When Things Go “Crunch” – Martial Arts Injuries
So you doing your form and your teacher says “go deeeep” and you do and then your knee tells you “nice try” but at this particular point, on this specific day, you HAVE GONE TOO FAR! Ouch….
Injuries happen and for me it’s usually at some spot where I have been injured before. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere and others the injury is completely understandable.
Bottom line – after an injury I usually don’t spend the time letting it heal, I start to work out again too soon and reinjure myself. In my Kung Fu days, Lee would always tell me – give it a rest Rick and you’ll heal twice as fast.
Now that my primary activity is Tai Chi, it’s a little easier to see it coming, to back off and prevent anything major
My Gratitude to the Great Chi Masters of the Past…
Whether you call it Chi, Ki, Prana, Kundalini or anything else, internal energy does exist…. I know that now.
Qi Gong and Tai Chi are for some unknown reason the conduit that makes this life force available to my perception of it. The masters of long ago, inspired by who knows what, developed these exercises and to them I am truely grateful.
Chi Never Sleeps
When I wake up in the morning, I try and do Qi Gong and Tai Chi first thing…
Chi is of course is always there and in the morning I find that I am very receptive to it.
I try not to get into a big “prep” thing – Just do it.
Breath, balance, focus, movement.
The Chi is waiting for you – it hasent gone anywhere – Maybe you have, but it hasn’t …
Until next time.
Practice often and with sincerity.
Rick
Look for the Extraordinary in Your Ordinary Tai Chi Practice
I practice Tai Chi and Qi Gong every day (well almost everyday…) Anyway, when something becomes a habit, doing the laundry or exercising and I hate to say it, Tai Chi too, I have a tendency to just go through the motions, get done what needs to happen and move on… I don’t really pay as much attention as I should, it’s automatic.
Well, occasionally I have a breakthrough and see things that I did not previously observe…
I was watching a YouTube vid on Tai Chi Walking (link on a previous post) and what the guy was saying has really affected not only my Tai Chi, but the way I move in daily activity.
To put a foot forward (this is Qi Gong to be hard to explain, but what the heck…) To put your foot forward but keep you weight back until your front foot is fully planted, and then, and only then roll forward into the step, really keeps you grounded, more focused and balanced. Another thing, is when you roll forward, don’t extend beyond your knee. We studied this in Karate and Kung Fu, but not to this level of observable detail…
So he mentioned it, it watched this video for – well no more than 10 minutes and there you go. The extraordinary in the ordinary… I just need to pay attention – One moment at a time.
Easier said than done…
Technorati Token 25EC6ESCQUDZ
Tao and the Watercourse Way
Alan Watts wrote Tao and the Watercourse Way in the early 1970′s. In that book, Watts elaborated on the Tao and the flowing nature of his life – coincidentally, in those final years of his life he took an active interest in Tai Chi…
It’s ironic, but again maybe not that at 56, I am starting to come to grips with the flow of my life, why things happened when they did and in the order in which they occurred…. the regrets are starting to dissolve.
I am a passionate person. I can get interested in just about anything at the drop of a hat… However, the earliest interest that I can recall was in the martial arts….
Over the years I have studied numerous forms , first Judo, then Sil Lum Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Shorin Ryu and Kajukenbo Karate, some Jujitsu… Every one had it’s place in my training and each happened for a reason when and where they came in to my life…
Now I find myself in an interesting place in that all that I have learned is blending together – naturally. Body movement, whether it be hard or soft, fast or slow and the flow of energy all seem to be merging…
Tai Chi has become an integral part of my journey on this earth – This site is devoted to sharing the trip.
You are welcome to come along for the ride…
