The Tao of the Sun

Spring has indeed sprung and summer is close at hand. This means more, much more, outdoor activities. I officially kicked it off with a good long bicycle ride yesterday in the 80 Deg F sunshine. Tomorrow I do Tai Chi Day in 90+.

Thank you God for sunshine, and all that follows from it.

Where would we be without it?

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, Apr. 25th

Arpil 25th, 2009 is World Tai Chi and Qigong Day. It starts at 10:00am, wherever you are in the world, and last until at least 12:00 noon. The idea behind the celebration is for everyone in the world who is participating to engage in Tai Chi and/or Qigong during the designated time and therefore contribute to a continuous wave of peaceful healing energy that will simultaneously spread across the globe as participants in each time zone begin the process. This is a great opportunity to participate in a world-wide experiment in peace, to interact and have fellowship with Taiji players in your community, and to learn more about these wonderful, dynamic, and infinitely varied arts. As more and more Westerners are introduced to these arts we also find a concurrently growing number of medical studies and trials--in Western clinical environments--confirming what many Asians have known for centuries: These are powerful healing arts. What's more these are self-empowering arts. They provide a framework whereby we may actively engage in our own healing process, and contribute to our self-actualization.

It is my intention to attend the celebration in my community and report my experience back here. It is my desire that these arts "catch on" with more people as I believe they are truly remarkable and contribute to healthier individuals and a more peaceful world.

Under The Blade

Under The Blade

As I was learning the ukemi for sankyo and nikkyo my Sensei passed on an important and universal insight: “In Aikido we go under the blade.” Typically when we are on the receiving end of joint locks, or most localized pain, we tend to stiffen and instinctually attempt to get away. However, if we try to fight a joint lock it only gets worse. The proper response is to stay soft and go with it, to relax into the hold as much as possible. This helps Tori/Nage to better learn his side of the kata, and keeps Uke from being injured.

The lesson for training is obvious. I have found joint locks easier to tolerate and training to be safer as I relax. This of course applies to other holds, throws, and grappling applications. A crucial component of Internal Martial Arts training is learning to be soft. A common mistake in the early stages of learning is attempting to power through applications, to use strength instead of technique and proper form. The key to Asian Martial Arts is to be smarter rather than simply stronger, to correctly use your partner’s energy against him rather than overpowering him. On the flip side of this Uke should also resist the temptation to resort to strength. In the processes of free sparring and combat the roles of Uke and Tori are dynamic. Intelligent relaxation is crucial for everyone.

I can remember first attempting to body surf in the Atlantic on a fairly rough-water day. As the waves began to break I was no longer swimming and had lost all control to the power of the ocean. Instinctively I stiffened and tried to right myself to ensure a smooth landing. The wave promptly stood me on my head and crashed down on top of me. I ended up with a headache, a nose full of salt water and trunks full of sand. After a few more attempts and few more crashes I learned to relax and let the wave carry me along. The result of course was an enjoyable ride and a smooth landing on the beach.

The practical and metaphorical lessons for life outside the dojo, or off the beach, are also obvious. Life has a way of seemingly spinning out of control. We often feel as if we are blown or carried by greater forces, as if we are at their mercy. We do well to relax into such situations. In fact we do well to relax into all of life, to use the greater forces of life to our advantage. Buddhism teaches that we go with all the situations of life, even the painful ones. We cannot resist any of the changes we are presented with. It is obviously better to experience them for what they are as calmly as possible.

The Gong of Walking

My “personal growth” schedule is filled to the max. I have way more opportunities than I do time to take advantage of them. But somewhere between the loftier goals of martial competence and glimpses of enlightenment, it pays to slow down and enjoy the moment. Indeed, it is my belief that the moment itself is the goal. It ironically gets lost in the steps to fulfillment.

Last week I went out on a Monday morning to do Taiji in the park. It was cold and a national holiday, so I was the only one who showed up. That’s not a totally unusual occurrence since there are only 3-4 of us who do this regularly anyway. So I took advantage of the opportunity and worked on a couple of forms and Qi Gong by myself. It was a nice morning, even if it was cold. So I decided to further my opportunity and walk a while. The city park where we practice has a nice walking trail and is adjacent to a greenway along a creek. In short, it is a great place for walking in the city.

Walking is a great practice for rejuvenation and focus. I’m not talking here of Zen walking, or Qi Gong walking, great practices in their own right. Nor am I talking about anaerobic walking, also a great practice. Rather, there is much to be gained from good old fashioned walking at one’s own pace.

Here I am walking with no destination in mind, no time limits, and no goal outside the act of walking itself. I slow down and notice the birds, the sound of the creek, the colors that are still available in the full gray of winter. My mind is settled by the presence of the moment. My body is energized by the activity. The demands of life fall away, at least for the moment. The only demand I recognize is the fact that I do have to go back to my car and the rest of the world eventually. But in the meantime….

Core Values

My Alma Mater has for the last ten-plus years been re-defining itself, and hence establishing itself for bigger and better things. It has been an impressive transformation to witness. But without transgressing into the change itself I wanted rather to emphasize one of their chosen tactics. The school, a 120 year old Catholic University, is rooted in the Benedictine tradition. As part of their new 'mission and goals statement' they formulated their core values based on those of the Benedictines. Specifically, they are as follows:
Excellence; Community; Respect; Personal Development; Personal Stewardship; Integrity.

I have thought about how these apply to those of us interested in personal and spiritual growth. As an organization's core values they take a different meaning than those of an individual. This is what they mean to me individually:

Excellence: Seek excellence in all you do. Look for it in creation. Always strive to be better. Revere it and bless it wherever you encounter it.
Community: We all have different communities we are engaged in. These should be valued and nurtured as one values and nurtures oneself.
Respect: Respect all living things. Respect other people, their feelings, their property, their values, their culture.
Personal Development: This is the biggie. This is what this is all about. Personal development is mental, physical, and spiritual. And there are no lines dividing these categories.
Personal Stewardship: We have all been blessed to varying degrees. We should be thankful for our blessings and good stewards of our gifts. As we do these we open the door for more and greater blessings.
Integrity: There is an old Quaker saying, "let your yea be yea, and your no be no". This sums it up. I should be as good as my word and my word should be as good as I can be.

Primordial Qigong

The Primordial Qigong form is one of the oldest Qigong practices known to man. It is believed to have been developed by Zhang San Feng, the creator of Taiji. I have been practicing this form for over four years now. It is one of the most powerful practices I know of and has been immensely beneficial to me. I learned it through my Taji school, the founders of which are associated with Michael Winn, likely this form’s biggest proponent. The Primordial is an inner elixir form. In other words it is an “Inner Alchemy” practice. Inner Alchemy is an advanced practice concerned with a spiritual medicine known as the golden elixir. The primordial Qigong is purported to act to reverse time in the practitioner, leading to a reversal in the aging process and a long life. Rather than leave the reader with the impression of mystical mystery I will here quote Roger Jahnke a Doctor of Oriental Medicine from his book The Healing Promise of Qi¹:

“This alchemical fire [the Qigong process] burns away the illusions of our conditioned life, self-sabotaging habits, and compulsions to reveal what the ancient life scientists called true reality (Quan Zhen) and the true person (Zhen Ren). At this point, in the highest levels of Qigong, pure spirit is revealed and the practitioner is considered an immortal or a fully realized being. In chemistry, in the purification of gold, fire is used to burn off all impurities. In Inner Alchemy, all of the complexities and conditioned factors of the self are refined in the fire of personal cultivation to reveal the pure gold of the essential nature.” Pp. 80

Jahnke describes the Primordial Qigong as a form of Wuji Qigong. Wuji is the mother of Taiji. Wuji can be translated as the void or abyss, or as no extreme, as opposed to Taiji, which is grand extreme. So in Wuji there is no Yin and Yang, no differentiation, just the void, all that there is but at the same time no thing. Hence Wuji is in essence spiritual. In the particular lineage of Chen style Taiji that I practice Wuji practice is fundamental, and primarily experienced through Zan Zhuang, standing meditation, and Da Zuo, sitting meditation. Additionally, I Liq Chuan, my other primary martial art, premised on Taji and Buddhist principles, places prime importance on Zan Zhuang, and is itself considered a moving meditation. So, while the Primordial Qigong is not formally a part of either of these two systems, it is complimentary and an appropriate addition to either or both systems.

As noted above this is a powerful practice. But it is much more than a physical exercise designed to stretch and strengthen muscles and ligaments. This is a spiritual practice and by extension a medical practice as well. But don’t take my word for it, try it. I recommend Jahnke’s book to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of Qigong, and Michael Winn’s approach to the Primordial form specifically. The only things you have to lose are time and possibly ill health and aging. You may gain more than you imagine.

1: The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi. 2002. Roger Jahnke. Contemporary Books.

This is I Liq Chuan

This is I Liq Chuan

I Liq Chuan is an internal martial art based on Taiji and Zen principles. It places a strong emphasis on awareness, which is of course preceded by mindfulness. I Liq Chuan in America is directed by Master Sam Chin. I have been studying this art for a couple of months now and just attended a workshop with Master Chin. It was amazing. I Liq Chuan does not focus on applications or choreographed martial simulations as much as it does skills and priniciples. Yet it has a much stronger martial focus than most Taiji schools, at least as we know them in America. I am finding this to be a great compliment to my Taiji studies. For the time being I can only devote a small amount of time to I Liq Chuan training, primarily because of logistics and distance. But I see this as real discovery for me. Stand by for more.