Invest in Loss

From time to time I come across fellow tai chi students who tell me that all they need to learn is to fa-jing, to discharge energy.

To be powerful is a kind of obsession to these people. They mistakenly focus on the far, ignoring all the heavenly glory that lies before them.

Power is contained within the postures when in accordance with the principles. We have natural power. Just walk into a table and ponder carefully the power that went into it without trying.

John Kells used to quote his teacher, Dr. Chi Chiang Tao " Twenty years learning to yield, one year learning to push".

The power obsessed want to spend  10 minutes learning the form and then get powerful as quickly as possible.

The true student will diligently practise investing in loss to realise the principles of Tai Chi. The poor student pays lip service to this in their quest to be somebody.

Turn the Mind

Turn the Mind was an instruction given as part of our pushing hands practise.

When pushing hands, most will move backward onto their rear leg and turn their waist to yield. Whilst this has the effect of taking the body away from the oncoming force it does not completely yield to.

The mind needs to turn so that you are not leaving a part of yourself behind which will cause you to somehow be stuck. Not turning the mind means that the oncoming force will find that part of you and all will be lost.

So sink, relax, shift, turn the waist, turn the mind.

Make it part of pushing hands. Make it part of your form.

More Waist

Integrate the three waists.

This is truly profound when you realise it in your body.

Breaking In

Sorry to disappoint anyone hoping for tips on breaking into things.

There is all sorts of terrific advice about how to practise tai chi, how much, how long, in which direction to face and so forth.

Quality of practise is important and prescribed in preference to doing lots of forms etc just for the sake of it.

Certainly the quality of what you practise is vital on your journey but as a beginner I feel there is a need to do a lot of spade work as part of the breaking in process.

For me it felt that there had to be a sufficient volume of practise to take me past a certain point in my development.

John Kells told me in 1983 that he had never had a student who practised so much and that I should continue to do so, regardless of what others might say. I have endeavoured to live up to this as much as possible. In fact, the more I practise the more I feel that the breaking in process is, in fact, neverending.

Waist

" The waist must be sunk if it is to be the master of the body. It is necessary to have a root in the foot so one can pass the energy up the legs and into the fingers by means of the waist. A loose waist links upper and lower body naturally so they move in co-ordination. This co-ordination is vital if one is to use the body as one unit, relying on internal energy rather than external muscular force to execute the commands of the mind. This relaxation is brought about by use of the mind to begin with and then naturally."

B.T.C.C.A. Handbook for the 2nd Term.

Assisting is a Lesson

After a while I began to assist in the beginners' short form classes. Assisting meant helping the instructor and new students by being there to help others go through the postures, leading by example.

John Kells told me to wear a black martial arts uniform. Uniforms convey an aura of knowledge and status. In my case I was probably just one step ahead of the beginners after hastily reading the handbook on the tube.

But assisting is a lesson in itself. It is not about showing off to others that you know more than them or are better in some way. Far from it. Assisting is forgetting self, a reminder that you are there to help others and share your energy on the path we were all taking. Assisting is taking a step back to put yourself in the place of the beginner.

To assist is a lesson in humility.

Early Picture circa 1982/1983