Tai Chi Chuan in Year of the Tiger

A Strange Beginning...

So we have managed to make it to the Year of the Tiger. Happy new year everyone!!! It being the first day of the new year, I look back at my path in Tai chi chuan and Qigong, reminiscing of the good and the bad, the Laziness and the energetic phases of training, learning and growing in Tai chi chuan.

Remembering my Late Sifu who succumbed to illness recently (feels that way) and moved on to the next path of his Journey. I was 17 years of age when I walked into one of Sifu Andres classes in Berario, im now 41 years old. Heck... it feels like just the other day. I was a skinny kid with very very low confidence and had never done any form of martial arts before. Its funny how the saying goes... when you are ready, the right teacher comes along... and this is indeed what I found in Andre Sifu. A Kind , Patient, Respectful and powerful man in Body and Spirit, who had learnt lessons in life through hardships like we all do. One of a Kind. I truly learnt so much from him in the last 5 years of his life training privately 1 on 1 at his house (an inner door student if you will), him choosing to teach me only if I would stay for minimum of 2 years private lessons. I knew he was testing my character and I somewhat passed his test. I would have carried on for life had he not left us , such was my respect and appreciation for him. His Time was precious and only if you showed great interest for private lessons and determination to stay would he consider allowing you to learn privately at home.

It being a new Year, I think back on my training With the above mentioned Master of his crafts (Crafts in that he studied many martial arts not only Tai chi and was incredible in all of them). The Past always gives us some guidance as to how the future should move forward, almost like climbing a ladder, the previous steps took you to where you are currently, and I think how the memory of my Sifu will guide me into Sharing more of Tai chi chuan to the world in future, in fact I dare not fail as I feel him watching my every move and feel the Motivation he still gives me no matter how the future looks for my classes and my own path in learning. Although I have studied at previous schools in the last couple years and have loved the Sifu's, Andre Sensei remains close to my heart always.

The year, today (Tuesday) started off powerful and calm early morning, yet has become less so as the day has gone on. My excuse would be the "Ego", fighting against my self, ones worst enemy , But its a poor excuse for not following in the principles of Tai chi chuan, You think I would know this by now after so many years of training... pfffft.

You see, Tai chi chuan is a physical method of training, yes, yet its a mental method as well and is supposed to bring balance in everything we do, during work, life... all of it... creating a healthy mind that can take a lot of knocks (in work and life) and not feel down and always ready to bounce back energetically, not much different to the energy of "Peng" in Tai chi chuan, being full at all times means being able to give of yourself to others as well, a far reaching effect to do good.

This brings me to a important point, how many good things do we learn in life, wether Spiritual, religious, sports, emotional and mind training, Martial arts etc. that we train for so long yet, forget about when going about in our daily tasks and not using its principles in everything we do? I saw Andre Sifu using it in his life, there was a man who lived it as best he could. This is the crux of it all, if one cannot live and practice the teachings in the arts even when not doing it physically then one better rethink ones training and what it all means, why you learn or study or believe in it in the first place.

This brings me to the thought of, Awareness. Often times I am not aware of my training while I am dealing with troubles of the mind and emotions.

Emotions stemming from the EGO, can be as calm or as violent as we choose it to be, effecting our life in this way or that way. Why not talk about the ideas of Tai chi chuan and its Building blocks and where it comes from , the theory behind it and how it can help us journey on a fruitful path alongside our other beliefs or practices and so I continue Writing.

1. Balance

Have you ever tried to balance on a Soccer Ball?

So, in Tai chi chuan, Balance is everything. Each movement, each Step required central equilibrium, and "Song" relaxation when moving. When one can find their Center point of Pivoting, Balancing, one is always ready to change direction at an instant, moving in all directions.

Imagine standing both feet on a soccer ball, 360 degrees of possibility of falling off at any moment if you haven't found the pin point balance within the body and through the ball into the ground, you are done for. But upon finding the central equilibrium , one controls it all and then infinite possibilities arise.

Much like life, we often feel as though we are standing in a hurricane, winds blowing us this way and that way, thinking we have totally lost the balance and buy into our fears, worry, troubles if only we would hear the sound of bamboo hitting with a loud "Clack" and suddenly realising , the Balance and centre is and has been always inside us. When being blown around in the troubles of this life, our centre point, our heart, our innermost balance point has always been inside us and moved with us in the crazy winds, never forsaking us. We forgot about it. Simple. We struggled against the winds and forgot our Central Equilibrium of balance to calm ones mind and thoughts and emotions and thereby calming situations around us. mmmmmmmm, why thank you Tai chi chuan for teaching me that the most powerful place to be is centred where balance occurs and possibilities abound.

PS: Ah, so you noticed the Yin Yang symbol above next to my 1.Balance heading, did you? Yin Yang shows how balance is formed within movement of 2 seemingly opposites, yet within each opposite is the other , ready to transform at any time into its opposite. I got carried away with the word "Opposite" above, my apologies, however if you followed my explanation and read between the "Opposites" , you will see that in life, good and bad occur, Extremes of either side occur, One good situation gives rise to a bad one, one bad gives rise to a good one, its moving always and largely depends on our ability to Flow with it and using our centre Equilibrium, we know how to transform each into the other... Now I wouldn't tell you to change Good into bad , that's just silly, pffft, but the idea is there, using this theory of change and being in your centre , discernment, to organically move situations into positive beneficial ones not embracing extremes.

Tai Chi Chaun Teaches us not to go to extremes, or at the very least once an extreme is almost met an instant transformation back to centre is important. For example, when utilising "Peng" , a fullness of air, breath, outward Expression, power, energy in tai chi chuan posture, from a martial art / self defence angle, one can bounce away a individual , like a beach ball, however when that is done one returns to centre equilibrium and doesn't loose balance yet still maintains fullness of expression "Peng".

As I write, I in fact remind myself since I often don't have this "Peng" in my every day life. Often I get consumed by certain worries and retreat rather than embracing "Peng" and showing life my full face, ready to shed the stress and difficult feelings like a snake sheds its skin. Through Tai chi chuan training we learn to understand "Peng" and then using it in a practical way not to shy away but consciously and with our Central equilibrium deal with problems and issues and change them to benefit of all. This is how practical aspects of Tai chi chuan can be used in our normal lives. Its wonderful. Note to self, you never keep this in mind, you always forget even when you have all the tools right here at your disposal.

Stay tuned for my next Post in continuing the topic of how Tai chi chuan can help one in everyday life apart from its physical and mental benefits, while at the same time, learn about concepts of Tai chi chuan and more good stuff like that. As always Waving bamboo Martial Art Studio wishes you well in your training as you learn to distinguish between Yin and Yang in your movements and applications.

Feel free to contact me for private lessons or Group Lessons:

0824341050

wavingbamboomartialartstudio@gmail.com