Applications: One Idea to Fit All Situations
One does not simply understand the single thread/vibration/membrane that binds the universe. Okay, well they could but for some reason, seemingly more times than not, they make things harder than what needs be. In the study of Tai Chi Chuan, drills are practiced and preformed. The drills done, hopefully, provide context for practical applications for postures and transitions maintained in the Tai Chi Chuan form sets. These drills are meant to simplify the movements by removing them from the realm of the hypothetical and theoretical, and move them to the point of working out the practical. By properly practicing drill sets and maintaining focus on simplicity of movement, hopefully, a practitioner will learn to see how all the movements and all the drills are connected and bound by one theme. Once that straightforward, minimal, undemanding idea is recognized the practitionerâs focus should then turn to understanding that idea; as to be able to apply that concept to many, if not every situation they face. Alas, sadly that is not the case, for the most part. Many times hubris kicks in and the practitioner works to find massive numbers of techniques that are overly complicated; diluting the value of the simplicity learned.
More often than not, practitioners make drilling, what is supposed to simplify the form set; arduous, over complicated and demanding. For me, from my understanding, drilling parts of a form, either with a partner or without, is supposed to allow the practitioner the time necessary to develop and gain a sound understanding of a root element within the drill as to give the practitioner a solid base for developing a ubiquitous skill. From what I have observed, very few practitioners utilize the time to actually understand the root element of a particular drill; instead what they do is use that time to develop many auxiliary movements thereby creating a very specific set of techniques whose purpose is solely for a particular condition. Because of the lack of ability to use their techniques in many situations they have to amass a large array of techniques to cover various states. This trait of valuing quantity over quality is one of many hurdles people place in front of their path to enrichment of self, creating a more difficult path than necessary. Another obstacle people have a tendency to want, and effectively place in their path to fulfillment, is straining as oppose to relaxing through their techniques. For some pain-of-struggle has to be present so they have something to measure as to feel as if they are doing something. A concept I train people to understand while doing drill work is: you know you are doing something right/well when you donât feel like you are doing anything at all and you produce your desired result. Gaining what we want in life is simple; being simple is sometimes the most difficult of all things to do.
The product of Tai Chi Chuan drilling exercises should be the ability to easily become one with any given situation. In the proper way this is taught, people gain the understanding that it is not the one that knows many tricks; however, the one that knows a few techniques both in breadth and depth to the point that the few techniques known will be able to defend against and overwhelm any situation presented. Those practitioners that have developed many shallow techniques; however, only have a shallow knowledge of what they learned and will not be as efficient in coping with varying situations. In other words, they have evolved to an extreme specificity, and those that evolve in such a way have a tendency to die off when drastic changes happen in their environment. They become to ridged; too myopic, and in the long-run fail.
In life there is a simple understanding that we should treat others the way we want to be treated. The drills in life are all of the differing situations we are placed. Some people make life difficult, not understanding the depth and the breadth of the applications of lifeâs drill work to the point of properly gaining the understanding of not treating people in a manor one would not want to be treated. Some people make life too difficult by applying too many unnecessary rules and regulations on their lives and on the lives of others, complicating what should be the most simple of interactions.
Understand how you want to be treated, understand what it is you value in life when it comes to how you want people to interact with you. Make sure you understand how the people around you want to be treated, make sure to realize that you are not the only variable that matters in the function of your interactions with your environment. Understand simply, if you would not want to be treated such a way donât treat others that way, and if someone wishes to be treated a certain way and that way brings no harm to you, then treat them the way they want to be treated.
So, whenever you interact with someone ask yourself this one simple question: would I want them to treat me the way I am treating them? Also, donât be surprised when people treat you the way you treat them.
For more information Winstonâs his martial arts academy please visit Internal Magnification.
Winston Price, Executive Producer, has over a decade and a half of marketing, advertising and public relations experience. He began his business career in 1995 and is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington. Winston also is a master martial artist and personal trainer with over 2 decades of knowledge and experience. Winston runs his own school, Internal Magnification Martial Arts, where he focuses on helping people reach their personal goals of health and fitness via At-Home personal training with martial foci of Taekwondo, Tai Chi Châuan, Hapkido and Ba Gua Zhang. As an executive producer for VoiceAmerica, Winston utilizes his skills in business and personal training to help new and existing hosts maximize their opportunity with the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network by supporting his hosts with the business and personal aspects of creating and developing their show. Winston believes that each host brings their own flavor to the Network. By properly coaching and motivating his hosts, they are able to produce THEIR show with THEIR style and THEIR passion being at the forefront of every broadcast.
