by logansrun 18 Replies latest jw friends
Bradley, don't be swayed by that Aikido evangelizer
You would find it an honor to step into the dogo (Most honourable Bradley-san ) and observe a part of his seminar if even for an hour. Call them up and see if they allow observers.
Paul said the physical torture he endured at his classes were the next best thing to S & M.
Bradley,
I just saw your note about contacts.
I wear them during class. Some guys wear glasses. Some of the guys who wear glasses have "sport straps" to keep them on.
There are no punching or kicking moves, but at a martial dogo, there is plenty of rolling, falling and joint locks.
Paul said the physical torture he endured at his classes were the next best thing to S & M.shitgun
You red-haired, ass-less chaps wearing bastard, you'll pay for such disrespect!
Taichi has a lot of qi work. Somebody on this board told me that yoga is just musculo-skeletal. I haven't done any yoga, but i had one 3 hr taichi lesson. It seems to me that the difference is that one is 'spiritual', in the sense of pulling in and manipulating qi energy, and the other is just physical.
S
Hey Bradley,
Here are two simple ways of looking at the two. First of all, on the level of the effect on your body, yoga essentially stretches and strengthens everything, so it is a kind of conditioning in that it helps open things up and promote/facilitate energy flow. Tai Chi and other arts like it such as Chi Kung/Qigong, on the other hand, actively works with the energy. This difference can be seen in the fact that you hold poses (which some Tai Chi instructors will do too, to an extent) in hatha yoga, whereas in Tai Chi you always continue to move.
Second, there is the goal and purpose of each art. Even with hatha yoga it is in the end aimed at union with the universe or whatever words you wanna throw at it, or atleast as a practice to support yoga in the deeper sense of the word. Tai Chi on the other hand has kind of changed in that although traditionally it is a martial art, lots of people do it for the health benefit these days, essentially integration (or union) on an individual level, the mind-body thing. I myself had taken Tai Chi not out of an interest in the martial aspect, but really just felt drawn and thought the health aspect would be nice. What I didn't realize was there was a deeper spiritual impulse at work and though I was asked to help teach I stopped going shortly after for a spiritual pursuit. You might look at it as a kind of practice that helps you progress spiritually, but I think often it might be something deeper that draws you to it, so more the other way around.
One thing I appreciate is how some in Asia refer to themselves as Tai Chi "players." There is not this serious heavy idea around it, and that is how they approach push hands, which is like sparring in Tai Chi. Because it does actively work with the energy, practicing Tai Chi also engages consciousness and the work essentially involves a refinement of awareness of the body. Push hands practice would refine your 'listening energy' in sensing where the opponent is off balance, but of course the clearer you are on this side the more you would be able to sense where the other is at. If anything do it because it's fun and enjoyable.
As for the spiritual aspect, it really comes down to something that is deeper than both practices altogether, if you look at the practices in and of itself. I mean lets face it, spiritual practices can be pretty weird - not even as in how it appears to people but just that it doesn't necessarily follow sometimes. With something like yoga and Tai Chi people are like okay, atleast it's good for your health - but that is really a very small part of the picture, and people who get very good at that level may not really 'connect' with the spiritual aspect. So it just kind of depends on what you want or why you want to get into either.
Bradley:I'll follow on from what Mark said, by adding that the only thing that involves contact is "Push hands", and that involves contact only on the hands and arms. Wearing glasses is not a hinderance. The worst thats going to happen is that you lose balance and either fall over or are pushed over from a standing possition.
The whole thing can take on a very deep spiritual level, from the "warm up", "Qigong", "Tai Chi form", to the "push hands" (though some teach the individual martial applications, too). These are all elements of the art known as Tai Chi. There are no gradings because it's a lifelong thing (though I understand that some American dojos use a sash system ).
I took it up a little ove a year ago and within about six months I had memorised the whole form (there are only two in the style that I do - "Long Form" and "Cannon Fist", though portions of these may be used as short forms). I've continued to refine and refine, but to be honest the Form is only a mechanism. LIke in Aikido, which Paul discussed, it's mainly about manipulating Qi (or Kia, in Japanese, since Qi and Tai Chi are Chinese).
LIke Mark, I felt "drawn" to it for some time. When an instructor was needed one suddenly appeared. For a small island of population 21,000 that was a minor miracle in itself. I now assist the instructor with teaching, and hope to make that step into the additional Cannon Fist form, next year. To be honest I've not found the continual learning of the single form onerous. There is always something to learn about Qi, your body (be it dynamics or physiology), or the universe you are part of.
Philosophically it's very much rooted in Tao, but I've had no difficulty assimilating it into Zen / Christian perspective. Philosophies dissolve into reality, when you get into the depths of that kind of work.
As one "master" put it: You can master the true essence of Tai Chi in twenty years, or a single year. Some people just "get it", whilst for others it can be a lifetimes journey. Regardless, it is a journey that lasts a lifetime anyhow, as you enjoy eternity in a grain of sand...
Have you the patience and discipline grasshopper?
The worst thats going to happen is that you lose balance and either fall over or are pushed over from a standing possition.
Gosh, that would never happen while you're practicing at my house.
There are no gradings because it's a lifelong thing (though I understand that some American dojos use a sash system ).
Stop rolling your eyes at us...you're just jealous 'cause you don't get a fancy sash to wear. You probably want a plaid one or sumpin.
By the way, in terms of the mechanics of the movements yoga does kind of add the vertical, what with the upward and downward dogs and such, whereas Tai Chi is kind of just horizontal - but in the horizontal plane it deals with more than the four directions which even the flowing yoga styles seems to be limited in. Tai Chi leads you up to eight, and then direction isn't really an issue eventually because it is circular and you get to where you adapt dynamically. That's the other thing that's kind of fun about Tai Chi is where you can interact with other people via push hands. So ultimately it is not so structured, you essentially learn to move in all directions while remaining rooted and such, so in a way it is about freeing the body. So in general I have to say yoga is more structured.
Very interesting comments, all. Thank you for your insights.
I think I'll continue to practice yoga on my own as I already know some of the asanas. If I had to peg myself to one religion (which I hate doing) it would probably be Taoism or Zen (which is, essentially, the merging of Taoism and Buddhism). That being said, Tai Chi seems like the thing to do.
It's so liberating being able to explore. I'm reading the Bhaghavad Gita, doing yoga, flirting with Tai Chi. The demons surely have got me now.
B.
PS....Thanks for the suggestion, Winston. I'll call over there tomorrow if I can.
