<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Steveg219:
<B> It is hard to know exactly what you mean by this but I would suggest you do not ignore or suppress these particular urges. If you start to feel power emanate in new ways I think you should explore that and practice it. Fu Zhongwen demonstrated this type of movement and it seems perfectly valid, see this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oiNdF_uuWE
Why temper this, isn't it one of the attributes one seeks to develop in TCC practice???
Steve</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hi Steve,
I think I need to clarify my post. Some of what I say below is probably already obvious to you, but I find it easier to repeat the obvious in a setting that implies many readers.
From what I understand, practicing good Tai Chi should have certain effects. These effects are basically good, but may be slightly "bad." Let me discuss two: lowering blood pressure and making your leg sore.
If you practice correctly, you may be able to lower your general blood pressure, which for most people, is of great benefit. Some people who hear this might think they should practice the form and concentrate directly on lowering blood pressure. This would probably be a mistake.
Some people can mentally control their blood pressure to a great degree. If you concentrate on developing this skill, you might inadvertently pass out and risk serious injury. The benefit of the form is not in learning to control or lower blood pressure actively, but rather in controlling and lowering blood pressure passively. As a result, if you have a sense of your blood pressure dropping during the form, you should not chase this sensation and try to magnify it directly.
Sore legs are obviously not a benefit of Tai Chi, but they can be evidence that you are beginning to develop leg strength that has been inadequate in the past. This can be of great benefit to various health concerns. This benefit does not mean, however, that you should chase the sensation of soreness and do things intentionally to make the legs sore.
Laughter in the form can be evidence of many things, but it is not a sensation to chase. Warmth in the hands is usually evidence of good Qi flow, but directly trying to make the hands warm destroys the value of the evidence. Heat in the hands is thus not a sensation to chase. Similarly, being "drunk" on Jin may indicate that one has potency in the Jin, but it is not a sensation to chase.
I am not saying that you should reject all feelings, since some are necessary to establish the natural reserve that the form calls upon. For instance, having the breath long and even, establishes a reservoir to allow the breathing to naturally adapt to the demands of the form. But this does not mean that you should actively control the breathing.
As for exploring new sensation of Jin, I guess I would say that I do do this, but within the confines of normal form practice or within push hands. From what I understand, the difference should proceed more from my mind than from the physical expression.
What I think triggered the experience I described in my previous post was a sudden jump in my appreciation of long energy in the form. For some time, I have felt able to express a degree of short energy, but long smooth energy was more elusive. After practicing three consecutive repetitions of the form for a while, I think I was able to make the breakthrough as I was able to relax my mind more.
As for Fu Zhongwen's type of movement, that is indeed what I have been taught and what I try to practice. I was actually surprised that you used him as a reference, because his flavor of the form seems even smoother than what I practice. I show more of a pause or more definition at the end point of postures. Sometimes I even try to show a hint of fajin without changing the flow or rhythm, which is something I see some of my teachers do.
One thing you should note from the video clip is that Fu Zhongwen demonstrates fajin only in drills. Contrast his even and smooth flavor of the form with this clip (Note: I am not comparing levels of skills, but rather the flavor of the performance):
Yang Chen Fu Fast Long Form - Tai Chi
I think that expanding on my brief bout of speed changes in the form would lead to a form that would look something like that clip. I like the creativity that lies behind that kind of experimentation and can see how this could develop certain types of practice. I myself, however, have no desire to practice in that way and do not think it would be as good in teaching me the particular skills I am most interested in.
Right now, the most disciplined practice I do for fajin is doing repetitions of a simple staff drill. I do a little with individual movement practice, but find that this has low priority compared with the other things I do. As for long energy, I do now feel it more clearly in the form, but explore it at speed only in push hands. There I see multiple oportunities to explore its characteristics.
Take care,
Audi