I found this piece really interesting Chris. On a visit to china many years ago I watched locals practicing Tai Chi in the park near my hotel - I could see them from the windows or walk over for a closer look - and was fascinated. I am particularly taken by your linking it to Permaculture which I use a lot in all aspects of my life. You have inspired me to look into it all more deeply so thank you for the book suggestions.
Thanks for the kind words Sue- much appreciated. Yes, I've seen films of Chinese locals practicing Tai Chi in parks and such like, particularly old people who are so relaxed about it. On the you-tube videos of Lam Kam Chen teaching Stand Like A Tree, there are similar clips of elders practicing by a tree or in a park.
Misrule, an old friend of mine and permaculture designer who also writes on Substack, pointed out to me years ago that in Aikido, where you use the opponents force and strength against them, this is equivalent to Maximum Effect for Minimum Effort and the principle of cycling is inherent in the circling movements you find in Aikido and Tai Chi.
Hi Chris, nice read, hopefully you will recall that i have commented before regard 'TCMA' (traditional chinese martial arts) that covers all of the 'internal' arts including tai chi chuan (great ultimate fist). I'm still practicing with Wutan and as well as 5 different tai chi forms (schools) we also practice Bagua, Hsing-i and Baji - Bagua is based on the 'i-ching' trigrams (the trigrams are also used to explain the position of effort, for want of a better description for the eight gates of power in tai chi practice with the broken and unbroken lines representing yin/yang) - i picked upon your mention of the 5 elements and animals to talk about Hsing-i chuan(mind intention fist) and its practical applications - in 5 elements Hsing-i the 5 elements are each represented by a 'fist' or posture/application that both defends and attacks simultaneously - each element gives 'birth to the next' but then there is also a 'destructive' cycle that can be applied. Metal gives rise to water (condensation) that gives birth to wood. Wood leads to fire that becomes earth (ash). Once the 5 element fists are understood there are then various 'animal' forms based upon 12 animals and their practice does indeed mimic both movement and characteristics (after all who has observed a dragon?) and each is quite strenuous to perform physically - you get very strong legs very quickly, especially 'dragon' which involves leaping directly upwards from a very low posture, swapping leg positions and landing into a very low posture. Relating some of this to permaculture practice i'm minded of the 5 directions in tai chi practice - advance, retreat, look left, gaze to the right and the constant 'central equilibrium' around which everything else moves but with stable dynamism - maybe what Holmgren was thinking with 'observe and interact'? As a footnote the chi kung exercise you refer to is an excellent example of applied central equilibrium - it's included in all of our classes preliminary warm up exercises.
Thanks for that great, detailed comment Gary and of course I do remember you commenting before regarding TCMA. You are and have been practising at a far higher/deeper level than I have ever attained! I’ve been looking at Lam Kam Chen’s book, The Way of Power, which has some remarkable exercises in it. I did build some into my daily routine but then fell off a ladder and had to lay up for a bit- coincidence or synchronicity? I also got a digital copy of Wang Xuanjie’s Dachengquan which has some (almost!) unbelievably athletic moves! I think I may be a bit old (69 this year) to be taking it up! Where I’m at now is good and if a teacher starts up a Tai Chi course in our area, I will certainly sign up again. Thanks again. Hwyl!
evening `chris, the the head of our school, Master wu song fa (rip) said that around 40 years old is the peak of your power - but he then clarified to say that is with regards agility and strength - so dont stop practising, just be mindful that expecting your body to be more flexible etc is a big 'ask' - my TCMA practice is more consistent than my permaculture designing but that is because i am mostly designing for my self, though my diploma ' walking the talk' element did get me back into tcma through my approach to a chronic back problem. if nothing else, do the 'standing like a tree/pole' exercise twice a day - pays dividends
Thanks Gary. 40 sounds about right, ‘‘twas certainly one of the busiest times of my life. At the moment I practice standing like a tree first thing in the morning, outside- amazing how often it is not raining at this time, even on what would appear to be wet days. I then practice a series of exercises last thing in the evening, basically back physio exercises that I have adapted to make more like Tai Chi ( I too have a chronic back problem after a motorcycle accident in my 20’s). I like the idea of these times being the edges of my waking/sleeping, day/night where it is easiest to lodge events/actions- bit like the Tylwyth Teg doing their dancing at dawn and dusk. I keep trying to add in practical exercise before lunch but for some reason it doesn’t ‘stick’. I was trying the ‘eight gifts’ here but maybe I will take up your suggestion of practicing the stand like a tree again here.
I found this piece really interesting Chris. On a visit to china many years ago I watched locals practicing Tai Chi in the park near my hotel - I could see them from the windows or walk over for a closer look - and was fascinated. I am particularly taken by your linking it to Permaculture which I use a lot in all aspects of my life. You have inspired me to look into it all more deeply so thank you for the book suggestions.
Thanks for the kind words Sue- much appreciated. Yes, I've seen films of Chinese locals practicing Tai Chi in parks and such like, particularly old people who are so relaxed about it. On the you-tube videos of Lam Kam Chen teaching Stand Like A Tree, there are similar clips of elders practicing by a tree or in a park.
Misrule, an old friend of mine and permaculture designer who also writes on Substack, pointed out to me years ago that in Aikido, where you use the opponents force and strength against them, this is equivalent to Maximum Effect for Minimum Effort and the principle of cycling is inherent in the circling movements you find in Aikido and Tai Chi.
I'd be interested to hear how you get on.
Thanks again.
Hi Chris, nice read, hopefully you will recall that i have commented before regard 'TCMA' (traditional chinese martial arts) that covers all of the 'internal' arts including tai chi chuan (great ultimate fist). I'm still practicing with Wutan and as well as 5 different tai chi forms (schools) we also practice Bagua, Hsing-i and Baji - Bagua is based on the 'i-ching' trigrams (the trigrams are also used to explain the position of effort, for want of a better description for the eight gates of power in tai chi practice with the broken and unbroken lines representing yin/yang) - i picked upon your mention of the 5 elements and animals to talk about Hsing-i chuan(mind intention fist) and its practical applications - in 5 elements Hsing-i the 5 elements are each represented by a 'fist' or posture/application that both defends and attacks simultaneously - each element gives 'birth to the next' but then there is also a 'destructive' cycle that can be applied. Metal gives rise to water (condensation) that gives birth to wood. Wood leads to fire that becomes earth (ash). Once the 5 element fists are understood there are then various 'animal' forms based upon 12 animals and their practice does indeed mimic both movement and characteristics (after all who has observed a dragon?) and each is quite strenuous to perform physically - you get very strong legs very quickly, especially 'dragon' which involves leaping directly upwards from a very low posture, swapping leg positions and landing into a very low posture. Relating some of this to permaculture practice i'm minded of the 5 directions in tai chi practice - advance, retreat, look left, gaze to the right and the constant 'central equilibrium' around which everything else moves but with stable dynamism - maybe what Holmgren was thinking with 'observe and interact'? As a footnote the chi kung exercise you refer to is an excellent example of applied central equilibrium - it's included in all of our classes preliminary warm up exercises.
Thanks for that great, detailed comment Gary and of course I do remember you commenting before regarding TCMA. You are and have been practising at a far higher/deeper level than I have ever attained! I’ve been looking at Lam Kam Chen’s book, The Way of Power, which has some remarkable exercises in it. I did build some into my daily routine but then fell off a ladder and had to lay up for a bit- coincidence or synchronicity? I also got a digital copy of Wang Xuanjie’s Dachengquan which has some (almost!) unbelievably athletic moves! I think I may be a bit old (69 this year) to be taking it up! Where I’m at now is good and if a teacher starts up a Tai Chi course in our area, I will certainly sign up again. Thanks again. Hwyl!
evening `chris, the the head of our school, Master wu song fa (rip) said that around 40 years old is the peak of your power - but he then clarified to say that is with regards agility and strength - so dont stop practising, just be mindful that expecting your body to be more flexible etc is a big 'ask' - my TCMA practice is more consistent than my permaculture designing but that is because i am mostly designing for my self, though my diploma ' walking the talk' element did get me back into tcma through my approach to a chronic back problem. if nothing else, do the 'standing like a tree/pole' exercise twice a day - pays dividends
Thanks Gary. 40 sounds about right, ‘‘twas certainly one of the busiest times of my life. At the moment I practice standing like a tree first thing in the morning, outside- amazing how often it is not raining at this time, even on what would appear to be wet days. I then practice a series of exercises last thing in the evening, basically back physio exercises that I have adapted to make more like Tai Chi ( I too have a chronic back problem after a motorcycle accident in my 20’s). I like the idea of these times being the edges of my waking/sleeping, day/night where it is easiest to lodge events/actions- bit like the Tylwyth Teg doing their dancing at dawn and dusk. I keep trying to add in practical exercise before lunch but for some reason it doesn’t ‘stick’. I was trying the ‘eight gifts’ here but maybe I will take up your suggestion of practicing the stand like a tree again here.