Fa Jin

This is a good post about Fa Jin on the Cold Mountain Blog by Steve Higgins,

I especially liked the point made about the psychological buy in to the merest touch or non touch by a teacher, something I will write about in another post.

The post by Steve Higgins can be read here: Fa-jin-pulling-everything-together

John Kells - Mysteries of Reality

Mysteries of reality twenty-seven

Each structure has an essence, each essence is hardly there, but all the essences add up to the truth, held in the Pineal amygdala where the stalks of the eyes meet in the brain. This juxtaposition has a power recognised for centuries, but beyond structure we have the essence of structure itself, which is existence. You can play with existence but not very much. This attitude to existence echoes with peace, which is a quality we trust exists. This trust we call hope. Hope is what gets you up in the morning, and peace is what puts you to bed at night. Pineal amygdala asks for the truth. Truth asks for the thoughtless mind. The thoughtless mind knows that caring love has its own reasons. This statement cannot be crushed by ignorance or greed. What is absolutely demanded is belief, surrounding the thoughtless mind with care and a strong sense of humour. No humour, no truth, no peace, no use for sensitivity. In one sense sensitivity is your suit of armour—you are protected, but not by armour but naked truth. The pain is the taste you can look for. Blood in your own mouth. You have been in a fight and have not backed off or away. You are at the edge of beyond and beyond is your best friend in this situation. Trust is the blow of belief. The blow you strike now is the total magnificent “no thing”.

My Favourite Books

In the Garden of my Teachers - Essays and Writings 1987 - 2007 on Taijiquan

This is a great book by Arieh Lev Breslow that will be of interest to Tai Chi practitioners, especially those doing Cheng Man Ching style and variations thereof.

The author studied with Ben Lo in the USA before eventually opening a Tai Chi school in Jerusalem. The book covers many aspects of Tai chi, from posture to rooting to fa jing to pushing hands.

There is some sage advice about a straight coccyx and how many misinterpret this to mean they tuck the pelvis, thereby creating an unnatural straightening of the spine. Instead the lower spine should be allowed to relax and hang freely without tension.

The only website I've found that offer this is: http://www.abebooks.com/book-search/author/breslow-arieh-lev/

ward off sharon

Note the softness of the hands and body when making contact, then taking in to spit out.

By opposing at any point the incoming energy goes into you, causing loss of balance or worse. A nice method to work this principle.

8 Yin Yang

An excerpt of a larger painting - 8 Yin Yang

By Adele. More from this fabulous artist in the future, but for now, enjoy.

Sun style Xingyi - Za Shi Chui

This a fantastic form to practice!

As I've mentioned before, I've learned Sun style Xingyi - the five fists, twelve animals and three linking forms but only to practice, not to teach as I'm nowhere near good enough.