adept

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Posts posted by adept

  1. Posted

    adept.....

    You have not mentioned what style that was. It didn't sound like a Wu style but more like a Yang style. Am I right....???

    :)

     

    I didn't even ask what style it was. To be honest, I'm not too bothered at the minute. I'm just going to enjoy my learning as much as possible and maybe ask more questions at a later date.

    Because we didn't learn any form work whatsoever, his style would be difficult to make out.

    Judging by the width and length of his stance when showing us movement, I'd have a guess at saying Yang style.

    • Like 2

  4. Posted

    Sounds like a total keeper, you got a good look a lot of important stuff on your first lesson and its always a good sign a teacher imparts the basics of her/his skill before moving on to what people often mistake for "the good stuff" or the "real" stuff, imo its the other way around really.

     

    A tip: dont rush ahead of what your instructor is showing you, the internet is great and all that but the less you bring with you to a lesson, the easier it'll be building a good communication and trust with your instructor. What is said about too many cooks is true about martial arts teachers as well.

     

    Have fun!

    Thanks Rocky Lionmouth, that's some good solid advice. Too much MA 'window shopping' can be detrimental to practice.

    • Like 1

  5. Posted

     

    Well it sounds to good to be true, but if it is then it must be good karma. :) Finding a good IMA instructor is 50% of the whole business. The other 50% is your own effort.

     

    Anyway, if you are going to take up Taiji seriously here are some pointers:

     

    1. ZZ is the bread and butter of the practice. It will develop your root.

     

    2. Ma Bu, horse stance training. All Chinese Martial Arts whether external or internal adopt this stance as a way of developing your foundations, power comes from the feet and the waist and Ma Bu was designed with that in mind.

     

    There are a couple of entries (opening and strengthening the kua & Mabu: leading the weight of the body; how to be more vertical) in the following blog that cover important aspects of the stance, even though it comes from a BGZ practitioner, but it doesn't matter, it still is Ma Bu.

     

    The following page is maintained by one of a Taiji player I know of here in Australia:

     

    Brisbane Chen Taiji

     

    This blog provides all the technicalities and nuances of the art.

     

    And yes that teacher makes you train focusing only on waist, arm and leg movement left to right, right to left (lie Mr Miyagi in The Karate Kid: wax on, wax off :D...for a minimum of 3 months until you get the feeling of how to move correctly in Taiji using the kua and connecting all body parts at once, like a big sphere. No forms during that time. The class starts with 1/2h of ZZ practice.

     

    All the best in your Taiji journey :)

    Thank you Gerard. Indeed, quality IMA instruction is what I've been searching for what seems to be years, and then all of a sudden, this teacher appears, charging only £2 per session, a five minute walk from my door ? Maybe good karma has played a part. When the student is ready, the teacher appears, as the saying goes.

  6. Posted

    The work of Stephen C Meyer is fascinating in the world of I.D.

    After many hours watching very informative videos, reading lots of scientific journals etc etc, I've come to the conclusion that there is one Supreme Creator/Designer. That Creator lies outside the laws of physics, space and time because the Creator created all that is. Both the seen and the unseen.

    Whether that Creator is named Allah, Yahweh, Jehovah, God, Dao or whatever is irrelevant.

    Chance has no place in the structured order and extreme fine tuning of the Universe.

  9. Posted

    Well, today I had my first tai chi lesson and I was very impressed. It was part of a scheme run by the local council to get people off their butts and into any kind of exercise.

    Stereotypically, I expected nothing but OAP's and ultra happy new age types having seen these sort of things elsewhere. I could not have been so wrong ! In fact, myself and Mrs. Adept were the only ones there. This was to be an excellent opportunity for a virtually private lesson.

    The tutor was extremely good. We warmed up with some light stretching and then qigong. Later the instructor took us through body movements, posture, alignment, stepping and breathing. We didn't do the form at all, as the instructor was trying to get us into the way of moving and stepping and coordinating it with correct breathing.

    A thoroughly enjoyable first session !

    • Like 4

  10. Posted

    Another thing for those more knowledgeable on the subject, do you think this kind of thing is possible for regular cultivators as opposed to monks and those on retreat ? People that are still entrenched in the 'dust of the world'.

    This is a fascinating subject. There seem to be cases all over Asia of these and similar events such as Pure Land cultivators knowing there time of physical death, rainbow body, daoist immortals etc etc.

    Looking forward to some thought provoking input on this.

  14. Posted

    Don't be surprised, be happy :) If someone decides to make a book available for free because he bought it in the first place and want to share it with the rest of humanity then you are not to judge.

     

    Here are more Dharma teachings for FREE without a charge as it should be.

     

    http://www.forestdhamma.org/books/english/

    http://www.buddhanet.net/xmedfile.htm

     

    Or is it that Tibetan Buddhism has lost track of the true nature of the Dharma and suddenly have become money orientated?

     

    Indeed. A lot of Theravada teachings are offered free of charge.

  18. Posted

    Well worth visiting the following: http://www.qigongchinesehealth.com/fragrant_qigong

     

    Possibly the most information on this form out there; and there are DVDs avaiable of the different levels.

     

    It's very simple and many people disparage because of this; I practiced it for a short time and observed that it works; don't practice now simply because I found another form that better suited me.

     

    Wow ! So many fascinating testimonials, some of which sound amazing. If these stories are true, then more people really need to practice this.

  20. Posted

    I've only just learned something truly awful about the scandal surrounding the Hare Krishna movement, especially Prabhupada, who made lots of disparaging remarks against women, jews, racist and bigoted comments and views. There's also some concerns of paedophile activity, poisonings and even murder !

    I had no idea whatsoever of any of this !

    I'm sorry but I can't be part of any practice, however beneficial, with a such a sick, twisted and tainted past. :angry:

    • Like 1