(This article is the flip-side of a separate article – Gong: work and effort– both should be read in conjunction) I’ve always considered myself quite ‘spiritual’. I’ve twice thought seriously about becoming a monk, and got my first book on black magic at the tender age of 10. One thing …
Gong: work and effort
(This article is the flip-side of a separate article – https://www.changeskill.com/2020/07/27/spirituality/ – both should be read in conjunction) As a Tai Chi teacher, I’ve gone through different phases. At first, it was just trying to do what my teacher taught and told me. Like a lot of people, I started …
Force, Strength and Power
Working my way through the Australian Kungfu Federation’s coaching accreditation, I was reminded of that good old sports science equation: Strength + Speed = Power From the point of view of Tai Chi Chuan, this presents some points of interest. In the Classics, reference is made to “Li” (strength) and “Jin” …
Gin, Jin, Jing, Chin?
In Thai “Jing jing” means “really true”, so for example “Aroy jing jing” means “that really is delicious!”. The Tai Chi Newbie may jar a little when they are told that Gin is at the heart of Chinese internal martial arts. Others, typically with some background in Qigong, might say …
Internal and External
Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese internal martial art, listed as part of the ‘Nei jia quan‘ (‘Internal family boxing’). As such it contrasts with external martial arts (‘Wai jia quan’, where ‘Wai’ translates as ‘External’). The distinction may be traced back to the 17th century, although my teacher points …
Is your head on straight?
One of Tai Chi’s most touted health benefits relates to spinal health. The two pictures here, illustrate the point very well (from Peter Payne’s book ‘Martial Arts – The Spiritual Dimension’). All Tai Chi styles invoke their practitioners to maintain a straight back – “no bumps, no hollows”. Some schools …