Just Do or Do Not

It takes a split second to react and a life time to think about reacting. If the mind is calm and the body centered reaction and thought become one.

Mastering

In anything you wish to master you must understand the following concept: 

The teacher can opens the door, but you must take the step to walk the road and do the work road. 

A teacher can guide you or suggest an avenue to explore but you have to rely on your own intelligence and hard work. 

All of the students are given the same tools in a good school; the use of those tools is up to the students own want or need to learn the full range of their use.

A teacher can not make you a master only you can do that.

A good teacher will not expect to be your teacher for a life time but to become a friend a peer at some point.

WUDE

In Chinese, martial morality is called Wude.

There are two aspects of wude:

1. Morality of deed

2. Morality of mind.

Morality of deeds includes: humility, respect, righteousness, trust and loyalty

Morality of mind includes: will, endurance, perseverance, patience and courage.

Applications

If you seek the application of a posture you will miss the 10,000 or more application within it.

White Craine.
1. staning on right foot right hand above head left hand gaurding low (a block) ... well ok

a. how about as right had goes up a picking up a kick throwing the attacker.

b. right hand going up clearing an incoming punch, spreading or turning your attacker (depending on which hand threw the punch)

c. right hand comes up and body turns right preparing to stop attacker coming from your rear right corner.

d. right hand drops circles rear right then back forward throwing attacker coming in from right rear corner. (brushkeen push, hip throw)

good ideas but there is something lacking this is not taiji only my right hand is in play and both hands work together and help each other, I have not address the left side or front, back up or down.

So see getting caught up in the application no matter how good it could be can be a trap. Thinking in this way creates a form of fighting postures and taiji is formless or not in a set pattern.

Point of Change

A great teacher said this the other night and it was insightful.

It is as follows:

When the sun reaches its height of the day then that minuscule moment it passes evening has started but it has yet not arrive in fullness but no longer is it day but a transformation of what it was into what it will become.

Seek this point in transitions while doing form and the gateway to the miraculous will open.