He sees no other way open to him except ceaseless practice.
(Eugen Herrigel)
Confidence
Will tai chi self defence help to improve your confidence?
Initially, no.
This may not be the answer that most people expect but it is the truth.
People have familiar responses to physical threat and can typically do
something to defend themselves.
Dynamic Balancing Tai Chi self defence asks you to put this aside and simply use the tai
chi.
It requires a lot of
faith and
courage, since you know it will
not be enough.
Faith
A beginner cannot hope to feel confident about their tai chi; they do not
possess the
skills and experience to apply it
successfully.
Realising this is essential.
The only way for a student to gain confidence is to practice with
commitment and patience.
You must put yourself at the mercy of the system and train it diligently.
Tai chi self defence involves a gradual process of development.
Subtle nuances of ability are added to your repertoire, then
explored under increasingly unpredictable circumstances.
The student must learn to stand in the face of threat with nothing but
their tai chi to rely upon.
Half-hearted
We emphasise the importance of not 'sparing
yourself' when applying the tai chi in self defence.
If you hold back, the skills will not come.
The real lesson here is
that the student cannot hold onto their 'self' in self defence, they have to let
go and be caught up in the moment.
Training methods such as melee assist with this process.
Confidence without self?
Self consciousness involves
thinking and thinking prevents action.
To apply tai chi successfully, you must allow thinking to subside and
immerse yourself totally in the experience.
Move with the
happening, respond as part of the moment.
When you cease to worry about your 'self', confidence no longer matters.
Page created 12 April 2005