Use Your Head! In the Tai Chi classics it states: Suspend the headtop – like a rope is attached to the crown of the head and pulling upwards. This is consistently taught in Tai Chi classes but the teaching is rarely understood.  This idea has to be active – in other words applied all of the time, not just periodically applied. When I’m teaching I constantly find myself saying, “head, head……. head….. head…. you’ve dropped your head, you’re sticking your chin out, now you’re tucking it in, don’t drop the head to look down, don’t lean the head to the … Continue reading Use Your Head!

The Martial Arts And Violence A good explanation of the Kanji for the Japanese word ‘Budo’, which is ‘Wu Shu’ in Chinese…. “The character bu is constructed from the characters meaning “arms of war” or “violence,” and “to stop, prohibit, or bring to an end.”  Therefore, bu is more accurately translated as “to stop violence,” or perhaps “to bring about peace.”  Thus  budo,  bujutsu and  bugei might more appropriately be  known as the “arts of the peacemaker.”  The warriors of China and Japan saw their skills as tools for maintaining the peace rather than indulgences in a love of war.  … Continue reading The Martial Arts And Violence

Sensitivity In The Martial Arts “Sifu, in my mate’s class they learn to harden and desensitise their arms by bashing them together with the blocking movements, why don’t we do that?”  Rod had lots of martial arts ‘mates’ who trained at different clubs and they would get together on a regular basis to ‘share’ their knowledge. “What purpose do you think our arms, hands and fingers serve Rod, why do you think we have them?”  Sifu answered the question with a question in his usual ‘Chan Buddhist’ way… “To hammer the crap out of our opponents?”  Rod was being mischievous, … Continue reading Sensitivity In The Martial Arts

Philosophy Is Important In Training A few of the guys had come in early because they didn’t want to go home from school/college/ work and come out again for training, some were doing their own training, some their homework and some just reading or playing portable computer games. Jake and his friends were working out on the punch bags and then trying out the techniques on each other, they were working up an enthusiastic sweat and had eventually bought a bag to the floor and were working on their best ‘ground and pound’ techniques rolling with the bag and then … Continue reading Philosophy Is Important In Training

Magpie Mind And Tai Chi “You are all suffering from ‘magpie mind’….” Sifu looked around at the gathered class to see what effect his statement had. And of course it worked…. “Magpie mind? Wassat when it’s at home then Sifu?” asked Amanda. “It’s a mind that’s attracted to ‘shiny objects’” said Sifu. “You mean that we’re not concentrating on the form and our mind is wandering too much” queried Jane? “That can be a part of it,” replied Sifu, “but it’s more than that. Even when you are concentrating on the form, your mind is attracted to the ‘shiny objects’ … Continue reading Magpie Mind And Tai Chi