The metaphor of fascia

[I-mon]

that is some next level shit, shooter.

[BruceP]

Thanks, guys

Leaf taught me the stationary ball trick 7 or 8 years ago. It took a few years to really get the frequency down.

What somatai says rings true with my own modest understanding.

-edit-
always with the magnets

[Void]

That is a good post Bruce.

Working with the shape of the mind, where it sits in and out of the body (and what that does) and becoming familiar with different qualities of the mind really opens up the practice.

If you don't mind, what's the stationary ball then ?

[BruceP]

Void, I'd rather not discuss the exercise publicly. I've cast enough pearls over the years to know better. It is hilariously satisfying, however, to see lots of tjq dudes singing my tune...the same one they argued so hard against when l used to sing it.

I hope you'll understand that it's nothing personal. I'm just not that generous these days.

Maybe someone else will share it here?

[Interloper]

Void, I'd rather not discuss the exercise publicly. I've cast enough pearls over the years to know better. It is hilariously satisfying, however, to see lots of tjq dudes singing my tune...the same one they argued so hard against when l used to sing it.

I hope you'll understand that it's nothing personal. I'm just not that generous these days.

Maybe someone else will share it here?

There seems to be a lot of that going around these days. I was just reading a strikingly similar comment on another board. Well, as I always say, "Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Thievery."

[I-mon]

i don't think it will really matter what the exercise looks like anyway.

[Ian]

Void, I'd rather not discuss the exercise publicly. I've cast enough pearls over the years to know better. It is hilariously satisfying, however, to see lots of tjq dudes singing my tune...the same one they argued so hard against when l used to sing it.

No offense, but I don't think most taiji guys even know what your tune is. I for one have no clear idea what your concepts are because (I'm guessing) you don't like to spoon-feed, which is fair enough.

So you talk about
-working against resistance
-figuring out your natural responses
-taichi groundwork
-boat-building

I still have no idea what side pocket is...

[mrtoes]

Interesting read, thanks for the link.

A lot of guys that "get it" (including people from both the CMA and JMA camps) have mentioned that you can't be an "idiot" if you want to obtain these skills. Perseverance and hard work sans the thinking will only land someone in a sea of mediocrity.

Heh I was wondering where I was going wrong

Matthew.

[Void]

I see - that's really disappointing.

[yusuf]

If you don't mind, what's the stationary ball then ?

It's when you don't have to swing to get that jing.

..hmm you know more than you let on eh.. any chance you might elaborate on this please?

[wiesiek]

1. support hands on big beach ball floating on front of you no higher than collar bones...
press and play around

[BruceP]

Interloper, I don't believe there's anything new under the sun. I've presented some fairly out-of-the-box approaches to developing the fighty side of tjq, though, and those ideas were harshly rejected by almost every tjq peep I came in contact with. Fast-forward to the present and many of those ideas are now just 'common knowledge'. lol

It just smacks of dishonesty to see people I argued with now spouting off about the merits of those ideas as though they have a personal, experiential understanding (ownership) when they actually don't.

[BruceP]

Ian, a few things that have become 'common knowledge' among tai chi folks in recent years;

tjq is as applicable on the ground as it is while standing

the body-method one uses in solo and pattycake isn't necessarily going to be there for them under pressure

sport combat is the best medium for testing one's basic fighting method and if they haven't engaged that coarse, they have no idea how they stack up

until one has experienced a total failure of their ability to apply their tjq's basic fighting method under pressure againt folks who are really trying to hurt them, they won't know how to train it as a recovery method

there's more...

[BruceP]

Back to the metaphor of fascia

Working with the shspe of the mind...

Void, that phrase is very familiar

[Doc Stier]

It is hilariously satisfying, however, to see lots of tjq dudes singing my tune...the same one they argued so hard against when l used to sing it. It just smacks of dishonesty to see people I argued with now spouting off about the merits of those ideas as though they have a personal, experiential understanding (ownership) when they actually don't.

Shooter:

With all due respect, you have repeatedly expressed these feelings on a number of different threads. As such, I'm just wondering why you still post here? Why not cast your pearls elsewhere, where they might be more gratefully received?

At least a few folks replied to your views, even if in disagreement with you. I've seen a lot of guys post equally good information here, and never receive so much as a single response for their efforts. Maybe it's time to get over it and move on to greener pastures, or simply get over it and continue on here, without concern in either case about whether anyone agrees with you or not.

For whatever it's worth, I for one appreciate your many fine posts. Thanks for sharing!