Aaron Cook injects optimism into team GB Tae Kwon Do

Aaron Cook wins in the 80kg weight class at the British Open Tae Kwon Do Championships and ranks him number one in the world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/taekwondo/9035815.stm

I do find it strange that competitors can lose so much composure following a point score though. It seems to me more like gamesmanship than martial art. They also seem to not follow up if they themselves are convinced of having scored a point, appealing to the judges often and crying and moaning. Oh dear. I think I'm getting old. Or at least am I old fashioned?

Tai Chi, relaxed yet firm

Tai chi chuan is relaxed, but not limp. It should feel like a steel bar wrapped in cotton.

Training in Chen Tai Chi Chuan

Photo: Xuejiao Chen, Jean-Paul Bindel, Chris Thomas, Thierry Mas

(Thierry is sifu Chen's husband. In the Photo, note how Jean-Paul and I look hot and sweaty, while sifu Chen and Thierry look cool and dry.)

While I was in France, I had the pleasure of training with a Chen-family master. This was my second time training with a Chen family master, the first time was with 19th generation master Chen Xiao Wang. This time, I received training from 21st generation master Chen Xuejao. My DKI-colleague in France, Jean-Paul Bindel, invited me to attend and introduced my to this fine master. Such a pleasure! Madame Chen is a superb technician, with powerful and mature movements which defy her age (she is 26 or 27) and her "condition" (she is pregnant with her first child and due in December).

During the class, sifu Chen made direct and frequent references to the martial uses of Chen tai chi chuan. For her, the health benefits of the movements – the usual reason for people to take tai chi – are inseparable from the martial application. If you visualize the application, you will move correctly. If you move correctly, your energy will flow in a healthy and life sustaining manner.

As a Yang style practitioner, I found the Chen to be challenging and fascinating. It was also interesting to see what sifu Chen did not teach outwardly – an interesting "stirring" movement which initiated several of her actions.

As a pressure point practitioner, I found Chen style to be very effective. Clearly, I have a very unique perspective on tai chi. I believe that a great way to "move a thousand pound with four ounces" is to use pressure points. I am not saying that pressure points are the "best" way to do this, or the "true" way to do this, but it is my preferred way. And this made for interesting dinner conversation after class. Sifu Chen was knowledgeable about points but somewhat more cautious about their use than we western kyusho-jitsu practitioners tend to be.

I am definitely going to explore Chen style. I don't know if that means I will become a practitioner, or if it means that I will simply steal as much knowledge from the system as I can. Either way, I look forward to my next chance to train with Chen Xuejao.

Thanks for reading,

Now, go train!

CT

Video mini-blog: Full Intent

Don't just sit there...do it!

As I'm sat here, skipping Kempo class, I feel...well, relaxed. I need a night off to crack this cold I have and hopefully I'll be back on form soon and training with gusto. I need to as the only way to learn a martial art is by doing it. Learning the key principle behind techniques is useful but it's in no way a replacement for doing it.

Knowing that martial arts training techniques are governed by principles such as "changing a small force into a larger one", "applying rotational motion", "transmit more force by adding momentum" are pretty fundamental when studying a martial art. Put another way, using some principles of physics and knowledge of the human anatomy including vital points can go a long way but it just can't replace feeling it.

I often read the mantras spun out by teachers about this principle or that and I understand it. They are often well put and I have no problem grasping the base idea of how to move a person in a certain way or how to immobilise a joint because of this or that physiological principle but really the only way to learn and appreciate is to do it. This means feeling your opponent and sensing where the right spot is to plant a fulcrum, or move them to the floor. Don't be mistaken though, this is in no way magical or mystical. It's sheer hard work and perspiration. Trying the technique on others (lots of others), and experimenting in a dynamic way is the only way to true mastery of a technique. I say this not as a master but a student who keeps trying.

I once made, what I thought, was a compliment to a super skilled, guitar-playing friend of mine saying, "Wow, you're really talented! You've got a gift!". Instead of delight, though, he replied in a level voice that it wasn't down to talent but sheer hard work; trial and error and hours and hours of practice. You can understand how to read music and how it's supposed to work but without hearing it, playing it, practising it, it's just theory!

Don't let your martial arts become a theoretical past-time... feel it!

Spartan's from Cambridge Shorinji Kempo Dojo come back *with* shields

Today a bunch of Mad Badgers ran in the name of the Cambridge Shorinji Kempo Do

jo (CSKD) at the Spartan race (http://www.spartanrace.com/), Bassingbourn. This was a gruelling (otherwise it wouldn’t have been ‘Spartan’, right?) 5 kilometre race at the military barrack assault course with some interesting additions.

On top of a LONG dark tunnel to crawl through, streams to splodge through, burning bales to jump over and mud to crawl through we had a very cold swim (about 30 metres) in the lake and a succession of hills to run up…and down!

But we survivied! Crispin, Sarah, Chris and honorary CSKD member Ian all rejoiced at the end at gaining our medal (and an additional bloody nose for Crispin who seemed to forget all ukemi skills). The pugil stick wielders felled Crispin, onto his nose (I simply screamed, "Not the face! Not the face!".) He took it in good sport though and after tea and sausage sarnies we felt warm enough to ..go home!

Nice one everyone. Especially Crispin who ran it all in his dogi…

Video Blog: Not Doing Anything

I get questions about Chi

I got a question from Christa, she wrote, Good morning Master Thomas. I was wondering if I could bother you for your take on what chi is. I didn't believe in it before I started martial arts and I dont want the wrong belief in place of no belief...

This is how I answered:

Well... The word chi has many meanings, so there is no one definition possible (for example, in Japanese "gen-ki" refers to physical health). But here are some ways I think about it:

First, the word chi is equivalent to the word prana, is equivalent to the word ruach, is equivalent to the word pneuma, is equivalent to the word spiritus, all of which mean breath, all of which mean spirit, and all of which could mean the animating principle of life. So, the word chi-gung means "breath work", and, in its basic form, it is (just) a series of breathing exercises.

If we speak in terms of physics, we say (E=MC[squared]) that everything is just energy. Even what we call matter, is just energy. Particles are just energy. To put it in non-scientific language, everything is made of light.

Now, when I reach my hand out to grab a glass, I am moving and directing energy by conscious intent. When I slow my breathing down, or meditate, or calm down an intense emotional state, or work up emotional agitation, I am manipulating energy by conscious intent.

We also believe that it is possible to move energy around in the body by conscious intent, and even to consciously extend energy beyond the apparent material boundaries of our bodies. And this we refer to using the term chi-gung.

Personally, when I do chi-gung, I bind it to my spiritual work (and here I mean "spiritual" in the religious sense). I don't have time or inclination to practice a breathing exercise, then practice an energy-mind-intention-projection exercise, then engage in a spiritual discipline like contemplative prayer. So, I incorporate a traditional breath-prayer in my chi-gung and try to accomplish all these things at once. This works well for me.

And I got a question from Dave, who wrote, How do you explain chi to christians? I am one but some of the "brouthern" think Im headed to you know where thanks for any help

This is how I answered:

Personally, I simply talk about energy from a physics perspective. Everything is energy, even what we call "matter". So, if I reach out my hand to touch someone, I am moving energy by conscious intent. We know that energy also radiates out bodies in the form of light (mostly infrared, but some visible light as well), radio waves, microwaves, em-fields, etc. In the martial arts, we simply believe that it is possible to direct some of these radiating energies by conscious intent, as well.

Then, I emphasize that the practice of chi does not involve call upon any false gods or spirits for assistance, or putting faith in any other God but God.

But, mostly, I just allow people to see my faith and my faithfulness. If they choose to be narrow-minded I cannot change that. If they choose to judge me, well, they are not my judge, before my own Master I will stand or fall (and stand I will, for He will make me stand [Rm 14]).

Hope this helps a bit.

Today I will be studio answering questions on video blog. I expect them to start posting right away (even though I will be in France teaching – see you soon, Jean-Paul).

Thanks for reading.

Now, go train!

CT