When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum; when the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey; it is because of timing.
(Sun Tzu)
What is the
primal?
The primal part of you is the
base animal
instinct, the 'fight-or-flight' reflex.
When we are in real danger, the psoas muscle contracts and the back is
forced to bend forwards.
This posture is a
fear reflex which protects the soft parts
of the body from harm.
Unfortunately, it also freezes the entire body.
In tai chi we need to stay relaxed.
Liz Koch, author of
The Psoas Book wrote:
Our ancient (reptilian) brain recognizes danger by smell, look, feel and sound. The adrenals release chemical information and, in combination with an orchestrated muscular response, move into action. In the blink of an eye, we grab a child from an oncoming car or ward off an attacker.
But when danger overwhelms or is chronic, rather than spring into action or move away, the body freezes. A mouse in the clutches of a cat plays dead. No longer squirming, the cat may get distracted providing a moment for the mouse to dart away. 'Playing dead' is a heightened survival response.
As a species, humans are encoded with the ability to protect themselves. When survival is at stake, the psoas propels the body to hit the ground running. When startled, it ignites preparation of the extensor muscles to reach out (grab hold) or run. When standing one’s ground, the psoas provides a person with powerful core leg and arm kicks — a dynamic force in the face of the enemy.
In real-life self
defence a student must remain
composed and
detached.
Emotional instability will ruin any chance of keeping internally relaxed.
A healthy psoas
muscle and emotional balance is necessary.
Fear
Everyone is
frightened when
attacked.
There is absolutely no way of guaranteeing a satisfactory outcome.
All that you can do is to remain as calm as you can.
With practice, you will possess
shen.
If you can remain impassive in the face of an aggressor, it may be they who
back
away from you.
Survival
In very extreme circumstances it may be necessary to be
violent in order to protect yourself or somebody else.
Being ruthless and knowingly brutal is
unpleasant, but it is part of the survival mechanism.
The so-called 'dark side' of your nature is not a thing to be shunned and
feared.
One
day it could save your life.
Compassion
A tai chi person does not willingly engage in
fighting or
self defence.
Any show of violence must be a last resort.
St Augustine wrote:
In every heart of man is a dark corner that holds within its borders the worst part of his being. His darkest secrets and dreams. His every forbidden lust. His uncontrollable yearning for violence...
The primal must be balanced with
compassion.
Reading
spiritual books and observing
other beings helps to
develop sensitivity for all life.
Page created 25 June 2000