Tag: shi kon

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Seeing With Clarity

Steve Rowe

Seeing With Clarity That precious moment when you ‘wake up’ from meditation, When all behind the mask is revealed, When you see things with total clarity, And the circus that’s always been there. Can you imagine if we invented roads now? Tarmac strips between pedestrians without barriers, Jagged pieces of metal travelling at 70 mph, With people dodging between. Women with painted faces, Teetering along on pointy shoe stilts, Making themselves look like circus clowns, Matching the image of the ringmasters media. Men wearing a gaily coloured hangman’s noose around their neck, With a ‘manscaped’ face, and their wife’s tight … Continue reading Seeing With Clarity

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What Happened?

Steve Rowe

What Happened? When I was a child and teenager in the 50’s and 60’s, The public owned it’s own services, Trains, buses, electric, gas, water and mail, And the profit helped pay for community services. Prescriptions and university education were free, Legal and union representation gave job security, Council housing and rent control meant everyone was housed, Equality was becoming a reality. With free education, social mobility truly happened, We had 2 Prime ministers from grammar school education, Anyone from anywhere could become anything, At last society was moving forwards and there was hope. Computers and machinery were designed to … Continue reading What Happened?

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Principles And Dynamics

Steve Rowe

Principles And Dynamics What is the difference between principles and dynamics? Both underlay technique, Principles are present all the time, But dynamics change and combine. The feet must always be in the right place, At the right time and press the right way, The body must always be aligned, And the mind always alert, focused, sensitive and intense. The breathing must always be deep and natural, The internal line always connected, The spine and core always being manipulated, And the ideas of wedging and spiraling always in place. These principles are what make a technique work, Combined they give immense … Continue reading Principles And Dynamics

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Sanchin To Tensho

Steve Rowe

“Tensho!”  We all prepared for the ‘5 animals’ kata. “Snake, crane wing, tiger, leopard, standing dragon, laying dragon, remember to sink from the chest, find the feet, float from the waist, use the ‘asking’ hand, come on now, stay connected….  Manipulate, swallow the energy, now…. Release it, spit it out! Breathe from the stomach… now the back, soften the midline, use your eyes, tongue to the top palette…. C’mon guys…. Don’t make it hard work! Who remembers what the trinity of kata is?”  The hands shot up.  “Marcia? “Firstly medical, secondly, skill and thirdly, boxing Sensei!” “Well done!”  Sensei gazed … Continue reading Sanchin To Tensho

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The Learning Process

Steve Rowe

The Learning Process The learning process of the mind, Is a specific process, It is important to understand, To be able to learn effectively. Shi Kon use a mnemonic acronym, As this is the best way to remember, If you refine this process, All learning will be easier. The acronym we use is ATARC, This is a specific order, One cannot be done effectively, Without the preparation of the other. A is for attitude, This is the most important, Unless this is in the correct state, Everything else will be wrong. Attitude is emotional intelligence, Putting nothing in the way … Continue reading The Learning Process

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Tai Chi Makes You Beautiful

Steve Rowe

“Okay…..   Let’s warm down with a bit of tai chi….. the Yang 108 form first section….”  This was quite usual in our class, it helped us to work on the internal aspects of our training plus the posture breathing and relaxation required to source our power properly. “Mol gik….” Everyone stood correcting their posture, making their breathing deeper, softening and stretching to make the ‘greater heavenly cycle’ of chi function more efficiently.  This was an excellent form of standing meditation, often called ‘wu chi’, an experience of ‘everything and nothing’ at the same time. “Tai gik.”  Everyone prepared for movement … Continue reading Tai Chi Makes You Beautiful

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The Happy Button…

Steve Rowe

The Happy Button… Happiness is a choice, So is misery, Happiness is a habit, So is misery. Which do you choose? Which is your habit? If you’ve slid into misery, How do you change it? Every day you should take the time, To wake up and practice neigong (inner work), Check out your condition, Both mental and physical. I have a ‘happy button’, It’s right there in the middle of my chest, Not where you dirty buggars were thinking! And I press it first thing in the morning, however I feel. When I press it I smile, And remember to … Continue reading The Happy Button…

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Are You A Fattist?

Steve Rowe

Are You A Fattist?  Telling a person they’re fat, And should get their lard arse of the couch, And come down to your club or gym, Makes you the fattist. Every advert is about being skinny, Every pop up on the screen, It’s a ‘miracle’ pill or method, Preying on the weak. People are overweight for many reasons, Some have a thyroid dysfunction, For some it’s caused by medication, And some can’t move because of disability. For some food is an addiction, And some are emotionally disturbed, What makes it worse for all of them, Is that it’s there for … Continue reading Are You A Fattist?

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Dojo Visitor

Steve Rowe

There are times when you’re talking to someone and you suddenly realise that they aren’t listening to a word you’re saying.  They are only waiting for an opportunity to speak. The guy had come in for a free ‘guest’ training session and actually worked quite hard.  The only problem was that he hadn’t heard a word of the instruction given to him.   The words ‘using a sledgehammer to crush a grape’ sprang to mind – everything he did was simply full of effort with surprisingly poor results He had cruised over to sensei after the session and started to discuss … Continue reading Dojo Visitor

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10 Stress Busters

Steve Rowe

Do you get that niggling ‘worry’ pain in the tummy? It seems that life is getting to you with one thing after another, maybe relationship troubles, annoyed at what people are saying about you, the never ending cascade of bills and never having enough money? You could be suffering from stress. You end up feeling angry, worried and picked on – life seems to be working against you and in the end your health begins to suffer. You feel that everything is getting you down and it doesn’t matter what you do it seems to make matters worse….. Well cheer … Continue reading 10 Stress Busters