RobB

<golf clap>

Dear All, I'm trying to find out some information concerning the author John Blofeld (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Blofeld). I've recently discovered that there is a link between John and my workplace and I'm trying to fill out the pretty sketchy information I can find about him on the web. I'm primarily interested in getting a feel for his significance and impact as an author. His books seem very well known but he doesn't seem to have received (or sought) much academic credit for them. Can anyone suggest any sources who might be able to help? I'm in the process of contacting his various publishers and wondered about contacting some of the exisiting buddhist magazines but am not really sure which ones would have an interest in this sort of thing. Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Cheers Rob

Hi All, Thanks for the responses. Dan Reid is on my list of people to contact. All the best, Rob

Hi, To add balance to this very balanced set of opinions I'll say this: Run, do not walk, away from the Taoist Tai Chi Society. If you want taoism or tai chi keep looking. You won't find either there. Cheers Rob (been there, done that)

Is there a list where we can record the best TTB thread titles ever? Because if there is, this should be at the top. Cheers Rob

Yes. Well, up to a point I've just recently got into a situation where I'm doing a bit more 2 person practice. I can certainly vouch for the sense of aliveness which comes from drilling in this way. It's one of the reasons that I have been looking for a more martial approach. I can spend as much time as I like doing chi gung and tai chi form and convince myself that I'm all relaxed and serene etc. How much of that I can hold onto when someone is trying to smack me (even good naturedly) is more of a measure of where I'm really at. Cheers Rob

I've come across the lower body elements of this stance in Bagua. Its fundamental in some of the jibengong I've practiced and is used in 2 of the 4 basic postures of our single palm change. The feeling is a inward spiralling and winding from the hips down to the feet. An aim is to create a really strong connection to the ground. When I started practicing it it felt very constricting around the pelvis but the more time I've spent on it it's really opening up the hips and enabling a relaxed connected lower body. Cheers Rob

Damn, should have been in Upcoming Events thread - sorry about that! Can a Mod move as appropriate? Cheers Rob

The forum: rumsoakedfist.org - has a 'Find a Teacher' section. There are a lot of people there with serious experience in internal martial arts of various flavours. Why not ask and see if someone can recommend a teacher in your area? Good luck in your search. Cheers Rob

ukemi = breakfalls Cheers Rob

Hi All, IIRC Bruce has said about D&T that you can do it badly and still start to get some benefits. Well, obviously he didn't say that but I do recall him talking about not letting 'the perfect be the enemy of the good' at a D&T beginners weekend that I attended in the UK. The neigong do require a lot of strict physical alignments and work in the inital stages that - to my beginners understanding - D&T does not. Yes - the choreography is complex - particularly if you're not very co-ordinated to begin with. However the impression I got was that, (again) in the intial stages, D&T is perhaps more about 'making shapes' and tracking channel paths etc rather than doing internal things which make external shapes happen. Perhaps that is what is meant by 'easy'. Cheers Rob

Hi Songs, Always interested to hear what Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov has to say. Cheers Rob

Sounds like a useful practice. If we all did it we could drop the food production requirement by what, 15% :-) When exactly does the fast run from? Midnight on Tuesday until Midday on Wednesday? cheers Rob

Hej Chris, Do you teach classes in Sweden? I get over to Ystad from time to time. Cheers Rob

Yes, yes, yes all that is fine. But I believe that we may be missing the obvious here: vis. Q: What is the purpose of life? A: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women. I think that covers it. Cheers Rob

I've not read any of the material that's available - just had the snippets via daily e-mail. Which books would you guys recommend as a good introduction? Cheers Rob

Hi Ed, No, I've never met Alex - a huge missed opportunity as he was living near Cambridge for a while. cheers Rob

I have his sayings from www.proseveta.com delivered to my e-mail everyday. Always food for thought. I first cam across his name via the writings of Alex Kozma. Cheers Rob

I spent 18 months with the TTCS a while back. My advice would be avoid, avoid, avoid. If there is absolutely no-one else in your area then you'd be better off spending your time practicing some of the material available on TTB than going to their classes. Seriously. Cheers Rob

Hi Ryan, That's the stuff! many thanks. I'll get these on order (I've found a couple of online places in the UK that look OK). Cheers Rob

I'm there with the OP actually. I've done some googling around the subject but it's still hard to know where to start. If I wanted to buy 2 or 3 varieties to try to start to get a feel for the energetic qualities of teas which would those be and why? Cheers Rob

From Gerard O'Neill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_K._O'Neill) - via Robert Anton Wilson in my case: "Is the surface of a planet really the right place for an expanding technological civilization?" RAW suggested that as soon as you ask the question the answer is obvious. It's not a bad thing. Cheers Rob

Hi All, A colleague of mine has been diagnosed with glandular fever (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infectious_mononucleosis). Can anyone share any insight on this situation and remedies from an energetic POV? She is quite a driven individual and has been overworking for some time. I suspect that this might have contributed to her situation. TIA Cheers Rob