freakyqi

Junior Bum
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Everything posted by freakyqi

  1. What brought you to your current path?

    To answer one question, Tao and Dao are exactly the same. "Dao" is how they spelled it in the older system of translating Chinese (Wades-Giles), and "Tao" is the current way (pinyin). "Tao" is more accurate these days, but no one is wrong for using "Dao"; it's going to be found in older writings, so it will probably never go away. I lived in Beijing for 2years and learned Chinese kinda decently, so here are a few other bonus words that are exactly the same. In each example I'll put pinyin (the official modern way) first, and alternate older ways after: qi = chi = energy (ki is Korean) gong = kung taijiquan = tai chi chuan = grand ultimate fist (most people leave off the quan/chuan; note "chi" is not the word "qi" in this phrase) doufu = tofu (the food) As for how I got to know Taoism, I was 18, across the country in Golden Gate Park at dawn, and saw a tiny guy in black doing taiji through the morning mist in front of the botanical gardens. It looked very much like the little guy at the top of this page! I watched from a distance and thought, "That looks like it feels good to do it". A few years later an opportunity came up to take an affordable 8 week class, and before long I was teaching that very same class! That was in the mid 90's, and I've been doing it and teaching it on & off ever since. Mostly "off" since covid started. Don't be impressed; time does not equal excellence, lol! I know a lot and have a lot to teach, but I lack discipline when it comes to myself.
  2. Good day friends

    Hi! I'm also new.... just saying hi to get rid of that big zero by your post, lol. Off to explore now, see ya around...
  3. Hello Dao Bums

    Hello! I've been a taiji bum, especially since I've been slacking during covid. So now I'll try being a Dao bum for a while, and see if I can get inspired through reading, chatting, learning, or helping others here. I look forward to meeting everyone, and yes, I already read the 3 pinned posts. :-p I'm one of those weird people who reads things *before* I join or sign.