The Japanese word for black belt is shodan which means 'first step' or 'certified beginner'.
(Michael Gelb)
A big impediment
The largest impediment faced by a tai chi student is their own
perception of strength.
Invariably, the student is convinced that their physical experience of strength
is strength.
They are wrong.
What you are feeling is not strength at all. It is
tension.
Muscles
If your muscles are working optimally, they should move your body
around without there being any sense of work taking place.
Everything will feel comfortable, easy and smooth.
When you are chronically over-working your
muscles, this is not the case at all.
You exert constantly.
You apply vast amounts of energy to the performance of simplistic tasks that
require almost no energy to accomplish.
Tense muscles are in fact weak muscles.
They are not healthy, balanced and toned. They are over-working and straining.
Your nervous system is sending and receiving faulty information from the
muscles.
This is not good for your tai chi.
Fitness
People are often not quite as fit as they may imagine.
This fact might not seem important in tai chi because a lot of the work is slow,
but the truth is that you cannot reasonably hope to defend yourself if you are
out of shape.
Stamina and endurance cannot be ignored.
Although the form is more about psychological fitness than physical, the partner
work is another matter entirely.
Most of the self defence drills are vigorous, cardiovascular workouts.
You need to be in good condition.
Strong?
When
people are tense is it often because they are unfit.
Instead of feeling comfortable, relaxed and easy, the body is awkward, jumpy and
under pressure.
The only way out of this situation is to exercise. Try committing to a daily tai
chi workout.
If you tire easily in class, you may want to consider walking more or cycling
3-4 times a week for 30 minutes non-stop.
Form
When
you are initially taught the form, the pattern is exaggerated for your benefit.
The postures are deliberately shown in a large, ungainly way, with the arms
quite far out from the body.
This is partly to help you 'see' the postures. It also serves to tie the arms
into the spine.
In part 2 of the beginners syllabus you need to become softer and gentler.
Start with form.
Make it soft and relaxed,
smooth and
slow.
Ensure that you can keep your balance when you step and pay close attention to
your
shape.
Are you upright or leaning, sitting into the hips or bending from the lower
spine?
Page created 1 May 1999