If we are serious about the martial ways of Japan, they cannot be activities
for which we schedule a couple of nights a week, entertainments or
diversions or the combative equivalent of a get-in-shape program. They are a
way of living, one with ramifications in every area of life, every moment of
it, that can hold tremendous rewards.
(Dave
Lowry)
Value
'Good' and 'bad' are
value judgements applied to things relative to
how well they meet our expectations.
Taoism
has no equivalent form of assessment. It gauges value relative to whether or not
something is true to its nature.
In terms of tai chi, there is no such thing as good or bad tai chi.
There is tai chi, and there is exercise or martial arts practice that simply cannot
be called tai chi.
Tai chi follows certain taoist
principles and must meet certain criteria.
It is a martial art, a viable, working form of self defence. It uses softness
and yielding rather than force and aggression.
It is also a way of moving, a way of interacting and a way of being.
Virtue
The nature of tai chi is what makes the art 'tai chi', in the same way that
there is a tree-ness to a tree and a dog-ness to a dog.
If your art does not embody/express the nature of tai chi, then it is not tai
chi. Good or bad do not enter into it.
The is-ness of something is called its 'virtue',
its nature, its character, its quality, its way, its essence.
Authenticity is not a matter of
who taught who. It is about virtue. Is the material true to the art or
not?
Seek out quality
Authentic tai chi can be found. You just have to look for it. Be patient.
Be discerning.
Go to different schools and find out what they are teaching and how they are
teaching it.
Be humble. Be quiet and receptive.
A good teacher should be able to illustrate
internal strength without any difficulty.
Watch for ease, comfort, consideration and softness.
It should look like
no effort was required. It should feel to be
without force, without conflict.
A good teacher is composed. They are graceful, smooth, unhurried. Never
aggressive.
Their self defence skills should be quietly impressive. Effective. Decisive.
Final.
Becoming a student
A tai chi instructor is not a personal trainer. They are not selling you
a product. You are not the customer.
Their job is not to please you or meet with your expectations. Their role is to
teach an extremely sophisticated system to you.
The teacher is there to be a mirror, to challenge you, to guide you and to question
how you think.
A lot will not make sense at first, and could not
possibly make sense.
Your role is to quietly explore what they are teaching you. To practice.
Do not
argue, question or try to understand the tai
chi. Simply feel what is happening and go along with it.
In time, skills begin to
emerge involuntarily. You find yourself
unexpectedly adept at the art.
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Page created 6 July 1998