Lift Hands Volume 18 June 2021 - The Multi Award Winning Martial Arts Magazine

volume 18

June 2021

Wudang Hand Weapons: The Nun

Walking the Mystic Path, Mastery of Self Tai Chi Chuan and the Lessons of Nature: Part 2

The 8 Palm Releases of Baguazhang & Their Follow Up Methods

Starting Tai Chi Study Martial Aspects 20 Questions: Peter Holmes

Editor Nasser Butt

British Martial Arts Awards Magazine Of The Year 2019

perception realization activation action

Lift Hands

The Internal Arts Magazine Volume 18 June 2021

Editor

Nasser Butt

L’orso Solitario

Published by L’orso Solitario Books, Leicester, United Kingdom Lift Hands The Internal Arts Magazine Volume 18 June 2021 Editor Nasser Butt Copyright © by Nasser Butt, 2021 & Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools Nasser Butt asserts the moral right to be identified as the editor & owner of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the editor.

Waiver of Liability: The publisher assumes no liability for the use or misuse of information contained within this book. By purchasing or electronically downloading this publication, the reader hereby, waives any and all claims he or she may have now or in the future against Nasser Butt and Fa-Jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools or its affiliates.

The points of view represented here are solely those of the authors’ concerned. You do not have to subscribe to them if you do not wish. Nor is their inclusion here necessarily an endorsement by Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing School or its affiliates.

Cover Photo (main): Piercing Eagle Feather [John Aldred] — An Anishnabe [Original People] of The Lake Superior Band of Ojibway Indians ; Photography: Dr. Gregory T. Lawton; (inset): Peter Holmes; Photography: Nasser Butt Cover Design © Nasser Butt, 2021 Back Design: Copyright © Nasser Butt 2020

lift hands

June 2021

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contents

Editor’s Note

Page 9

The House of Mouse The Art of Amy Faulkner

Page 11

Walking the Mystic Path, Mastery of Self Tai Chi Chuan and the Lessons of Nature: Part 2 Dr. Gregory T. Lawton

Page 13

Falling and Unfurling Krish Pillay

Page 31

Yang Cheng-fu Form — The Martial View Peter Jones

Page 34

The Nun: The Wudang Hand Weapons Part 6 Nasser Butt

Page 38

20 Questions with Peter Holmes

Page 50

The Medicine of Words Dr Gregory T. Lawton

Page 59

The Eight Neigongs of Baguazhang Nasser Butt

Page 61

Starting Tai Chi Study Martial Aspects Alan Ludmer

Page 72

The Eight Palm Releases of Baguazhang Nasser Butt

Page 79

Peasant Talk

Page 93

Useful Contacts

Page 96

The Art of Louiseneige Be

Page 97

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English Edition Link Italian Edition Link

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editor’s Note

Nasser Butt

W

elcome to Volume 18 of Lift Hands Magazine!

The current issue has been slightly delayed due to the ongoing Covid crisis stop/start situation in the UK as well as around the world.

Britain is finally emerging from lockdown, the eyes of the world are firmly set upon us… waiting to see the results!

Many schools have been planning for this day when we can return back to what we do best — teaching martial arts.

Sadly, during this past year and a half many martial arts schools have either folded or have had to drastically cut back on their activities, or have had to find other innovative ways to teach. Whichever category we fall in, the slow rebuilding process now begins… after all we are students of martial arts and dealing with adversity — no matter what form it comes in — is a huge part of our make up!

I sincerely want to thank each and every one of you, who despite the difficulties, have continued to contribute towards the magazine. It certainly has been tough, but I continue to be amazed at the high quality of content folk are producing despite the daily distractions of life under the shadow of Covid.

This issue sees the second part to Dr Gregory Lawton’s amazing ‘Walking The Mystic Path,’ as well as the continuation of Peter Jones’s ‘Yang Cheng-fu — The Martial View’ and Alan Ludmer’s latest — ‘Starting Tai Chi Study’. These three practitioners alone have well over a hundred and twenty years of combined experience between them and we are privileged to have them share their knowledge from their unique perspectives with our readership.

We are also continuing with our introduction to Baguazhang. This beautiful and brutal art is not as commonly known as other Chinese martial arts — especially to practitioners of nonChinese arts — however, if you do get the opportunity, you should seek it out. Its principles will add to whatever style you practice.

With each issue of Lift Hands, our readership continues to grow. We currently stand at 22K readers around the world. I am hoping that by the time this year ends, we will have surpassed the milestone of 25K. Let’s keep the good oil flowing and hit the mark.

Stay safe and stay well and… where those who are in need — continue to offer your help, no matter how little, unconditionally. Humanity is a family. When children are born, they have no concept of colour, creed, flag or artificial geographical barriers.

See you in September.

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Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lithuania Macedonia Madagascar Malaysia Malta Mauritania Mexico Moldova

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The Nun [Twin]

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Introduction “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.

Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

I

n Part One, Walking the Mystic Path with Practical Feet, Bagua Zhang and the Lessons of Nature, we investigated the role and lessons that can be learned from the internal arts and martial art training in nature.

More specifically, we covered the seven levels of training including the brutal and violent nature of martial arts effectively demonstrated through chin na and dim mak applications and we briefly investigated contemporary martial sports, cultural expressions of traditional martial arts, and esoteric metaphysical practices within the marital arts.

In Part One, I used Bagua Zhang as my main example and primary focus for the concepts that I presented. In Part Two, Walking the Mystic Path, Mastery of Self I use concepts, theories, and practices of Tai Chi Chuan. Erle Montaigue in his book on the Yang Cheng Fu Tai Chi Chuan long form stated, “In China, most internal martial artists practice Taijiquan as their main system plus one other internal system such as Baguazhang. Very rarely will you find someone trying to practice all three! There is an old saying in China which translates as, “It would take three lifetimes to learn all three”. However, in the West, many people practice all three, and never really master any of them because of it.”1 I am in complete agreement with Erle Montaigue and as such my training concentrates on Tai Chi Chuan and Bagua Zhang. I do include a small amount of Hsing Yi Chuan in my training and teaching, but I make no claim to mastery of Hsing Yi Chuan, or any art for that matter.

Hopefully, in my previous articles written on The Medical Implications of Combat Tai Chi Chuan Techniques, Investigating Blunt Force Trauma, and published in previous issues of Lift Hands, I have to a small degree established my credentials as a martial artist who understands the destructive combat applications of Tai Chi Chuan and Bagua Zhang as applied through chin na and dim mak applications. As Erle Montague wrote, “…

Not many teachers know how to use Taijiquan for self defence. Self defence seems to have been lost in a quagmire of mystical mumbo-jumbo somewhere around the late 1960s to the mid-1970s when the ‘new age’ movement adopted Taijiquan as its mascot, turning it into a woozy little dance that was supposed to somehow lead to ‘enlightenment’”.2 In this article I write about the “mystical path” but embarking along the mystical path without a solid foundation in Tai Chi Chuan, Bagua Zhang, Hsing Yi Chuan, or another equally valid martial art as a combat fighting system and having cultivated the mind of a warrior does not lead to mastery, it leads instead to selfdelusion.

How long you have trained in Tai Chi Chuan is not important, and for many does not equate to mastery of the art. Some Tai Chi Chuan practitioners who have trained for decades cannot effectively use Tai Chi for its central purpose as a martial art. What is important is what kind of training have you done. I have organized my personal Tai Chi Chuan training plan into nine separate categories to include:

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Erle Montaigue.

Image copyright © Nasser Butt

It is not within the scope of this article for me to specifically define and explain each of these categories, perhaps that will occur in a future article. Regarding this training pyramid, the categories are not intended to be “levels” of training and they do not necessarily lead from the bottom to the top. There are many instances in my training where I moved back and forth from one category to another. For a beginner in Tai Chi it is beneficial to start at the bottom and work towards the top, but for the more experienced Tai Chi student or teacher, they can move from one category to another as they feel motivated to do so.

Please consider, as you review the training pyramid, that at the very pinnacle of the pyramid is the simple word Art. I do believe that the highest expression of obtainment in Tai Chi Chuan or Bagua Zhang is the ability to perform these arts with spontaneous creative movement. This is movement without thought and in response to whatever stimuli or events are presented to the martial artist. These movements are blindingly fast, powerful, and a spontaneous representation of the basic principles of Tai Chi Chuan. This creative ability emulates the requirements of all high art whether painting, literature, poetry, calligraphy, music, or dance.

I view martial arts training as a metaphor, and by this comment I am not referring to the many metaphors, similes, and proverbs used by martial art teachers such as, “four ounces deflects one thousand pounds’, “stand like a mountain”, or “flow like a river’, instead by this comment I mean that I view the entire macrocosm of martial arts as a metaphor for life.

Consider that the martial arts are a diamond, cut into many facets, polished, and perfectly reflecting light. Each student of the martial arts sees this reflected light emanating from a different facet, and further each student, each soul, is a mirror that reflects that light as well, but the way they reflect the light depends upon how clean and clear the mirror of their soul is. This is a concept that we will revisit later in this article.

The metaphors that we use as part of the language of a martial art are always lacking and imperfect because our physical experiences, which are multi-sensory and kinesthetic, are far more complex than language. Language is a poor tool for the communication of many high-level theories, concepts, and practices in the martial arts.

That which is essential cannot be spoken of with words; this is the dilemma of teaching.

The teacher cannot directly show students the complex realities that are spiritual truths. The only aspect that can be seen is the outer material form or a physical action, which in the mind of the student often becomes confused for essential truth. Sometimes as we seek to investigate concepts, ideas, and martial philosophy we may find ourselves buried in words. In writing this article and sharing certain concepts with you I do not want to bury you in esoteric or unfamiliar terminology. This happens all too often in the martial arts, and I know that I cannot talk you towards ability and mastery.

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Listen! There is nothing to hear, and there are no secrets. It is all there for you.

Sand on the beach, light in the sky, rain in the night, it is there abundantly.

Why wear a blindfold to the sunrise!3 The essential truth can be somewhat described, but the words are hollow like a dried gourd, empty but for the seeds which, if planted in the soil of a fertile heart, will grow over time into a strong fruit-bearing plant. The strength of the tree is not perceived through its bark.

Hua Ching Ni, a contemporary teacher of human spiritual nature in the Taoist tradition taught, “According to spiritual nature, we are the products of our environment and we are here to fulfil one great purpose; to use the body as a laboratory to do the work of self-refinement which is also referred to as internal alchemy.”4 Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba explained, “Everyone has a spirit that can be strengthened, a body that can be conditioned, and a journey to begin. You are here to actualize the power within yourself, and to remove the barriers blocking your natural state of peace.”5 In Part One of this article, I compared the body to a horse that we ride through life, we need the horse so that we can travel this long journey through life, but we are not the horse, we are rather the being of light that rides upon the horse. The horse is our helper but someday we will dismount the horse and travel on our own way.

In beginning this article, I would ask you to consider four questions: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Are you traveling along the path that you want to travel or just wandering aimlessly?

Are you living the life that you want to live?

Are you happy with yourself?

Are you grateful for the life and experiences that you have been given?

If the answers to any of these four questions are no, then you need to thoughtfully reassess the path you are on.

Do it while you still have time to effect positive changes in your life.

Walking the Path to Mastery, In the Beginning “…and foolishly I asked, “How will I know when I am a master?”, and the answer came, “When you have mastered all aspects of your life as a man, a husband, and a father, as a citizen, and in all things as a true servant of humanity. Then will you be a master.””6 The term mastery or the title “Master” are words that I am uncomfortable with and that I reject for myself. I recognize the unending and eternal path towards mastery, but I do not envision a final destination. Instead, I view mastery as continual process through which the body, mind, and spirit are refined and improved. However, just as for every step that we take along a path there is always one foot in front of us and one foot following behind us, the same is true with mastery. As we walk along the path one foot is leading and the other is following, there is always a part of us that is trailing behind. Another reason that I personally reject the title master is that I am painfully aware of how difficult the journey towards mastery is, how many times I have stumbled along the path, how many times I have gotten lost, and how many times I have had to start over again. It is common in the martial arts community for men and women to call themselves masters. Perhaps, there are masters and Masters.

Throughout human history we have identified masters in all fields of human endeavor and especially in the arts and sciences where there have been masters of music, painting, literature, poetry, philosophy, invention, mathematics, and of course the martial arts. In the martial arts there are many notable examples of mastery including Yang Lu Chan, Dong Haichuan, and General Yeuh Fei, among many others. The path towards mastery in any field of endeavor is difficult and presents tests, difficulties, and challenges at every step. Many students fail and most who start out on the path leave it. In the early stages of martial arts training, it has been my observation that more students will quit the path than will stay on it and among those who follow the path most will never remain throughout the course of their life, and for those who remain on the path through most of their life, many of those will succumb to their negative behaviors, habits, and traits, and their abilities and consciousness will regress and atrophy with time.

“The common craftsman measures his work and is sure of his trade. The artist labors within the unknown and is measured by the worthiness of his creation.”7

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In the information to follow I take a systematic approach to explaining the steps or stages of entering what is referred to as the “Mystery Gate” or Xiu Dao, but in reality, there is no exact method or series of steps or stages.

One student may start at the “beginning” and another student at the “end”, it is even possible to be “in” two or more stages at the same time. In explaining certain Sufi traditions, and in a work written in response to questions posed by Shaykh Muhyi’d-Din, a judge, who was a follower of the Qádiríyyih Order of Sufism, Bahá’u’lláh stated: “The stages that mark the wayfarer’s journey from the abode of dust to the heavenly homeland are said to be seven. Some have called these Seven Valleys, and others, Seven Cities. And they say that until the wayfarer taketh leave of self, and traverseth these stages, he shall never reach to the ocean of nearness and union, nor drink of the peerless wine.”8 Before we begin this journey together, lets take an inventory of the tools that we will need to take with us: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Our body, our mind, and our spirit.

Our belief, our creativity, and our imagination.

Our desire, our effort, and our sacrifice.

Our meditation, our forms, our practice.

Our knowledge, our understanding, and our perception.

Our training in the martial arts is a tool that we may use to shape our lives and our Self. Whether you practice Tai Chi Chuan, Bagua Zhang, or Hsing Yi Chuan, or any other martial art, your art is a metaphor and a catalyst for transformation. The postures in your form, Wave Hands Like Clouds, White Crane Spreads Wings, Partition of the Wild Horses Mane, are all symbolic of your souls’ journey through life. Wave Hands Like Clouds may represent your moving away the cloud like veils that obscure your spiritual perception and who or what is the “White Crane” that spreads its wings but the human soul opening its wings to the heavens.

Each posture or movement in your form is a gate that you enter to acquire ability and knowledge, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Each gate that you enter leads to another gate and that gate to another, and so on, and so on. The natural elements wind, water, wood, light, and earth are your senses teachers and heighten your innate perception. Your mind is not located in your brain. The mind is an emanation or light shining from the human spirit. The physical brain is the “radio” that receives the transmissions from your soul or perhaps a better analogy is that of a light reflecting from a mirror. Your intellect and its abilities are brighter and more penetrating when the mirror of your soul is free of dust.

Stumbling Along the Path There are certain essential characteristics and virtues that a student must adopt in order to be successful along the path towards mastery in the martial arts. The idea of building character and virtue through martial art training is both an age old and a modern concept. The philosophers of traditional cultures, the scriptures of all world religions, the Yogis, the Stoics, the Confucians, the Samurai, are but a few examples. Likewise, in more recent times we have self-actualization, modern martial arts such as Aikido, transcendental meditation, and more recent religious movements such as the Baha’i Faith.

Many students struggle with the differences in language, culture, beliefs, and attempting to understand century’s old historical periods and their context. Some Asian teachers of the marital arts have suggested that contemporary westerners cannot understand or fully comprehend ancient writings and beliefs. I both agree and disagree, and I include modern Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other easterners in the group that cannot fully comprehend the lives, work, and beliefs of ancient peoples and ancestors.

Many contemporary martial art teachers are too backward looking, and they are dwelling on the understandings and beliefs of people from the distant past. They need to get out of their schools and set their intellectual discussions that begin and end in word, aside, and go out into the world that inspired Daoism and Confucianism, and the martial arts. If I want to study the nature of changes that occur during spring, my best chance of understanding these changes is to observe the changes in weather, vegetation, and animal behavior that are occurring now, this spring, rather than by attempting to understand a season that occurred hundreds or thousands of years ago. Therefore, I study in nature, and I seek new experiences and knowledge through training. Why attempt to question a corpse? Instead seek your answers from the living.

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There are hundreds of positive attributes that a student may develop through martial arts training and an argument can be presented that the development of virtues is more important than the ability to fight, but the two aspects, virtue and martial ability are intimately intermeshed with each other. As martial artists our physical and technical abilities play a vital part in the growth of our Self, our body, our mind, and our spirit. This growth of mind, body, and spirit is the most important gift that our martial arts training can provide to us. But the path is not easy.

There are two primary impediments to our holistic transformation. One of these impediments is personal ego.

Ego is a poison to the soul, and it is one of the two most significant of the forces that retards our progress in the marital arts and in life. The second impediment is addiction. Addiction represents our material attachment to things and behaviors that veil us from perceptions of the truth, a discovery of reality, and our true or authentic self. Addiction is a prison made by self and desire that retards our physical, mental, and spiritual development.

In writing this article, and particularly this section, I decided not to use or cite examples within the martial arts family of teachers and leaders who have destroyed their physical, mental, and spiritual abilities because of addiction. The teachers and leaders who have succumbed to the disease of addiction are many and their names would be shocking for some. I have chosen not to use names because of my respect for well-known martial arts teachers and leaders and due to my respect for my elders and adherence to Confucian ancestral tradition and the Japanese concept of giri, or reverence to teachers. Giri has been defined as “dedicated service to one’s teacher with a self-sacrificing devotion”.

I am, however, aware through firsthand experience of the challenges that many of my elder teachers struggled with. Foremost among the destructive addictions has been alcoholism. Alcoholism within the martial arts community has been and remains ubiquitous and one of the primary destroyers of personal health and physical and mental ability. Most addictions, especially alcoholism are stressors to the human body, its cells and body systems. The natural process of aging is accelerated by alcohols effect on the human cell.

Even more destructive than alcohol addiction to a martial artist seeking to walk the path to mastery are various recreational drugs, especially those that fall within the narcotic and opioid classifications including heroin and opium. Heroin and opium not only destroy the body and the mind, but they damage the human soul. Modern examples of these drugs readily found on the street include codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, morphine, and fentanyl. I have been practicing and teaching the martial arts since the early 1970s and I have seen many talented students and teachers succumb to drug addiction even when the drugs of choice were alcohol or marijuana.

There are other addictions worth citing here and one is as destructive as any drug or alcoholic beverage and that is sexual addiction. Within the martial arts community and media there are many well publicized stories of mixed martial artists and their social and public exploits.

Alcohol, drug, and sexual addiction represent self-destructive behaviors that are the opposite of the characteristics, behaviors, and attributes that a martial artist on the path to mastery of their art needs to personify.

The addictions that a person does not overcome by their fourth decade of life will destroy them and will probably become the cause of their death. The sad truth is that most who start along the journey towards mastery will fail as a result of their own actions and behaviors.

“I cry out, why is this path so difficult? Why is this world so ugly and why does hatred prevail? Why do so few tread the straight path and why do so many fail? The answer resounds, “The dawn is coming, its spreading light is reaching out to end this darkness and to illumine every corner of the world.” The divine Sun must rise again and fill the earth with love. As the first glimmers of this light appear we must mirror this radiance into the hearts of others so that they will awaken from their death-like sleep.”9 Walking the Path of Mastery, Stepping Through the Mystery Gate There are those within the martial arts community, what I would characterize as those traveling along the lower path, who view the martial arts as simply a set of physical skills and techniques combined with physical conditioning exercises and these individuals may choose to compete in martial sports competition. While this is a valid form of physical prowess and athleticism, especially for children and youth, the history of martial arts in most traditional cultures has aspired to a higher level of expression and refinement of the human spirit.

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My teacher, Professor Huo Chi-Kwang was an example of someone who followed a higher path. In his school, the Chinese Cultural Academy, he taught the path to self-improvement through the arts of literature, calligraphy, painting, sword, chi kung and martial arts. Most people who study the martial arts for purposes of self-defense, fortunately will never use their training, and for those who do need to use their martial arts training that need will probably be limited, so why not train for a higher purpose — the purpose of cultivating the mind, body, and

Professor Huo Chi-Kwang with his calligraphy in the background (Source of photograph unknown.)

spirit?

This brings our discussion back to the concept of the Mystery Gate or Xiu Dao which is the process of cultivating the spirit (shen) to refine and purify it. Because the concept or conceptualization of the Mystery Gate is esoteric and a metaphysical understanding, interpretation, teaching, and practices related to the Mystery Gate abound. My personal understanding of Xiu Dao is that it is a metaphor that seeks to describe the indescribable. Although some teachers of the martial arts, chi kung, and acupuncture ascribe a specific physical location to the Mystery Gate, I do not agree with this point of view. Instead, I perceive the Mystery Gate as formless and as a state of being that you enter as you slip between intention and non-intention. It is not a place, it is placeless, it is not bound by time, it is timeless. The Mystery Gate is a “state of being” where transformation of human consciousness occurs in conformity to the capacity of a soul. This capacity is determined by the souls acquired divine like attributes or virtues.

“How then can I sing and tell of Thine Essence, which the wisdom of the wise and the learning of the learned have failed to comprehend, inasmuch as no man can sing that which he understandeth not, nor recount that unto which he cannot attain, whilst Thou hast been from everlasting the Inaccessible, the Unsearchable. Powerless though I be to rise to the heavens of Thy glory and soar in the realms of Thy knowledge, I can but recount Thy tokens that tell of Thy glorious handiwork.”10 We have reached a point in this discussion where words fail to convey meaning. There simply are no words adequate to explain this state of being and transformation to a student. The only way in which this knowledge can be gained is through practice and experience. In Part One of “Walking the Mystic Path with Practical Feet, Bagua Zhang and the Lessons of Nature”, I wrote about the role of nature and experiences in nature and explained that training in nature and the experiences derived from nature were essential to the growth and maturation of a true internal martial artist.

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What I can impart to you are stories from my experience in training in nature, I shared several such stories in Part One, “Walking the Mystic Path with Practical Feet, Bagua Zhang and the Lessons of Nature”. Some teachers teach that only static practice, such as seated dao yin or standing chi kung, will help you to go through the Mystery Gate. From my experience that perceptive is wrong. Every time that I have “slipped” through the Mystery Gate I have been practicing my Tai Chi Chuan or Bagua Zhang forms. In other words, I have been deeply engaged in dynamic practice in nature. For the reader of this article, this would be a good time to go back to Part One of this series and re-read my stories about training in nature. However, here are three more short stories.

As I mentioned above, the Mystery Gate is entered without intention or forethought at the still point between intention and non-intention. You cannot “think” your way through the Mystery Gate. At a certain point in your training, you may slide through the gate without realizing that you have done so. This certainly has been my experience. I will begin by sharing a story about practicing Tai Chi Chuan in the north woods of Michigan on a beautiful autumn day.

There are certain days in early autumn that are referred to as “Indian Summer”. Indian Summer is best described as a perfect day in terms of temperature, light, sun, and sky and of course the autumn leaves are in full riotous color. It was on an Indian Summer Day that I was practicing Tai Chi by a stream and beginning to freestyle some of the postures and movements.

Tai Chi Chuan and The Spinning Leaves

As I slipped into creative spontaneous movements, I noticed that the leaves on the forest floor were rising from the ground and were beginning to swirl around me, much like a whirling dust devil, but with multi-colored leaves. As I watched the leaves spinning dance, I realized that even though I was amid hundreds of leaves not a single leaf had touched me. It was as if I was standing in the center of a hurricane with the wind and leaves following my stepping and turning postures and Tai Chi form. What I learned that day about Tai Chi Chuan, I cannot adequately put into words but what I can describe is that I felt that energy was rolling off my body and mingling with the wind and leaves.

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I headed to the shore of Pentwater Lake before dawn on a late spring day to practice Tai Chi Chuan. I had begun my Tai Chi practice in the semi dark before the sun came up but as the sky lightened, I noticed that standing only two feet from me was a Great Blue Heron. I was at the point in my Tai Chi practice where I had entered the

The Great Blue Heron

posture “White Crane Spreads Wings” and I was standing on my right leg in a crane stance. As I looked at the Great Blue Heron I realized that he (or she) was also standing on his right leg. I paused, and immediately felt a connection to this majestic bird. At that moment, the Heron put down his leg, spread his wings, floated away, and lifted towards the now rising sun. At the moment that I felt a connection to the Heron and observed the Heron flow into the sky and sun I had the most important realization regarding the practice of Tai Chi Chuan that I have ever had, Tai Chi is not 24 postures, 60 postures, or 108 postures. Tai Chi Chuan is one single movement in the Now. We learn Tai Chi Chuan a few postures at a time and like a medical doctor studying medicine and learning a medical specialty our minds break Tai Chi down part by part and posture by posture, but since Tai Chi Chuan is meditation in motion, it is in reality but a single movement not bound by time or space. That Heron has become the greatest Tai Chi Chuan teacher I have ever had. That was not the only lesson that I gained from this experience, there were several lessons including Tai Chi Chuan is a gate, leading to a gate, leading to an endless series of gates and experiences.

As it is my practice to get up before dawn every day and to begin my training I had risen early and followed a sandy path to the ocean shore and to a reef. As part of my training, I have always sought to train in various kinds of weather and on different ground surfaces. That morning I chose to practice on a rough and uneven ocean reef.

As I practiced my internal forms, Tai Chi Chuan and Bagua Zhang, I slipped into a comfortable state where I became acutely aware of the beauty of my surroundings. The sound of the waves, the salty ocean spray wafting over me, the soft warmth of the morning air, and in the distance a rain squall moving over the water. As I watched the squall flow over the ocean in front of it one rainbow and then a second rainbow formed over the water.

As I witnessed the double rainbow, I began to hear the sound of musical notes and realized that every time I flowed into a Tai Chi Chuan posture a perfect musical note was sounded. It was like my Tai Chi form had taken life and was signing in perfect harmony to the morning, the waves, the rain, the sun, and the rainbows.

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The Ocean, the Rainbow, and the Reef

While practicing Tai Chi Chuan or Bagua Zhang in nature I have on many occasions been amazed by the light and the beauty of a perfect morning sunrise and heard the chorus of the birds and the Song of the Morning. I have also perceived an “other worldly” light that shines brighter and clearer than the sun emanating through the flowers, leaves, and trees around me.

Once again, we have reached the placeless and slipped through the Mystery Gate where words fail to convey meaning. As a teacher all that I can hope to do is to point the way, you will have to travel the rest of the way on your own.

“I have danced my Tai Chi by the ocean and heard the songs of angels.

My faltering voice joined in the melody of sacred sounds, singing forth and echoing the song of creation. The sweet vibrations of life.”11 The Keys to Opening the Mystery Gate There are many that believe that the Mystery Gate can be opened through meditation and breathing exercises.

Viewing Xui Dao or cultivation of the spirit through the Dao solely as the result of meditation and breathing practice is an oversimplification of the lifelong process of cultivating and purifying the human soul. The growth of the human soul may be compared to the development of an embryo in the womb. In this analogy the world and our earthly life is the womb and the soul while it is associated with the body acquires virtues and divine like attributes through daily life and action not through words, thoughts, meditation, or breathing exercises. The attributes that we acquire in this life are the “senses”, “limbs”, and powers that we need to be whole and healthy in our second life, the life to come. If we do not develop these senses, limbs, and powers in this life, we are born handicapped into the next life.

The path towards self-mastery requires the adoption of numerous virtues and while the list is extensive and varies according to the interests, experiences, personality, and characteristics of the student there are some attributes that are essential and are often seen among those listed by various teachers and schools. I refer to these attributes as the “paving stones” on the path to mastery. These virtues are also the keys that open the Mystery Gate. Here is my partial list of virtues:

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Discipline Steadfastness Fearlessness Intellect Ability Humility Generosity Kindness Truthfulness Persistence Loyalty Self-control Respect Honesty Sincerity

While meditation can be an important component of this process, it is not the only component. Within Daoism, which some view as a philosophy and others identify as a religion, the practice of prayer has largely been omitted. The same statement may be made for Buddhism, and yet for most followers of the worlds major and minor religions, prayer is an essential component of spiritual growth and is viewed as inseparable from meditation.

The common adage is, “Prayer is speaking to the Source of Creation and meditation is listening for the answer”.

Many believe that meditation, usually static or seated meditation, is sufficient for spiritual cultivation and most teachers teach static meditation as opposed to dynamic meditation and downplay the role of moving meditation through Tai Chi Chuan or Bagua Zhang practice. This is a serious error and omission, and such teaching may limit or retard the advancement of a student.

Often static meditation for the purpose of cultivation of the Dao is combined with metaphysical energy practices including the micro and macro cosmic orbit and moving chi to the Mystery Gate which they view as located at or in the lower Dan Tien. I have already discussed that I do not view the Mystery Gate as a physical location in or on the human body, but as an intangible concept that defies human comprehension, and that exists beyond space and time. I have also explained that you cannot control or force entry into or through the Mystery Gate with thought.

Introducing, Piercing Eagle Feather (John Aldred) B.S., C.M.T., CHHP, Blue Heron Academy Head Martial Arts Instructor Piercing Eagle Feather (John Aldred) has been researching and practicing the healing and fitness arts for nearly 35 years and has been studying martial arts over 25 years. He began studying the fundamentals of Judo and Hapkido while attending college. After graduating with his Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Fitness: Prevention and Rehabilitation, he found his passion practicing and studying the internal styles of Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Xing-I-quan and Liuhebafa.

John Aldred is an Anishnabe, which means Original Person (people). He is a proud member of The Lake Superior Band of Ojibway Indians. He is a certified enrolled member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community L’Anse Reservation. Many Native Americans adhere to a clan system for developing a sense of personal responsibility and cooperation within the tribe itself.

John’s father belongs to the Bear (Makwa) clan, which are known for their long, thick black hair that does not show an ounce of gray well into old age. Members of the Bear clan were known to be war chiefs and warriors in general, protectors of their family and their land. Most Anishnabeg (Ojibway) believe Bear clan members to be medicine people, and medicine expresses itself in many forms, from mere laughter as medicine, to herbal, diet, fasting and even manual therapies.

John’s mother belonged to the Loon clan, which is known as a leadership clan, more involved with the tendency of the Loon to dive deep underwater, thus the Loon clan are considered to be the inner chiefs, they are known to settle disputes within their community, within their tribe, and within their family. Loon clan members are eloquent leaders, speakers, and negotiators.

He expanded and advanced his repertoire in the healing arts by obtaining certifications in holistic health, herbal medicine, acupuncture/ acupressure, medical massage and advanced manual therapies through the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences. He received his black belt in Kosho-Ryu-Kenpo-Jujitsu under 9th Dan, Yudansha Taigu, Dr. Gregory T. Lawton, Certified Rank Examiner of the USMAA. Under the same tutelage, he has earned his 6th degree black sash in Old Style Yang Tai-Chi-Chuan and has been promoted to the rank of Red Sash Rank Examiner. John is the chief instructor in Old Style Yang Tai Chi Chuan in the tradition and method of Yang Shao Hou and is an Ambassador of the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences.

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One of the objectives, explained in classical texts and by contemporary teachers of static meditation and energy cultivation is the achievement of “immortality”. Asian literature is replete with stories of Daoist immortals.

Immortality is explained by various teachers as either living forever, living an exceptionally long life, or disappearing and merging into the Dao. Certain teachers have adopted a literal interpretation of classical teachings and are attempting the make the intangible tangible, to move the Mystery Gate or the placeless to a place in the body and are misunderstanding the spirits journey to its eternal home in the “Dao” as an immortal life on earth.

Just as a raindrop makes its way among streams and rivers, and into the ocean, our spirit returns to the Source, energy merges into the universe like a drop into the sea.

“You are a vibration, a word, a sound.

You are an image, a mirror, a light.

You are water, fire, heaven and earth, spirit, and flesh.

You are a drop, a river, an ocean.

You are oneness.

Then how different are you from heaven and earth?”12

If a person has lived a good life and has through acts of human service acquired virtues, the soul, once it “dismounts its human horse”, will pass into the next life, the second life, and once there that soul will need to be “quickened” and to be enlivened with the spirit of faith. A simple way of viewing this transformation is by stating that a soul that has not developed the needed attributes for its spiritual or second life is, comparably speaking, dead, and a soul that has gained the spirit of life begins its new existence with great power and beauty and the ability to comprehend its new existence, to travel through the worlds of reality, and to evolve throughout eternity.

“Heaven is my father and Earth is my mother…all people are my brothers and sisters, and all things are my companions. In life I follow and serve Heaven and Earth, and in death I will be at peace.”13 Walking the Path of Mastery, Embracing Peace During the first few decades of my marital arts training, I did not read or study books on the martial arts. At first this was simply because there weren’t many books available on martial arts and there were few if any movies or television shows on the topic. In the 1950s and 1960s my sole source of knowledge and training in the martial arts were soldiers who had fought in the Korean war and had returned home after training for one or two years overseas in Korea, Japan, or Okinawa… As I studied with various military veteran’s and my knowledge and

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skills grew, I made a wilful decision not to read some of the first books that became available. During the 1970s and later, books about the martial arts became ubiquitous, but I still refused to read or study them. I cannot explain exactly why I decided not to read or study the thoughts, ideas, and practices of other teachers, but I consider my decision fortuitous and central to my development as a martial artist because it led to my forming my own thoughts, philosophy, and path through the martial arts. It wasn’t until the 1990s, thirty-five years into my martial arts training that I began to read martial arts training and theoretical literature and to acquire video media on the martial arts. I attribute my insistence on training with a few good martial art instructors, and finding my own way, with my discovery of the value of training in nature.

There is a story told about a young monk who asked his abbot why they spent their days copying ancient scrolls and he noted specifically that they were copying copies. He observed that if they were copying copies, as monks had done for centuries, might they not be copying errors repeatedly? This story explains why I decided to go to the source and origin of the martial arts, and to not copy copies or those who were blindly emulating the teachers before them. I wanted, as much as it was in my ability, to avoid errors in my training methods and practices and to not adopt erroneous concepts or theories.

It is commonly taught that there are three levels or stages of meditation: physical, psychological, and spiritual. In the physical form of meditation scientific studies have demonstrated the benefits of meditation on the physiology, neurology, and chemistry of the human body. The psychological level is intimately connected to the physical effects and produces beneficial mental and emotional states such as calmness, love, compassion, or peacefulness.

The spiritual dimension leads to diverse and exceptional spiritual states and unique visionary experiences.

It has been my experience that many forms of meditation, and meditators, are too cerebral or mental. True meditation is from the heart, as is the path to mastery. Adventurousness, curiosity, sincerity, and love are essential ingredients that lead to transcendental experiences in nature. You may have noticed that the stories that I have shared in both Part One and Part Two of this series are transcendental and are not “visions”. A vision may be a unique mental or spiritual experience whereas a transcendental experience in nature is “real” in the sense that it can be recorded or photographed. A transcendental experience is both tangible in that it occurs in the natural world and intangible because the connection with nature and animals is extraordinary and often transcends our normal experience.

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I know many regular and long-term meditators who follow different systems of meditation from transcendental, to various yogic systems, Zen, Theosophy, and the list goes on and on. Many spend years meditating but may stay on the physical and psychological level, which is fine and beneficial to the body and the mind. Others seek an expansion in consciousness on the spiritual level, but they often get lost in illusionary occult and psychic practices.

I have never attempted to create a transcendental experience in nature. I have abandoned all artificial processes and I have no method other than training in nature. Perhaps this is why I have had these profound experiences.

They occur because I do not try to force them. Instead, I go out into nature to train and while training I concentrate and become aware of the world around me. In the same manner you cannot “force” mastery. When I am training, and I train outdoors in all kinds of weather and terrain, I become aware of what is around me, the rain, snow, cold, heat, trees, flowers, the sky, the sun, the moon, the shadows, every nuance of the natural world I am “playing” in. I have learned meaningful life altering lessons in nature organically and naturally.

In this article I used the example of a mirror in comparison to the human soul. A mirror faithfully reflects whatever you place in front of it. If you put a material object in front of the mirror it will reflect the light of that object, in like manner if you put spiritual “objects”, concepts, or questions in front of the mirror of your soul, your soul will reflect that light and truth will be revealed. That truth may be in the form of words, it may become an experience, or it may be an image or vision.

Your meditation, in whatever form it may take, must harmonize with your daily life, values, and behavior. “Many are called, but few are chosen”. One of the most daunting tasks on the path towards mastery is overcoming self and desire and many fail to succeed. Among my circle of friends and acquaintances within the martial arts community that have remained true to their training, have preserved their physical health and abilities, and have not succumb to their addictions whether food, alcohol, drugs, sex, greed, or power – I can count on the fingers of one hand.

When I am training in nature, and I have a transcendental experience within the environment or with animals such an experience produces a state of elation, joy, and amazement. In these moments I feel truly alive and as if I am more soul than human and have become a living soul. As the poet William Wordsworth wrote, “While with an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and with the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things.”

In these moments I have become my authentic self and I carry way from these moments the greatest lessons of my life. I explained this early in this article when I referred to the Great Blue Heron as my greatest teacher of Tai Chi Chuan. As a martial artist who began as a strict pragmatist whose only focus was on combat martial art and fighting, I feel that the Creator has played a joke on me by making of me a mystic and teaching me that mystical experiences lead to oneness and oneness to your authentic self. It is only when we recognize the oneness of all things and our relationship to the natural world that we become our authentic self.

There is a Zen koan attributed to Ch’an Master Lin-chi I-hsuan Hui-chao that says, “If you see Buddha on the road, kill him.” I am familiar with several interpretations of this koan but I have my own. In this new age of spiritual revelation one of the primary principles is the principle that every human being is responsible for the independent investigation of truth to discover reality. If you meet another “Buddha” on the path do not accept that “Buddha’s” truth, find your own. I will take this koan a step further, “If you meet your teacher on the road, kill him or her.”

Learn from good teachers but do not idolize them. The path to mastery is different for every person and you must find your own way. So, kill your teachers, or the parts of them that you are copying, and burn your books. Once you have read this article put it aside and commit yourself to finding your own way. Perhaps, you might want to revisit this article in a year or two and compare your experiences from training in nature to the ideas, concepts, and stories that I have shared. You may find a different way, or you may find that our path and stories are similar.

There are so many possibilities and no one person can experience them all.

“My teacher touched me and now I touch you. The cellist’s bow draws across the cello and sounds move the heart. These vibrations pass between us.”14 When I was a child, I loved to end the sweetness of a warm summer day by swinging on my swing-set as the shadows lengthened and the evening darkened. I was fascinated by stars. As I swung to and fro I would patiently await the appearance of the stars. As the stars came out, I would quietly sing my songs and say my child’s prayers. I would do this until my mother’s call would draw me home.

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I have never lost my child’s awe and love for the mystery of creation, or my awareness of the many evidences of Divine power and order in the world around me. Simply put, this is why I love to dedicate myself to the study and teaching of internal martial arts such as Tai Chi Chuan and Bagua Zhang. The beauty and peace of these arts is my prayer and meditation, a way I have found to express my gratitude for my life, and to celebrate my existence through the dance of Tai Chi Chuan and Bagua Zhang.

The path towards mastery is the path to peace. When we join and unite with the natural world and experience oneness through transcendence, peace fills our heart and we become beings of compassion to the world. Rumi in the Mathnawi speaks: “For the sake of God, the Real, whose slave I am, I yield this sword.”

And again, he speaks: “And so, I must put down my sword; that my name might be he loves for God’s sake, that my desire may be he hates for God’s sake, that my generosity may be he gives for God’s sake.”15 Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī I am now at a loss to know what else to write to you, or how better to say these things so that you will understand that through these internal arts we dedicate ourselves to peace. That through our art and practice we strive to embody the spirit of peace. That through our art we seek to offer to humanity the gift of peace. To take these steps is to walk the path to mastery.

Conclusion I have perhaps taken upon myself an impossible task and my words in this article, and others I have written and spoken, are poor tools to express the secrets of the internal martial arts. We have all experienced profound Godgiven moments of beauty, of insight, the answering of prayers, the gift of grace from God, and divine confirmation. You may know what I refer to when I talk about these joyful, magical moments when creation becomes our best friend, deepest lover, and playmate in the unfolding mystery of life.

In this article I have invited you to follow along the path to mastery and to discover your authentic self through training in nature and I have warned you about the pitfalls of self, desire, and addiction. Hopefully, I have enticed you to leave the comfort of your home, leave the familiarity and security of your schools, and train in nature, the of source and origin of all knowledge and ability in the internal martial arts.

Notes 1. Montaigue, Erle. Tai Chi, the Chinese art of healing and self defense. Carleton Books Limited, Spain, 1999, p. 6.

2. Ibid, p. 6.

3. Lawton, Gregory. Scent of a Forgotten Flower. Muyblue Productions, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, Second Edition 2017, p. 10.

4. “Consciously Embodying the Tai Chi Principles”, GPYTCA Workshop Title: “Tai Chi Principles as Metaphors for Right Living.”, Presented by Jarl Forsman and Steve Sekhon at the 2011 Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Annual Convention.

5. Morihei Ueshiba Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2021. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ morihei_ueshiba_183596, accessed May 25, 2021.

6. Lawton, Scent, p. 23.

7. Lawton, Scent, p. 9.

8. Bahá’u’lláh, (The Call of the Divine Beloved), www.bahai.org/r/490110962.

9. Lawton, Scent, p. 23.

10. Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Author: Various Source: US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1991 edition, pages 121-122.

11. Lawton, Scent, p. 22.

12. Lawton, Scent, p. 12.

13. Huang, Siu-chi. "The Moral Point of View of Chang Tsai." Philosophy East and West 21, no. 2 (1971): 141-56. Accessed May 25, 2021. doi:10.2307/1397782.

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14. Lawton, Scent, p. 9.

15. Jalâl ud Dîn Rûmî (Author), Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi (3 Volume Set), Kindle Edition, Reynold A. Nicholson (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition, Location 3800.

References 1. Montaigue, Erle. Advanced Dim-Mak: The Finer Points of Death-Point Striking. Paladin Press, Colorado, USA, 1994.

2. Montaigue, Erle. Tai Chi, the Chinese art of healing and self defense. Carleton Books Limited, Spain, 1999.

3. Lawton, Gregory. Scent of a Forgotten Flower. Muyblue Productions, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, Second Edition 2017.

4. Jalâl ud Dîn Rûmî (Author), Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi (3 Volume Set), Kindle Edition, Reynold A. Nicholson (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition.

5. Bahá’u’lláh, Call of the Divine Beloved, Selected Mystical Works of Baha'u'llah, ISBN: 978-0-87743-390Publisher: Baha'i World Centre.

Art and Photography Attribution: All images, art, and photography by the author and Abass Ali, unless indicated otherwise.

About the author Dr. Gregory T. Lawton is a licensed physician and acupuncturist. He is the founder of the Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences where he teaches biomedicine, medical manual therapy, Asian medicine, and martial arts. Dr. Lawton is nationally board certified in radiology, physiotherapy, manual medicine, and acupuncture. He is the author of over 200 books and educational materials, some in the area of mystic poetry and prose. Since the early 1960s Dr. Gregory T. Lawton has studied and trained in Asian religion, philosophy and several martial arts including Kenpo/Kempo, Bagua Zhang, Hsing Yi, and Tai Chi Chuan. Dr. Lawton’s most noted Asian martial art instructor was Professor Huo Chi-Kwang who was a student of Yang Shao Hou. Art and Photograph Credit Photographs by Abass Ali and the author. A special thanks to Abass Ali for his assistance with the demonstration photographs and for his expert photography skills. The artistic images are the work of the author.

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31

The Nature of the Sphere

F

or he final part in this series let’s look at a concept of martial movement that, when it starts to manifest in us, we start to have a glimpse of what the masters meant.

The previous article attempted to clarify the building of a strong base and a supple waist (the waist meaning the muscles, fascia and connective tissue around the hips with which physical movement occurs most naturally around the dan tien). With correct application we learned that the power transmission and therefore the energy for combat is developed from the ground and conducted upward for the upper limbs to express.

After we have understood the value of this way of moving, the circles of the waist will start to be reflected in every movement we do. We will start to surprise ourselves as our arms move in a direction that was unintended that give a depth to the understanding of the movement that was not there before. Instead of a lifting of the hand, it becomes a drilling, snaking and seeking movement, and when lowering it becomes a dragging or coiling motion. Indeed everything we do becomes circular in all planes of motion or in other words, spherical.

It is my firm belief that this concept is chiefly derived from the Chinese martial adage of "avoiding excess effort". It is a common Western philosophy that we constantly need to be achieving more, striving harder, making more progress in anything we do. Whilst it is a legitimate goal for self discipline, it focuses on "doing" rather than "being." The human body is one of the most the most complex things in the known universe and by focusing on trying to achieve goals we lose the ability to do things as our body intended. Excess effort in movements sacrifices efficient movement for power, when in fact power is a by product of efficiency. By not straining to achieve movements and speed we allow our body to teach us how it moves best. An easier way of putting it would be, instead of "I must catch a ball at all costs," which can result in over-stretching injury and ingrained tension we can simply, "make the most efficient movement in time and space to reach the ball," whether we actually catch the ball is only one of the possible outcomes.

The way the human body is set up, from the left leg moving forward as the right arm swings, to the turning of the torso shows that circular movement is the most efficient way of moving. In a more esoteric sense, once we have realised the concept of the sphere, we realise that in nature there Left are to noRight: straight lines, only spirals. A tree may grow Anthony Pillage, Mo Teague [centre] & Gavin Richardson perfectly straight but its trunk is a circle. A flame spirals upwards. The wind is only too happy to become a hurricane and a leaf never falls straight to the ground. A raindrop will become round as it falls to the Earth. No matter how straight a line the surface it is drawn on will never be perfectly level. Even a point itself can be constantly spinning but to the eye it looks still.

The human body is truly a magnificent piece of work and perhaps the question isn't what we want to do with ourselves, but how it wants us to do things.

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Yang Ch'eng-fu Form - The Martial View A Brief Introduction Peter Jones

I

n this issue of Lift hands I will be taking a brief look at one of the things I teach in my classes [Meridian Balancing], these are some of the things we learn in the Erle Montaigue's system, Let's take a little look at "Triple Warmer & Pericardium" before moving on to the Yang Cheng fu the Martial View. Where I'll be taking a look at some more moves and some of the points that we are striking.

Meridian Balancing : Triple Warmer & Pericardium First we work upon the Triple Warmer. We place the Left hand onto Pc7 [Pericardium 7], which is located in the middle of the wrist. You start with going from Tw 1, [Triple Warmer 1], which is on the outside of the ring finger we go up the arm to the neck and over by Tw 17, and then swipe outwards and come back in an arcing motion [Three times].

Figure 2

Second is Pericardium. We place the left hand on Tw10, this is located in the middle of the elbow, this is the balancing point for this one. We start at Pc 1, and run down the middle of the arm to Pc 9, Which is the long finger nearest to the thumb.

Figure 1

Taiji form: Fist under elbow to Repulse Monkey [Yang Cheng fu], Groups of three both sides.With triple warmer this helps other meridians to communicate with each other, as well as controlling your sexual awareness. Fist under elbow works on balancing the triple warmer, and it helps to gain weight by slowing your metabolism down. As a qigong hold for 5 mins on both sides.

Figure 3

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Figure 4

Continuing with Yang Cheng fu the Martial View Fist Under Elbow As your partner throws a left punch towards your stomach area, with your right palm you hammer fist straight down onto your partner’s forearm, more or less at the same time you strike your partners throat with your left palm, also using your left leg you kick your partners leading or weighted leg.

The Points We Are Striking: Co 7, [Colon 7] is located on the forearm.

The damage it could cause is Qi drainage. If the strike is done hard enough it could cause knockout. St 9, [Stomach 9], there are a good few point on the neck, but for now I'll take St 9, this one is located near the Adam's apple and Carotid artery on the neck. When doing this strike, it is angled towards the backbone. The damage it could cause is a knockout with a light strike or maybe death with a hard strike. In other words please do not strike these areas!

Step Back Repulse Monkey Your partner throws a right punch towards your head. Using your left palm, you strike his right forearm. At the same time you strike with a left finger strike into your partner’s neck. Immediately, grab your partner with your left palm pulling him towards you, now with your right open palm you strike your partner’s head causing it to jerk backwards. You could throw a low kick in towards your partner’s knee area if you wish.

The Points We Are Striking: Jerking the head backwards can cause knockout — “It's like having whiplash!” This effects Gb 20 [Gallbladder 20], the location of which is at the back of the neck at the base of the Occipital bone of the skull. The damage with a light strike to this point can cause knockout a hard strike could cause brain damage or maybe death. Also there is a strike to St 9, which I have mentioned above. Pc 6 [Pericardium 6] is located about 2 inches above the crease of the wrist. We tend to use this point as a set-up point, but when struck here it will upset the yin and yang balance in the body. It is a qi drainage point.

Please remember that the points mentioned can be dangerous and are not to be used, they are provided for informational use only.

The drawings are just a guideline and don’t do the moves justice.

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19

Introduction

T

he etymological meaning of ‘Nun’ is difficult to ascertain — having said that, it is accepted that there is link between the nun of the Wudang and the posture in Baguazhang [Jiang Rongqiao Style]1 known as ‘Jade Lady Offers Book,’ — yù nǚ xiàn shū*; ⽟女献书 — alternatively known as ‘Nun Offers Food’ depending upon your school and translation [see below]! It has even been suggested that the ‘nun’ of the Wudang is the forerunner of, or even the inspiration behind Bagua’s ‘nun’!

Regardless of what she is offering, in the naming of the Bagua ‘posture,’ it is self-evident that the ‘nun’ or ‘lady’ in this case is a female and being both coy and chaste is reflected in her posture — she is weighted on her rear leg, whilst she withdraws her right side into a curve thus creating a distance between her body and her hands. Such expansions and contractions are also evident in the Wudang ‘nun,’ albeit more subtle in appearance, and the martial principles behind the dynamics of both, as well as Bagua’s ‘Bat Drops to Earth,’ are uncannily similar in function and appearance!

Having said the above, we know that the Wudang Hand Weapons are based on everyday tools and weapons, therefore, the ‘nun’ of the Wudang cannot, at least etymologically, be reconciled with the ‘nun’ of Baguazhang and we must look for its meaning elsewhere. This is important, it is not an exercise in futility — by discovering the meaning behind the name, or by making an educated guess through research, we can/may also advance our knowledge behind the principles covered.

My teacher, Erle Montaigue, was simply given the name of the weapon by Master Liang Shih-kan2, he never asked him its meaning and assumed it to be linked to Bagua’s nun initially, before it was suggested to him that it could have its origins in the Chinese triple staff due to the three angles formed by the arm, where each segment represents a staff. Whilst the suggestion was plausible, it does not tie up or connect with any known etymological links to the nun!

The most famous [or infamous, depending on your point of view] ‘nun’ in martial arts is the Nunchaku — a weapon consisting of two sticks connected at one end by a short chain or rope, and usually associated with Okinawan martial arts and Karate. *. The term ‘yù nǚ’ — usually translated as ‘Jade Lady’ — is also synonymous with the ‘fairy maiden attending the Daoist immortals’ and is perhaps the inspiration behind the usage of the term ‘nun offers food’ in some schools.

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Main Image: ‘Nun Offers Food’ from Baguazhang; Inset: ‘Bat Drops to Earth’ [Erle Montaigue] and ’Nun’ from Wudang Hand Weapons

1

2

3

1. Traditional Nunchaku 2. Chinese War Flail — https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/chinese-war-flail 3. Basic Two-Section Staff — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-section_staff

It is not my intention to discuss the history or the origins of the nunchaku, other than state that both, are unclear and that many popular theories exist from their being inspired by farmer’s rice flails or even being developed from an Okinawan horse bit! Further, according to Chinese lore, they are simply a variation of their two-section staff.

Whatever, their origins maybe, it is accepted that they are a weapon originating from South East Asia, although variants can be found across the Asian continent — including Iran.

What we are interested in is the origin of the word nunchaku and once again — surprise, surprise — it is not known!

According to one theory the name arises from the pronunciation of the Chinese characters 双截棍 shuāngjiégùn3 [Shuāng = two/double/pair; jié = section/length; gùn = stick/rod/truncheon] in a Southern Fujian dialect of Chinese language as nng-chat-kun4 [兩節棍 — pair — linked — sticks], where shuāng equates to nng/nun.

Interestingly enough the term shuāng can also be used to denote ‘twin5’ in translation, thereby giving as another, meaning behind ‘nun’ or ‘nng’!

In my opinion, it is this meaning that perhaps most accurately reflects the twin6 aspects of the passive and active components of the yin/yang symbol in Taiji and the internal arts — a perpetual motion where one ‘rolls’ into the other — and in turn provides a precise description of the Wudang Hand Weapon!

The nun is the sixth of the Wudang Hand Weapons.

The primary skills it teaches are based upon P’eng and Arn, including the concepts of continuous ‘rolling’ and ‘folding’! The two arms literally behave like twins, co-joined by the ‘power-band’ and co-ordinated by the waist, rolling around not just the opponents limbs and attacks, but also around themselves in continuous motion whilst weighing and measuring the opponent’s every move.

Its methodology includes moving with and against the flow of energy in attack, using the palms, fingers and forearms as weapons with which to strike, lock, jam and trap the opponents limbs, whilst using the natural angles of the wrists, elbows and shoulders.

The nun — like the other weapons — develops and trains the reflexive actions to perfection. It is the first weapon which bears resemblance to the ‘double’ Da Shou training method.

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The Solo Method

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Stand in a reverse Gōng Bù stance with your right leg forward and your left leg back. This isolates your hips, so that your primary movement comes from your waist. Your weight distributions are 70:30 percent in favour of the left leg. The hands hold the classic ‘old man’ posture — right hand p’eng and left hand hinge [Figures 1]. The right hand is held slightly yin in this case compared to the more yin left hand, thus making it the yang component.

In this method both hands are going to strike a split second apart, so the waist turns will be very short and rapid.

The right palm strikes in a forward motion [Figure 2], immediately the left palm overtakes the right from below [Figure 3] as the waist turns left, rolling and finishing facing up — creating three distinct angles between the upper arm, the forearm and the wrist [Figure 4].

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

The left forearm now rolls downwards angled at 45º [Figure 5] as the right palm now rolls and thrusts forwards with the right palm sliding over the wrist [Figure 6]. The right arm now mirrors the three angles seen in Figure 4.

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Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

As the waist turns left, right and left, the right palm moves across to the left [Figure 7] the left palm begins to roll from under [Figure 8] and over the right forearm [Figure 9], finally finishing with the left palm turned upwards and the fingers thrusting forwards [Figure 10]. The left arm has now reverted back to holding the three angles it had earlier.

The Two Person Method

Figure 10

A

B

To start the method B attacks A with a straight left down the centre.

A instantly parries B’s strike using his right palm sliding it in the direction towards B’s elbow [against the flow of energy], as his left arm starts to move from under…

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A’s left palm overtakes his right as his waist turns left continuing the forward motion and his forearm controls B’s forearm and the fingers of his left palm strike in the pit of B’s throat [Conceptor Vessel 22]. Note the 3 angles in A’s arms.

A now rolls his left forearm downwards 45º whilst continuing to control both B’s forearm and elbow as his right palm begins to roll over…

A’s right palm continues to thrust forwards… his fingers striking in the Vagal triangle. Again, note the angles in A’s arms and how they compliment each other.

B now strikes A with a straight right.

A’s waist turns left as his right palm parries B’s strike and his forearm begins to fold…

A’s weight and momentum once more shift forwards as his waist turns right and the his left arm rolls over his right arm and he once again thrusts his finger in to CV22.

B now parries A’s left thrust with his right palm…

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B’s left arm moves from under, overtaking his right palm as he strike s A… the roles are now reversed and B continues with the drill.

This concludes the first six of the Wudang Hand Weapons. We will feature the remaining six in future issues.

What’s presented here is for informational purposes only! The nuances and subtle changes, and power cannot be taught or presented here. For those seeking to learn these highly functional training methods please find a competent instructor who has learned these methods correctly and teaches them accordingly!

Notes/References 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Jiang Rongqiao’s Baguazhang Chinese-English Edition; Translated by Andrea Falk Erle Montaigue — The Wudang Hand Weapons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunchaku Ibid https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary The twin or dual aspects are confirmed by Gu Ruzhang in his Taiji Boxing Manual published in 1936: 兩儀者。兩⼿分陰陽。分前後。分左右。分上下。分反正。兩⼿有出有入。有伸有縮。有收 有放。有緩 有急。有虛有實。 The “dual aspects” are your two hands separated into the roles of passive and active, forward and behind, left and right, above and below, contrary and straightforward, exiting and entering, extending and withdrawing, gathering and releasing, leisurely and quick, empty and full. [Brennan Translation]

A Word of Caution The points and targets mentioned in this drill are for reference purposes only! They are extremely dangerous and at no point should any attempt be made to actually strike your partner!

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P

eter Holmes is a seeker — a man with an insatiable thirst for knowledge for not only the arts he practices, but also life itself!

He is another one of those rarities whom in the UK we call a “proper bloke”!

Softly spoken, he oozes that knowledge both, on and off the mats.

Although widely regarded as a point striking [Dim-mak] specialist by many, you quickly learn that his range of martial knowledge is phenomenal with a skill to match. He can take a technique and show you how to improve upon it in seconds with humility.

Pete runs his own successful school — Immortal 365 — just down the road from me in Peterborough — as well as giving seminars around the world. If you are ever in his neighbourhood or he is in yours… my advice is to attend his sessions. You will certainly leave the venue informed.

So, we’ll get started on the twenty questions…

Pete, Welcome to Lift Hands Magazine brother! Please tell us a little about your background in the martial arts?

My martial arts started at the age of 8 until 1 was 12 at Sawtry Judo club. I then took a break until I was 16 and then took up Lou Gar Kung Fu. I then started college so, my martial arts was put on hold again until I was 21. This time I took up Tang Soo Do and whilst doing Tang Soo Do, I started to study Martial Science under the Dragon Society International, where I have reached a certified instructorship.

My Lineage for Tang Soo Do was under Master J. C. Shin and my Dragon Society lineage is direct through Rick Moneymaker and Tom Muncy.

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LH: Thank you for that Pete!

Well, if you are ready for your questions, let us begin - If you could have personally witnessed anything, what would you want to have seen?

PH: The fight between Bruce and Chuck!

LH: What would you do if you were invisible for a day?

PH: If I invisible, I’d walk inside area 51.

LH: As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?

PH: I'm an old cowboy!

LH: What animal best represents you and why?

PH: A Bear, as I'm big and cuddly!

LH: What is your greatest strength or weakness?

PH: Both… being too caring!

LH: What is your favorite memory of any one of your grandparents?

PH: So many, but flying a carpet in my grandma's lounge and visiting places all around the world.

LH: Lol… that must’ve been one hell of a carpet! How do you want to be remembered?

PH: Fondly!

LH: What have you always wanted and did you ever get it?

PH: Knowledge and skill… and no!

LH: Do you know your heritage?

PH: My martial heritage… Yes, Tang Soo Do, under Grandmaster J. C. Shin and Dragon Society under Rick Moneymaker and Tom Muncy!

LH: Are you still learning who you are?

PH: Yes, we should always continue to learn!

LH: What, if anything, are you afraid of and why?

PH: Afraid is a big thing, our own mind makes us afraid, being nervous is a good thing, being afraid is not!

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Demonstrating with Gavin Richardson

LH: What is the most memorable class you have ever taken?

PH: At Adaptive Martial Arts in Cambridge, teaching with my daughter Alysia, it was amazing!

LH: What book has influenced you the most?

PH: I struggle reading, I have read lots of bits of books. The only book I have fully read is Shogun.

LH: What ridiculous thing has someone tricked you into doing or believing?

PH: To fly a 19 metre power kite in a field near trees. It was very painful!

LH: Who or what has been the greatest influence in your life?

PH: My dad, as it should be!

LH: What is the craziest thing one of your teachers has done or made you do?

PH: Dude, I am old school so too many to mention!

LH: When did you screw everything up, but no one ever found out it was you?

PH: THAT HAS TO STAY A SECRET!

Peter Holmes with his daughter Alysia at Adaptive Martial Arts UK & Ireland

LH: If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film or science fiction?

PH: I am too boring!

LH: Boring? I find that hard to believe! If you could select one person from history and ask them one question — who would you select and what would the question be?

PH: The ancient Egyptians… to find out how they actually built the pyramids, or was it aliens?

LH: How would you describe your art in ten words or less?

PH: The missing bits to martial arts — Martial Science!

LH: Thank you so much Pete! Some very insightful answers for our readership. We hope that we will continue to benefit from your expertise and knowledge in future issues of Lift Hands.

PH: I look forwards to hearing from you soon. Take care my brother!

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Pete and Alysia training together

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81

The Medicine of Words Dr Gregory T. Lawton

When I am lonely, I feel like my light has dimmed And dark clouds have moved in and blocked the sun. Then, the medicine of words, whether prayer or poem, Permeates my blood and the chill of loneliness leaves me. As my sight clears, I see my light was always there. ***** When I built a fence around myself To keep you away from my heart, Know that I built an entrance gate Hoping that you would find it. ***** I have learned to appreciate snow And cold air sliding slowly across my body Like the grass, I have learned not to complain Knowing that this is how joy appears in our lives, First, we are cold and empty, then are warm and full. ***** A rainbow-colored hummingbird flew to my lips. She must have mistaken me for a pregnant flower, And my lips for nectar.

She made me want to live up to her expectations, From here on I will only utter sweetness.

About the authorKindly reprinted with permission from:

Dr. Gregory T. Lawton is an author of many books, most of them in the area of health science, but also in the genre of Asian martial arts, philosophy, poetry, and prose. Dr. Lawton is a passionate award winning artist and photographer who finds his artistic and creative inspiration in nature, and who frequently attributes the source of his images and writing to the 19th century Persian Prophet, Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, and the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi Mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī. Dr. Lawton has been a member of the Baha’i Faith since 1970 and embraces the Faith’s principles related to the promotion of world unity and peace.

The Medicine of Words, Copyright 2021 Dr. Gregory T. Lawton 2040 Raybrook Street, SE Suite 104 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 616-285-9999

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Lift Hands would like to thank Katherine Loukopoulos Sensei for providing this exclusive book free of charge to our readers. To get your download link please visit and join our group page on FaceBook: Lift Hands: The Internal Arts Magazine

Photography by Sylwia Cichocka

T

he keys to success in all martial arts are always given to the student at the start — not at the end!

So-called secrets are simply our understanding of the fundamentals of our arts — the more we practice and study, the better our understanding and skill. It really is that simple. Sadly, human nature has a tendency to ignore the near and seek afar. There is an old proverb — ‘If you wish to hide something from a person, place it right under their nose… it is the last place they will look’!

Such is also the case with the Eight Bagua Neigongs1.

These neigongs are given to a student at the very start of their training, just like the Three Circles in Taijiquan, and are equally neglected by most students in both cases!

These are very powerful neigongs for both the martial and the healing components of Baguazhang and are a far more difficult version than the aforementioned Three Circles of Taijiquan.

First and foremost is the minimum time span. All eight palms are done as a continuous set with each palm lasting five minutes — thereby giving the practitioner a total time of forty minutes compared with fifteen minutes being the minimum for the Taiji qigong. Traditionally speaking, beginners can reduce the amount of time they stand as long as they stand an equal amount of time for each palm. So, for example, a beginning student could stand holding each palm for one minute giving them a total time of eight minutes, and as their ability improves, they can gradually increase the time until the five minutes for each palm is reached.

Further, unlike the Taiji, the palms in Baguazhang are held with a slight tension. The fingers are separated, with the palm held slightly concave — ‘Dragon Palm’ — as well as the forearms holding a small amount of inner tension.

The rules for performing the Bagua qigong are very similar to Taiji with a few subtle differences:

The ‘Dragon Palm’

1.The feet are held wider apart — slightly wider than shoulder width with the toes slightly scrunched under.

2.The crown of the head is raised — as if suspended from above. When this is done correctly, the natural result is that of the chin pulling slightly inwards.

3. The tip of the tongue is placed on the upper palate, just behind the front teeth.

4.Breathing is natural. In and out through the nose ensuring that it is executed using the diaphragm and sinking into the tan-tien [lower abdomen].

5.The back is held vertical with the sacrum naturally tucked under.

6. You sit in the posture, bending your knees until they become aligned with the toes.2 7.Your hands are held in the Dragon Palm by your sides at the start of each posture.

8. As you begin each palm, you will either lead with your fingers or the palm.

1. Neigong [“internal work”] — some neigong practices can be described as a qigong whilst others can be described as a physical exercise which focus on building proper posture, strength and muscle co-ordination for combat. Some can be described as both — as is the case here. Not all neigongs are necessarily qigongs!

2. There are three ‘basins’ or heights in Baguazhang — these neigongs are performed at the ‘middle basin’ [See Lift Hands Volume 17 March 2021 — The Art of Dong The Fugitive for a full explanation of the basins.]

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Below is a brief description for each palm. The reader is advised to seek out a good instructor and to merely use the descriptions below as a reference or guidelines for one’s own training.

Basic Structure

Posture 1 - Starting Position

Palm Number One This represents heaven. The palm faces up and is said to have the physical ability to heal the head.

Posture 2

Posture 3

Posture 4

Breathe in and as you breathe out you form a Number One palm [Posture 2], raising your arms up whilst leading with your fingers [Posture 3]. Hold the posture for five minutes, you may experience some shaking whilst you stand. As you inhale, imagine the breath coming in through the tips of your fingers, down your arms and sinking into the tan-tien. As you breathe out, imagine the reverse. At the end of the five minutes as you breathe in retract the hands [Posture 4] and return back to Posture 1.

As you begin to breathe out, form a Number Two palm…

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Palm Number Two This represents earth.

The palm faces down and is said to have the physical ability to heal the mid-abdomen and all the organs in that region.

Posture 5

Posture 6

Posture 7

Again, on the exhalation of the previous breath continue raising your arms up whilst leading with your fingers, [Postures 5/6]. Hold the posture for five minutes. At the end of the five minutes retract your hands back to your side on your in breath and as you begin to exhale, form Number Three Palm.

Palm Number Three This represents fire and is considered the main fighting palm of Bagua.

It faces outwards and is said to have the physical ability to heal the eyes.

Posture 8

Posture 9

Posture 10

This time as you exhale and raise your arms you lead with your palms themselves [Postures 8/9]. At the end of five minutes, as you inhale retract your arms back to Posture 1.

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Palm Number Four This represents thunder.

The palm faces slightly inwards, with the fingers tilted upwards at an angle of approximately 45º. It is said to have the physical ability to heal the left side of the abdomen and all the associated organs within that area.

Posture 11

Posture 12

Posture 13

Again, on the out breath as you raise your arms lead with your fingers slightly angled inwards [similar to Taiji’s Three Circles, just with the fingers spread further apart [Postures 11/12]. At the end of five minutes inhale and return back to Posture 1.

Palm Number Five This represents wind. The palm is held sideways with the fingers pointing forwards and is in-between Palm 4 and 6 in its physical position. It is said to have the physical ability to heal the first seven vertebrae.

Posture 14

Posture 15

Posture 16

Again as you breathe out, raise your arms leading with your fingers straight ahead [Postures 14/15]. After five minutes retract hands as per previous instructions on an inhalation.

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Palm Number Six This represents water.

It is the reverse of Number Four and the only palm that points downwards. It is said to have the physical ability to heal the kidneys.

Posture 17

Posture 18

Posture 19

Again, on the out breath as you raise your arms lead with your fingers slightly angled downwards [Posture 17/18]. At the end of five minutes inhale and return back to Posture 1.

Palm Number Seven This represents the mountain.

The palm is held akin to Number Five [Wind], however with the wrist flexed and the fingers pointing vertically upwards. It is said to have the physical ability to heal the neck.

Posture 20

Posture 21

Posture 22

Again as you breathe out, raise your arms lead with your fingers and flex the wrist as if you are chopping with the knife-edge of the palms [Postures 20/21].

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After five minutes repeat instructions for previous methods as you retract your hands.

Palm Number Eight This represents clouds.

The palm is held spiralling outwards with the thumb below and the small finger [pinkie] above. It is said to have the physical ability to heal the right side of the abdomen and all the organs associated within that area.

Again as you breathe out, raise your arms lead with your fingers and spiral the wrists and forearms outwards [Postures 23/24]. This is a difficult posture and requires the rounding of the power band in order to be able to hold it. It is essentially similar to a Number One palm with an outward rotation. At the end of the five minutes,

Posture 23

Posture 24

Posture 25

Posture 26

Posture 27

Posture 28

withdraw your hands on an inhalation, circle them up and as you breathe out, push the palms downwards and stand up back to your normal height.

This concludes the basic standing neigongs of Baguazhang.

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M

y first Tai Chi teacher Professor Huo Chi Kwan taught that Tai Chi Chuan is boxing for physical and mental health, the self-defense is secondary.

However, self-defense is the key to harvesting the physical and mental benefits. The self-defense serves as a metaphorical Rosetta Stone. Like the Rosetta Stone which helped scholars interpret ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs, studying self-defense is the key which unlocks the art's secrets.

New Tai Chi Chuan students face a special challenge. Far too many Tai Chi Teachers have little or no understanding of Tai Chi's martial Professor Huo and Alan Ludmer with Tuey aspects. They see the martial as confrontational, unnecessary, and Staples onlooking — 1975 way too scary. These teachers can be kind, decent and certainly well meaning people, but if they don't understand the martial, they are limited in what they can teach. I understand that they just want Tai Chi's health benefits. The older I get, the more I too want and need the health benefits. However, you can't get the physical and mental benefits without understanding the martial aspects.

My initial martial arts exposure was all about fighting. I began with boxing and Shotokan Karate. It was rough, tough, and real old school. I loved it. Yet, when I was first exposed to marital Tai Chi Chuan, I was entranced with its grace, power and elusiveness. However, I quickly discovered that learning proved challenging. Long complex forms made little sense. Softness and relaxation were completely counter initiative to my external training. Fortunately, Professor Huo, was able to use the martial aspects as a teaching vehicle. It provided critical basics for my understanding of Tai Chi. This article will introduce several concepts based on my personal experience and exposure to great teachers. I believe that these are critical to beginning Tai Chi study, no matter if your goal is martial, health or both. This article isn’t meant to be comprehensive, nor an in-depth thesis. It is not a criticism of anyone else’s approach.

There are many ways to master an art. Tai Chi is a life long learning experience, and after 50 year plus years of study, I still have more questions than answers.

Conceptual Overview Tai Chi study should initially address key concepts critical to understanding Tai Chi. Concepts help us to see the big picture. They give us an idea of where does Tai Chi help us go and how does it help us get there. I believe that there are two core Tai Chi concepts: 1. Tai Chi Chuan is built upon specific concepts/principles which enable you to be in the present or what psychologists would call a state of heightened situational awareness. Being present allows you to respond appropriately to any physical, mental, emotional, etc situation. The concepts are presented in a martial format which is an ultimate reality therapy. If a punch is coming at your nose, you better be awake. The better you understand the concept of what awareness entails, the more your art will grow.

2. TCC principles are contextual. Specific situations dictates what and how concepts are applied. It is said that the only constant in life is change. The martial echoes this with teaching to expect the unexpected.

Dependent upon your level of understanding, principles can be modified and even changed to reflect various situations. Tai Chi is an art of infinite flexibility and constant change.

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Learning the principles and concepts of Tai Chi give you the ability to make the art your own. Professor Huo stressed that Tai Chi was an art build on specific principles/concepts and that it was the understanding and implementation of these principles that enables one to master the art. He used the analogy of learning to play music. You could copy moves and mimic one song, or you could learn the principles of music: melody, rhythm, composition, reading music, etc and then play your own music.

Start with Centering My present teacher, Tuey Staples, teaches that Tai Chi study begins with learning to centering. This is both a physical and mental construct. It is discovering where you are. Centering teaches how to create a constant heightened state of awareness by focusing upon being in the present. Every Tai Chi move is a centering move. Centering does not mean stopping or physically stressing. Centering provides a physical and mental clarity. It is an introduction to being in the now.

Centering is usually introduced with standing postures. I began my training with holding postures for extended periods. It was challenging, but eventually I begin to recognize my tension and stiffness and focus on body awareness. I learned to sink into my feet and then into the ground. Powerful centered/rooted stances form the basis for light powerful movement.

Centering Posture — Alan Ludmer

Centering technique works well with any posture or form move. The old teachers instructed their students to hold each form posture to learn the move’s true essence. Once students begin to relax physically and sink into their feet, they began begin to relax mentally. They learned to be where they were instead of rushing to another move. Once they learned to center, then they were ready to start understanding how the energy moves and that there is stillness in movement and movement in stillness.

A good place to start is to hold the ball posture for 1 minute. When you can hold the posture for 1 minute comfortably, increase your time in small increments. The plan is to Professor Kuo Lien Ying — Guan Ping Founder and a friend relax and become aware of your of Prof Huo Chi Kwan tension. Visualize your energy falling into your feet and then into the earth. When you are ready, start holding various moves from your form. Learn to feel what is happening. In 1975, I was fortunate to attend several classes with Professor Huo's friend and colleague, Professor Kuo Lien Ying. Master Kuo was a legendary internal boxing master and fanatical about holding postures. His classes reinforce many of Professor Huo's teachings. They both stressed holding postures to learn centering.

Why is Non-Opposition and Not Stopping Important?

Holding The Ball — Alan Ludmer

Tuey Staples states that there are only two absolute Tai Chi principles/concepts, don’t stop and don’t oppose. Why? Stopping breaks your chi/energy flow. Think of moving a stalled car. The hard part is getting the car moving. Once it is moving, then it is relatively easy to keep it moving. Remember Newton’s laws of motion. An object in motion stays in motion. Motion does not mean to stop centering. You are always centering. In time, you will learn that you can move and center simultaneously.

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Avoid opposition because it will cause you to stop. Your art will descend into an unproductive who's stronger contest. Focus on moving around your opponent. Think about walking in a crowd.

You don't crash into people, you move with and around them.

Avoid adding emotional context to moves. This will cause a stop at a move's end. Tai Chi's power comes from mass in motion which is why we don't stop or oppose. A bus can be moving very slowly, but still you don't oppose it.

Using Direction to Avoid Opposition One of the primary ways not to oppose is to understand directions. The classics teach that Tai Chi is the square within the circle or the circle within the square. Start with seeing the corners of the square. When you visualize your opponent, see him as your north direction. When you face him, his corners are your northeast and northwest. Start by learning to move to his corners. Understand that as you and your opponent move, the directions change. Your movements always go around your opponent, they never oppose. Visualizing moving around a tree; you can closely circle the tree, you can’t walk through it. How to execute non oppositional strikes is a topic for another article.

Internal movement is not intended to crush an opponent, but to engulf him in a move. When movement is conducted with an opponent, he becomes part of your move. You help him, he helps you. To do this successfully, you need to be able to utilize the space around your opponent. You don’t oppose. The goal is to interpret energy, accept it and then redirect it. Visualizing water can also be helpful. Water flows, it goes around, and it doesn't oppose. Relax, a drop of water does not fear the ocean.

Circling with Ron Norwood — 2021

Movement is Mass in Motion Internal movement is mass in motion. Tai Chi generates great power with a light touch because you are touching with your entire body mass. It is essentially getting your weight behind your moves. When the body leads and the limbs follow in a sequential manner, you will have your mass behind your movement. My boxing instructors taught that there were only two types of punches, those that had your weight behind them and those that didn't.

Slow down and listen to your body. All Tai Chi Chuan form moves are comprised of beats. Listen to the beats to avoid rushing to the next move. When you focus on physical and energetic sequencing, it will enable you to move as a unit. When you execute form moves, move your body first then arms. Focus on legs and waist, arms are a distant second. Legs should be constantly bending and straightening. Minimize waist moves to maintain your balance and center. Your light touch should easily rotates your opponent creating torque.

With Tuey Staples — Snake move defends against kick by catching and redirecting it

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Caveats Some things to keep in mind as you begin your Tai Chi study.

1. Never be afraid to respectfully question your teacher. Strive to understand the what and why of what you are doing. Understanding the why will help you to create your own art. Good teachers should be able to answer your questions in ways that you can comprehend.

2. Beware those who respond to questions with Master Somebody said that we do it this way. Tai Chi is an art of constant change. Avoid those who say it is always this, or it's never that. Learning is liberating, not encapsulating. Good teachers should provide the tools to help you find your own answers.

3. Be skeptical of magical answers. With all due respect to the old Chinese Masters, they learned and taught within the parameters of their own culture. We can and should honor their culture and abilities, but we're twenty-first century westerners, not better, not worse, just different. Like everyone else we learn best within the context of our own culture. Good teachers will explain things in language that you can understand.

4. Don't rush. Tai Chi is practiced slowly so that you can listen and feel what is happening. Use the move beats and constant centering to discover what is happening. I always seemed to move too quickly and Tuey taught me to inhale on beats 1 and 3, exhale on beats 2 and 4. The purpose was to slow me down and force me to listen. If you can't do the moves slow, you can't do them quickly. Good teachers will constantly try to slow you down.

Summary Whether you’re boxing for self-defense or for physical and mental health, the art is the same. It is a treasure of knowledge and insight into physical and mental well being. Being present enables you to appropriately address any physical, mental, and emotional situation. I've found that our real life opponents are diabetes, heart disease, obesity, mental, physical, and emotional issues, etc. They are far more dangerous than a thug in a parking lot.

I have very briefly touched on several very sophisticated and complex topics. Any one of these would warrant years of study. There are others topics that I didn’t even attempt to discuss. There is an old joke that goes, how do you eat an elephant? The answer is a bite at a time. My goal was to highlight places to take the first bites.

Tai Chi is a lifelong learning, chew your bites carefully.

About the author Alan Ludmer was a private student of Prof. Huo Chi Kwan from 1969 to 1978 and has been Master Tuey Staples’ student since the late 1970s. Alan has both studied and taught Western Boxing, Shotokan Karate, Tai Chi Chuan and Ba Gua Chuan martial arts. He has authored numerous articles for various martial arts magazines and is a frequent presenter on Internal Martial Arts and other topics. He currently lives in Saint Louis, MO and can be reached at alanludmer@gmail.com.

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Early bird discount £210 extended for those who book their place by July 30, 2021, with 50% deposit.

August 2021 - after almost a year of lockdown due to Covid-19 - will see us return with an explosive Camp 2021 with the 'Wudang Spiral Form'.

All deposits are non-refundable.

Leicester is served by many airports nearby:

Camp 2021 will continue inline with the previous 2 camps and the themes explored as a continuous progression.

Luton 74 miles; 120 km; 1 1/2 hours by car and less than 1 hour by train.

Birmingham 43 miles; 69 km; 1 hour by car and less than 1 hour by train.

The Wudang 'Spiral Form' is thought to be the origins of not only Baguazhang but also the components of reeling in Taijiquan and Xingyiquan.

For those needing accommodation - there are many hotels and B&Bs both near the venue and on the outskirts of the city for those wanting a quieter and more serene surrounding.

The 'Spiral Form' can add and polish the understanding of 'rolling' and 'reeling' — both inwards and outwards for most martial arts and can be used as a standalone method for development by any martial artist. It also helps enhance the understanding of the large and small circle strikes in all 3 of the main Internal Arts.

For information on these or any other matters, please contact Nasser Butt. explosivefist@gmail.com

This will be a unique opportunity to learn this beautiful form as taught to Erle Montaigue by Master Liang Shih-kan - the Keeper of the Wudang System - and subsequently taught by Erle to his students in person, and its relevance to both health and combat!

Cost: £240 Training Times: Friday 3pm - 7.00pm Saturday 9.30am - 6.00pm Sunday 9.30am - 5.30pm Lunch 12pm - 1.30pm Venue: Fa-jing Ch’uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools Top Floor Unit 36 Faircharm Trading Estate Evelyn Drive Leicester LE3 2BU

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The ‘cloud’ palm of Baguazhang

T

he Eight Palm Releases of Baguazhang are a most excellent training method designed to teach you not only how to break holds, but far more importantly the skill of total body mechanics.

This rare training method and its follow on strikes should be seen as an extension of the Eight Palm Neigong covered earlier in this issue. It is a means by which the practitioner shows his dexterity and skill at understanding the fundamentals of each palm. They should not be viewed as techniques — they should be looked upon as means by which to understand the dynamics of each palm and how intent is generated and connected with the said palm.

Grabs and holds are common practice in martial arts — Baguazhang makes light work of them by not only breaking the grab or hold, but also by continuing the attack by the very hand which your opponent believes he has control over.

In this article I will briefly cover the palm, the type of grab or hold it breaks and a follow-up or ‘peripheral’ strike. Students need to be made aware that whilst the breaks are specific for the related palm, the follow-up strikes can vary. What is presented here are the traditional follow-ups to help the student develop the concepts!

Further, it is not in the scope of this article to explain every detailed movement and nuance of each dynamic — for that a competent teacher is required. It is impossible to teach such subtleties via an article using the written word despite the use of images. Students should merely use this article as a reference or guideline to the subject.

In Part One I shall be covering the first four palms. In the entire method, B is performing the drill.

Palm Number One

A Palm Number One — Heaven It breaks a hold from the opposite hand of the opponent.

B

A grabs B’s right wrist from above with his left hand

The palm faces up.

B

B

B stretches out his fingers, his palm concaving to form the Dragon palm.

B rolls his palm to face up, using his centre, thus breaking the hold and…

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B

B

Simultaneously thrusts his fingers towards A’s throat!

B now continues with the follow-up strike by feeding his left palm under his right wrist and…

Grabbing A’s wrist, lifting his arm upwards as B’s elbow loads…

He steps forwards and smashes his elbow into A’s ribs.

Palm Number Two

A Palm Number Two — Earth.

It also breaks a hold from the opposite hand from an attacker — but this time when held from the underside.

B

A grabs B’s right wrist from below with his left hand

The palm faces downwards.

B immediately forms the Dragon palm and thrusts his fingers towards A’s throat as in the previous method.

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B

B This breaks A’s hold and B instantly feeds his left hand under his right wrist and continues with the secondary strike.

This time, due to the nature of the angle, B now continues with an elbow strike to A’s face!

Palm Number Three

A Palm Number Three — Fire.

B

Again, A’s left hand grabs B’s right arm from the side or top.

This is considered the main fighting palm of Bagua. It faces outwards and also breaks a hold from the opposite hand of the opponent.

B forms the Dragon palm and turns into the grab…

As he flexes his wrist and places his thumb underneath and his fingers outside of A’s wrist.

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B B turns to his left flexing A’s wrist and causing the release…

B’s left hand smashes down on A’s forearm just below the elbow as his right hand smashes in the face with a back fist!

Palm Number Four

A Palm Number Four — Thunder.

B

A grabs B’s right wrist from the side with his left hand.

B instantly forms the Dragon palm.

The palm faces slightly inwards, with the fingers tilted upwards at an angle of approximately 45º. It breaks a hold from the opposite hand of the opponent.

B rotates his body to the left as he raises diagonally as if he is about to scratch his own head! This breaks A’s hold.

B’s left palm now reaches under his right wrist and grabs A’s wrist.

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B raises A’s arm and as his right elbow loads vertically…

B hammers his right elbow straight under A’s armpit, striking with the tip of his elbow.

This covers the first four breaks and their follow-up methods. Palms five through to eight will be covered in the next issue of Lift Hands — Volume 19.

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Fa-jing Ch'uan Internal Chinese Boxing Schools are pleased to announce our fifth annual T'ai Chi Ch'uan Camp on the sundrenched island of Cyprus in November 2021 Based at the scenic Hadjios Valley Resort in Mazotos - a couple of kilometres from the pristine beaches off the Mediterranean coastline — this will be a great opportunity to learn one of the most ancient Chinese martial arts, renowned for its health properties, on the island of Aphrodite over 3 days.

The camp includes: Qigong Old Yang Style T'ai Chi Practical Training Methods For Health/ Martial Arts Self-Defence Whether you are a novice or already have some experience and would simply like to brush up on the foundations, or have ever wondered how the art is used as a system of selfdefence — then this will be the perfect way to get a great insight into T'ai chi Ch’uan (Taijiquan).

You will receive a minimum of 5 hours/day

of training under instruction over 3 days.

Date: Friday - Sunday, November 2021 TBC Training will begin at 12pm Friday.

Cost of training: 240 Euros for those registering by Friday 26 September 2021.

(The cost will rise to 260 Euros for those registering after this date.)

Cost of Accommodation: TBC Euros/Villa based upon a minimum of 3 nights (Fri/Sat/Sun) at Apollo Villas. Each additional night is TBC Euros for those wishing to extend their stay or arrive earlier. We have negotiated an exclusive special rate with Apollo Villas, allowing you to spend three days in luxury at an incredibly low price!

Please note, although partners and family are welcome, accommodation will be prioritized for those training as this is a busy time of the season!

Each villa is selfcontained and has two bedrooms and can sleep up to 4 people sharing.

All villas are fully furnished, including a

functional kitchen as well as a washing machine and fridge. Full Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort at no extra cost.

Meals: All guests will find a basic ‘Welcome Pack’ upon arrival at their villa for making their own breakfast , etc.

For lunch and supper we have negotiated a special rate at the local Mazotos Tavern - based in the centre of the village, where Bambos and his family serve up the most delicious traditional meals with a wonderful friendly service!

Alternatively, folk are free to make their own arrangements or even cook in the villa, buying produce from the local high street, if they so wish.

Participants will be expected to arrive on site by Friday morning latest or Thursday* evening earliest and depart Monday or after the final training session on Sunday, unless they have extended** their stay in advance and are departing later depending upon flights.

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*/** These will incur additional charges.

All accommodation costs must be paid in full at the time of registration. (PLEASE NOTE THESE ARE NONREFUNDABLE.) Nearest Airport: Larnaca (15 km from resort).

Information for local carhire services is available upon request.

Please contact Nasser Butt for further information and registration: Tel: +44(0)7792242150 Email: explosivefist@gmail. com Visit our website for further information on what we teach: www.fajingchuan.co.uk Website for Hadjios Valley: www.apollovillas.com/ hadjios-valley/ PRICES/DATES/ AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO ONGOING COVID PANDEMIC. PLEASE CONFIRM BEFORE

BOOKING

The Oldest Established School of The Erle Montaigue System In The UK

Ammanford Scouts Hall Monday 7.30 - 9.15pm Wednesday 7.00 - 9.00pm Sunday Full Day (Monthly)

Peter Jones Chief Instructor Taiji Pa-Kua Internal Fighting Arts

taijipakua@gmail.com

Gaku Shi Juku Kendo Kai www.leicesterkendo.com

Wuji — Knowing How To Strike! 太極者。無極⽽⽣。陰陽之母也。 Taiji is born of Wuji, and is the mother of yin and yang.

T

hus begins the Taiji Boxing Classic of Wang Zongyue of Shanxi!

To discuss Wuji and what it means in-depth alone can take up volumes of words. It is not the stated purpose here. Suffice to say that movement is born out of stillness, where it becomes distinguishable and when it returns back to stillness, it is indistinguishable. In-between stillness and movement there exists a moment — a moment in which creation sparks and movement begins, and once begun it continues to transform and change into an evolution of ideas, forms, and thoughts powered by the engine of the active and passive aspects!

It is stated in Eastern thought that the ‘secret’ to any art is given to the student on day one and from hereon it is a case of the student studying diligently to realise this simple truth, and once understood — the tools of ‘mastery’ are already at their beck and call!

In modern martial arts, many practitioners are resorting to striking wearing MMA type gloves and taping their hands like boxers in training — this includes Taiji practitioners purportedly teaching the fighting elements of the art!

If you are having to resort to wearing gloves or wrapping the hands, a simple fact emerges… you don’t understand how to strike with the bare hands safely!

In Taijiquan, striking correctly and with the right part of the hands — whether close or open — is inherent in understanding Wuji.

Right from the word go, Wuji teaches us not only how to strike but also the correct angle of strike. Sadly over the years, as Taiji has become more and more diluted and moved into the so-called health arts, this has been understood less and less!

In the Old Yang Style of Taijiquan, from the lineage of Yang Shaohou, we are taught these skills right from the very start.

Virtually all the modern forms raise the hands flat and ‘dead,’ i.e. there is no exchange of yin to yang and vice versa throughout the entirety of the motion. Further, there is no separation of left and right, and thereby, no distinction between the active and passive components between the feet, waist and hands.

Whilst these components are difficult to show here on paper, especially the circling between the heels and the balls of the feet, the images over the next couple of pages show the basic inward and outward reel of the wrists in Wuji and how this translates into strikes.

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The aim here is not to spoon-feed the student — the aim is to provide the student food for thought! Something which will hopefully trigger further study into the shapes and movements of strikes throughout the Taiji form.

Above is the standard opening movement of most modified styles with slight variations [the bending of the knees has been omitted in order to keep the focus on the hands in this article, and does not occur in Wuji]. The hands simply move up and down [sometimes circling backwards as if drawing a ‘Taiji’ ball], where the complete change of state — if any — usually occurs at the beginning of the movement not gradually changing throughout.

Below, we see the opening sequence of Wuji from the Old Yang style from the line of Yang Shao-hou.

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As I have already stated above, the separation of yin yang in the hands and the circling of the feet has been deliberately omitted for the sake of simplicity. The movements have been exaggerated for clarity into a more ‘square’ version. However, note how the wrists gradually change state and roll inwards on the way up — peaking at shoulder height — and then roll outwards as the state change is gradually reversed on the way down [making an inverse ‘teardrop’ shape]. It is here in this range of motion where we are taught the full range of dynamics of how to strike and which part of the hand to use.

The rules are simple, never strike bone on bone. Fists and knuckles are for the soft areas and the hollows, and open palms for the hard areas, thus preserving the integrity of the structure of the hand and prevent breakages!

Below are a handful of simple examples:

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Regular Contributors:

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Tony Bailey Louiseneige Be Nasser Butt Amy Faulkner Andy Haynes Peter Jones Dr. Gregory T. Lawton Katherine Loukopoulos Alan R. Ludmer Gavin Mulholland Krish Pillay Colin Power Gavin Richardson

seful

ontacts

Editor: Nasser Butt Email: lifthandsmagazine@gmail.com Peter Jones - Chief Instructor Taiji Pa-Kua Internal Fighting Arts taijipakua@gmail.com The Guild of Internal Martial & Healing Arts Email: theguildofinternalarts@gmail.com

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The Art of Louiseneige Be

The Circle

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