Episode 200 - Summer Flowers (2)

The Clivia flower shoot has grown out and the flowers are opening.

Here are some photos taken this morning.

Episode 199 - "Understanding the Force"

In my previous posts on the Taiji principles, I discussed the concept of "Getting back to the Origin" and the Stages of "knowing oneself" and "knowing others".

These are the keys to decipher the meaning of "Understanding the Force".

In the "Know Your Own self Stage", you "understand the force" after you have started activating your sleeping parts. This is what we call the "tapping into the sacred portion". What we need to do next is to train up the other sleeping parts of the body. This "training" required then is different from "normal" training. Once you have activated a sleeping part, you can intensify the activation of the other parts while you are walking, stopping, sitting, or lying down. That means you can use your mind to call up the other sleeping portions while you are engaging in normal daily activities.

In the "Know Others' Stage", the training is different, you should learn how to adhere to and get contact with the other's body. You learn how to make use of the force of the opponent and control him. That's where the push hand training come into the picture. You learn how to adapt and adjust to different movements of the opponent and respond with "reflex action".

Episode 198 - Clivia - Summer Flowers

The past years have been busy and I did not have much time to take care of my plants at home. My clivia has not flowered since 2007.

To my surprise, I discovered earlier this week that it blossoms again - Good omen?

You can see from the photo above that a flower shoot with a number of buds is growing out from a margin of the leaves of the plant.

To avoid "holding up of the arrow" by the leaves. I cut open the leaf margins to allow more space for the flower shoot to develop and grow out.

I shall post more photos of the clivia in the coming posts.

Episode 197 - Porcelain Painting

I purchased this porcelain painting recently.

Judging from the descriptions, the painting should be around 70 years old. Isn't it beautiful?

Episode 196 - "Kua" and the "Three External Coordinations"

"For the training in "Knowing your own self", this is only half of the story. The next step forward is to establish the connection on the lower part of the body; the practitioner will need to find out how the power connection can be extended from the foot to the hands - in order to complete the construction of the "Power Sphere"." - Gate of Life

The "Kua" is the connection between the upper part and the lower part of the body. The post on Back Power analyses the importance of the back and its key role in the upper part of the body. Activating the upper part alone is not sufficient. If the coordination with the lower part is not possible, exercising "coherent force" is an unattainable dream.

Many people talk about the principle of the "Three External Coordinations" without knowing what exactly it is. The "Coordinations" as emphasized do not simply mean different parts of the body doing things together. It is the transfer of power from the lower parts to the corresponding upper parts that counts.

To achieve the "Three External Coordinations", one should know the precise answers to the following questions:

1. Where is the "Kua"?
2. How to "loose" the "Kua"?
3. How to motivate the "Kua" to coordinate the upper parts and the lower parts of the body?