You ever hear of the term, "hands," in American football? Essentially it's like a form of stickiness that comes from sensitivity to momentum of the ball that helps a receiver catch passes. In practical terms it's being aware of the moment when you're trying to receive the energy of the football and that a poorly executed catch can be indistinguishable from a punch. In other words, it a practice about merging with and not resisting the energy of the ball. I feel like the principal is similar to principals in arts like Taichi and Aikido. Anyhow. If you're curious look up terms like, "stunt hands," or, "Best hands competition." =D
I love your outlook on spirituality and how you translate it to martial arts. You are a real student and of course a real master of kung fu. " Really good Tai chi looks fake. But the problem is fake tai chi also looks fake ". Lol !
Great explanation and illustrations. I have to laugh bc a great Tao master once kept telling me "zero mind", "empty mind" and it was difficult for me to grasp at the time due to my extensive external martial arts discipline. But this zero mind, internal martial arts is just wickedly beautiful and completely changed my thinking and mindset, and you did a masterful job explaining on mindset. What I thought was "fake" as you mentioned is real and hidden. it may be helpful to think the torso is the master and you limbs as tree branches that flow with the wind. There are infinite ways they can flow like you mention. And also no resistance like you mentioned. Great video. If you get a chance, youtube master Ly Hong Thai and his movements illustrate your empty mind teaching well. His white crane is a thing of beauty cuz it looks so "fake" lol . LHT is in cali of you happened to be in the area. Tao master. Good day!
It is so hard to do this. I go to a couple of no gi classes a week to practice against hard core grapplers And though I have some success I also take a good beating and I'm always sore.. it's very hard to get in close to a good grappler so when I'm brave enough I let them come into me for a throw then I try what you describe. Sometimes I can pull it off. Mostly I go flying. The fear of that is hard to overcome.
That is why Tai Chi practitioners do push hands instead of sparring. It is easier to cultivate the sensitivity when you are not worried about getting hurt. Once you have developed the skill you can use it in sparring, but it is very hard to learn softness in a hard environment.
Great video, i love your channel. That part where you go "so you relax more then i have to relax more, so then you relax more..." I thought you would end up having a nice cup of tea :) Thank you and your partners for the clear and entertaining lessons, and greetings from France. ps the rifters link is broken
I will be going to Geneva via Paris et Lyon, à Genève du 5 mai au 22 mai. With some day trips. j'espère voyager en France et en Suisse quelques jours avant d'aller à Bruxelles du 27 au 28 mai. Puis je sors de Paris le 30 mai. You can get more information at SinclairMartialArts.com
I two believe this book is about what I do. Did you also see all metaphors as a family of movements and one movement dying to make the family of movements stronger ?
Garry Lucas good question do two "empty minds" actually "fight"? I feel there would be no physical conflict to begin with. like to have a mind like that would mean you would never let a conflict arise. Like Ian said "there is no enemy if you do not have enemy." if they were forced to fight. Im sure it would be over very quickly. one person would have to be the aggressor and would have to be flawless in the first attack. (or his movement will be used against him fast and hard)
intrigued by that emptiness thing (that you bring forward in your demo's and explanations) in relation to having/getting awareness of the situation you face: how do see that effect in the timing of your responses upon these outside stimulus. in other words: this referred article from neuroscience says that the brains have already made up their mind , it is only as become aware that you start to respond. is relaxation in your experience a way to achieve a quicker awareness of the already made decision by your brains?
Just a curios question. Can you push a car effortlessly like you pushed that guy effortlessly or would forceful pushing be a better option? I understand pushing a car standing still does seems pointless, but would it work with relaxation in that task?
A car might be more difficult to push than the guy, because the car is not attached. But the car is also easier to push in some directions than in others. If the brakes are on, then rolling the car over sideways may be easier easier than it would be if the wheels were free to roll. Manipulating a car depends on positioning and timing. Am I opposing it by standing in its way, or am I in the driver's seat, or the backseat, or hitch-hiking, or controlling the lift bridge.... Tai chi is an analogy generator.
Interesting. Thx for answering by the way :D. Can we make the car attached by letting it drive slowly forward towards you by using the speedpedal or let it roll slowly down a not so steep hill and then you push it or stop it with relaxed struckture? Or if you pushed the car up a slightly steep hill just to give you tension or attachment? Would any of these scenarios change any thing? Yes I got tons curios questions :D. Is it connection to the ground that is alot about rooting your feet to the ground, lowering your center with soft hips and sending incoming kinetic energi in that direction. Just like a bottleneck where you use your body to tunnel the energi through your body from hand to the feet when receiving and opposite when giving or releasing energi in the car or an opponent. Tension is very sensitive and responsive to other energies meaning tension goes where energi flows and vise versa right?
Right. Though I would say that tension is reactive, not responsive. The unfettered mind responds by being still and empty. Tension and attachment respond by aggravating the conflict. In the original context of the topic, attachment does not apply to the car so much as the driver. Just as the sword is not at risk of being attached to the mind. Rather the mind is in danger of being attached to the sword. The pressure and tension we experience is a measure of our inefficiency. Momentum is not felt the same way as kinetic energy. We feel pressure when we attempt to apply kinetic energy to counter momentum. Think of a 100 km/h serving of jello vs a 1 km per decade glacier. One stings and explodes. The other is just irrepressible. As for the strict Newtonian mechanics of combat, the root, the hinge, the chansigong, fascia alignment, stillness, proximal engagement, etc... these things all relate to friction and slipping, tension and release, opening and closing.. A timely pivot with superior structure can gain an advantage. But attachment to that advantage is self-defeating. Even the best mechanical advantage, such as the "hinge" or pivot, can be a liability if one is attached to a particular form. In essential stages of traditional pedagogy, the coherent structure is the be-all-and-end-all. But in pure functional combat, attachment to perfect form can be hazardous. The classical stages of development in tai chi are: 1. No form. No meaning. (I don't know what I am doing or why.) 2. Form. No meaning. ( I know what I am doing but not why.) 3. Form with meaning. ( I know what and why.) 4. Meaning with no form. ( I know what it means but not what it is.) 5. No form. No meaning. (I am free of shape and attachment.) Energy does not worry about tension. Energy changes form without attachment any particular manifestation. Potential energy, kinetic energy, thermal energy, matter, atomic energy, light, spacial waves, particles of thought. It changes without concern.
I see. I mostly meant kinetic energy and not the other ones (yet). Fx Kinetic energy is the one that usually does the damage to opponents or ourselves. Many fighters/boxer does not know how to deliver 100% of kinetic energy trough their punches when power punching a tough surfaced and heavy massed target. They get injuries from not being aware of this. The kinetic energy that is not delivered will come right back to them through the weapon of choice as in fist, wrist, elbow and shoulder ect. And where the strongest tension is is also where the damage will be done from the backfiring kinetic energy. The kinetic energy that was getting protected from the target can also return all kinetic back + the recoil from the tough surface witch always will be 2 times the amount that did not penetrate or 2 times of the 100% forced applied when a strike is failing to penetrate. Meaning the force applied did not budge the target so it will double the force that comes back. Also kinetic energy's form is vibration and if the body is relaxed we can handle vibration alot better than if we were tense. So again tension will always be tested when receiving kinetic energy where relaxation is going with the flow and if mastered you can control where force go in the body or make it leave you or send it back to the opponent when receiving blows. One thing is to not get hit another is to when you do get hit how do you not take the full damage potential from any blows. Relaxation and knowing how to absorb and redirect with correct breathing even when the attack came as a surprise. Take a look at Systema you will see what I am talking about.
Dometoo nice mask ;) I could answer that for you, one can't push a car or non combative opponent "effortlessly" because you can't exploit any force. it's would be like getting in the car and using a hill to gain momentum to move it. but if you physically had to push a car relaxation will help you naturally use proper technique.
damn i would like to see you exchanging concepts with a aikido guy... Nick Lowry reminds me a lot of you ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mjP3ohV8gQU.html
Your stuff is misleading, because you are leaving out your connection and root that also needs to be there. To early, you do talk about that stuff. The wall is not for physical threat, but system financial threat.
