Anthony’s gift

I was asked what does martial arts mean to me.
Martial arts to me is the movement of one’s body. It is the interaction of your energy with the energy that is around you.
I started Tai Chi because I sought a higher connection. The faculties that we use every day to interpret the world are the same ones we have used for thousands of years. We rely on them because they are easy to understand. They are the faculties that have served us well our whole lives. It is how I know when to cross the road, how I know to brace for a fall or impact, how I know when my phone is ringing… These are our senses that give us this information.
I started Tai Chi because I knew there was more to this world than what we can interpret with our senses. My journey so far has introduced me to experiences that are difficult to explain because I don’t really have a point of reference. I have felt the flow of energy not just using my senses but through a much deeper faculty.
I have just started on this journey and I am a very flawed student but the flow of energy does not discriminate. It is inviting and always is ready when I am. I look forward to continuing this journey and seeing the benefits impact all aspects of my life.

 

Push Hands

Three topics in this, and my responses may have exploded a bit.
Apologies for the length, but I hope I’ve made some statements that will provoke discussion.
1) Doing other martial arts classes;
2) Recognising applications in our form; and
3) Wanting more emphasis on application.

Topic (1), or rather, that it has arisen, is explainable as a by-product of modern Western permissiveness, eroding boundaries of respect – and awareness that such boundaries exist in the first place – towards one’s teacher of an art. It still exists (maybe largely in the West has only mainly existed?) in niches, often regarding music or the visual arts.
This is one thing where in martial arts the Japanese rigidity has served well, where it is enforced, albeit it is too harsh to be Tai Chi.
As I understand it, tradition would have it that students of one school would attend other schools only under the direction or with the explicit permission of the head of the school, typically with the cooperation and knowledge of both heads. To attend two schools at once without permission/direction is an act of disloyalty and a sign of ambition and lack of belief/trust in one’s original school, and, even, arguably the second (hedging your bets either way).
It is also a sign of a level of ambition towards power that is anathema to Tai Chi, hence part of my vehemence above.

I have been a student of Lum Sifu for coming up to thirteen years.
Application is interesting to me – it’s part, perhaps, of being young and male, and it’s part also of the fact that application is intentionally closed off as a subject (aside from incidental – arbitrary – moments) until certain levels are reached (the curiosity of the “known unknown”). Even then, Push Hands (as a first layer) is totally different from learning to fight and learning the specific applications of the styles; it’s definitely related, and you’ll see the latter spontaneously as you come to imbibe Push Hands, but it’s all foundational in more than just the external application (even externally following Tai Chi principles). It’s about character.

Tai Chi is totally inclusive but totally exclusive. The former because there is something of benefit to everyone, but the latter because it is ultimately self-selecting. Secrets are withheld from beginners for many reasons, not least of which is that those who seek power are those least qualified to hold it; either the “slow” nature of the curriculum drives out those who are too impatient, or else it allows time for changes to accrue and change the nature of the student – or for the teacher to observe the student’s readiness for each step and topic. This also prevents/reduces the inadvertent slippage of secrets to those who could make use of them but are not following the Way.

The teacher is the gatekeeper and the guide. Those on the path to Mastery seek not power and are thus not brought low by it.

(One of the most disliked elements of the Lord of the Rings is the sequence involving Tom Bombadil. He is an acknowledged anomaly, but he is in some ways the *most* important character, because he has Mastery, seeks no power, and the Ring can not affect him; he is the moral beacon who stands astride the worries of the world, to which the rest of us are, one way or another, subject, which makes us vulnerable to the power and allure of the Ring.)

Danya’s Page
13th Feb. 2015

Push Hands 0nline

many & Moore?

About myself
I was born in Mudgee, NSW and lived on 3 different farms attending schools in Mudgee until I moved to Sydney to Study Dentistry at Sydney University following in the footsteps of my grandfather and great grandfather who were both dentists in Mudgee.

After graduating in 1988 I worked at Westmead Hospital for 2 years and since then have worked in private practice. I married in 1989 and have 2 children Mia and Nicholas.

In 2011 I was diagnosed with a congenital Atrial Septal defect, hole in the heart and Coeliac Disease which was a huge shock as I was rarely sick and quite resilient.
In October 2014 I had open heart surgery, attended rehabilitation, returning to my pilates class and work in January 2017.

How I came to Yuan-Chi Tai Chi Chuan
Although I had many hobbies and interests including botanical art class, photography, reading, gardening, movie going, creating I needed a way to deal with stress and  self esteem. I think growing up in the country you become quite self reliant and I sometimes felt a lack of confidence in social situations. My values were not always those of some family and friends who seemed to have ever bigger houses and more expensive lifestyles but lacked compassion.

On Wednesday 6th April 2016 I arrived home from work and received 3 messages.
My friend Vivienne had died that day of cancer, another of the school mums was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer and my cousin with throat cancer. As it turned out 2016 was to be the most challenging year of my life.

So now Tai Chi
Robert De Niro, The Intern, Google, Constant Balance, Tuesday 2nd August 2016 7am first Tai Chi class.
I was humbled by the acceptance and patience of all in the Tai Chi class which became quite a haven.  I worried that my brain was not up to the task, I struggled to be on time but just kept trying, turning up. The magical park full of trees, birds, dogs, life served as a comforting backdrop.
I hope that I can grow to experience an inner resilience, peace and wisdom.

In gratitude, no apologies!
Belinda
Sat, 1 Apr 2017 21:06:44 +1100

 

puppy!

trumpet-flowers
Anthony at “Eatonsville”, Piambong

0n-the-rocks!

wide bow&arrow catches lunch

Sahaj in Yuan-Chi?

You don’t have to overpower the Divine Power. You don’t have to order, you don’t have to ask; just if you meditate, you are one with this All-pervading Power which is another great blessings to us.”
~
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Subject: Insh’Allah!
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 08:39:00 +1000
It is possible to become a master of Yuan-Chi by following MOTHER just through the following; Yuan-Chi Tai Chi Chuan DVDs S.1-S.3, Zheng Man-Ching 44 book and 55style Yang sword DVD.

Subject: Re: DVDs
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2017 16:21:59 +1100
Q: One thing is for sure though, will strive to have The Chaitanya Flowing through trying to mimic your moves. How does that feel?
A: Since the process is under the control of Mother Param.Chaitanya, the true advice is as MOTHER has given to us for self-realization & meditation.
In supplement here’s advice given to beginners in our school; “please follow the leader: copy what you see. Mimic the leader, become what you follow.”

What is it like to practise Yuan-Chi beyond Nirvichara Samadhi?
{ Sushupti, Valaya, Turiya } ?

Jai Shri Mataji

Tim’s Timbre

This is such a wonderful community and practice – I feel very lucky to have found a place in it.

I am an instrumental musician, and I came to Tai Chi one year ago. It was always something that I’d wanted to explore but never made a point of beginning. Then, having recently moved to Glebe, I took a leaflet from the Constant Balance sandwich board and dived in, I’m so grateful that I was walking through the park during class time, and that the door to this experience opened at just the right time. This is of course a wonderful physical tool for general well being and energy levels, and I felt this straight away. More profound though is the effect it has had on my music making – particularly in balance as I move between instruments, physical awareness, tension release and ambidexterity, but also in a less easily explained flow, ease and inner quietude. I have had numerous experiences of great joy and peace during the dance of the 108, and these spill into my daily life with ever more insistence. Sifu’s embodiment of the way is likewise a joy to observe and his teachings are by turns thought-provoking and thought-silencing, insightful, startling and generous. I look forward to sharing more experiences as and when they find me…

Timothy Constable
Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2017 17:36:33 +1100

Virginia

IMG_0135

I came to Constant Balance by mistake.
I had been in email correspondence with another Tai Chi teacher and was to meet him in Glebe Park.
Instead I saw Sifu coming, whom I assumed to be that person, caught up with him and have been
in his class ever since. I joined with the purpose of gaining physical balance and energy.
I have found myself involved in something more profound and mysterious.
I am making my way through the form, at my own pace, albeit very slowly,
thanks to the extraordinary patience of Sifu and the Tai Chi community.
In all respects, it is a most unusual experience.

Mick’s Mission

Hi everybody,my match report for Glebe class.

I enjoyed the dance very much got lost in the flow and enjoyed the company,I noticed I go deeper into the flow in the presence of others more experienced than myself,possibly because some thing that needs fixing in myself.

I noticed after 4 hours in the presence of sifu or possibly the collective energy my aches and pains of which I have a few,were just about gone,very impressive!

Enjoyed the talk found it enlightening not sure if it influenced my decision but did understand point being made.

Hope you are all well regards, Mick.

Mon, 7 Mar 2016 10:31:03

Hanuman

dance

Healing

In the summer of 2013 I had a severe injury in my lower back so I couldn’t stand straight or walk properly.

Then I met Lum Sifu and I started to learn the Way of Tao. I received a personal intensive course – learning Section One of Yuan-Chi  Tai Chi Chuan. Sifu also treated me and everything worked out perfectly.

My injury was such that I experienced severe pain in my lower back on the left side and the pain was going down the leg all the way to the foot and my toes became numb. Through two weeks’ practice the pain almost disappeared from my leg and the numbness started to move and change. Only some of my toes remained numb. Sifu was making jokes that I loved pain because I really had to move and do the exercises although I was in agony.

Altogether I followed Sifu for two weeks in Cabella, Italy plus another week in Moravka, Czech Republic during July-August 2013.

The healing process was really effective and fast. Sometimes I just lay on the ground as he worked on my leg by putting his foot on different points on my leg. This helped me really to rest and regenerate. At other times we were moving together in a way that he helped me to go into auto motion which resulted in my body ending up in different positions each time.

Now I know how to use this method on my own and it’s still healing me every time. It’s a technique in which the body aligns itself to a position specifically needed in that moment. I noticed also that the healing process continually went back in time to the roots of the injury and removed them one by one, from the present moment back to the beginning of the problem. After two months of daily practice my leg was back to normal but I still had some feeling in my lower back, not pain but just a novel feeling.

Sifu told me that such injuries needed time, maybe two – three years to heal using only Yuan-Chi Tai-Chi. So I went for a check-up and the doctor sent me to physiotherapy where I learned how the spine is organised and how it functions and they gave me only one exercise to do.

After two years’ of diligent practice I no longer feel any pain or strange sensations in my back.

I’m still practising Yuan-Chi  Tai Chi Chuan today and I’m happy to have met Sifu as well as some other of his European students in the summer of 2013.

Best regards,
Hanuman
Date:     Mon, 5 Oct 2015 14:32:13 +0300
From:    Raycho Karaivanov

adjusting Hanuman640x