Back to Scotland now from studying in London with Mark. Some of you asked me what I was learning in my 1-2-1 lessons: pushing hands for hours, softening, yielding, connecting, joining, tendrilising, slipping. Things I was attempting not to do: react, freeze, fight, comment, analyse, compare, judge. If that sounds a bit abstract, well, words tend to fail in T'ai Chi: best to just come and push hands.
Some of the new students who joined this term, and who now come regularly, are a delight. You worry about learning the movements of the form but do 'sticking' as if it really matters (which it does), a searching, fascinated quality in the touch. This is very good. I am very happy to be back at class. Get practising daily, that will solve all your posture - memory problems.
Mark will teach an open Ta Lu class for anyone who has done a little Ta lu on Friday 3rd March 7-10ish pm (£10). He will also teach an open session for any of my students on Sunday 12th March 2-6pm (£10). Let me know if you can come, it's first come, first served. Both are at the house in Forgue. The week long workshop still has a couple of spaces too, 4th - 10th March 2-10pm daily, (£175 tuition fees), which will be held in the room in this picture by Chiara.
1 comment:
Yes!
Have also just been to Mark, much the same work, it appears. 'So much fun, the softening continues' fell out of my mouth exactly, a few days ago. When I began to work with you, it was also 'enlightened self-interest', as Steven puts it: otherwise my push hands would just not have improved, softened, grown, yielded... even the modest amount it has. I am glad you have a student. Even though you may feel you are teaching them 'for yourself', the instruction they will receive from you will be full of your passion to practise, and your desire to be joining, pushing hands and exploring. Your 'selfishness' will lead to good trainng for them! At least, this is my experience.
Now I am missing David, but Sunday classes here are quite intensive, and the retreat begins on Friday night, so T'ai Chi is uppermost almost every day now: the occasional break for writing a song, singing, and organising more T'ai Chi, though I usually do these later at night after eating. In my heart, just as we used to discuss, I still want to be a 'Ta'i Chi bum', and I may get my wish. We'll see. Love to you, brother.
Post a Comment