BaguaKicksAss

.

I find that with meditation teachers it is more about good advertising and promotion, as well as a popularity contest. To tell who is good in the energetic practices, one just has to go with intuition. You can *feel* a master a mile away! Hell I'm not even close to master level, and someone could tell right off I was lying when I told them I had been practicing 2 years . (I hadn't spoken about anything yet, we were just doing quick introductions).

Very good point. How I personally see is that it is the path itself, and perhaps the ancestors and etc. of the path which decide, not the student, and not really the teacher necessarily.

They prefer it when you sing 70's psychedelic rock songs to them...

Actually I was referring to magic in my response . I have brought such things up a few times on the board, most don't agree with me, as most feel magic information should be public and/or freely given (and I don't mean money). I strongly disagree with this view. The public magic info can be found at any bookstore.... What do you mean by "black arts", because I'm pretty sure I disagree with you on your summation of such things vs "higher" things, but I have found a few times on TTBs that it was more a different definition of terms more than anything else that led to a bit of debate.... Thought I'd ask before typing for 10 minutes lol.

The ones I have met, are at least working on it. Bagua and Taichi ones specifically that is. Then there are others who find such things to be of primary concern, and necessary to learn the rest. They are at the very least much more enjoyable to train with .

Since I started IMA for health reasons it was of key importance that I get the real deal/something good and strong. Fortunately it only took me about a year to find that. I lucked out. Then lucked out some more, and even some more . What I learned at first didn't have much to it (not everyone needs the same things), but still at least helped a bit and got me started. I still am very grateful for my friend, who had practiced martial arts for 64 years, who didn't tell me anything, but instead gave me a history lesson about the martial arts in china, how they changed, wushu, what the government did to/with martial arts and etc. This person never did teach me any martial arts, but always gave me the best advice . He also taught me how to keep my practice in mind (and stances) while I work doing my job, and etc. He taught me how it is really a 24X7 thing, not just a when I train in class or at home thing. After that I knew better what to look for .

I'm not sure if there is such a thing as a spiritual or martial arts teacher who doesn't either has a lot to work through, or USED to have a lot to work through, and has. I'll go with the second category personally . I think the challenges we face, or have faced is what builds wisdom, etc.

Hmmmm, that works for some things, depends what you are looking for. Sometimes you will get a martial arts teacher who really has the goods, but their students don't come out so well personality wise (or sometimes even them themselves could use a lot of work on the personal evolution front).... So then one has to look at the fact that you in a way "inherit" the teacher's energy infused Taichi (or whichever martial art), and how important that is to you. Perhaps you just want to be able to physically move amazingly well and defend yourself like no other, and that is of less importance. On the otherhand, perhaps it is of primary importance and you also wish to cultivate something a bit more "refined".

I still say the best path/system/teacher/method is the one that you actually practice . Even a crappy art given by a crappy teacher which is practiced most days of the week will (in most cases) do better than the best practiced only one day per week.

Hmmm, I personally hold back a lot of teachings (not Chinese), so people won't go around harming innocents, or (more often) themselves. Also I really don't care to have a handed down tradition mass market produced in paperbacks. Some things just aren't meant for the entire population, and are more meant for people that we get to know quite well over several years. People tend to change when they get some power (or perceived power), and can go some very bad directions, as I have found. I see no reason to make certain things public. Even in my martial arts and neigong stuff, it isn't just handed out, it is taught to serious students, after a time. Someone asked me to teach them iron vest during their second class... uhm no. (and not like they couldn't handle it).

This is what I'm thinking of for the question list, though there are a couple of 2 parters, which is sort of cheating, so I may revise a bit.. Think I got every question on here, cept maybe 1-2.

Edit, I'm asking the yin/yang question like this:

and how can it be utilized to enhance ones practice?

So we adding this one, or did we figure it out?

Last chance for everyone to get their questions, and votes in for questions for the Jerry Alan Johnson interview. I'm sending off the questions this evening . http://thetaobums.com/topic/34508-gathering-questions-for-an-interview-with-dr-jerry-alan-johnson/

Or just practice Bagua and call it good...

I think with experience you can tell. You start to know what to look for. When new though, not possible really imo.

Where's that?

You can never say no one reads your posts...

sunlover, sounds like I missed a good one! Must have been before my time .

One reason to get a teacher is that someone who has been doing something for 40 years, likely has some good insights and techniques into it, unlike someone who is brand new at it. That's why we have universities and trade schools, and apprenticeship programs and such, for the more regular things one can learn. For the more subtle, qi deviations can be a bitch! Most good teachers don't force you to think or do their way, they more point stuff out, and give guidance when asked.

Or Icedude, that was a good one (though Icedude isn't a first incarnation by far).

I've been tempted to have a play guess the sock puppet thread on TTBs, in off topic; it would be quite active year round . I'll put in $1 on Teknix, any takers?

http://vimeo.com/93932132