January 12, 2021
December 11, 2020
November 18, 2020
For Tai Chi Students: Tai Chi Chuan Lun (Discourse)
First of the Five Classic, this version of The Tai Chi Chuan Lun (Discourse) is a translation by my teacher, Dan Docherty. He has written more than one book on this subject, with commentary, covering this Classic.
Translated by Dan Docherty
Once you move, the whole body must be light and agile,
In particular, it must be linked together.
The Chi (Vital Energy) should be aroused and agitated,
While the Shen (Spirit) must be internally hoarded.
No place should be deficient or defective,
No place should have hollows or bumps.
No place should be cut off or extended.
The root is in the feet;
Discharging is done by the legs,
The controlling power is in the waist,
And the appearance is in the hand and fingers.
From the feet to the legs to the waist,
All must be completely uniform and simultaneous,
Whether stepping forward or moving back.
This will result in good timing and correct movements.
If in certain places good timing and correct movement are not achieved,
Body movements become arbitrary and disordered.
This sickness must be sought in the waist and leg.
Above and below, forward and back, left and right are all like this.
In general this is controlled by the Yi (Intent) and not externally.
If there is up, immediately there is down;
If there is forward, immediately there is back;
If there is left, immediately there is right.
If the Yi is to go up,
The Yi to go down is there immediately.
Or, if you raise something up,
Then there is the Yi to smash it down with increased force.
In this way its roots will be severed
And destruction will be swift and beyond doubt.
Void and Substantial must be clearly distinguished.
Each place of course has its individual balance of void and substantial,
Every place consists of this, one Void and Substantial.
Every part of the body in turn is strung together,
Without causing the least break.
This Tai Chi,
It’s like the great river, the Chang Jiang,
Surging and flowing without interruption.
Of the Thirteen Tactics,
Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou and Kao;
They are the Eight Trigrams.
Step Forward, Move Back, Face Left, Look Right and Centrally Fixed;
These are the Five Elements.
Peng, Lu, Ji and An,
Are the trigrams Chien, Kun, Kan, Li, the four cardinal points.
Cai, Lie, Zhou and Kao
Are the trigrams Sun, Chen, Tui, Ken the four corners.
Step Forward, Move Back, Face Left, Look Right and Centrally Fixed;
Are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth.
November 11, 2020
November 9, 2020
November 6, 2020
For Tai Chi Students: Nice Applications in the middle of the video
November 4, 2020
The Effects of Tai Chi and Qigong on Immune Responses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
“In conclusion, despite several limitations, the current review of RCTs indicates that practising TQ can have a positive impact on immune system functioning and inflammatory processes. Given the vital role of the immune system, and in particular the influence of cytokines, in the current viral pandemic, preventative public health strategies to improve immune functioning in the general public, and those with medical conditions, are needed. However, while the promotion of TQ to the general public and healthcare professionals as a preventative health intervention for strengthening the immune system is recommended, further robust studies to develop clinical practice guidelines for using TQ with vulnerable populations is warranted.”
For Tai Chi Students: Tai Chi Star Wk 7
October 29, 2020
For Tai Chi Students: The Unthinkable
Amanda Ripley wrote “The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why” in 2008. I learned about it through the Everett Emergency Management community – it was recommended because disasters are a shock to the system and that is the context of any emergency.
The overall message of the book is that there is such a thing as a “disaster personality” and, in general, the psychological and physiological responses within individuals as well as groups is predictable. If predictable then we can train for it, to improve our own odds of survival.
First responders, the military and martial artists do train for it. In the book she talks about how they do that. I am sharing this here because the very methods taught in our tai chi class (and in martial arts course across the globe) are the methods used by these first responders to enhance their performance under dire circumstances.
First and foremost I think that the biggest contribution of this book is the detailed discussion of what is called “The Survival Arc”. These are the predictable phases we all go through in emergencies: which can be defined as anything that produces these responses, from an earthquake (which we talk about all the time around here), to riots (which we also have to think about for some reason), to an auto accident. The result is the same.
The Arc is made of up three phases: First there is the Delay phase: denial is the dominant feature. We can not even process what has happened (is happening), because it is so unthinkable (hence the title of the book).
Second is the Deliberation phase. Here fear is introduced into the mix (Rule #1 is that you will go into survival mode). Think fight-or-flight (and the 132 chemicals released into your system to deal with the threat). Here is where things can get bizarre with responses like disassociation being normal. This is because that chemical cocktail that curses through our body in an emergency bestows gifts (think of the woman lifting the car off the kid), but for every gift given something is taken away (like vision, hearing, recall, etc.). Rule #2. Phase two is where some people can get stuck in fear, paralyzed, and sometimes die – when safety was just steps away.
Phase three is the Decisive Movement when we act. The trick is to train and become aware so that you can prepare, because the sooner you act – with intention and some clarity – the more likely you will survive.
So, like everything else in emergency management, and in martial arts for that matter, it all starts with awareness. And, in this case, risk assessment. What should we worry about? The leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart disease, cancer, and stroke; the most common causes of accidental deaths is auto accidents, poisoning, and falls. Those are the things you should worry about and try to prevent. We improve our risk perception so that we can make better-informed gambles in a situation.
For example, “after 911 studies showed that the more hours of coverage adults and children watched, the more stress they experienced.” “TV makes us worry about the wrong things. Your brain is better filtering out media hype when reading. Words have less emotional salience than images. So it is much healthier to read the paper than watch TV.”
So what is worse, the fact that bad stuff happens and is on the news, or the fact that we get stressed out watching it on the news?
The above quotes are from the book. I do not know if any of this resonates with you, but I mention all of it because tai chi students learn how to breathe so that they can relax. Known as “combat Lamaze” in some circles it gets you out of fear. It helps you deal with the stress of the moment (and all of those chemicals) and get out of Deliberation and on to Decisive Moment (act).
The whole point of any of this preparation stuff is to be equipped to deal with possible scenarios that could happen. The stops worrying and live life in peace.
It is a book that seems appropriate to our times. I highly recommend it.
(Note: Originally this author, as a journalist, was given the task of interviewing survivers of 911 and writing about what they had to say. Their message was so profound to her that she researched disaster in general and started interviewing all kinds of people. They all had this very important message about the survivability factors (the Survival Arc stuff). And she ended up writing this book. A fascinating story.
August 24, 2020
July 27, 2020
Healthy Living and Healthy Aging (Tai Chi and Chi Kung)
For some folks the current crisis represents incentive to get healthier. Here is more on that: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/studentships/the-impact-of-health-qigon-tai-chi-exercises-on-healthy-living-and-healthy-ageing/?fbclid=IwAR0f3FUOb8KpnVDiHM2YVTGTLYcMIPe-gNQEv9xrChlv4qakiBWHNze0dw0
Everett Chiropractic Center Blog 