The master aimed to teach Herrigel humility and to be indifferent to the
final outcome of the shot. Whether he hit the bull's-eye or missed the
target there had to be complete equanimity, for it was not in fact
Herrigel that was loosing the shot but the unspoken powers that guide men's
lives. It was only by accepting this that Herrigel could then allow the
arrows to be shot through him rather than by him.
(Andrew
Juniper)
Of itself so
When people desire to learn self defence
skills they are often looking
for a 'bag of tricks'.
It is highly unlikely that techniques and tips will work in self defence if the
exponent has not changed at a fundamental level.
Self defence is more than application.
It is also about composure, clarity, perception, timing, balance, sensitivity
and competence.
These things do not emerge overnight.
We want the responses to occur by themselves. But we are not talking about
'reflex'.
This may sound odd, but consider driving a car...
Do you direct your right arm to push up and your left arm to pull down in order
to turn the steering wheel?
Or does it feel to happen by itself?
Appropriate responses
Making the right movement at the right time is a tall order. But it is
the heart of tai chi self defence.
Given that self defence involves an ever-changing situation, with an opponent(s)
who is free to do whatever they like, it becomes even more difficult.
You need to be exceptionally sensitive. You need to be capable of 'listening' to
what is happening.
You need to adapt, change and improvise again and again and again.
Our drills cultivate these skills. If they did not, what purpose would they
serve?
As you become increasingly competent, you are less and less able to explain just
how you defended yourself.
You just did it and it worked. This is tzu-jan.
Not forcing
Trying does not work in tai chi. This is not endorsing apathy. It is an
acknowledgement that progress cannot be forced.
It cannot be pushed. It cannot be rushed. Instead of trying, you must let go.
You must allow.
Naturalness is everything in tai chi.
In our ego-driven world of selfishness and greed, this is not so
straightforward.
It involves trust. It requires patience. Stamina. Endurance. Commitment.
You simply get on with the work and forget about results. You address the means,
the how, the character, the essence, the nature.
The end will take care of itself.
Time
When your mind is calm and still, you will absorb information without
forcing.
You will see rather than look, hear rather than listen.
An alert passivity exists. This condition takes time to cultivate.
Internal strength has many qualities and attributes that simply emerge by
themselves once the seeds have been planted.
They cannot be forced.
Students suddenly find it easy to do things that were formerly difficult.
The 'doing' fades and the outcome seems to happen by itself.
The doing is still there. You have internalised it and forgotten to try. You no
longer stand in your own way.
Get a feel for it
Some things can be taught, whilst other things just occur.
You cannot teach someone to ride a bicycle. You just cajole and encourage. You
do not really teach anything.
The learner figures it out for themselves. They get a feel for it.
Tai chi is like this.
Everything is filtered by mind
The tai chi form is a bounty of information.
You could study a single form for your entire life and still be amazed by its
complexity and subtlety.
As your training progresses, the form also evolves.
You see more. You express more. You change. How you think changes. What you do
changes.
You do not see out of your eyes. You see in your mind. Your brain processes all
sensory information.
This data is also prey to your thoughts, opinions, beliefs, perceptions,
memories and insights.
If you are studying tai chi, zen and tao, your mind will unlearn.
Your clarity of mind will improve.
Instead of pursuing novelty, instead of looking far, you look near. You see
detail.
The most ordinary of things suddenly becomes fascinating. The simplest of things
inspires wonder.
It is a child-like blossoming of curiosity and surprise.
Every aspect of your life is touched by this change, it grows unexpectedly
within your mind.
Right practice
It is not enough to simply practice tai chi. You need to train the right
material. You need to do it correctly.
Otherwise, your time is wasted.
Committing time to the wrong means will never produce the right outcome.
Wrong practice is akin to ringing the incorrect phone number repeatedly in the
hope that the right person will eventually answer.
Progress
You cannot progress from beginner to advanced by willing it to be. It happens in
small stages, all by itself.
Right practice is essential. The correct seeds must be planted.
Progress cannot be seen in material terms. It is not akin to purchasing
something. You cannot buy your tai chi skills.
A person makes progress when and if the skills emerge. The abilities cannot be
bought, forced or faked.
It is not enough to simply attend lessons or train hard.
You must also let-go.
From beginner to advanced
A beginner slowly leaves other beginners behind. They become intermediate.
The slow climb through the intermediate syllabus is marked by significant
changes in the student.
The experienced syllabus represents a maturing of the student, a growing into
the tai chi.
Tai chi and self become one.
To reach the advanced syllabus, the tai chi must flow spontaneously from you.
The advanced syllabus is all about tzu-jan.
New skills emerge unexpectedly and old skills improve without effort.
You have no idea what is to come and your mind is quietly on the here and now.
Page created 7 August 2001