Extreme Boxing Immersion
Every month I put on a mini-workshop to immerse practitioners in Tai Chi Chuan concepts. Immersion allows more time to study peculiar and specific aspects of this Supreme Art. I attempt to move from yin to yang, healing concepts with slow, qigong work to intense, explosive practices with combat ideas. Both are potent pieces.
The best immersion includes both combat and healing, and then emphasizes one or the other. It’s difficult, at least, to achieve real fa-jing, explosive energies without sinking and relaxing enough to generate whip-like actions and ease. Likewise, healing and health benefits are impotent without visceral stimulation and mind-shift states achieved in the shake of combative applications or inside the mind of an awakened-state animal. Each workshop includes both combat and healing work, and, month after month the focus rotates from fight to heal, one after another.
The November workshop was by invitation only. We covered the 4 of 12 Devastating Mother Applications from the Short San Sau. We worked out numbers 4, 5, 6, and 8 as follows
- Squeeze (Ji or Chee) then Elbow, Punch, Angled Elbow
- Press (An) Punches Throat into Vibrating Punch, Neck Clap and Head Smack
- Press (An) Tiger Punches Throat, Wrist Snaps Head Back, Palm Slams Collar, Jerk into Elbow
- Jerks the Arms to Headbutt, Pressing (An) below Collars, Swipe the Neck, and Beak Punches
Fajing Throes
A twitchy, itchy kind of simple, multi-attack fajing united the 4 methods thematically. So we sunk into Qigong to get relaxed, tapped on one another for proper timing and distance, and hit pads to pulse the power of these simple attack methods. Good fun, easy laughter, and deep relaxation resounded while wrapped in the throes of Great Extremes Boxing (you know: Taijiquan).
For a vision of what we were up to, take a peek at Erle Montaigue showing the First Mother Application…
The Devastating Mother Applications
I liked the focus on shaking posed by the mother applications we practiced during this exclusive workshop. They posed some different issues than the mother applications we practiced during Eli’s workshop this past September. Just like the other WTBA methods, these dense drills drip with sophisticating nuances.
Violent shaking through deep relaxation. Calm and explosive. I think you did a great job helping us (the participants) find the interconnectiveness of violent shaking and deep, deep relaxation.
Thanks everyone for another great workshop of intense practice!
Thank you Steven for such a great workshop! My body, mind, and spirit thank you too! I skated very well the following day and could feel the elevated qi resonating through me! Every class, and workshop especially, is so informative and I find my love for this practice grows. I look forward to the next! Thanks again!