Tai Chi et Chi Gong

Ces deux disciplines ont leur origine en Chine.

CHI, TAI et GONG

CHI ou QI

Chi et Qi sont deux manieres differentes d’ecrire le terme 氣 que l’on traduit generalement par le terme “Energie” en francais. 

 

TAI

Le terme « Tai » signifie « Grand » on le retrouve dans le terme Typhon (Taifoon) : ouragan.

GONG ou KUNG

Le Terme “Gong” de Chi Gong est parfois transcrit “Kung” comme dans “Kung fu”. On peut le traduire en français par « Pratique », « Exercice » ou « Technique ».

TAI CHI

Tai Chi peut donc se traduire comme « Grande Energie »

Le Tai Chi utilise des mouvements amples et lents pour tonifier l'énergie interne et la faire circuler efficacement dans tout le corps. Généralement, ces mouvements sont des mouvements d’arts martiaux.

CHI GONG

Chi Gong, (également ecrit Qi Gong, Chi Kung, Qi Kung) peut se traduire en francais par « exercice énergétique » ou « techniques énergétiques ». C’est un ensemble de pratiques qui consistent a tonifier et a faire circuler l'énergie interne du corps. Ces pratiques incluent des

enchainements de mouvements, des étirements, des exercices respiratoires.

On pourrait a l’extreme considérer tout exercice pratiqué dans le but d'améliorer métabolisme et santé comme un Chi Gong.

En pratique, le terme Chi Gong est réservé a des pratiques basées sur les théories de la médecine traditionnelle chinoise.

Le Tai Chi est donc une forme de Chi Gong

Tai Chi et Chi Gong ont le même but : harmoniser notre métabolisme pour optimiser la création d'énergie (a partir des aliments que nous mangeons et de l’air que nous respirons) et améliorer la circulation ce cette énergie dans le corps.

Cependant, le Tai Chi se limite a utiliser des mouvements d’Arts Martiaux, sans utiliser d’autres techniques développées par le Chi Gong.

NOTES :

Le Symbole du Tai Chi : egalement connu sous le nom de Yin/Yang. Il illustre la theorie chinoise Taoiste du Yin et du Yang. Cette théorie est l’un des piliers de la Medecine traditionnelle chinoise. Elle est également appliquée dans de nombreuses formes de Tai Chi.

 

Tai Chi Chuan : Ce terme signifie « Boxe du Tai Chi ». Il s’agit d’un art martial. En pratique le Tai Chi utilise des mouvements similaires a ceux du Tai Chi Chuan, executes plus lentement. 

 

Le Tai Chi des 4 vents

Le Tai Chi que j’enseigne combine des pratiques de traditionnelles de Tai Chi, ainsi que d’autres pratiques respiratoires ou des exercices spécifiques plus du Chi Gong tels que le Yi Jin Jing. La plupart des formes que j’enseigne durant les premières années sont plus influencées par les arts martiaux traditionnels Japonais (Ju Jitsu et Karate) que par les pratiques chinoises.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                              et oui, Sayonara ! 

Bodhidharma's "Outline of Practice"

For various reasons, I have a personal affection for Bodhidharma: he left his country to come teach in another one, and he founded Shaolin Kung Fu and designed the Chi Gong Yi Jin Jing and Xi Sui Jing exercises.

We know little things about him. He is very much a legendary figure. But aren't legends and myth often based on reality (Which reality ?). 

Let us say that sometimes around 475 AD, an Indian Buddhist Master came from India to China to teach the Dhyana school of Buddhism. 

Bodhidharma left us a few short texts  - they are likely transcriptions of his teachings as it is doubtful that he could write Chinese. Today I would like to share with you the most known of these texts, entitled "Outline of Practice" 

It is the text of a translation by Red Pine. If you are interested in the other texts, I suggest you purchase the book The Zen teachings of Bodhidharma

 

Outline of Practice

‘Many roads lead to the Way, but basically there are only two: reason and practice. 

To enter by reason means to realize the essence through instruction and to believe all living things share the same true nature, which isn’t apparent because it’s shrouded by sensation and delusion. Those who turn from delusion back to reality, who meditate on walls, the absence of self and other, the oneness of mortal and sage, and who remain unmoved even by sutras are completely in accord and unspoken agreement with reason. Without moving, without effort, they enter, we say, by reason’.

To enter by practise refers to four all-inclusive practices: suffering injustice, adapting to conditions, seeking nothing, and practising the Dharma.’

‘First, suffering injustice. When those who search for a path encounter adversity, they should think to themselves ‘In countless ages gone by I’ve turned from the essential to the trivial and wandered through all manner of existences, often angry without cause and guilty of numberless transgressions. Now, though I do no wrong, I’m punished by my past. Neither gods nor men can foresee when an evil deed will bear it’s fruit. I accept it with an open heart and without complaint of injustice’. The sutra says ‘When you meet with adversity don’t be upset, because it makes sense’. With such understanding you’re in harmony with reason. And by suffering injustice you enter the path.’

‘Second, adapting to conditions. As mortals we’re ruled by conditions not by ourselves. All the suffering and joy we experience depend on conditions. If we should be blessed by some great reward, such as fame or fortune, it’s the fruit of a seed planted by us in the past. When conditions change, it ends. Why delight in its existence? But while success and failure depend on conditions, the mind neither waxes nor wanes. Those who remain unmoved by the wind of joy silently follow the path.’

‘Third, seeking nothing. People of this world are deluded. They’re always longing for something - always, in a word, seeking. But the wise wake up. They choose reason over custom. They fix their minds on the sublime and let their bodies change with the seasons. All phenomena are empty. They contain nothing worth desiring. ‘Calamity forever alternates with Prosperity’. To dwell in the three realms is to dwell in a burning house. To have a body is to suffer. Does anyone with a body know peace? Those who understand this detach themselves from all that exists and stop imaging or seeking anything. The sutra says ‘To seek is to suffer. To seek nothing is bliss’. When you seek nothing, you’re on the path.’

‘Fourth, practising the Dharma. The Dharma is the truth that all natures are pure. By this truth, all appearances are empty. Defilement and attachment, subject and object don’t exist. The sutra says ‘ The Dharma includes no being because it’s free from the impurity of being, and the Dharma includes no self because it’s free from the impurity of self’. Those wise enough to believe and understand these truth are bound to practise according to the Dharma. And since that which is real includes nothing that is worth begrudging, they give their body, life, and property in charity, without regret, without the vanity of the giver, gift, or recipient, and without bias or attachment. And to eliminate impurity they teach others, but without being attached to form. Thus, through their own practise they’re able to help others and glorify the Way of Enlightenment. And as with charity, they also practise the other virtues to eliminate delusion, they practise nothing at all. This is what’s meant by practising the Dharma.’

Please read and consider carefully. And if you don't agree try to figure out why some guy travelled thousands of miles from India to China 1500 years ago to teach this.

With the help of other masters, we will later try to get more insight in this important text.

VLAD

Please allow me to introduce our newest partner - Vlad

Vlad is made of treated lumber. 

To make your own Vlad, you'll need one post 3 to 4" in diameter, two 2 x 4 x 8" treated, some nails and screws.

What is Vlad good for ? he can be beaten up, he won't complain, and he won't hit you back...

Seriously - it is all very nice to cut in the air, but it is a little like doing kata by yourself, it is very useful, but when it comes to accuracy, timing and distance, it is not enough... If you want a better taste, and a better test of your technique, you need to meet a real target.

Kendo allows you this opportunity, however, as you are, for various reasons, very limited in the number of cuts you are allowed to perform in Kendo.

And then, Vlad never complains... One way to improve your technique is to practice until you are utterly exhausted, go past it, and then, something may happen. It is said that some Kenjutsu ryu practiced up to 10,000 strikes daily. Do you know of any Kendo partner who would stay in front of you to let you hit him 10,000 times ? This is why we needed Vlad...

Karateka and boxers have punching bags, Kung Fu people wooden dummies. I wanted something to practice our cuts, adjust our angles and distance, something that would also offer some resistance to our moves. This is how Vlad was born.

PS : I am not yet at 10,000 cuts a day, just 300 for the time being, it takes less than 10 minutes, and is excellent exercise, it is not about beating the hell out of Vlad, but about aiming at different levels,  adjusting your stances, practicing your "power cut" by twisting your back foot (pivot on the ball of the foot...)

300 + cuts get you a little tired, and it then becomes easier to adjust your moves, your muscles are not too much in the way...

The Drummer

The four great wows in the Mokurai Zen lineage go that way : 

Beings are numberless, I vow to free them

Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them

Dharma gates are boundless,  I vow to enter them...

The Buddha way is unsurpassable, I vow to realize it.

There are an infinite number of ways to realize the Dharma. Sitting in Zazen - Shikantaza is one of them. 

There are other ways.

In The Drummer, Sid, a young and not so bright man seduces the mistress of a Triad Boss, who totally does not appreciate, and sends a bunch of thugs to teach him better manners by chopping his hands off.

Sid flees to a remote part of Taiwan. While hiding in a the mountains of the island, he stumbles upon  a group of monks living in a monastery, far from civilization, where they practice a unique tradition allying Drumming, Kung Fu and Zazen.

This meeting totally changes his destiny.

The Drummer reminded me of the Korean movie "Why did Boddhidharma come from the West", there are lots of similarities, but it is a little more dramatized and romanticized. It is nevertheless a good movie. 

Watch it if you can.

40 % of Chinese bodyguards are women.

An interesting article in the Washington Post about the private bodyguard industry in China.

As millions of Chinese have grown richer, so, too, has the resentment increased from those left behind, threatening the ruling Communist Party's stated goal of maintaining social stability. 

Chinese private bodyguards do everything from protecting wealthy celebrities and businessmen to assisting in security for such major events as the Shanghai World Expo.

Unlike American bodyguards, the Chinese are generally not tall and imposing; in fact, about 40 % are women, on the theory that females in the retinue attract less attention. 

The trend in China is for the bodyguards to be smaller in stature. "If they're too big, it would be too obvious. We can get lost in a crowd - you don't recognize us." 

Also unlike in the United States, they are never armed, since private citizens in China are largely prohibited from owning firearms. Rather, Chinese bodyguards are Martial Arts experts, trained to disarm or subdue an attacker with a few quick thrusts, jabs and hand chops...

Zen and Martial Arts

Zen and Martial Arts : A short History of Yoshukai Karate

From India to China

Bodhidharma - Da Mo in Chinese, Daruma in Japan - was a blue-eyed guy and tended to stand out in a crowd. The Chinese, nicknamed him "The Blue-Eyed Demon.“ An Indian Prince and Buddhist priest, well-educated both in Vajramushti (an ancient Indian Martial Art synthesis of Pancratium and Raja Yoga) and in philosophy and theology, He combined Indian Buddhist philosophy with Daoist methodology, and came to China to preach his new synthesis: Zen.

“Zen” simply means meditation. In Sanskrit the word is "dhyana”. Dhyana and Zen appear to be unrelated words, but in fact they are similarly pronounced. Whenever a heavily voiced "D" precedes the "Y", as in “Did You”, the sounds are usually combined and pronounced as a "J". We say, "Di'ja go?." Ed-u-cate becomes "ejucate." Acad-i-an becomes "Cajun." Sanskrit's Dhyana (meditation) became "Jen" – written Chan in Chinese and pronounced Zen in Japanese.

The priests of Shao Lin Monastery in China were keeping a stale, orthodox regimen when "Blue Eyed Demon" arrived from India in the fifth century AD. They were following the "polishing" way of inactivity and removal, the way which claims victory over bodily temptations by avoiding other bodies and over contentious thoughts by erasing all thoughts. Too much sitting had numbed their brains and let their physical condition languish. The monks were not in good shape and definitely not able to defend themselves against gangs of thieves used to attacking them around the temple.

Bodhidharma designed a set of martial exercises designed to strengthen their minds and bodies. This was the beginning of the Shaolin Kung Fu (Shorin Ji Kempo in Japanese) style of boxing.

Bodhidharma's teachings became the basis for the majority of Chinese martial arts.

Or so legend has it.

OKINAWA

From China, Buddhism and Martial Arts went South to Okinawa, an island East of mainland China and South of Japan.

“Tode” (Chinese Hand) was the indigenous form of fighting developed in Okinawa. Because weapons had been banned on the Island, Okinawans had refined empty-hand techniques and trained in secret. It had evolved under the influence of Chinese merchants and sailors.

Te developed primarily in three Okinawan cities: Shuri, Naha and Tomari. Each of these towns was a center to a different sect of society: nobility, merchants, farmers and fishermen, respectively.

JAPAN

The first public demonstration of Karate in Japan was in 1917 by Gichin Funakoshi, at the Butoku-den in Kyoto.

In 1922, Dr. Jano Kano, founder of the Japanese art of Judo, invited Funakoshi to demonstrate at the famous Kodokan Dojo and to remain in Japan to teach karate.

The sponsorship of Dr Kano was instrumental in establishing a base for karate in Japan. As an Okinawan "peasant art," karate would have been scorned by the Japanese without the backing of so formidable a martial arts master.

The Chinese character “To”- Chinese - used to write “Tode” – Chinese Hand - could also be pronounced 'Kara'. Around 1935 a meeting of Okinawan masters decided to replace this character by another one, also pronounced “Kara” but meaning “Empty”. This is how Karate which originally meant Chinese Hand, came to mean Empty Hand.

This was later changed to Karate-do by Gichin Funakoshi. The Do in karate-do means 'way' or 'path', and is indicative of the discipline and philosophy of Karate with moral and spiritual connotations.

Chito Ryu and Yoshukai

Sensei Chitose

Chinen Tsuyoshi, later to be known by the name Chitose was born in Okinawa in1898. He was the grandson of the famous Matsumura Soken

Chitose began his study of Karate at the age of seven (1905) under Aragaki Seisho, Higashionna Kanryo One fellow student would become Miyagi Chojun the founder of modern Goju Ryu

Funakoshi Gichin Sensei was also Chitose Sensei’s primary school teacher.

In 1922 he was accepted as a student at the Tokyo University Medical Center and became a doctor in 1924. This is why he is called Dr Chitose.

He opened his first dojo in Kumamoto in 1946. Chitose would take the wording "Chito Ryu" by 1952.

Sensei Yamamoto

In 1951, Yamamoto Mamoru began training in Karate under Sensei Chitose.

From 1958 to 1960, Yamamoto Mamoru, the head student of Sensei Chitose, won the All Japan Karate Championships.

In 1961 he opened his own dojo the Yoshukan in Kitakyushu, Japan.

In 1963 Mamoru Yamamoto started his own organization Yoshukai Karate, independent from Dr Chitose’s Chito Ryu.