Dieting by phases

Switching from your familiar everyday habitual diet to a low-carb regime may be pretty traumatic and daunting.
To an overweight person this is hardly appealing.

Instead of doing anything drastic, do things in phases:

1. Phase #1: cut out the obvious things· no junk food
   · no alcohol/cigarettes/drugs
   · no supper
   · reduce your desserts/sweets/snacks
   · drink more water
    
2. Phase #2: fat and sugar· no sugar
   · no fat
   · no chocolate
   · no caffeine
    
3. Phase #3: switch from processed to healthy
   · no meat (if possible)
   · no salt
   · no additives
   · no flavouring
   · no preservatives
    
4. Phase #4: increase health food intake
   · organic food is preferable
   · raw food is preferable
   · high water intake
   · only eat when hungry
   · fresh fruit
   · fresh vegetables
   · fibre
   · nuts, seeds & pulses  
    
5. Phase #5: low-carb 
   · 20g of carbohydrates maximum per day
   · cut-out the obvious carbohydrates: potatoes, rice, pasta, bread
   · examine what you eat and determine carb content· do some research
   · read The Vegetarian Low-Carb Diet by Rose Elliot and Carb-Conscious Vegetarian by Robin Robertson
   · increase your protein intake (60-90g protein)
    
6. Phase #6: ongoing diet· once the desired amount of fat has been lost the focus of the diet needs to switch from fat loss to maintenance 
   · gradual re-introduction of carbohydrates over a period of weeks
   · do not resume old eating habits
   · eating unhealthy food is not recommended

Less effort, more effect

Every tai chi student must work to reduce the size of their circle.
It is martially imperative for your movements to be small.

You must move without alerting the attacker's nervous system.
Like a shadow. Like a thought.

Small circle

By balancing frame size, relationship with the opponent and intent, a student can ensure that they employ the optimal framework.
Every movement produces a more significant effect.

The external movement decreases as the internal work increases.
Neigong and intent enable greater effect with markedly less effort.

Instead of sweeping arcs, the student uses twisting, coiling, spiralling action to generate internal pressure in the soft tissues of the body.
These are movements-within-movements.
Smooth, fluid, small, hidden, unnoticed.

Improved frame

With practice, a student learns how to shape their body into the optimal framework required.
This framework enables the student to express groundpath without effort.
It is a medium for the delivery of kinetic energy.

As the student's skill improves, the physicality of the taijiquan diminishes.
The frame serves to supplement the mind.
A more subtle physical expression is now possible.

Michael Garofalo: generous blogger

Michael Garofalo has shared on-line tai chi information for many years via his blog and his other extensive on-line resources.

http://mpgtaijiquan.blogspot.com/

Peng & groundpath

Every tai chi pattern of movement must contain peng at all times.
It is important to consider every single form movement and partner drill to ensure that the optimal peng framework is maintained.

Once peng is present, the student can consider the pathway of force.

Unless the framework has peng, groundpath cannot be transmitted using the wave-like undulation of the spine, waist turn and weight shift.

External impediments

External martial arts often emphasise habits that are not conducive to internal development.
Tension is encouraged.
Over-stretching.
Forcing.
Disconnected body movement.

In order to cultivate peng, you must discard anything that impedes neigong.

Crumple

When a student makes their framework too small and does not possess peng, their structure will collapse when pressure is applied to it.
This is a failing on two counts:

1. Structure
   - elbows are not kept open and the 90° angle is lost
   - the kwa are closed too far
   - framework is not rounded
   
2. Yielding
   - never allow the opponent to apply more than 4 ounces of pressure to your body
   - never employ more than 4 ounces of pressure
   - to accomplish this requirement, yielding is necessary
   - when a student fails to yield to force, tension occurs and it becomes a battle of strength

Feedback

Learned more from Sifu Waller in 6 months than I did in almost 2 years with my previous school.

(Mick)

Beginners connection

The beginner needs to cultivate connection within the body.
This is accomplished by:

1. Alignment
2. Stretching slightly
3. Keeping the muscles as relaxed as possible

A large, rounded framework is established in order to create a network of connected body parts.

Unfortunately, a beginner has no idea what relaxation means and will use an unnecessary degree of tension.
There is also potentially a likelihood of postural exaggeration; which may limit joint movement and again produce tension.

Jing

Jing is the means by which we affect the opponent.
Read about jing, play with it in class and ultimately manifest it.

How do you know if its jing?

Simple: it works. It feels easy. There is absolutely no adverse feedback because all of your energy is outward; affecting the opponent.

3-D

Using a smaller frame means that you must rely to a greater degree upon the three dimensions.
You will find it easier to make space.

4 ounces

If you try to force a result, you are invoking Newton's 3rd law and actually making the opponent stronger.
This is not tai chi chuan.

4 ounces is just what is necessary.
Not too much and not too little.

This cannot be verbalised. It must be felt, practiced and understood.

No more MEA House

Sifu Waller is no longer teaching at MEA House.

Waist turn

Look at every form movement and partnered exercise... they all feature distinct waist turns.
45° to the left or to the right.
Unless you tai chi is led by the legs and torso - not the arms - it simply will not work, and you will rely once again upon arms for power (or lack of).

Most students are not skilled enough for subtlety. Make the turn 45°, and coordinate it with the weight shift.

Slow down

The most obvious error present in literally everybody's practice was rushing.
By rushing, you fail to feel.

An exercise like monkey paws is so utterly simplistic, yet watching the class, I saw it devolve into something worthless.

Instead of maintaining range/proximity, staying sticky, turning the waist distinctly left or right, rolling the arms... it becomes an arm rotating exercise, featuring token waist joggles.
Monkey paws can teach you how to effortlessly evade close contact strikes, chin na and grapples.
But only if you slow down and observe the features of the drill.

Apply these insights to every drill you practice.

Faults

Common mistakes that are stopping your peng from working:

- reliance on tension/muscular contraction
- force on force
- rushing
- disconnecting shoulders & elbows
- panic
- stances too large
- irregular foot placement: too long, too wide
- knees too deeply bent
- slouching

New venue, Newcastle starting 7th March 2011

Monday 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Community Hall, St Andrew's Church, Station Road, Benton, NE12 8AW

http://www.newcastletaichi.co.uk/Newcastletaichi.htm

Tai chi without tao

If your tai chi does not contain the insights and lessons of Tao Te Ching, you possess an empty shell.
Your teacher may be skilled enough to provide you with a working system, however, the deeper understanding is absent.

The principles and insights of taoism are essential to tai chi.
The art was built with these in mind; it was intended to accord your body with 'the way' in order to borrow 'its power'.

The power

If 'the way' is difficult to comprehend, 'the power' may prove even more challenging for you.
Te refers to a power that can be used but not kept.

By according yourself with the way, you find that things flow.
You gain use of power.

Putting this into practice involves a combination of biomechanics, sensitivity, structure, perception and balance, rhythm and timing.
The effect is often quite astounding.
It may even look 'magical', but it is not magic at all. It is the direct application of Tao Te Ching.

If you are successful in according yourself with tao, then your application of tai chi will be graceful.
There will be no exerting or forcing.
Ease, gentleness, appropriateness... these are the hallmarks of skill.