Mike G. is the newest member of the NSB T'ai Chi and Qigong Association

 

Mike G. this morning. He approached my while I was practicing on the beach. He's seen me 'out there' for years, doing 'something' perhaps qigong?

 Anyway conversation led to an introduction to the practice:  

1. Standing Meditation (I Ch'uan) for vertical alignment, relaxation and breathing (the basics). 

   2. Single leg balancing, recognizing when you are in balance (on either leg), once you have the 'feeling' then try to lift the empty leg without any further movement or leaning when the empty leg is lifted. 

NOTES: 

*Without correct vertical alignment balancing will require more effort. 

*The more precise the alignment is the more relaxed the single leg balancing will be. Period!! 

*It takes time, dedication and discipline to acquire proper alignment. 

*Alignment must be continuously monitored and adjusted. Especially when moving. 

*Alignment is best developed during Standing Post training. 

*Developing proper vertical alignment to gravity is an essential first step toward the 'real deal'. 

It is essential but it's NOT easy!

Sunrise practice this morning

 

The view for my sunrise practice this morning (Friday 11.25.22) 

It's been very overcast and foggy these past few mornings, so no sunrises. 

After hurricane Nicole the only time that there's enough beach to walk and practice on is around low tide!!

 November has the highest tides of the year. Hopefully this will change slightly as the year goes on?

I'll let ya know! Fingers crossed!!

This morning the tide was 1/2 way and coming up, I had just enough beach to shoot and exercise on!

Although the sand was a bit soft, counter balancing my postures, was of great assistance.

 

*Physically balancing in soft sand is much more difficult than on a wooden floor!*

Enjoy your practice

Using Progressive Stepping for a knife held at the small of the back - Modern Arnis

Possible defense against a knife held at the small of the back. 

Rather than thinking that this is a realistic defense against a knife. I'd suggest to look at it as a two person drill to help understand and develop skill using a progressive and of course practice the actual knife disarm. 

Disarms in general take massive amounts of practice to be useful.

 Disarms are very opportunistic in their application; IF you find yourself in a situation where a disarm presents itself, that's the time to use it. 

Disarms are very, very tricky to apply in real time, without a cooperating partner. 

Prof. Presas told me "you will be cut" if you try to defend against a knife.

 

The reason to train disarms; A last ditch effort to survive the assault. 

First T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classic Zhang San Feng The last third

Sifu Roy reads the last third of the T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classic commonly attributed to legendary T'ai Chi founder

Zhang San Feng

Sifu is reading from T'ai Chi Master Paul B. Gallaghers book "Drawing Silk"

Sifu has been reciting the classics aloud as he is practicing.

Give it a try if you haven't yet.

Most important point of all:

Enjoy your practice!

Gong Fu (Kung Fu) = The skill that can be derived from long term effort.

 Gong-Fu (Kung Fu) (功夫) cannot be achieved in a single day.

After a long period of continuous hard work, one will develop some Gong-Fu and the longer one endures this process, the more Gong-Fu one will acquire.

Just like a lump of iron ore smelted and hammered day after day, it is gradually transformed into pure steel.

Besides using a correct 'method' from a competent teacher

*The ONLY shortcut is to be consistent*

First T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classic attributed to Zhang San Feng

Sifu Roy reads the beginning (the first two thirds) of the T'ai Chi Ch'uan Classic text traditionally ascribed to T'ai Chi's founder

Zhang San Feng.

This translation is from

T'ai Chi Master Paul B. Gallagher's book:

"Drawing Silk"

Practice tips from Sifu Roy - Abdominal Breathing -

 Abdominal Breathing (Taoist Longevity Breathing)

*The movement of the abdomen is active (yang) - 

[Expanding as you breathe in, contracting as you breath out] 

*The movement of rib cage is passive (yin) 

[Expanding at the floating ribs sideways as you breathe in and contracting as you breathe out]

*In and out through the nose

*Slow, Fine, Even, and Soft

*Breathing in Calm (As if the air is pure white vapor)

*Breathing out Tension and Stress, Injury and dis-ease (As if the air is dark and thick)

Enjoy!