Though I have never taken any form of Tai Chi I have always been intrigued by it. I have mentioned it to a few people here so I figured the next style to talk about would be Tai Chi... On we go...

Alot of the information contained in this blog comes from Wikipeida. THough I know that the information at Wikipedia is not always accurate but it just has so much stuff about EVERYTHING... I can't help myself... This is pretty long so grab a cup of tea and enjoy...

 Tai chi chuan was created as a form of traditional Chinese martial arts of the Neijia (soft or internal) branch. Since the first widespread promotion of tai chi's health benefits by Yang Shaohou, Yang Chengfu, Wu Chien-ch'uan and Sun Lutang in the early twentieth century, it has developed a worldwide following among people with little or no interest in martial training for its benefit to health and health maintenance. Some call it a form of moving meditation, as focusing the mind solely on the movements of the form purportedly helps to bring about a state of mental calm and clarity.

The physical techniques of tai chi chuan are described in the tai chi classics (a set of writings by traditional masters) as being characterized by the use of leverage through the joints based on coordination in relaxation, rather than muscular tension, in order to neutralize or initiate attacks. The slow, repetitive work involved in the process of learning how that leverage is generated gently and measurably increases and opens the internal circulation (breath, body heat, blood, lymph, peristalsis, etc.).

The study of tai chi chuan primarily involves three subjects. Traditional schools cover these aspects of tai chi practice simultaneously, while many modern schools focus on a single aspect, depending on their goal in practicing the art. These subjects are:

Health
An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person will find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use tai chi as a martial art. Tai chi's health training therefore concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on tai chi's martial application, good physical fitness is the first step in effective self-defense.

Meditation
The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of tai chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.

Martial art
The ability to use tai chi as a form of self-defense in combat is said to be the most effective proof of a student's understanding of the principles of good Tai Chi. The study of tai chi chuan martially is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces; the study of yielding and blending with outside force rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.

There are five major styles of tai chi chuan, each named after the Chinese family from which it originated:

1) Chen style     
2) Yang style 
3) Wu or Wu/Hao style of Wu Yu-hsiang (Wu Yuxiang) 
4) Wu style of Wu Ch'uan-yü (Wu Quanyuo) and Wu Chien-ch'uan (Wu Jianquan) 
5) Sun style 

The order of verifiable age is as listed above. The order of popularity (in terms of number of practitioners) is Yang, Wu, Chen, Sun, and Wu/Hao. The first five major family styles share much underlying theory, but differ in their approaches to training.

The philosophy of the style is that if one uses hardness to resist violent force, then both sides are certain to be injured at least to some degree. Such injury, according to tai chi theory, is a natural consequence of meeting brute force with brute force. The collision of two like forces, yang with yang, is known as "double-weighted" in tai chi terminology. Instead, students are taught not to directly fight or resist an incoming force, but to meet it in softness and "stick" to it, following its motion while remaining in physical contact until the incoming force of attack exhausts itself or can be safely redirected, the result of meeting yang with yin. Done correctly, achieving this yin/yang or yang/yin balance in combat (and, by extension, other areas of one's life) is known as being "single-weighted" and is a primary goal of tai chi chuan training. Lao Tzu provided the archetype for this in the Tao Te Ching when he wrote, "The soft and the pliable will defeat the hard and strong."

Tai chi's martial aspect relies on sensitivity to the opponent's movements and center of gravity dictating appropriate responses. Effectively affecting or "capturing" the opponent's center of gravity immediately upon contact is trained as the primary goal of the martial tai chi student. The sensitivity needed to capture the center is acquired over thousands of hours of first yin (slow, repetitive, meditative, low impact) and then later adding yang ("realistic," active, fast, high impact) martial training; forms, pushing hands and sparring. Tai chi trains in three basic ranges, close, medium and long, and then everything in between. Pushes and open hand strikes are more common than punches, and kicks are usually to the legs and lower torso, never higher than the hip depending on style. The fingers, fists, palms, sides of the hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders, back, hips, knees and feet are commonly used to strike, with strikes to the eyes, throat, heart, groin and other acupressure points trained by advanced students. Joint traps, locks and breaks (chin na) are also used. Most tai chi teachers expect their students to thoroughly learn defensive or neutralizing skills first, and a student will have to demonstrate proficiency with them before offensive skills will be extensively trained. There is also an emphasis in the traditional schools that one is expected to show wu te, martial virtue or heroism, to protect the defenseless and show mercy to one's opponents.

Other training exercises include:

Weapons training and fencing applications employing the straight sword known as the jian or chien or gim (jiàn), a heavier curved sabre, sometimes called a broadsword or tao (dÄ?o, which is actually considered a big knife), folding fan also called san, wooden staff (2 m) known as kun, 7 foot (2 m) spear and 13 foot (4 m) lance (both called qiÄ?ng). More exotic weapons still used by some traditional styles are the large Dadao or Ta Tao and Pudao or P'u Tao sabres, halberd, cane, rope-dart, three sectional staff, Wind and fire wheels, lasso, whip, chain whip and steel whip.

Two-person tournament sparring (as part of push hands competitions and/or sanshou);

Breathing exercises; nei kung (nèigÅ?ng) or, more commonly, ch'i kung (qìgÅ?ng) to develop ch'i (qì) or "breath energy" in coordination with physical movement and post standing or combinations of the two. These were formerly taught only to disciples as a separate, complementary training system. In the last 50 years they have become more well known to the general public.

Chinese culture is developed from I-Ching and different schools of philosophy.
Tai Chi (one thing) eminates from wuji (ultimate nothingness). Tai Chi is the origin of dynamic and static states and separates into two - yin and yang. When there is movement, yin and yang separate. When there is no movement, they combine and become one.

Wu Sheng = 5 elements/principles. 5 elements are: fire, water, metal, wood and earth Each develops, controls and balances each other.

Earth is nourished by fire
Metal is created by earth
Metal dissolves to feed water
Water nourishes wood
Wood feeds fire

Water quenches fire
Fire tempers metal
Metal cuts wood
Wood restrains earth
Earth holds back water

I was only able to study Aikido for a very short time. I only studied for a year or so. I however fell in love with this style of Martial arts. With help from http://www.aikidoconnection.com/# I have the following Blog for you...

Morihei Ueshiba, called O'Sensei ("great teacher"), the founder of modern Aikido, was born on December 14, 1883 in the Wakayama Prefecture of Japan. O'Sensei was a man of peace who followed his spiritual and philosophical vision. He taught that the martial arts should be used as a means to live in harmony with oneself, the earth, and its inhabitants. Throughout his life he continued to refine his system to the less violent and gently flowing techniques practiced today. O'Sensei died at the age of 86 on April 26, 1969.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art and it is one of the younger martial arts. Although steeped in Japanese samurai tradition, its practice is ideally suited to today's world and to our current lifestyles. It helps us deal with stress, conflicts, and attacks from multiple directions. It differs from many other martial arts in that it doesn't meet aggression with aggression, but stresses blending with an incoming attack and redirecting the energy of that attack back to the attacker.

Aikido can be a very effective form of self-defense. It is used by a large number of law enforcement and military personnel worldwide. The techniques do not depend on size, strength, agility, or youth. Men and women, young and old, large and small - all can do Aikido. Though in my own personal opinion and short expeiance Aikido is actually geared towards smaller stature people. Rather that smaller stature people have the ability to be better than people of larger stature. Aikido is built around your center of gravity and the lower your center is the better you will be able to apply the techniques.

Aikido is a well-rounded path of self-development, through which we can learn more about ourselves, improve ourselves as human beings, and become more effective at everything we do. It is applying our training to every one of our activities, to the way we live our daily life, to every breath we take. Like Paganism it is not just something you do, it becomes a way of life. It becomes how we associate with teh world around us. How we can blend with the energies that suround us. Not only when having to defend ourselves but with life in general. How I blend with my family, my co-workers and my friends. Making sure that I am grounded and centered with everything my life connects with.

Physically and psychologically, Aikido is at the same time very complex and yet very simple. The changes it can make in our lives begin at the surface and go as deep as we let it. Specifically, physical benefits of Aikido practice include increased balance, coordination, reaction, and sense of timing; improved posture, flexibility and aerobic conditioning; a greater awareness of our bodies and how we express ourselves through our bodies; and a more relaxed and confident presence.Mental benefits include this increased self-awareness and relaxation; better ability to resolve conflicts and deal with stressful situations in a calmer and more positive manner; greater self-confidence and self-discipline; and the constant challenge of self-development and learning new skills. Spiritual benefits include being able to improve one's own quality of living; to break or change old habits and conditioning; to see things with greater clarity and perceptiveness; and to have a greater intuitive understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

"Create each day anew by clothing yourself with heaven and earth, bathing yourself with wisdom and love, and placing yourself in the heart of Mother Nature." ~ Morihei Ueshiba

In Love and Light,

Bill

 

This is sort of a continuation or "Progression for my blog "OK now my fur is ruffled!!!" I am just so tired, and frustrated.... On the main page of our Multi National Corps - Iraq main page is "Experiencing God in the Workplace Bible Study" now in all fairness if I sent something with experiencing something paganistic in the work place or workplace magic yes they would have to put it up there and they would... but the almost immediate and unrelenting tirade of emails talking about saving me or trying to witness tome through e-mail or calling me a Satanist, telling me that I am going to go to hell for my beliefs... Well no worries on that one at lest...LOL it's just.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!
Understand this... The section that I work in is a great section. Most know that I am pagan and truly have no cares about it. I work with some great people... It is once you get outside these doors of the building that I work in that the world just goes to crap. It just disgusts me that people would make a vow so frivolously without understanding the meaning of it and how it compares to there own personal values. How could someone say that they are going to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States and then turn around ad bash me for what I believe? Now I am no saint so to speak, I Christian bash with the best of them but I really try hard not to. I know I should and truly I don't make fun of Joe Generic Christian, but the fundies are in my cross hairs, especially when they say they live by the utmost of Christian values and just do the most devious stuff. Anyway I digress... I am just frustrated that we have a country that in its own founding bylaws states that we are to have freedom of religion but that anyone who is not Christian is so persecuted for our beliefs. I am just so sad that with all of our progress that we are still a country that has racism, bigotry, and religious persecution...
Yes it is a most auspicious occasion that our fallen Pagan soldiers now can have the recognition that they so earnestly deserve but that was just a battle folks, and we won it. The war however still rages on. To be brutally honest though I don't know that we can win the war. I would love to think we can but how can we ask a partially intolerant society to accept us for who we are when we preach so much tolerance and we can't even tolerate each other. I know I am just in a depressed mood right now... I am generally much more chipper but I just can't muster it today... Truly as I slowly bring this to the end of this Blog, I am not really frustrated or angry even, I am filled with an almost overwhelming sadness. I am in this horrible war we are in and what are we really teaching the Iraqis to quote the infamous Rodney King "Can't we all just get along" and sadly no matter where I look No, No we can't....

 

Well Since my Friend TommyElf put out his podcast on this exact subject it got me pondering this for myself. What is Paganism? In the over all scheme of things no one is exactly right for the whole of the pagan community, but they are exactly right for themselves. I think that, that is what makes us such a wonderful community. We are who we are, each of us individually. We each believe and commune with deity in our own individual way that make us feel good, ad for the most part we accept that and join together in our differences, almost reveling in our differences. This is a community where being different is not a bad thing but admired. I think that is the one reason the Christians, the Muslims and the Jews have a hard time understanding us is the fact that we encourage individualism. We as a whole tell people to not follow a set doctrine, but follow what feels right to you. As TommyElf says, "Every path is valid, an individual path may not be valid to you but we must accept that it is valid for that individual." It has to be.
But still "What is Paganism?" Well probably right off the bat people will say "Well there is Wicca!" True, but we must remember 4 things 'bout that: Yes all Wiccans are Pagans, but not all Pagans are Wiccan, Not all Wiccans consider themselves Witches and not all Witches are Wiccan. There are Druids and Shamans, British Traditional Witches and Eclectics and much more that I don't personally have knowledge of. Wicca in and of itself has a mirad of different traditions within it. All of whom I think need to cope with each other much better. I won't even get into Tolerance between the different Wiccan traditions.
Spirituality is a big part of paganism; at least it is to me. TO be able to have the knowledge of something greater than myself, yet of myself out in the world and also within me is one of the most beautiful feelings in the world. To feel the energy of deity within me, and in the trees, and grass and animals and other humans. To know that and feel that deity is everywhere, and feel its existence I can't begin to describe that feeling. To feel the energy of the Earth and sky coursing through your body, to hold hands in a circle and feel everyone's energy spiraling and joining together, individuals now as one, regardless of our own individual paths, for that moment we are one and deity makes it so.
Witchcraft is also apart of a lot of different pagan paths. However not all pagan paths directly use spells, but they do perform rituals and rights and in effect that is what many of us would call Witchcraft too. I look at rituals as group spells, it is a spell to give praise and honor to deity no matter what aspect you call. As an individual do I use spells? Sparingly. I use my friend Heather's outlook on this "Be Careful what you wish for..."
Deity itself... This in and of itself is a HUGE topic... As the Christians might put it "Who is God?" Well for me Deity is life in an energy form, with both equal male and female aspects. It is easier for us as humans to give a human form to this energy and I fall into those trappings. My chosen Goddess for the female aspect of Deity is Cerridwen (Celtic Welsh Goddess) I do not have a chosen form for the God aspect of Deity I tend to just view him as the Horned God, The hunter and that works for me... When we do our rituals when things go wrong the whole of the circle blames Loki... Maybe I can use him. From what I have heard and read he is a most misunderstood God.
I know have kind of rambled about this topic and not really directly answered the question, but I do not think that the question is meant to be answered directly. We are all individuals, we all may have similar views but we all make our "Faith" our "Spirituality" to fit our self. Paganism is different for each of us. This is part of my path and part of what I believe. Revel in and celebrate our differences, be yourself, and as long as it feels true inside of you do not let anyone tell you, that you are wrong for what you know and feel is true.
In Love and Light,
Bill

This is a post that I put onto one of my Yahoo Groups postings and I wanted to share it with you all...

"I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I
can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the
cost of your life." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Though Gandhi was a man of peace and non-violence, never bow your head to a tyrent. Hold strong to your ideals of freedom, and unite against oppression. If ever your way is lost in dealing with our situation (Operation Iraqi Freedom) know that ultimatly this is what we are here, to teach the Iraqis to not bow there head but to stand up and revel in freedom, a freedom that they have not had in a long time.

This is what we also have to take into account is that the Iraqis have been oppressed for so long that they do not know anyother way and those that would be the new tyrents will not go gently into that sweet good night.

Though I may have over simplefied it. Stay true to this reasoning, regardless of the political workings of those that are appointed over us. The Iraqis need us, humanity needs us and the ability that we have to protect the freedoms of all humankind.

In Love and Light,
Bill