Spectrum

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I converted one of the longer examples of Rob's work into a walking stick. Since I've known Rob every time I open a dialog w/ him concerning the movement of martial art, dance, geometry, etc, he breaks out some new fu toy, then he sends me one to experiment with! So needless to say the first pic below is from the last 5 years of experimenting. I don't know what he was calling the super long ones a Phi Fight I think? Or even if he's making them anymore, but after I put walking cane ends on it, it's the Smartstick to me. Pretty strong looking like pvc, and w/ some fabric tape and rubber cane ends gives it a finished look. I like using it in the water (I live on a river) as it floats and doesn't get water logged. Nice for navigating the rocky bottom too. The funny thing about it is that as you apply weight to it, it pretty much springs it right down through that arc, and in a way that seems to suggest you hold yourself up a bit better through synergetic connection to the ground through the stick. It's a different sensation then a straight cane, and certainly different then a short bow or staff. Really I was only using it in the river because there's a nice hole across the way I like to find my way to in the summer to practice tai chi in the water as it meanders by. Here I snapped some pics of the Phi Fight stick: Thanks again Rob! You're creativity inspires.

Those conditions sound perfect if you're a polar bear! The momentum of weight swinging on the end of any line or shaft has a kind of feeling to it for certain. A kind of PRIMAL feeling. Enjoying the articals and am aliking it to the simplicity of alive uninhibited movement. Seems the natural body mechanics follow elongated arcs when whole body movement is adopted (tai chi or similar somatic principles) Hah in the chi gung form I practice we have apes swings through trees as one of the breathes that swings bag and forth. I believe there is a common movement the women in China do called swinging plum blossoms. Looks like a "him-haw" left and right w/ swinging arms. Regardless of the general hip and swinging motion, in martial art and I believe in (good) chi gung as well there is intention through the whole including the hand, yet the wrist is relaxed. In golf this translates into the freedom of the forearm to rotate, while keeping the wrist straight. This allows the head of the shaft (the weight on the end of the string) to rotate laterally (L/R) as well as around the pivot of the shoulder and the axis of the waist. In essense power is being transmited along three planes thanks to the wrist turning over. It's called Radial Acceleration. I learned that from A.J. Boner while staying w/ Sei Gung on Kona, basically practicing kung fu by being a hole in one every time! Same complexity (layered not complex, same principles multiplied, expanded and contracted like fractals) of mechanics apply to a good punch or throw I think, a good baseball swing, a good golf swing, ever a cast, utilized the natural mechanics of the wrist turning over. Although I like the ideas the ancient Indians had w/ their Club training, its still swinging a club around, a primitive experience of sorts, exercising the ability to move through the natural arcs and planes made available by placing that type of "load" on your organism. We're talking about basic human motion here, applied to a variety of man made toys or tools, different balances, different weights types lengths, a lawn mower is different then a sword. A ketttle ball "feels" different then a stafff. There are basic directions and combinations possible based on our perception of the "load" we're integrating mind/body with. T h a t ' s w h y alive training is important. Now mind you, I think the wind is kind of alive in a way, but others will only apply this principle to their training w/ other people, so for me grappling is a useful way to keep it friendly when I train w/ people who want to compete ala compare themselves to others. Iron sharpens iron. Honestly, I feel like I have so much to learn about myself that if I waste anymore energy competing and not helping others, all the training is for naught. More in a bit... gotta eat lunch.

Anyone care to reflect on the origin of the term Quaker? Seems relevant to a tao-bums discussion no? Spectrum

"I find most people just do not care about doing good things for other people. " Was talking about this w/ my significant other last night. The idea that not doing evil does not equal the same as doing good, rather doing good is a qualitatively different experience then just not doing evil. Te. After the work, there's a different work it seems. Spectrum

In the Healing Tao Version of the Nei Jing Tu Circulation Chart, there is the addition of a yellow orb to the right and above the "fair maiden". Is anyone familiar w/ this addition, it's iconography and or meaning? Regards, Spectrum

Another reason that Taoists traditionally taught wu ji before any "circulation" techniques because of the natural attachments we establish and pattern that effect the circulation of chi. Back off a little and share the lengthening plateus w/ your partner. Read Art of the Bedchamber the chinese classic. Don't give you'reself a headache. hah! Less is more. Taoist wisdom. If you do it, pump in 1/2 increments to experiment w/ the "vacuum" you're creating, and remember to COMPLETELY relax, mind and body on the exhale. I would say practice emptiness or "non-attachment" as a suplimentary meditation, observation time can act as a valuable tool, allowing you to "let go" of perceptions, thoughts, emotions, even compulsions. Good luck and God speed. Spectrum

I'll zap him back for free. Bzzt.

Someone explain this photo please? Looks interesting. Anyone got any video of this guy moving around? I'd like to see some of these exercises he's doing. I assume "tai chi ball" or something to that nature. (photo title) What's the ball made of what's it weight? That's an amazing amount of lumber he's got in his kwon. Spectrum

Looks like it works now. Paypal prob maybe? Wonder what would happen if all the creative spirits took flight together. Did you see Robs geometry of flight vid? I'm making up some different versions of the wing and can post my results later this week. Should be areodynamic w/ as lightweight yet strong, composite material instead of the original wood, the arch nemisis of the clubell in the works? Maybe... I can't believe the spirals you can get going off these in the wind. It's like attaching a propeller to your arm! Keep laughing and playing, Spectrum

Looks like Play is the Way! I'm enjoying reading through the articles! Thanks! Spectrum

Interesting observations on bouncing the front channel. You know acupuncturists generally won't needle the channels like that. IE to induce an MCO. You're welcome on the video. Honestly what started as fun only turned to creative exploits once I felt it work for that "zero point" we try to float in during training/drilling. It helped develop my game through the times of misapplied stength. Still fun to this day. Always a new direction. Spectrum

It's not that it's advancing, just remembering what's natural (imho) your activating a switch that is completely natural. Less is more. Finding what is natural is the Taoist philosophy of method. Gradually experiment, DON'T FORCE; it's obvious when you force things because you'll make yourself uncomfortable. Alignment and circulation are a completely natural thing. Taoist meditation always starts from WuJi, emptiness, without this primary starting place circulating won't be right. Less is more. Start at the beggining and find a teacher in your area, ( tai chi or chi gung or internal kung fu) teacher that starts their students out in wu ji. Spectrum

yes ... meditation and breathing. What you're describing is good. There's absolutely no need to force or rush anything. You might want to back off the "pump" 1/2 way incrementally until you get that same feeling w/ only the intention of lifting the perr. The same exercise can be done laying the arm on a table and lifting it 1" into the air, then 1/2" then 1/4" then 1/8" until the visable movement stops and you're only dealing with non-visable and finally intent mind only. Good luck. Spectrum

Cool man. I'll pay attention to you're posts; or not; maybe I'll learn something from you. You're flamboyant nature suggests a lack of maturity; my apologies if the idea of symbolic representation of soul through words offends the primitive mind you've awakened through chi gung practice. I guess I'm human yet; dialoging analog transitions through ambitions mission for secret knowledge observes natures replaced replications with mediated meditations. The softest things in the world overcome the hardest. If there isn't any one of them that will talk about power in yeilding then you're right, i'm not interested in the power you are. Oh yes, it sounds very Spontaneous. Wow it's hard to keep smiling when you read someone's critisisms of some second hand new age crap taking it all serious like you've got a serious chip on your shoulder bro. Healers without compassion arn't effective. You're right; chi means being effective, if you hold you're charge right, and don't become a little monster like in so many dark little kwons w/ power obsessive little chi mongers. Spectrum Spectrum

You're absolutely right. I was not specific. I was refering to body rolling the ball along the various lines and edges of the trunk and limbs, also camping on vertices such as the butt divot, behind the shoulder blade, etc, while rotating the joint through it's range feels GREAT while pressure is on a release/acupoint. "Bouncing" sounds like it would work good for gently massaging up and down the central lines (sensitive central structures such as sternum, etc), and specific points perhaps shrinking the size of the ball? And would most definately feel best with a squishy ball to begin with. With that in mind, tennis balls actually work pretty good for rolling right next to the spine because of their squishiness. Half deflated basketball works pretty good at popping vertebra back into place run up the back. Spectrum

You're absoulately right. There are far more amazing things not attributed to taoist masters. Gome.

The harder the ball, the more you're forced to contract the surrounding muscles through the rotation. Hopefully not causing any bruising on the old pelvic girdle. I call my hips my ice-cream scoops for collecting elbows. (j/k)Totally agree for therapy / newness / niceness, soft and gushy is more friendly then hard and dry.

Rob's the first to say he is spreading a message of "non-bloodshed imagry" through the golden mean. It' funny the paradoxial notions martial artists in general have about movement for health and fighting. Sifu Rob seems to be making progress in a direction away from promoting violence. Japhy makes a nice observation about it behaving like a souped up tai-chi ruler. Having used a tai chi ruler myself I have to agree, actually taking the Sphere Knot through the same rotations as a tai chi ruler produces an elongated elipse that behaves like a screw, instead of just rotating around a fixed center. That leads into what I think the biggest difference between Rob's Spiral Fitness sticks and a Tai Chi ruler is... the Golden Mean seems to "suggest" directions and possibilities to me whenever I relax and "feel" for the curve, arc, corner, or spiral that seems to be forming w/ it's use. This seems to be a constant theme, this suggestability of movement. Same thing here. Use a long pipe for forearm and grip strength, seems to teach a healthy respect for keeping in proper relationship to a beefy center of gravity. This has helped my grip strength alot for grappling/etc. I think it's good either way. The DVD on his website (I have a vhs copy) is on Nine Psalms Kung Fu, Rob's system of concept based movements, which I might add DO work well with a Sphere Knot, as I've experimented w/ this myself. As the movements are not form based, but concept and feeling based, I think it's possible for anyone to experiment. Concepts include metaphores such as "Upstream Mantis", "Gyro Mantis", "Line Mantis", etc... there are nine of them. Very creative in my opinion. Regards, Spectrum

Request for Dun Huang Magao Grottos art Titles or Publishers. Thanks. Spectrum

"Why would a master NOT want their teachings to be heard throughout the world? Why would they only let a few people in on the superpower, if they themselves are not masters?" TSA, You find what you look for. Suggestability works both ways. In places where the supernatural is common place, the place is often commonly supernatural. The way of working suggestability is to look for what you're about to find. Spectrum

You won't find proof on the internets. Spectrum

+1 on that

Dream Journal : Record dreams right when you remember them Suggestion: think about strong dreams as your falling asleep Reality Checks: Develop a standard reality test for youself. This is what has triggered repeatable lucidity. Problem Solving w/ Creative Solutions: Under intense problem solving, spontaneous lucidity regarding creative solutions Lucidity changes from intended to spontaneous through practicing basic principles. Spectrum