thelerner

I'm getting away from long breath cycles. I used to be more into very long in and outs. Probably a prideful hold out from old Ki-Aikido breathing exercises. Now I try to let it go and be more aware of the states between breaths or nothing at all. I'm getting more into sound. How they echoe through my body, which sound hits where. In the shower I'll chant the Shma prayer (ala Ecstatic Kabbala book) and do some other vowel type chants. Just like chigung can be just arm waving without linking the movement to greater energy fields. Chanting something with a sacred property links sound, inner and outer, to emotional/inner power and meaning. Michael

Surprisingly good. I think Seagal showed off some banjo playing in one of his movies. I think it was called "Beating Oil workers To Death", or something like that. I played those links to a really great martial artist. Mitsugi Saotome. A really awesome man and Aikidoist. I'd take his seminars whenever he was in town. He is self proclaimed or proclaimed by O'Sensei as 'enlightened'. A difficult concept for Westerners to chew on. He had such a wonderful 'air' about him. Very friendly, superb stylist, effortless, soft, inventive, fantastic within form and without. There is a 3 part series about him on the tube, here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xUsIebygrE Michael

Bill Sosa, hmmn, sounds familiar, but I can't place him. Too bad. Chicago is wonderful Mecca of different Aikido styles. I haven't been very involved in the Aikido world since my child # 3 came along. Yours Michael

I had wanted to start it yesterday. But had few fruits or veggies in the pantry. Kids had 1 hour of school. Then several kids came over. So raw diet can wait. Ofcourse, if not now when? LATER, MAYBE NEXT WEEK. if not me, then who? YOU OTHER GUYS. Ciao Michael

I did Ki-Aikido for a quite a while. I thought Michael Winns Fundamental II Video complimented the Ki aspects of it. The 5 movements in the Chi Gong form there gave me a better physical understanding of inner aspects of Chi. The Ocean Breathing movements and Right left balancing were great. Michael

NICE TO MEET YOU DOS Tell us more about yourself. How is it hanging? Michael

I was on Furey's mailing list for a while. His 'marketing' really turned me off of him. Michael

Mythmaker Wrote: Somehow I got to thinking about "what do I really know for sure." So far: Everything that is born will die. Everything is in constant state of change - nothing is certain but I was taught the opposite of a great truth, is another great truth. I think it works for these. Michael

I'm in, still have the kids home. If I'm going to do it, might as well be this Monday. Could use more veggies in the house though. Michael

Interesting. Can the fish can be 'cooked' cerviche style in room temperature lime juice? Michael

The book Chi Walking has a simple exercise. Stand, on one leg for a few seconds, then the other one, then back again. Feel for how the pelvis (bone) moves from side to side as you shift your weight. Then tilt your pelvis forward a bit. Now as you shift from foot to foot you should feel less movement, more solidarity in your waist. I've been doing standing exercises to the guided meditation series called the Archeaous (free) from Clark Rawns BardonCompanion site. They are about 15 minutes long and having to listen to something makes the standing much easier. Its an interesting take non taoist take on 4 element theory. Michael

Cool link hope it works Michael

The early years of the Ultimate Fighting Contests put single styles to the test and found most of them wanting, at least in the venue of the ring. Even the style that started the ball rolling, Brazilian Ju Jitsu, found itself unable to be considered Ultimate without training in other arts. We certainly did punch, kick and choke in Aikido. But in choking those with experience in older style Judo, there choke, even a simple back choke was a world different then what we would do. We'd kick, but it a pleasure to work with good TaeKwondo people who could really pull off high hollywood kicks - and pay the price. Different arts excel in different areas. In Aikido we punched kicked choked threw pinned, learned healing, breathing, awareness techniques. I think the aim was to be a complete human being, not an ultimate fighter. The techniques were martial but the aim was do, a path. It could be used for fighting, but was excellent training in not fighting. Avoiding a fight, running away was always considered a very intelligent option. Hour for hour I don't think Aikido will neccessarily be the best use of someone who wants to learn to fight. But I think it will teach you how to fight plus many life lessons. Michael

I knew one Chi gung teacher who claimed and I believed him that he hadn't eaten food in ten years. it turned out he'd eat soups, lots of soups with long cooked veggies. So, take some claims with a bit of salt and broth. Michael

One line from the movie Pleasantville resonates with me. After learning important life lessons in from living in a real 'Father knows Best' TV dimension our hero comes back and has this advice; "Its not supposed to be any way". Our problems are we think life and people are suppose to be X, but they are Y, and it really bothers us. Its not supposed to be any way. It is the way it is. Roll with what is. Honesty, Love, Integrity, Self Interest - they're all balls we keep juggling. Sometimes we drop one and are too busy to realize its gone. Sometimes you have to let all the balls go, sit back, take a deep breath, pick'em up and start the juggling process again. Michael

I had a video of Seagal teaching a class in the late 90's. It impressed me much more then his movies. He was a very good teacher. Nice style, quick and hard. As a sensei he was traditional but very open in taking questions and physically showing and explaining moves. He dealt with quick jabs and even defenses for take down techniques. He had trained in Japan, married (and divorced) his senseis daughter. And had the audacity to teach Aikido in Japan, a very thing for a round eyed gaijin. I really enjoyed my years in Aikido. But if the goal is be a well rounded fighter you need to add some other arts. But learning a few quick and dirty moves is easy. The grace, timing and power of Aikido, that is hard, and rewarding. Here's another good video . Michael

I agree. I had a book that made a great argument that we do not want to live in the Void, (um ego absolution). We want to live in the All. The void is part of the all. To be full human beings we need it All. The love, the lust, empathy..the full range of human emotions. But we need to have enough space with these experiences and emotions so that we can act rightly. Feel them without becoming them. Michael

What should it be called? We can't even agree on how to spell it! I kinda like Energy Arts. A direct translation might be Life Force Skills. Michael

Actually I'm preaching to myself . I have a tendency to get way to intellectual about these things. Too head heavy. Thats why I found a martial art like Ki-Aikido, something hands on. I've been shunning books on philopshy lately. Unless it has a to do practice, I've been leaving it alone. Yours Michael

Undaoist to put emphasis on getting a good grade? Nonsense, "If you're goinna play the game boy, you got to learn to play it right". By taoist Kenny Rogers. Michael

Jnana yoga? With a name like jNahna, how serious can it be? Sounds like a yoga kid making fun of others Seems to me that intellect is like a map showing the way. But we spend our lives with our nose in the map, when we need to fold it up and get walking. Yours Michael and lets leave horses out of this please, why if I had the enlightenment of a horse, I'd ..

More info. What subject? HOw many pages? and a few examples of what A material looks like. Please Michael P.S Congrads

Pero, I'm getting old, the chant we did at winter misogi was indeed 'to ho ka mi e mi ta me (tohokami emitame'. I think John Stevens had a book on the founders system of sacred sounds. On old tapes, Sensei Ueshiba had high pitched bird like kiais as I recall. We did some healing work in Ki-Aikido, called Ki-atsu. I wish we did more. Balancing time and effort learning to fight with the techniques and mind set of healing probably makes for a more authentic person. Michael

Philosophy, Shlimosophy. I don't care about theoretical aspects of enlightenment. IMO half of enlightenment is keeping your mouth shut, eyes and heart open. Love is a shared smile, a longing, a passion. To over analyze is to douse a reality with the cold water of the intellect. Ofcourse if we're not here to chew the fat, then why are we bothering to type? Michael

Freeform, your mention of tapping reminds me of a quick routine from Golden Bell Chi Gung. You start by tapping on your breast bone, upper chest. Tap with one hand 9 times, move down a few inches, tap 9x, til you get to the solar plex. Then use both hands to tap along the lower ribs. Again 9x then move down a few inches. When you reach the sides of the ribs, you reverse it, tapping along the line til you get back to the breast bone. This invigorates the bodies various systems. Quick and easy. Tarzan yell optional. Michael