He never calls the place a studio, never refers to himself as an artist.
‘Messing around,’ he calls what he does there, and seems to view it as some
extension of boyhood’s perfectly bored backyard afternoons.
(William Gibson)
Mystery
The martial arts are veiled in mystery, with each school teaching
a unique
esoteric approach to the experience of self
defence.
Historically, the training methods and applications of each
individual school were closely guarded.
Having an edge was important.
Nowadays, times have changed, but martial arts schools still have their
mysteries.
Knowledge
A beginner cannot feasibly comprehend advanced level material from the
onset.
Most of the skill gained in tai chi is subtle and occurs within the
practitioner; with the outer appearance giving little away.
This is the essence of what we call 'internal' and is best explored through
the medium of
neigong (or internal skill).
Neigong takes time.
The body must re-grow from the inside out, with your entire approach to the
experience of movement undergoing a fundamental change.
Students learn the patterns and forms of tai chi, and then they learn what
is occurring underneath...
It is not so much a matter of secrecy, as of patience.
Secrets
Knowledge should never be thrown away.
Human history is littered with the careless application of knowledge.
Consider the atom bomb.
In tai chi, it is possible to inflict all manner of harm on the opponent,
but these skills must be careful revealed.
The guiding principle needs to be that you only show the more dangerous
material to people who no longer possess any desire to inflict harm.
This is a question of character and responsibility; a matter of maturity and
compassion.
Only a fool would give a loaded shotgun to a child.
Shadows
The mystery is what makes tai chi interesting. People ask: how do you do those
things?
If you are curious and have the heart to endure a lengthy journey of intense
discovery and practice, then those mysteries will be answered.
Should you expect an overnight payoff, please reconsider your expectations.
Our school will teach anyone who has the desire to learn, but the road is
long and the experience demanding.
Tai chi will not push you to the limit or ask you to do more than you can
manage.
It is a gentle way.
Your challenges will be psychological as well as physical - for all changes
stem from the mind.
In order to comprehend the mystery you must realise that you are part of the mystery; and
this requires
immersion in
tao.
Your vanity and ego must subside and you need to become quiet and calm
within.
You must
peer into the shadows of your own being and
question the very nature of your life.
When you move with what is happening and let-go of your
wilfulness, you find the way.
See the wonder
Tao Te Ching may be translated to mean
'the way of nature and its inherent power'.
It asks you to learn from the
natural world, from beings and things - and
then to gain power by according yourself with what is happening.
To flow with, not against.
To yield, not to resist.
How do you learn from nature? Start simply.
Pick one thing in existence - such as water - and consider it through
and through.
Look at the
character of water - really look - and you will find it amazing.
See the clouds, rivers, ice.
The variety of
patterns in snowflakes, the majesty of ice caves, the immensity of the ocean,
the rain on the trees, sliding down the trees, and the cool mist drifting in
from the sea...
What are the properties of water, how is it constructed, what principles govern
its character?
Now look at everything else; expand your consciousness and realise the
unbelievable scope of it all, the sheer magnitude of reality.
Existence is incredible; it defies comprehension.
The complexity, detail and subtlety of everything is overwhelming.
We live in the domain of shadows and secrets, and no matter how far we look and how deeply we study, no human will ever truly pierce the heart of the mystery.
Page created 29 January 1999