A personal account of the Tai Chi, Qi Gung, & Taoist Meditation Workshop held at the Omega Institute with David Carradine from October 6-8, 2000

Everyone then sat down again. Then Rob asked if there were any questions about what we've been covering. One person mentioned that this could be something she might be able to do with her grandchildren and Rob agreed there. He said she could really be one of the gang and that it was a really good feeling as a loved one or a parent. He said that it works and that it doesn't have to be just these (referring to the Nine Psalms Exercises), you have to be really creative. He suggested bringing them on board when you're baking cookies as a way of sharing. He wasn't sure how it would relate to motion, but it was related to the senses, bringing those senses into play and help to create more love in the world. He then said that it was worth the effort to get off the couch to do something for the benefits that we're going to get. He then asked if there were any more questions. A gentleman then spoke. He was mentioning when he was doing the tai chi like movements, moving slow, he would suddenly want to break into a hard kada, then go back to the slow. Rob then said that is what the Ninth Implosion was for. The Ninth one was for getting the Yah Yah's out.

Rob stated, "After a while, I can't take it. Personally, I'm a little high strung (he got a laugh with that line) to spend too much time doing tai chi. So that one's an escape route. And in the midst of this tai chi, you can *bung* get down all right or just even *whap* throw it off. Or somehow just cleans yourself and regather and regroup. Make it your own. If it feels right, chances are it's a good thing. I'm a dad. My daughter is going out to a dance, it's like, if it feels creepy don't do it. That's the best advice I can give. Let your conscious, it's that Jiminy Cricket thing we were talking about yesterday. If that's what feels right, don't wait for some 90 year old Asian guy with a bad back tell you that you can't do that. They didn't do that 300 years ago. Well, maybe they didn't have the urge to do that. Or maybe whoever was watching trying to mimic them didn't pick up on that. Maybe they moved too fast so he left that part out. Your intelligence is what needs to be sought after and enhanced here. So you don't want to rely on anybody else’s knowledge, because of what Heidi was talking about. The only way to block a finger strike is like this (visual). That's nonsense. Use your head, because everything makes sense to you. And if it doesn't make sense to you, don't burden yourself with the problem of feeling inhibited. Let it go. And when you feel the mood to break into that kada, break into that kada. You've gotta yell, yell. Get it out. You've got to be a little bit tactful on where you yell. You don't want to yell around somebody, yell at them. What I'm saying is apply yourself and let your emotions have a very large part in your pursuit of spiritual knowledge. Listen to yourself. That's the seek and you shall find, but it comes from within. If you really, really understand yourself and your ability to express that and how these tide are going in your own microcosm inside of yourself, you'll get along better with the whole universe. That's the point that we're trying to make with this. And it's not Nine Psalms because you have to number them or you have to call them by name. I just need to organize myself to present it. Or otherwise it would tend to seem like gibberish. But elements of each and every one of them I feel are common truths in martial arts that have a tendency to be left out. They're too honest. They're not really all that marketable. You can't charge someone $50 bucks for each punch when they're flying. They can fly, what are they going to do that for. So it's just being honest."

Another gentleman got up and asked about the process, about hitting someone. I could not get the full gist of what the man was asking, but Rob responded by saying, depends on whether it's for in boxing or in the world. The man stated that it was for in the world. Rob's response was, "The greatest goal you ever have in kung fu is you never have to use it. And this imagery you'll have a tendency to accumulate when you are in a school environment, you know, they're out to get you. So when they are, you're going to block them here and hit them in the groin, it's a waist of time. You don't need to think like that. If you're healthy, if you can move, and if you are alert, you'll see it coming at yeah. And you'll adjust yourself accordingly. Your response is something that will be morally sound. And you shouldn't over react, but the thing is you would react. Because you know how to do spirals. You could adjust. You could move in any way. Any volunteers I can show yeah with what I mean with some of these things. Come on Al, let's go. Me and Al go way back. We went to different schools together. For instance this linear idea. (This part was visual.) If he's throwing a punch, right, try and go ahead. Boom, see this linear Mantis I can pull and shove with is shoulder. I can twist it up if I have to. I can control him this way, right? Or take him all the way, right, and spin him right down. And this is merely in the linear fashion. Even if I let him go by, I can WHACK and catch him this way. That's still a linear fashion. Even if I just swirl it up, and keep that bone locked, I'll use that. Once I got the bone locked, I can adjust it side by side. If I need to control it whichever way I need to. That would be a Line Mantis type of an application. Even if he's throwing a punch, I'll take that line and I'll try to get out of the way of the line. That road's coming at me, right? So, I can get out of the way even with or without touching it. But to make it more of a linear, I know to go get off the tracks. You follow what I mean by that? And even if he starts to push, right. If he pushes straight, I can get off the tracks yet again because I'm loose. So if I need to move I'll just drop off to the side. And it can manipulate or control or respond accordingly. If he needs a shiner, right, or a muggy bump or just a good talking to, right, or a hug, I should be able to, so long as I don't over react, we should be able to sort it out.

"The Mantis Fights Upstream, if he's throwing something here, this hand just surfs around. Right throw, boom, I'll just surf right around that. Surf right around here. Surf right around here, and whack, he's back. So I don't have to think about where I'm going. He reaches with both hands, right, go ahead reach with both hands (talking to Al), I'll just surf right over those. (What Rob was demonstrating here were what's called chen nah's. Though his style of chen nah was more flowing and less apt to getting a person in a lock to break a person's arm, wrist, or whatever. His were designed to avoid getting into a fight. Though the best avoidance is not being there in the first place. If you found yourself in a fight, best know how to avoid getting hit by being able to subdue the person in a way that prevents them from harming you and even harming themselves.) Want to switch the hands over, right, I can tie them up, surf right by, right. I can go right through. He strikes forward with both hands, boom, just strike in. But I don't have to think about where I'm going with this. If he's striking again, I surf over, boom, and you're going to follow that up. I can pull him off balance. I'll just see it coming. So, I can turn him into wheels and twists and do whatever I would need to. Even if he grabs me and I'm not looking. I can surf, and if that way doesn't work, this way will, bang. And by being loose, go ahead and grab (speaking to Al), I can create a hinge here. And through sensitivity I can create a circle right here and lifting of my index finger, I'm now on the outside. On that point *WHAP* I can move wherever I want to. The choice is up to me how to respond."

End of Day 3 - Morning Session - Part 5

Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2002.
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