Tag: philosophy

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Tai Chi Does You…

Steve Rowe

For many years I trained in Boxing, Kickboxing and the hard styles of Karate, all my training was directed towards my mind and spirit overcoming the pain and reluctance of my body, I literally punished and pushed myself for decades!  Today my body pays the price, with joint replacement, nasal surgery and all my old injuries returning to haunt me on a daily basis. Training in Tai Chi totally reversed this thinking.  I was in Hong Kong having a lesson with Ma Lee Yang (Yang Sau Chung’s daughter) when we were discussing the transition from Mol Gik to Tai Gik and then into … Continue reading Tai Chi Does You…

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Blood On Wood…

Steve Rowe

Thump, thump, thump… He’s out there again, Hitting that bloody piece of wood in the garden, One of those Kung Fu nutters. Every bloody day it’s the same, Well I ain’t gonna tell him, He’ll probably tie me up like a pretzel, And post me back through our letterbox. Thump, thump, thump, Each time strike with seiken, Shuto, tettsui and teisho, Haito, koken and nukite. Feet press directionally to the floor, Spiraling through the legs, Connecting through the core, And powering out through the hands. Thump, thump, thump, The makiwara bends and is momentarily held, The return force is repulsed, … Continue reading Blood On Wood…

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Martial Arts – The Masterkey!

Steve Rowe

“To do Martial Arts you have to be totally dedicated!”…. “To be good you have to sacrifice many other things in your life”….. “To get there you have to be single minded”….. How often do you hear this?  How true is it? Words can be confusing because they are a method we use for defining an idea and often they mean slightly different things to different people, but let’s look at the idea that you have to dedicate yourself to one thing to the exclusion of most others to be good at Martial Arts – because I disagree. Martial Arts … Continue reading Martial Arts – The Masterkey!

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Inside Out…

Steve Rowe

Are your techniques YouTube friendly? Do they follow the ‘fashion’ of the day? Do you ‘train’ or do you ‘study? Do you pay lip service to meditation? Or do you assiduously study it? Are you the person that everyone thinks you are? Are you your grade and qualifications? Are you your career and car? Are you how attractive you appear to others? Are you the ‘good guy’ everyone says? Are flattered by others? Do you go with the ‘zeitgeist’ of opinion? Do you work to ‘fit in’ and be popular? Do you culture yourself to be accepted and praised? Are … Continue reading Inside Out…

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My Immortal Soul..

Steve Rowe

Most of us are worried about what will happen to us when we die. When all we have to do, Is remember what we were before we were born. What we are now, have always been, And will always be. Where is you immortal soul? Why can’t you feel it now? Of course you can, it rests in your stillness. Stand tall, breathe deep, focus your mind, When the words stop and the body is still, ‘You’ cease to exist – and there it is. It has no name, it permeates everything, Everything within it rises and falls in time, … Continue reading My Immortal Soul..

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The Stopped Breath…

Steve Rowe

Between breathing in and out, And between out and in, There is a magic Zen moment, A moment in which we can access infinity. We stop our breath to concentrate. To draw a straight line freehand, To listen intently, Before we pee or poo, And even before we vomit. A moment of perfect Zen. When we meditate, these are our magic moments. Like the pauses between waves rolling in and out. We learn to extend our Zen from these pauses. And how to extend and deepen our breathing. When in combat we can’t match breath to technique. So breathing has … Continue reading The Stopped Breath…

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Age With Dignity…

Steve Rowe

There’s nothing more undignified than an old person trying to behave like a younger one.  If you train well over the years, it’s only natural that you lose the aggression and ignorance of youth and the bullishness gives way to wisdom, emotional intelligence, cunning and skill.  A problem only arises  if you don’t continue learning and hanker after that which is past, then it can become embarrassing if the OAP is trying to convince everyone that he still ‘has it’ – a bit like your Grandad trying to dance on a nightclub floor to the latest music. When someone has been … Continue reading Age With Dignity…

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Buddhist Alchemy In The Martial Arts

Steve Rowe

“I don’t like any of that religious stuff in my martial arts…” You may not, but Buddhism is inextricably linked to the Martial Arts and it’s not religious in the formal sense.  Buddhism is simple, logical thinking in search of the truth – and that is in line with martial arts study.  A Buddhist is required to challenge what he is taught and to discover the truth for himself.  The term ‘Buddha’ means the ‘awakened one’, one who is awake to the truth. It’s often referred to as the ‘atheist religion’ as it has no gods or deities, it doesn’t … Continue reading Buddhist Alchemy In The Martial Arts

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Internal Or External?

Steve Rowe

Internal and external has many translations in the Martial Arts, You cannot be one or the other, Because we all have an inside and an outside, If you are more one than the other, you are unbalanced. If you’re taught externally, Your instructor will correct you by how you look on the outside: If you’re taught internally, Your instructor will correct you by how you feel inside. Ideally, you need both. If you train externally, You will utilise the power of emotion, If you train internally, Your mind will be calm and focused. If you train externally, You will use … Continue reading Internal Or External?

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Simple Neigong – Insomnia Buster!

Steve Rowe

In our seated Tai Chi programme we teach a lovely seated Nei Gong exercise.  It is an exercise that reinforces correct posture and breathing and also serves a method for calming the body and mind.  It can also be incorporated into a pre-sleep ritual for those who suffer from insomnia – it help’s prepare the body for a peaceful night’s sleep.  It can also be used at your desk and in your car. Simple Seated Nei Gong 1 – Firstly you will need to be seated – either sitting on a chair or on the edge of the bed.  Ideally … Continue reading Simple Neigong – Insomnia Buster!