What the hell is that thing? Are you sure it's of this world?
Liz From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of CrossBow Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 9:57 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Sun Tzu and the Art of War WE have a woodshop in our garage that could produce awesome Go Boards...and Clogtowner just gave us a giant burl...It looks like a giant brain complete with lobes and ripples.. it is saved as attachement. Asian peoples have such an appreciation for wood grain:) i said wood... On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 9:40 PM, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: *** not to be outdone, orn posts a link for go game sets, ranging in price from $40 to over $20,000.00 http://www.kiseido.com/go_equipment.htm *** On Jan 12, 6:48 am, CrossBow <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4603FB2mh4&feature=PlayList&p=2814CFE> &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 > > ... > > 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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