Tai Chi Maniac

[Mango]

Those who love Taiji, and would like to share their thoughts with a Taoist attitude are welcome to make contributions.

Here is something I thought is interesting to look at.

 

[Earl Grey]

Automatically garbage: she endorses Stephen Watson, whose Tai Chi is abysmal.

[Taoist Texts]

pot kettle

[Wilhelm]

I might just not be a serious enough Taiji practitioner to have a valid opinion here, but I've never been bothered by the 'fake Tai Chi' she's reviewing here.

 

There's a Taoist Tai Chi centre in most of the towns in my area.  A small group of seniors there gather and practice gentle movements which probably help their balance a bit and they get a nice social group as a bonus.

 

Yes these sorts of things don't further the reputation of Taiji in the international stage, but at this point I feel like the Taiji world is too fragmented to ever agree on what side of the practice should be made most public.

 

Teaching certifications to me are just a modern appeal to authority that are popping up in a variety of fields lacking a broadly agreed upon standard, and I know it's not great to have a bunch of beginners running around as teachers but if they can avoid the most common issues found in practitioners (i.e. knee damage from Beijing style) then what's the big deal?

[Earl Grey]

2 hours ago, Wilhelm said:

I might just not be a serious enough Taiji practitioner to have a valid opinion here, but I've never been bothered by the 'fake Tai Chi' she's reviewing here.

 

There's a Taoist Tai Chi centre in most of the towns in my area.  A small group of seniors there gather and practice gentle movements which probably help their balance a bit and they get a nice social group as a bonus.

 

Yes these sorts of things don't further the reputation of Taiji in the international stage, but at this point I feel like the Taiji world is too fragmented to ever agree on what side of the practice should be made most public.

 

Teaching certifications to me are just a modern appeal to authority that are popping up in a variety of fields lacking a broadly agreed upon standard, and I know it's not great to have a bunch of beginners running around as teachers but if they can avoid the most common issues found in practitioners (i.e. knee damage from Beijing style) then what's the big deal?

Do you want to pay the price of a Rolex for an imitation Rolex while someone who can appraise it tells you you’ve been ripped off? Do you get mad when they tell you it’s not real and you paid more than an actual Rolex? Or is it just nice to show like fake Gucci bags in China?

[dwai]

I think there are different levels of tai chi. For some, it will only remain in the domain of park tai chi (elderly people doing a slow group dance). It has value, too - slow movements, slow and circular breathing, and meditative calmness help increase balance, and immunity, lower stress levels, and so on.

 

To me, the true measure of one's "level" is in how they conduct themselves in daily life - how calm, how composed they are under pressure; if they can avoid reacting with the adrenal glands, and can develop a degree of distance between themselves and their emotions and feelings. How much joy do they radiate - how lightly can they take themselves, and so on?

[Master Logray]

19 minutes ago, dwai said:

I think there are different levels of tai chi. For some, it will only remain in the domain of park tai chi (elderly people doing a slow group dance). It has value, too - slow movements, slow and circular breathing, and meditative calmness help increase balance, and immunity, lower stress levels, and so on.

 

 

I heard a Taichi teacher said, his students - mostly elderly ladies have improved their health and become livelier and happier.  But he added that over the years these students seldom improve their levels.  Their well being was a result of a social group with common purpose and have dim sum after the lessons. 

[dwai]

6 minutes ago, Master Logray said:

 

I heard a Taichi teacher said, his students - mostly elderly ladies have improved their health and become livelier and happier.  But he added that over the years these students seldom improve their levels.  Their well being was a result of a social group with common purpose and have dim sum after the lessons. 

And what else do most people need?  

[blue eyed snake]

one of the teachers senior students taught such a class and told me it was his favorite class as these elderly people were all happy to be there, did not strive to reach higher levels, did not compete, were  happy to be there and were just a joyful bunch.

Once a year they invited him to a shared dinner in a good restaurant.

 

 

 

 

[Wilhelm]

4 hours ago, Earl Grey said:

Do you want to pay the price of a Rolex for an imitation Rolex while someone who can appraise it tells you you’ve been ripped off? Do you get mad when they tell you it’s not real and you paid more than an actual Rolex? Or is it just nice to show like fake Gucci bags in China?

I definitely appreciate your commitment to authenticity.

 

The way I figure it Taiji is an open market product now, like Yoga.  There's (Hatha) Yoga you can do in a strip mall, there's Yoga you can do in the Himalayas, and if you're really lucky there's Yoga you can do in a strip mall from somebody who trained in the Himalayas.

 

I do get a little peeved when Taiji is written off by non-practitioners looking at the more basic gentle movement stuff, but then again I also get peeved when the internal work is written off by guys who take Taiji real seriously but think Qi is made up 

 

So long story short maybe I agree with you, but it's complicated.

Edited October 29, 2022 by Wilhelm

[Nungali]

4 hours ago, Master Logray said:

 

I heard a Taichi teacher said, his students - mostly elderly ladies have improved their health and become livelier and happier.  But he added that over the years these students seldom improve their levels.  Their well being was a result of a social group with common purpose and have dim sum after the lessons. 

 

   Dim sum chi  ....  a new style  - teacher coming to your area soon.

[Nungali]

I hope to get into tai chi a bit  more ;  my training partner  ( I now consider there is only one left - that is worthwhile ) is also a tai chi instructor . He seems to be the only one who really 'gets me' in our martial arts group.  I have decided to kick the 'instructor' out . Thats it , we have both had enough of him and his antics*  . Knowing a 'bit of stuff' is one thing ( and we learnt that  stuff  from him years back ) but being unaware and unevolved is another thing ... both of us have finally had enough. My mate wants to 'talk it over with ' with him but I have been trying that for years ... nope , I'm out . 

 

And that , hopefully, gives me and him a chance to really develop our stuff now ;  he knows the same amount of kata ( empty hand and with multiple weapons ) as I do , although he isnt as 'on ball' with  applications and innovations  but is open to experimentation .  I have been watching his 'fast form' ... oh yeah, I wanna play with that !  I can see how it could be very effective against certain attacks I could devise on him .   Also I have never done any 'one handed ' sword work before .

 

 

*

 ( Bitching warning  )
 

Spoiler

Just one example out f a million ;  and this goes back years  ( and it never ceases to amaze me how someone can be a dork inso many different areas ! but this is just one area .    Years back , when the class was rather full  ( well, gosh ... I wonder where everyone went and why they left !  )

 

- we get to training, in the park , early morning . Every one of us is aghast with horror and disbelief , comments go around like ; " I cant believe it .... how could we be doing this  .... what the F ... we are going to war !  ....  Australia is going to help  invade another country as  a USA lacky ... a fake illegal invasion ... this is terrible  ... etc "      That was the day it was announced our military was going to help with the invasion of Iraq .     Everyone was freaked out and spun out  .....  'instructors' response  ?   ....

 

" They should just nuke the lot of them ! "

 

and we are all         .... but I could not restrain myself  ;  " I have relatives in Iraq ! "    ( I dont , but  .... )

 

and he goes " Oh !  Oh, I didnt mean them ."

 

Me; " Oh no? Then what did you mean  ? We have some nuclear warhead that can be dropped on a city that nukes everyone except my relatives, their friends and their property and infrastructure ?  "

 

- its still even hard for me to say it today (yep, even hard for an arsehole like me ) , seeings as i spent so long training with the guy  but ...  he is a dickhead, and I am outa there ... even if it means giving up martial  arts .

 

[Cobie]

18 minutes ago, Nungali said:

 

  Hide contents

Just one example out f a million ;  and this goes back years  ( and it never ceases to amaze me how someone can be a dork inso many different areas ! but this is just one area .    Years back , when the class was rather full  ( well, gosh ... I wonder where everyone went and why they left !  )

 

- we get to training, in the park , early morning . Every one of us is aghast with horror and disbelief , comments go around like ; " I cant believe it .... how could we be doing this  .... what the F ... we are going to war !  ....  Australia is going to help  invade another country as  a USA lacky ... a fake illegal invasion ... this is terrible  ... etc "      That was the day it was announced our military was going to help with the invasion of Iraq .     Everyone was freaked out and spun out  .....  'instructors' response  ?   ....

 

" They should just nuke the lot of them ! "

 

and we are all         .... but I could not restrain myself  ;  " I have relatives in Iraq ! "    ( I dont , but  .... )

 

and he goes " Oh !  Oh, I didnt mean them ."

 

Me; " Oh no? Then what did you mean  ? We have some nuclear warhead that can be dropped on a city that nukes everyone except my relatives, their friends and their property and infrastructure ?  "

 

- its still even hard for me to say it today (yep, even hard for an arsehole like me ) , seeings as i spent so long training with the guy  but ...  he is a dickhead, and I am outa there ... even if it means giving up martial  arts .

 

 

“Oh, I didnt mean them ."
 

Ha, ha, classic

Spoiler

classic “dickhead”

 

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Cobie

[Nungali]

48 minutes ago, Cobie said:

 

“Oh, I didnt mean them ."
 

Ha, ha, classic

  Hide contents

classic “dickhead”

 

 

 

Spoiler

He IS the dickhead ...

 

Tai chi mate .... I enter with my sword past his guard , press the tip into his chest and he folds back , then I 'pull' my sword out and he 'dies' or goes down or ....  If I hit his arm , he doesnt use that arm in the rest of the  spar , and so on .

 

I do the same to 'dickhead' , he gets annoyed, tries useless stuff so I just keep pressing in and forcing him back .... and he reaches up, grabs the sword blade and pulls it away from his chest .   ... and the really weird thing is ... he cant stop himself from doing that  !       - well, a real sharp sword might stop him   doing that  .... he he he  ......     thats why I gota stop now ... while I am ahead ... I mean , while he still has a head .

 

He is trying my patience !       ... and that ain't a good thing ....

 

 

 

 

 

[Cobie]

“while he still has a head .”

 

 

 

[Earl Grey]

11 hours ago, dwai said:

I think there are different levels of tai chi. For some, it will only remain in the domain of park tai chi (elderly people doing a slow group dance). It has value, too - slow movements, slow and circular breathing, and meditative calmness help increase balance, and immunity, lower stress levels, and so on.

 

To me, the true measure of one's "level" is in how they conduct themselves in daily life - how calm, how composed they are under pressure; if they can avoid reacting with the adrenal glands, and can develop a degree of distance between themselves and their emotions and feelings. How much joy do they radiate - how lightly can they take themselves, and so on?

Panda Express and McDonald’s szechuan sauce or actual Chinese and Taiwanese food? Chicken Tikka Masala or actual Chicken Masala? Taco Bell and Chipotle or the cuisines from Tijuana to Yucatan? 

 

I do enjoy all of the above, actually, but I don’t pretend they’re what they say they are. They’re a nice offshoot, good for what they’re imitating.…

 

…but then again, Chicago Millennial popup New Orleans gumbo restaurants is an offense to many Cajuns in NOLA. Food is religion there.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Earl Grey