A bow pulled too far will
break.
A blade over-sharpened will not hold an edge.
(Lao Tzu)
Stopping
Knowing when to stop is essential in tai chi.
This applies to all facets of your training and teaches you to be more
reserved.
Over-commitment and excess leave you vulnerable and exposed.
Tai chi is subtle and elegant, not gaudy and vulgar.
Simplicity
Our school encourages you towards
simplicity.
Direct, unadorned action is much more effective than convoluted
behaviour.
Form must be
minimalist and necessary.
Movement,
jing and
principle lie
at the heart of every posture.
Beyond this, there is only redundancy.
Our syllabus helps you to understand the biomechanics of every tai chi posture,
so that you can deliver jing without undue effort.
Once the purpose of the posture is clear, you know when to stop.
Neigong
Neigong does not represent added complexity.
In reality, the more advanced the neigong, the simpler your form will seem.
The purpose of neigong is to return your body to a child-like condition of
wholeness.
Golden age
In all aspects of life you can see examples of artists reaching their peak and then waning.
Typically, art movements go through three phases:
'early' - characterised by strength and simplicity;
'classical' - when all elements reach harmonious maturity;
and 'baroque' - distorted and elaborate.
(Alex Kerr)
Consider a TV series...
The first couple of episodes are often awkward and uncertain, then the show
finds its feet and there is a gradual sense of growth and progress.
After a couple of seasons the show runs out of vigour and it begins to fail.
This is why movie sequels just tend to get worse and worse as they progress.
Masterless
You
must be responsible for your
own progress in tai chi.
Be
shrewd and careful, simplistic and minimal - understand what is needed and do
only that.
Resist the
urge to go too far.
If somebody wanders astray, let them go but be careful not to follow.
Page created 16 January 2001