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Playing tai chi?
It is common for students to say that they are "playing" tai chi...
This notion of 'play' must be considered carefully.
Most adults perceive play as tooling around - insincere, light-hearted and
carefree.
But is this play at all?
Children at play
When a child plays, they seldom behave in the manner described.
A child at play is usually engrossed in whatever they are doing; their
minds
are in the here and now.
It can be quite difficult to distract a child who is playing.
What play means to you
Can you see the danger here? If you think that play refers to an opportunity to behave an irresponsible,
carefree, childish manner... then you have got the wrong idea about
tai chi.
Play is about immersion in the event itself.
Beginners who want to talk rather than train (or dance around and act
foolishly) are not in earnest.
They are not focused at all.
An inexperienced student cannot talk and train competently at the same time.
If they are talking, then they are talking. They are not training
tai chi.
Their aim was to discover the essential
nature or real constitution of things,
which they called 'physis'.
The term 'physics' is derived from this Greek word and meant therefore,
originally the endeavour of seeing the essential nature of things.
(Fritjof Capra)
The necessary balance
A student needs to concentrate in some respects, and be unselfconscious in
other regards.
Both facets of this requirement are addressed through the act of
playfulness.
Exploration
When a child discovers their universe, they do so through
play. A playful mind is not tense or uptight.
In tai chi we learn in the same way.
Students are encouraged to explore every neigong,
application and jing in partnership with other
people.
This approach is cooperative and experiential.
By practicing with others we can find out what works and what does not.
Other students can offer assistance and obstruction - both of which require
you to adapt, change and progress.
Find out for yourself
The beauty of play is that you do not have to believe anything.
You can find out for yourself.
If something works, examine the physics behind the success.
Why did it work? Can it be improved upon?
If something fails, figure out why it failed...
Unselfconscious
Adults forget the advantage of play.
Once you remove the barriers of right and wrong, approval and disapproval -
you can totally relax. If you make a mistake, so what? It is only play.
When you can relax and just be yourself, your mind will open to new
possibilities.
You can see the wonder of things and laugh.
You may start to play in other areas of your life...
Martial science
Our tai chi cannot be learned by copying somebody else.
You need a profound understanding of what you are doing and how it works.
The imagination must be engaged.
Without play and exploration, you will have tai chi classes filled with students who possess absolutely no
grasp of what they are practicing.
Most of us experience a sense
of being 'on edge' or jumpy. This is really a habitual over-reaction to our
environment. One way of deepening your understanding of this is to
experiment with habitual patterns of reacting to a familiar stimulus, such
as a door-bell or a telephone ringing.
(Michael Gelb)
Fighting
Sifu Waller's approach to tai chi has no interest whatsoever in
fighting - there will never be competitions or full-contact bouts.
Fa jing, shuai jiao, striking and chin na are not toys to be treated
carelessly.
No sensible person would allow you to snap their joint just to prove that it
can be done.
You must be far smarter than that if you want to learn tai chi.
Harm
Nobody actually wants to be hurt.
Broken bones, concussion, bleeding and damage are not going to be found when
training with Sifu Waller.
Aggressive
martial arts classes can cause their students more harm than a
real life attacker would - instead of learning to defend yourself, you are
beaten up every week.
Be honest with yourself: what do you really want from your lessons?
Exuberant
Many studies have proven that 'exuberant play' is the most effective
learning medium.
With the stigma of violence, pain and
injury removed, students are free to
relax and explore at their leisure.
The paradoxical physics associated with tai chi emphasises the
importance of relaxing and letting-go.
Play encourages this.
Prove yourself worthy
In order to complete the lower grades you must prove that you can
play.
You are taught new skills when you have proven that you can handle them
responsibly.
Trust must be earned, respect must be shown and consideration must be
demonstrated.
This is a safeguard for all school members.
Mastery
Playing is the first step in mastering your own ego and overcoming your
conditioning. Lao Tzu wrote: "master self before attempting to
master others".
If you lack the control necessary to employ the tai chi safely and
carefully, you are still a
beginner.
Humour is the greatest contribution you can bring to the practice; be
good-natured, kind and light-hearted.
When you stop taking yourself too seriously, you can begin to play in
earnest.
If you can play for the fun of playing, then the syllabus will be an
enjoyable experience.
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
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