Recently, like the masses of North America, I’ve been caught up… mesmerized by the game Guitar Hero 3 (as it were). I’ve never been a big “gamer”… and many of my friends would call me just the opposite. Usually I only fancy the simulation-type games (i.e. SimCity and Flight Sim, etc.). But having no real talent instrument-wise, I decided to give it go over at my friend Chad’s house. I instantly became hooked and inwardly vowed that once I got my new computer, it would be the first thing that I loaded.
For those that aren’t prevy to the game, the guitar is your controller. You have FIVE colored buttons (for our left hand. Green. Red. Yellow. Blue. Orange.) and an up/down flapping button (for your right, where you’d be strumming a normal guitar). After you start up the game, name your band ( I named mine Bohdisattva… isn’t that a cool name for a band?), and set the difficulty level… you are off to the races. You begin by playing your first gig, choosing from four of the simpler rock ballads and once it starts you begin to get the feeling as if you were truly performing. More than half the screen is composed of a guitar neck where color-coded buttons run down the screen and must be met (at a certain time) with the corresponding color (or colors) as they travel to the base of the tele/computer screen. If you hit a color and or strum the guitar with the wrong button, an off-beat blurp occurs and therefore, makes the music less enjoyable. The trick is to develop some serious eye-finger reflexes while at the same time… enjoying some popular rock songs (my favorite might well be, Cherub Rock. Jennys is Cliffs of Dover).
I just recently beat the game on medium and I’ve tried desperately to finish a song on hard… but to no avail. But if I recollect to my days at medium… I remember (since it was only last week) that occasionally a series of difficult note combinations would run down the strings and I would… somehow… manage to strike all 5 or 6 notes in one fluid motion. Directly after experiencing what seemed like “magic,” I focus on the next note intensely and I’d (without fail) miss the note. It seemed that… in order to achieve a quality performance you would have to incorporate a bit of wu-wei (no mindedness). This just fascinated me because this is one of the hardest principles to instill in any beginning martial artist.
My taiji classes, for example… So many of them watch me perform the movements of the form. They make sure they take note of where I step, how I step, the small wave that my left hand draws, and also try to shadow the pace at which I perform the postures. Their mind is completely full, scattered-like and in a desire to copy all the moves… and copying none. Through repetition, they eventually get the footwork, then the choreography of the hands, but then comes the rhythm and breathing. This always leaves the beginning student, somewhat frustrated. There seems to be a myth out there that since taiji is supposed to soft, slow and flowing that it is all supposed to be easy. Well…. I believe that if we took at good look at my example of learning Guitar Hero 3, we might be able to see that if we try to find the chord… the note… the beat of the movement and concentrate on moving/dancing along those similar lines… we will be performing it the it should be performed, with great heart and spirit.
AND AS PROMISED…. I’M HERE TO VENTURE MY THOUGHTS.
BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE… WHAT DID EVERYONE ELSE HAVE TO SAY? SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS WERE CLASSIC ONES. DRAGONS, WOLVES, PELICANS, LEMURS, TIGERS AND TANOOKI (WHATEVER THAT IS?)…. ELEMENTS (i.e. WATER, FIRE, ETC) AND DIAGRAMS (i.e. TAIJI TU, BAGUA) WERE MENTIONED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR RESPONSES.
Before I get into the fillet of the article, I’d like to say that previously I worked with “the dragon.” Historically, the dragon is the juggernaut of the martial world. The dragon spews bellows of fire, claws at his prey and whips his tail unexpectedly. The dragon is definitely the pinnacle of yang energy and leaves all the others… “how should I say… lacking.” But it occurs to me, being so dramatically yang OR embracing the spirit of the dragon does not correspond to the natural and quintessential aspect of Taijiquan. If one is to do the taijiquan form, the spirit must be above the form… we must be quick and evasive, yet resilient and rooted when needed.
THE BUTTERFLY
I don’t know how it came to me. But after thinking for a moment on said question (of “What do WE/TAIJIQUAN Embody?”)… I remembered being in a butterfly farm. This was quite a few years ago and I hardly remember the experience, but it DID make an impression. Just like the first time I went snorkeling, the experience of having several butterflies land on my arm gave me an instant connection with nature. Besides the new-found love for these delicate creatures, I remember the impression it left.
Funny that it never crossed my mind before… but you can’t tell when a butterfly lands on your sleeve (at least I couldn’t). There is no weight. When you move your arm (obviously this depends on the shyness of these butterflies, but I was at a butterfly farm for pete sake) their legs have a sufficient hold that naturally adheres, without having to grip. The wings, which you would think would be like an umbrella in the wind, actually adjusts to your movement (as long as the disturbance isn’t a violent shake). But as it flies.. it eludes you with such lightness, and fluttering quickness. You need a net to catch one. Has anyone caught a healthy, wild butterfly with their bare hand (one that didn’t want to get caught)? I would think it would be a tremendous task.
Taijiquan has the reputation of being boringly slow. However, the truth is that Taiji should be as spritely and lively as a dancing butterfly. That is just my opinion. There are probably some classic taiji players that would disagree with me… but I can truly relate to this “dance.” I don’t know anyone who has seen a real-life dragon, so for me… it would be quite a stretch of the imagination to be one of those. Plus, dragons are quite the carnivore. And I’m desperately trying to separate myself from that. At least as much as I can.
THIS QUESTION GOES OUT TO EVERYONE WHO PRACTICES THE MARTIAL ARTS:
PREFACE: Within many martial art styles, the practitioner “becomes”… “takes on” the characteristics of something apart from oneself. Some examples would be the: strength and power of the tiger, the grace and balance of the crane, the quickness of the snake… and the list goes on and on. In Xingyiquan the cornerstone of its practice is to take on the spirit of said creatures to enhance the emotional cord and the effectiveness to the movements. Taijiquan is different, but the feeling we have while we are doing the form can be likened to …. something… and it can be different for anybody. So here’s my question (in two parts)::
WHEN YOU PRACTICE (please state martial art discipline), WHAT CREATURE/OBJECT/BEING DO YOU EMBODY?
IF YOU DON’T FEEL THAT YOU RELATE TO ANY, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ART OF TAIJIQUAN (or any other art) BEST REPRESENTS? (i.e. Sumo may be a rhino, Hung Gar Kung fu may be a Tiger, Baguazhang may be a dragon, etc)
ONCE ALL YOU GUYS AND GALS RESPOND… I will venture my opinion. Fair enough? Okay, get thinking!
Hey Gang! Please know that the CCB will be about blogging and I will not take away from the true nature of blogging (that is to say, “reading”)… but I will occasionally have these webcasts in order to bring to light some important aspects and teachings that can best be shown by video. Before I get comments on this one, (he smiles) (1)… I look off to the left because I have jotted down speaking points and (2) I know I have quite a few “ums” in there. It’s been a while since my college public speaking class. It’s funny how those little things creep back in after you’ve casted them out.
First, I’d like to thank all our readers and those who have offered their voice, their opinions and insights and who have heightened our learning by offering advise, recommendations, and links to aid in our search for knowledge and truth.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT : One thing that I get great pleasure from is teaching. This year has been especially enlightening as I have attracted some extraordinary students into my life. Some of these take class from me, some are engaged in private instruction and some come to workshops and lectures that I give (and several of these continue to keep in touch). A sincere thanks to those people (you know who you are) who have enriched my life, and I just want to let you know that I can’t wait to continue to grow in our understanding of Life and the art of Wushu (taijiquan, contemporary wushu, self defense, etc).
NEW TOUCHES : Like many of you, I enjoy cruising through any YouTube videos that strike my fancy. There is a particular teacher that I subscribe to whose screen-name is ChosonNinja. He teaches from the heart and reaches a large audience by web-casting his teachings in video form. Many of us enjoy reading, but living in such a visual, media-rich, “entertaining” time… it would be fair to say that videos are more popular than books… video clips more popular than articles.
CHENCENTER BEGINS FIRST VIDEO CAST: I will begin speaking/teaching/instructing in video format very soon. Everyone will be able to subscribe at our site on YouTube (HERE) [we already have a few older clips up]. The purpose behind this is that
I am here to serve. I would like to reach as many of you as I possibly can
we all live a very/semi-busy lifestyle
and… are therefore crunched for time
most of us enjoy reading and learning from our home
we can also get-in a quick lesson at work [without leaving the office]. Thanks Al Gore.
THE MAIN REASON BEING :
The love of Taijiquan… of truth… of martial arts is (in essence) a personal journey. The internet (video webcasts in particular) is an excellent vehicle to spread this message to the masses of people out there!
I’ll get that first web-cast out to you soon. Stay tuned!
Here we are… three days after UFC 83, and might I just say, it was a tremendous show. George “Rush” St. Pierre completely dismantles Matt Serra. [my heart was in suspended arrest the entire time] because I know Serra can throw bombs and in mixed martial arts… (obviously) anything can happen at any time.
George said directly following his win:
It’s the most beautiful day of my life. A dream come true. … A win on my shoulder, but my belly isn’t full.
Coming off a KO from Serra in their last confrontation, GSP had to overcome that memory of defeat and focus on the task of regaining the welterweight title. After dominating Matt Serra in this match-up, St. Pierre became the youngest guy in UFC history to regain the UFC title [at 26].
Why the CCB [ChenCenter Blog] loves GSP [George St. Pierre]:
True Martial Artist: George exudes many great qualities, but on the top-of-the-list would be his humbleness and class (which is most stellar). In an interview (The Hour; watch here) with George regarding the question of “Will you win?”… George said that he would “do his very best” (in which many MMA athletes would take the opportunity to boast and make arrogant predictions. One of my favorite quotes in this interview is when he is asked, “Are you ever scared going into the ring with those guys?” in which he said… “Of course I’m scared. Not of the opponent, but scared at not performing the way I should.”
Dedication: In order to excel (especially in MMA), one needs to be well rounded. The sport of Mixed Martial Arts has many facets: boxing, kickboxing, and grappling (all of which require a great amount of physical conditioning). George trains with both the Triumph Fight Team and the Canadian National Wrestling Team.
Record: Great champions in sport history go against top competitors during their time. George’s record stands like this; 16 wins- 2 losses -1 draw. He has beaten top-notch opponents like: Matt Hughes (twice), Karo Parisyan, Frank Trigg, Josh Koscheck, Sean Sherk and now, Matt Serra. Legendary fighters (nearly always) have their “mountain to climb”: Mohammad Ali had Frazier, Frazier had Foremen, Roy Jones Jr. had “what’s-his-name. yeah, him”, and now George St. Pierre has… well, maybe we will see.
Personality: Okay, do I really have to mention it? Wouldn’t it just be senseless typing to attempt to “count the ways.” Watch the interviews, read his blogs or ask people about him… he’s a swell guy!
Well… now it’s your turn. With whom would you “count the ways?”
Is GSP your favorite fighter? If so, why?
Is GSP pound-for-pound the best UFC welterweight in history? … or not yet?
Who is/are your favorite MMA fighter(s) (and why) ?
Why is it that when I’m ecstatically happy about something I dance the “jig?” What might you dance a jig about, you might ask? Well… in midst of a tough business decision, I decided to upgrade my computer (which will not only minimize my task-load… but will create new and creative projects for me). With the tragedy that befell my external hard-drive (destroying my sole copy of instructional materials)… I can now remake them bigger and better. If you must ask another question… might I say, “I’m well ahead of you?”… she’s a big, beautiful iMAC. [Coach Joyce returns to dancing the jig]
The famous comedian George Burns was once asked, “What’s the secret of Life,” of which he replied, “keep breathing.” Wise words from a guy that reached the ripe ol’ age of 100 (and two months).
The Chinese symbol to the left is Qi (pronounced “chee”). We’ve heard it plenty… some of us have read up on it… but every one of us has experienced it [just most of us haven't been aware of it]. When I speak to youngsters about qi, I often allude to the Star Wars films in which George Lucas replaced “Qi” with “the Force.” Qi is a term that means energy, or breath. It is the prime-mover of our existence and permeates throughout the universe.
There are different types of “Qi Training” (called Qigong) such as: Buddhist Qigong, Taoist Qigong, Wushu Qigong and Medical Qigong. Within these, the practitioner learn to harness and cultivate this energy for the purposes of: emitting, absorbing, cleansing, conditioning and healing. [Author's note: Wushu Qigong should not be attempted without a qualified teacher. Practitioners should also have a basic understanding of qi and qigong training before wushu qigong is attempted]. And yes, there are even methods: Natural, Differential, Reversed, Dantian, Embryonic and “method of no-method.” All have their benefits but it is the first (Natural Breathing Qigon) that we will focus on for purposes of “beginning at the root”, health and in developing a habit of “correct method” of breathing throughout of days.
Breathing and its link to good health makes plenty of sense. …for it’s the air we breathe, the oxygen that is delivered to the cells and the energetics at work that nurtures life. But it’s our awareness of our breath through both moving or non-moving activities that bolsters results.
Awareness: Concentrating on the “breath in” and the “breath out” focuses our mind internally and removes us from outside thoughts and common distractions. Thoughts will always enter in… it is just our nature as humans to think. But just as ripples appear on a pond… let the mind return to calm and think back to the breath as it is drawn into the body and finds its rest in the lower abdomen.
A MYTH: Healthy breathing does NOT mean expanding the chest and letting as much oxygen in as possible. By doing so, oxygen restricts the hemoglobin molecules and less is released to the cells.
THINK QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.
Quality: Soft. Quiet. Relaxed. Smooth… all of these should be words to describe “how you are breathing. As you breath into your nostrils (at a relaxed, steady pace), imagine the breath going all the way down to your abdomen (aka. dantian). By bringing your breath to your dantian, even smallest blood vessels will relax and open and will enrich your body with a greater flow of blood, oxygen and qi.
Natural or Diaphragmatic breathing:Breathe through the nose at a soft and steady rate and bring the breathe to the abdomen. Allow the abdomen to expand (by way of the breath, and not by your abdominal muscles pushing outwards). As you breathe out, do so by breathing out through the nose and allow the abdomen to contract/go inward.
Relax: This cannot be repeated enough. The better you are at relaxing, the greater the benefits you will attain from your practice. Bring your thoughts away from school, work or any other outside distractions. If your thoughts drift… return back. Over time, over practice… the “return” will be easier and easier.
Posture: There are many qigong postures and all of them will have to be adjusted slightly since we all are built differently. I have only 3 postures (which may be over simplified) and they are: standing, sitting and laying. I use each of these postures as throughout the day (as I am often in one of the 3 postures naturally). For instructional purposes, a standing posture should be made with a straight spine, head erect, knees slightly bent, arms by your side and the tip of the tongue resting softly behind the roof of the mouth (behind the first two teeth).
Illustrations of qigong movements are helpful, however the mother of movement will always be stillness. There are many great books that may help you to better understand qigong such as: Qigong Empowerment, by Master Shou-Yu Liang & Wen-Ching Wu and The Way of Qigong, by Kenneth Cohen… but the act of qigong is a relatively simple way to extend ones life. Time, patience, willpower and correct intention are the only requisites.
HAS QIGONG WORKED FOR YOU ?
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCES ?
MIGHT YOU HAVE ANY WISDOM YOU’D LIKE TO IMPART ON US ?
OR MIGHT YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MYSELF OR OUR READING PUBLIC ?
I came across a blog that I’m a subscriber too and I decided to spend 5 minutes of my time and create an account. $25 can take me and my girlfriend out to dinner, and for each person I refer… I get an additional $10 created to my account. [this account is for an account similar to Paypal]
I didn’t think FREE money existed, but I’d be more than happy to pick it up if it floats my way.
Click on this link and you’ll be directed to the page to sign-up!
Don’t wait… This special might just end today (according to my friend’s blog), however in the Terms of Agreement at the website, it may be MAY 15 th and not APRIL 15th. I’m not taking any chances so I did it today. And low and behold, $25 in my account awaiting verification.
P.S> This is a legit bank. First Bank & Trust, Brookings, SD and is a member of the FDIC
Hi Everyone! My name is Michael Joyce and welcome to the CCB! I'm the owner and head teacher of the Center for Hunyuan Taijiquan (which we shorten to "ChenCenter" or "CCB"). I strongly encourage and anticipate comments and questions from you guys. I love feedback and I will never delete any comment unless it's either blatantly rude or uses profanity. (f.y.i. 'damn' or 'ass' is not profane. Use your judgement)
Most BLOG ENTRIES will be partaining to the martial arts, however I will often stray from that subject and into various others such as: philosophy, health & wellness, nutrition, film, self-help, music, religion (never negatively) and other topics of Life. Thank you very much for joining me. Stay and kick-back a little... and don't forget to subscribe to the feed. I hope to be posting once to twice a week. Peace and Love, ~Michael
Recently, like the masses of North America, I’ve been caught up… mesmerized by the game Guitar Hero 3 (as it were). I’ve never been a big “gamer”… and many of my friends would call me just the opposite. Usually I only fancy the simulation-type games (i.e. SimCity and Flight Sim, etc.). But having no real talent instrument-wise, I decided to give it go over at my friend Chad’s house. I instantly became hooked and inwardly vowed that once I got my new computer, it would be the first thing that I loaded. 
