The need for patience only disappears when the student has so integrated his
life with the principles of tai chi that tai chi becomes something he is and
not something he does.
(John
Lash)
Measurement
We measure things in terms of
value,
and the notion of 'value' is essentially subjective.
Quantity is not an indication of
quality.
If you want to assess skill, you should first consider
context.
Unless you determine what it is you are looking for, how can you measure its
worth?
Jack of all trades
How many experts in the world are masters of
many
disciplines?
Can a surgeon perform ballet? Carpentry? Psychotherapy? French Gourmet Cuisine?
Quality requires focus, discrimination,
specificity.
A jack of all trades is a master of none.
Context
Tai chi is a martial art designed primarily to
cultivate
self defence skills.
As a side-effect, it also improves health, calms the emotions and improves
awareness.
Self defence is concerned with
how your actions affect the opponent.
Your aim is to simultaneously
incapacitate the attacker whilst maintaining
your own
integrity.
In self defence, you need to be compact, grounded, alert and efficient.
Showy moves will only hamper you. They
may even get you
killed.
How
Unlike other
martial arts, tai chi is concerned with the
means rather than simply the end result.
The how rather than just the what.
Pragmatism. Effectiveness. Economy. These are our focus. Minimum effort produces
maximum effect.
Body use is very important.
Neigong (internal strength) and
jing
(energy expression) enable tai chi students to
generate kinetic
energy,
which we employ in self defence.
The more adept you are at affecting the opponent, the greater your skill.
Good
quality tai chi application requires physical, emotional and
psychological integration.
There is a sense of calm. The pace is unhurried and the student is at ease.
Grace
It is not enough to do tai chi, you must also do it easily and
comfortably.
Grace can be seen in the natural, uncomplicated
movements of a skilled practitioner.
There is a
smoothness, a subtlety in every gesture.
Enfolded within the art are layers of
sophistication.
Real grace appears impossibly
simple and elegant. Inconsequential. Unremarkable. It is so innocuous
that your mind slides over it. There is nothing overt to cling to.
Subtlety
Tai chi is all about internalisation: the more
skilled you are, the less
an opponent can see.
By internalising your movements they become more efficient.
Nothing is redundant. There are no
gaps
and deficiencies. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is pointless.
There is no
telegraphing. No advertisement.
No blocking.
You become quiet and reserved, integrated and
present. Your self defence abilities are potent yet subtle.
Sensitivity
Your skill is directly proportionate to your
sensitivity.
If the aim of self defence is to affect the opponent, your ability to do this
hinges upon your capacity to feel what is
happening.
You must be in the moment, aware and
tactile.
Brute
force and clumsiness are sure signs of inexperience.
True skill is evident when the exponent just moves and the outcome seems to
arise of its own
accord.
There is no sense of doing. It
happened.
Appropriateness
Appropriateness stems from your ability to feel, to respond skilfully.
You intuitively adapt, change and
improvise. You see choices, possibilities and options.
Nothing is fixed and static. You move with the flow.
Transcend the drills and form. Move
naturally and freely.
Paring away
Mastery is not to be found in the ego. A tai
chi person does not master the art. They are mastered by tai chi.
There is a distinct difference.
Real skill comes from sublimating your 'self'
and becoming one with the art.
Follow the
essence of the art. Keep your training relevant and in context. Be
contemporary.
Tai chi was designed to be used in the here and now, in the
present era.
Be compassionate, aware, composed and
friendly. Stop
competing. Find harmony with the world.
'Harmony' is a skill worth having.
Page created 1 January 1998