I'm game for go...go for a game of go...you get it:) hahah. Just thinking about what I said the other day in my mail about not seeing anything new in the Sun Tzu book...that should have read " I've run into all this before from other sources" not, the pompous sounding rigamarole that actually came out. Hee hee.
Oh, and I like chess cause of the myriad sets you can now purchase...my latest is the full cast of the Lord of the Rings. Yeah:) On Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 12:11 AM, ornamentalmind <[email protected]>wrote: > > "...Made me want to play chess..." - CB > > Again, I suggest the game of Go. It far surpasses chess. I learned > chess at age 5 and after learning Go in an appendix to a chess book by > E. Lasker, I never played chess again. In fact, lore has it that all > generals had to learn the game since it reflects life so well. In > fact, for hundreds of years, there were Go monasteries. > > Bush was way too into drugs. > > > On Jan 9, 7:06 am, CrossBow <[email protected]> wrote: > > btw, just finished Sun Tzu's Art of War last night. Wu Ch'i has a > similar > > but more situational section in the back. Loved it, didnt learn anything > > new, but was amazed how it was arranged as a manual. It is obviously a > > powerful tool anyone in command should read. Made me want to play chess. > > > > Obviously Bush has never cracked it at all:) > > > > On Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:23 PM, ornamentalmind < > [email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > I have heard the story about Tai Chi that many adapt to their own form > > > of martial art and that is: Many years ago, the Emperor of China would > > > hold open contests for all comers and all forms of fighting. Whoever > > > was left would run his palace guard. Tai Chi was what was left. > > > > > Such truth and/or myth aside, even though with a little effort I > > > couldn't find the film online of the younger Tai Chi boxer who had > > > just finished undefeated after days of martial art contests. Chen Man > > > Ching had told the student to not enter the contest. (In fact, in > > > Watson's school, none of us were allowed to enter contests, even after > > > decades of study.) Anyway, for having disregarded his teacher's > > > admonition, Chen Man Ching, when 'attacked' by the younger student, > > > didn't even let the student engage him. With a very small flick of his > > > left wrist, the student went flying away, not able to regain his > > > footing for about 20 feet or more. (backward) I have seen the film > > > over and over…it is amazing. And, an example why few will ever see > > > actual tai chi. > > > > > On Jan 8, 6:26 am, Isparklaria <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On Jan 7, 9:11 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > This said, even Chen Man Ching himself found > > > > > > > himself in a situation where he had to use his art. A very large > > > > > person just picked him up once and was going to throw him down. On > the > > > > > way up, with some very fast footwork, Chen Man Ching did a lot of > > > > > damage to the person so was then let down easily. > > > > > > Orn, Crossbow and anyone else reading this. > > > > > > I just want to make sure that the reader doesn't mistake the > uprooting > > > > of tai chi for grabbing someone and picking them up as the assailant > > > > did to Cheng Man Ching. First of all the "pure and correct" uproot is > > > > a training exercise. The uproot can be seamlessly melded into a > > > > projection technique, which can propel the airborne person into a > wall > > > > or other object. Tai chi has many other attack methods besides > > > > bouncing someone off the wall. Uprooting need not precede most of > > > > these other types of attacks. > > > > > > It is not worth explaining exactly how uprooting works unless someone > > > > can feel it. In brief let me say that it is nothing like what most > > > > people think of when they think of wrestling. To some it seems to > some > > > > to defy the laws of physics because the contact between the persons > is > > > > so light. It does not defy any laws of physics since living beings > > > > have a lot of momentum that they are not typically aware of. > Uprooting > > > > relies on the relative tension levels between the uprooter and the > > > > uprooted in order to manipulate the others momentum. If the person > you > > > > are trying to uproot is less tense than you are in the moment that > you > > > > are trying to uproot them, it will fail. It also relies on the > > > > automatic reaction of the uprooted to a very slight and precisely > > > > directed downward pressure that seamlessly occurs before the uproot. > > > > The founder of Yang style tai chi is reported to have said that there > > > > are three types of men that he could not beat, men made of wood, men > > > > made of brass, and men made of iron. Yes, his great technique would > > > > not work against an unresponsive statue. But when some one is not > > > > moving they are not a threat at the moment and they can also be hit > at > > > > will, if you are sure that they are about to attack. > > > > > > On Jan 7, 9:11 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > For those who want more than theory about Tai Chi, although the > > > > > YouTube videos are not nearly as clear as the original films, which > I > > > > > watched many times, they may give you a sense of what we are > talking > > > > > about more. > > > > > This is of one of the masters we have been talking about and the > > > > > teacher of Patrick Watson who was asked to start the school I've > been > > > > > in since the early 70s. Some of the students were able to have > studied > > > > > with Chen Man Ching himself. Watson had the original films and even > > > > > more than what this set of videos shows. He kept them close yet, > they > > > > > were taken from his apartment in NYC late in his life. The 3rd > person > > > > > in this video is Smith, who Ish has mentioned. He is also shown > doing > > > > > the Sword Form later on. > > >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4603FB2mh4&feature=PlayList&p=2814CFE. > .. > > > > > > > While perhaps a little too mystical for some here, to me, rather > than > > > > > learning how to fight, the best Tai Chi, in my view, is that which > > > > > never has to be used. This said, even Chen Man Ching himself found > > > > > himself in a situation where he had to use his art. A very large > > > > > person just picked him up once and was going to throw him down. On > the > > > > > way up, with some very fast footwork, Chen Man Ching did a lot of > > > > > damage to the person so was then let down easily. > > > > > In NYC, there were many times when my intuition was to change > routs. > > > > > Some of the time, I found out why. > > > > > As to health, Chen Man Ching's autobiography is testament to how > well > > > > > it can work. And, having known Patrick for many years, I guess I > don't > > > > > see how one can say he was in any way unhealthy. But, perhaps that > is > > > > > bias. I know that his hands felt like cotton, if like anything and > one > > > > > moment we were engaged, the next moment I was in the air and then > hit > > > > > the wall on the fly. Overall, it did help the inner organs. > > > > > > > Also, from the more mystical lore, it is said that if you attack > with > > > > > the intention to kill, this energy will be returned and you will > find > > > > > out you have killed yourself. > > > > > > > On Jan 7, 5:48 am, Isparklaria <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Orn, > > > > > > > > I am writing much of this out for the benefit of others. Your tai > chi > > > > > > style of writing, drawing me out is good, but other will not > > > > > > understand much and at the moment I want them too. > > > > > > > > In my opinion, the bottom line with tai chi is that it is an > > > empiracle > > > > > > art. I had to reread and rethink what you said about that > particlar > > > > > > women who cannot be "pushed" your qoutes. First of all she is > short, > > > > > > which helps when no no striking is involved. Secondly you said > that > > > no > > > > > > one could "push" (your quotes) her. But if you are making a > judgemnt > > > > > > as to who is better at push hands than it would seem that she can > > > also > > > > > > move every one else, at least occaisionally. If she can and also > > > > > > cannot be moved then I would judge her the best in your circle. > > > > > > > > William Chen claims to have only practiced neutralization for > about > > > > > > his first year. It was only later that he learned to effortlessly > > > lift > > > > > > others straight up off the floor, both feet leaving the ground > and > > > > > > using only light contact with his hands (I could barely feel them > > > when > > > > > > ever he did this to me). It is this skill that that is hard to > > > develop > > > > > > for all but seems to be harder for women to develop, in my > > > experience, > > > > > > then men. That is the style of uprooting that CMC taught. Making > > > > > > others stumble backwards, fall forwards or to the sides, is also > > > > > > useful, for fighting, but according to CMC not the correct > uproot. > > > > > > > > As for the "real" Tai Chi, I would suggest you look for a top > > > > > > certified student on Ma Yueh Liang. CMC was one of the best, best > > > > > > nearly every one who experienced both agreed the Ma was the best > in > > > > > > the world at the time and had a much more complete system. He has > top > > > > > > students in China who have surpassed his level and some very good > > > ones > > > > > > in the USA. > > > > > > > > As far as fighting goes, as far as I know Ma never really showed > it > > > or > > > > > > taught it. If one is really a master of the tai chi training > methods > > > > > > then it doesn't take long to become a great fighter, whether for > > > sport > > > > > > ot for self defense. The later (self defense) is what I consider > > > > > > "real" fighting. CMC showed it to Robert Smith or so Smith writes > in > > > > > > his chapter on CMC in his book "Chinese Boxing, Masters and > Methods. > > > > > > In that chapter there is a story of CMC also using push hands for > > > > > > fighting. CMC knocks out a mantis style boxer by bouncing him of > the > > > > > > wall. However it is easy to beat an externalist with push hands, > if > > > > > > you also know how to fight for real which invlolves being able to > > > > > > slip, perry and absord strikes. On the bottom of 42 and top of > page > > > 43 > > > > > > CMC demonstrates real fighting to Robert Smith. Their are only > two > > > > > > people I know of who are real masters and also teach real self > > > defense > > > > > > fighting to their students. William C. C. Chen is NOT one of > them. He > > > > > > teaches sport fighting. One of these masters is extremelly soft, > > > > > > except when he hits. His strikes are internal though. If he went > > > after > > > > > > me for real, he would beat or even kill me within a seconds. I > heard > > > > > > the other one is very soft too, but I have never met him. I have > > > > > > played with one of his students and from that I have come to the > > > > > > conclusion that this other master is also a devastating fighter. > > > > > > > > Push hands is a training method and an important one, but it is > often > > > > > > way over emphasized for fighting. Push hands, done properly, is > > > > > > actually more important > > > > ... > > > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > -- gnothe se auton --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. 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