Archive for December, 2009
3 RealTaiji Gifts For You (and 1 for Me)
Published Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 by S.Smith
If you’re reading this, thanks. I appreciate your presence on this little blog.
Here’s a few gifts I’d like you to have.
1.) The first free gift is Reviving Taiji.
If you don’t have it yet, please download Reviving Taiji. By now, it’s through the second chapter. It’s a free, and it’s a gift for everyone.
(If you feel like giving a gift in return, simply spread the word about Reviving Taiji…that’s my favorite gift this season.)
Next, I want you to know that in January, RealTaiji will present more learning opportunities. The details are coming soon. The general idea: a comprehensive Taiji Course becomes available mid-January. It will include extensive video lessons, live support, and a network of Taiji experts.
Great Extreme Holiday Gift
Published Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 by S.Smith
Revolutions
The best Holidays revolve around nature. Christmas is one of them. The great gift nature brings us, this time of year:
Darkness.
Do you practice Taiji in the dark? Surely, you must.
It’s a time to gravitate into stillness and quiet.
The focus, for many, this time of year is on light. Cabin fever and school vacations create a yearning for brightness. We dress up trees with lights and ornaments, as if denying darkness.
It’s easy to miss dark gifts.
Dark (or Yin) gifts include:
- Stillness
- Quiet
- Light
Wisdom of the Striking Body
Published Monday, December 21st, 2009 by S.Smith
[Reviving Taiji's Chapter 2: Strike Things is here.]
Striking Things is natural.
I’m pounding away on this keyboard to say this to you: I’ve learned subtle strikes by typing. My typing grows more fluid and efficient through the years, more accuracy and more endurance are hallmarks of my proficiency. That’s how striking works.
When I first learned to strike things, I punched with a lot of tension. I had great desire to hit hard and to hit fast. But I had limited tools back then…tension, fists, and loud shouting…were the extent of my tools.
Retooling Strikes
Taiji brought new tools to my striking repertoire. Many are obvious because they evolve out of form practice:
- Lots of palm strikes
- A couple of punching methods
- Some simple kicks
Two-person practices like Pushing-Hands and Da-Lu reveal more Taiji strikes, like elbow and shoulder strikes.
The principles of Great, Extreme Boxing reveal more…that the whole body (or every part of it) strikes.
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