the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Was looking at Yang family's promotion of this, and had this idea that maybe our school should have a ranking system too -- you know, to keep up with The Family and to attract new clientèle. I'm thinking the insignia should be the wide rainbow-colored stripes going around the shirts, one on top of another as the level increases (colored in the order of increasing energy, red being the lowest and violet the highest). So that e.g. a beginner would have a single red stripe around the bottom of his shirt, and the teacher would wear a shirt that is a completed rainbow. It would also go well with the good old "tai chi leads to homosexuality" idea. It'll be fabulous. What do you guys think?

That's fantasic - you can go right through beginner, intermediate and advanced, right up to "gold dragon" without ever learning a single martial application of anything you're doing.

Where do I sign up for my black belt?

Colors are a good place to start, but I really feel that chakras should be involved, naturally since ghey taiji is all about the chakras.

Instead of lower chakra, heart charkra, etc., they should have happeh names like: giddy chakra, tickle me chakra, giggle chakra, soap bubble chakra; and each one will be associated with a special chakra-enfused emoticon embroidered on the uniform as the student progresses upward along the ladder of energy refinement. Energy refinement being the goal of traditional ghey taiji as stated in the classics.

I could go on...

dmitri, i have a feeling you will advance to the highest levels of tie chee with ideas like this. you've got the thought processes that reveal your true mastery of the art!

(I've been waiting to use this one...)

I think maybe having different types of trees would be good. you know, like in the beginning they can only hug a willow because their chee is weak. so they get a willow icon on their silk jammie jams. then later they can hug a maple tree (a little larger) so they can get a maple leaf icon on their jammie jams. and so on..up to oak tree.

but maybe your right - I think the rainbow shirts beat my idea for completely ghey.

oh - were you being serious??

I'm always serious.

how ' bout rainbow skirts instead of rainbow shirts?

Dmitri, you are fabulous.

Yeth, I am!!

GrahamB wrote:
Where do I sign up for my black belt?

i herby certify grahamb as a "black belt" in tai chi. you will receive your certificate when i receive my check for $99.99 made payable to bruce reiter.
for an additional $9.99 i will attach a authentic rainbow flag to the black belt to certify you as a master of tai chi.
if you act in the next 15 minutes you will receive the grandmaster belt at no charge. supplies are limited.

offer expires july 7 2006

be sure to specify operator 135 when you call in...

I see my original teacher, Johnny Kwong Ming Lee now has a belt system. I shed a tear...

Man. Now I can't tell people Taiji, "Has no ranking system. People just know you're good because of your chee."