Imagine, when practicing the fundamental exercises, there is a line that runs vertically down each side of your body. These two lines each intersect the centres of the shoulder joint, hip joint, through the centre of the knees, and the centre-top/middle of the ankle joints (note the side-lines do not extend into the ground and the feet are always centred in the bubbling wells with weight distributed evenly across both feet).
Jen and I were having a conversation, the content of which I am sure most Tai Chi Ch'uan players can appreciate. TT Liang’s thoughts as expressed below I think clearly encapsulates the gist of our conversation. What a wondrous art. - JH At first I take up Tai Chi Chuan as a hobby, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, Skilled masters of old were subtle, "The Tao does not compete; those who compete do not follow the Tao. The Tao is not grasping; those who grasp do not understand the principles of the Tao. If you compete, you will attend only to the differences in people's intelligence. If you grasp, you will always compare yourself with others. Concerned with petty matters, you will have abandoned the Tao and forgotten about virtue. The sage appears dull and dim, but his/her wisdom is like a piece of hidden jade. In his/her interaction with others he/she is not competitive or grasping. Because his/her spirit is in balance, he/she is in harmony with the sky and earth in all season." |
AuthorJohn Hartley, Founder and Principal Instructor of Inner Health School of Taijiquan, Adelaide Categories
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