Hello all

[NattyontheWay]

Well...a friend of mine that I very much trust told me to look in here.

I'm still exploring but it all seems very promising. I like the graphic of the guy doing what looks like 4 corners with wolves looking on.

 

the more I study taoism/taiji/qigong, the more it improves my life...and by that I mean bringing peace and success with less effort more often...

 

Wonderful.

 

When I started learning, I felt it was something that I'd been trying to do my whole life, only without guidance I was not finding what I wanted. It's like drinking water, learning these things.

 

I hope that we can learn from each other.

 

 

Many thanks,

Nate

[Mal]

Hi Natty,

 

Nice to meet you on your way

 

I'm still exploring but it all seems very promising. I like the graphic of the guy doing what looks like 4 corners with wolves looking on.

 

I almost forgot how pretty that banner really is. Nice to be reminded.

 

Have fun here at the 'bums.

[NattyontheWay]

Thanks for the welcome.

 

That's a very happy looking danbian you've got going on there.

[shontonga]

Thanks for the welcome.

 

That's a very happy looking danbian you've got going on there.

 

Uhh?

UhOh? danbian?

What's that???

Single whip!

?

 

Hi Nate!!!

 

What do you study?

tai chi? What style!

 

... I love his avatar too!

Makes me smile every time i see it!

 

Stay well,

Hope you have fun here!

Shon

 

 

[Guan-Wen]

Hey. Love that Single Whip!

 

I say whip it. Whip it good!

 

I pratice Yang style 24 form. I've been doing this form for about three years. I live remote and my work and family keep me from accessing a teacher to study oter forms. But I am very happy with Yang 24.

 

The Whip and its progressions are some of my favourites. I am interested in other peoples practice and if someone has or does practice numerous forms, what are their thoughts on differences and the benefits of longer anf multiple forms??

 

Long live the Tao

[NattyontheWay]

Well, I study a form that my teacher and his call Old Yang Combat Taiji. From what I have gathered, Yang Lu Ch'uan's taiji as it was after leaving the Chen village, but before he adapted it to be taught to officials and the general public...We are not given much of a story, which I think is good because it helps keep our tendency to get invested in prestige or comparison in check.

 

It seems hard to talk about 'what form' without straying into 'first', 'better', 'improved' and all other kinds of judgements that try to put one form above another in a way that makes dialogue tough and taoist consideration even more so...so i hope no one hears those judgements...I don't know how many 'moves' it has, because whenever anyone asks we are told that it depends on how we are counting.

 

There is a strong emphasis on martial application in our school. This can be a challenge to the relaxation/taoist mind that we work towards, but I appreciate the tension. I think as Westerners, my fellow students and I feel a tension there that does not need to exist - the Western Gate, as one of my sometimes teachers calls it - a barrier to understanding Eastern traditions that we must somehow get by/through. I do feel that the acknowledgement of the martial helps with piecing together intent and movement, and has begun to help in the direction of energy within the form for me. It provides a context, I suppose is a simpler way to say that.

 

It seems very yang compared to some other styles. I have studies a little Chen, which felt a bit more pronounced roundness. I liked the way it felt.

 

I feel a very interesting difference from Hsing I, which I've studie more than styles other than my main taiji. I don't have much detail about that system, because I have not gone very deep into training, but it's a much more taut feeling, more aggressively FORWARD. Part of that feeling is probably my lack of skill, but i do think there is a significant difference.

 

Thanks for the welcome...