Martial Development

Would you willingly cede all your personal power to the government committees that provide the official definitions for "respect", "violence", "freedom", and "diversity"? Maybe you would...but guess what happens to those who would not? They shall have no respect, and know no freedom--only violence. What would Laozi say? Social contracts that oppose Tao will not hold.

The most important sentence of this article was the last. "Ramirez does not recommend her desperate, painful action to other women." But if you are special, then by all means give it a try...

Needed? Perhaps you should ask instead, "Am I better off with a teacher, or without one?" And what do you suppose is the answer to that question? From Idries Shah's latest book: "People ransack books for Sufi exercises and psychological or spiritual techniques and they set about trying to employ these things. Well, of course, it does surprise us because if I were to find a textbook on surgery, I wouldn't try to take out my own appendix."

I have a copy of Paul Dong's new book Chi Kung. I've only read as far as the introduction, but I found that unusually insightful.

It is not hard to win every battle, if you only participate when the odds are strongly in your favor. This is (part of) what Sun Tzu was talking about. See chapter 4 of my summary. Hopefully, you can also see the shortcomings of this approach.

I attended their last conference in 2006. While I do not presume the participants were "afraid", there was a general disinterest in push hands and applications, in favor of forms and lectures. During the entire conference, with 80+ attendees, I observed perhaps 8 people involved in partner practice. For me, that was a disappointment.

WCK is A-OK.

Suppose the government uses your tax dollars to harm others, as a matter of policy. Is it OK to pursue a higher income, and thereby enter a higher tax bracket? Answers may include Yes, No, and It's Complicated.

Food for thought: Defend Yourself the Taoist Way

This is Zen?

Have you ever seen two chimps sitting together, picking ticks off each other's backs? For your purposes, you may consider martial arts similarly as a grooming exercise. Through their attacks, your practice partners will draw attention to various "personal issues" that you previously failed to consider. This is most obvious in pushing hands, but true of any paired practice.

I learned a little about it by watching Borat. See 2:50... http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/bor...s-self-defense/ Everybody dance now!

What do you think about it?

These methods are mutually supportive. Why choose one or the other?

No, it's not hard to understand, if you already know (in your body) what is meant. Otherwise, it is very easy to misinterpret it as a strictly philosophical point, rather than as a technical one (of supreme importance).

"The key to standing correctly...is to stand as if waiting to act." Wonderfully expressed. Good article.

I think of "qigong" as a label for communicating with outsiders, too broad and therefore less useful for those involved in the practice themselves. Have you seen Arahan? It is a funny movie. One of the masters looks out at a bustling market and comments, "So many practicing qigong, and they don't even know it."

Thank you for the recommendation. I have tried to create a site that both experienced martial artists and interested novices can enjoy. The "Weakness with a Twist" blog is also pretty good.

Actually, we don't know what information was shared 100, 500, or 5000 years ago. We only know what was written down, preserved and disseminated since that time. (Who do you imagine will be reading this message 500 years from now?) Furthermore, by definition, we do not know what is still held in secret. Or maybe you are right, and we have truly entered a New Age. That has surely never happened before!

Just don't drink 10,001 cups, or you'll have to start over again!

Anyone can claim self-mastery, but the evidence is found in their interactions with "others" and their "dealing with issues".

If the burning flares up rather suddenly, when you think about sex but abstain from ejaculation, then it must not be an infection. The solution? Stop thinking about sex but abstaining. What, you wanted a complicated answer?

Yeah I read that yesterday in some dirty conspiracy rag. I think it was called the "Wall Street Journal" or something.

I haven't read all of Mak Tin Si's many posts, but I appreciate the opportunity to do so.