living
This is where your context must begin.
The farther you stray from these initial facts, the more
twisted your training
will become.
In
truth, these are not the only concerns, but they are a good place
to start. To establish context.
More...
Page created 1 August 2001