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.

Kindness

A drop of kindness can sweeten a bitter day

A good teacher is a good teacher

What a unique environment is created when a student enters a martial arts school with an accomplished teacher. The student will be in awe of the teachers ability; a student will even go to great length to try get the teacher to reveal his secret, what made him so good and so powerful in his art. Yet all along the teacher has done nothing more than what he asks his student to do and that is to follow in the steps he himself followed and assuring his students he will reach the same place with diligence and hard work.

Have the same student apprentice with master craftsmen like a master woodworker, gardener, builder and the student will not have this mindset of a secrets hiding some place but will know that it will take hard work and following his teachers instructions and he will also reach the same level. A good teacher is a good teacher treat your time with a marital arts teacher as an apprenticeship working to a goal of becoming the teacher that passes on the art completely.

Do not be in awe of your teachers ability this will set you back many years, instead be aware of certain truths, your teacher was just like you the day he/she started, he/she is still learning and exploring. Be content in your own accomplishments, listen to your teachers instructions and follow them closely, don’t doubt your ability to obtain what you are seeking, work hard. Follow these things and soon you will be on your way to being a peer to your instructor rather than forever the wide eyed in awe student, then you will gain a true closeness and respect that is mutual.