Tag: shi kon

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The Empty Chair

Steve Rowe

There is the chair,He used to be there,Hair gone grey,Body wasting away,Cognitively impaired,But with humour shared. Strong when he was young,With punches that stung,A high standard of Kung Fu,With kicks that flew,But time took the skill,And made him sit still. He ended in the chair,And had to stay there,Until the part that cannot be destroyed,Finally returned to the void. Now his spirit is still there,As always willing to share,For those with respect,Are still able to connect. Continue reading The Empty Chair

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The Eyes Have It

Steve Rowe

Where your intention (yi) goes your energy (chi) follows. In Tai Chi we use an ‘eye’ form, whilst practising a hand form we look at certain parts of our own body (usually a hand or hands) with the intention of sending our chi energy there. This has the effect of moving our chi and sending it to where we need it. It helps us to learn how to raise our energy, colour it with the right intention, focus and discharge it. Vision can be focused and unfocused, activating and utilising both sides of the brain and using peripheral vision to … Continue reading The Eyes Have It

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Paper Tgers

Steve Rowe

I’m constantly unsubscribing to martial art pages, people and groups that ridicule others. Often someone will post a video of karate ‘bunkai’ application to a kata from up to 40 years ago and then ridicule it. I was practising Karate (that’s me in the photo with Takimazawa Sensei) and working security in the 70’s and knew that the kata had to be studied and what was demonstrated was not practical and only a demonstration for shows. Pairs work was to drill practical skills safely and was not exactly how it would be applied in the street. We practised the ‘art’ … Continue reading Paper Tgers

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Insight

Steve Rowe

Insight is an important skill and can be trained. Most senior martial artists rely on it in many areas of their life and particularly in their martial art studies. Insight is the ability to pierce to the heart of any subject or problem without having to go through a laborious process. How do we gain this skill? The first step is to develop mindfulness, by calming the body, emotions and thoughts, without the mental and emotional clutter, clarity can arise. Mindfulness arises from a combination of posture and deep breathing until everything calms down and an appreciation that we are … Continue reading Insight

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Martial Arts Biggest Secret

Steve Rowe

I wish my martial arts study had started with this information. The ‘bodycore’ is the most important aspect of all training and study. It consists of: The Spine The Deep Front Line The Vagus Nerve The spine is the ‘main mast’ of the body and everything grows out from it. It will bow backwards, forwards, sideways and twist. The deep front line is the soft tissue core that runs connected from behind the ears to the arches of the feet and manipulates the spine in all the above movements. The vagus nerve runs from behind the ears to the stomach, … Continue reading Martial Arts Biggest Secret

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Suck Don’t Blow

Steve Rowe

‘Suck Don’t Blow…’When your opponent gives you a body part they don’t get it back.‘Nei Jin’ means they when touching they can’t find your bones.There’s nothing to strike, lock or grasp.You stick, follow and redirect their energy.Until they become weak and their balance is broken.‘When a tiger comes to your village you don’t feed it.’Meaning that you ‘suck’ their energy and don’t feed it by collision or giving them your bones.A strategy for both combat and life.Steve Rowe Continue reading Suck Don’t Blow

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As Above, So Below

Steve Rowe

As above so below. How the human body reflects the creation of the universe. The singularity – the dantien point puts the bodyweight into a movement so we move and breathe from there. This becomes the duality at the waist, a 3 dimensional spinning, elasticated ball determining the weighted and the unweighted in movement, connecting and harmonising the body. This then becomes the four manifestations which are the limbs. The singularity and duality sends the power out through the limbs and when connected harmonises left and right and upper and lower limbs. Which creates the eight hexagrams of the upper … Continue reading As Above, So Below

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Stages Of Tai Chi

Steve Rowe

In the beginning we have to learn about our mind, emotions and body and harmonise them.Then we have to make them all more intelligent and skilful.Then we have to stop thinking so much and watch them, allowing insight and wisdom to arise.Then we have to be able to recognise energy in all its stages, nurture and alchemise it.90% of this work is done in the unworded mind.When all of this work is harmonised we can enjoy Tai Chi at the highest level. Continue reading Stages Of Tai Chi

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Feedback On The 2022 Tai Chi Programme

Steve Rowe

From Aaron Davis MKG Southampton: “I’m really enjoying my Tai Chi journey with the Shi Kon Martial Arts team. As someone who has never done Tai Chi before I have still made great progress in the past 3 months due to how Steve and Mikey present the material, the online platform being so good and the other students in the group who have all had experience in the art being so helpful. I read about Steve in martial arts publications as a teenager so I’ve wanted to train with him for a while and I’ve got to say that I’m … Continue reading Feedback On The 2022 Tai Chi Programme

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Finding The Depth

Steve Rowe

I’ve never understood people with a romantic or joyous view of life. When I was young I hated life, didn’t get on at school or with my family. It was only when I discovered martial arts and Asian philosophy that I found peace and balance. Life is suffering and learning how to see it in the right perspective and deal with it emotionally are good tools to have in your emotional toolbox. It’s always struck me that the people that have the mask of a romantic and joyous view of life also tend to be the most needy and emotionally … Continue reading Finding The Depth