When months and days and hours of training in martial arts, specifically in tai chi, comes together in a matter of a couple of seconds:
When months and days and hours of training in martial arts, specifically in tai chi, comes together in a matter of a couple of seconds:
Sifu Leo Ming shares some of the common mistakes in tai chi stances and his tips to correct them.
For more information on online Tai Chi Classes broadcast from Johannesburg during lockdown, contact Sifu Leo Ming on 0833780468.
Sifu Leo Ming shares some of the common mistakes in tai chi stances and his tips to correct them. For more information on online Tai Chi Classes broadcast from Johannesburg during lockdown, contact Sifu Leo Ming on 0833780468.
Patience; discipline; respect; control; effort; etiquette. These are some of the qualities student learn in our taiji or karate classes.
Part of the foundation of martial arts, is developing a high degree of ethics. This is emphasised in kobujutsu karate training, due to the nature of the physical skills that karate teaches us.
Charles C. Goodin explains how integral ethics is in martial arts, by looking at a significant karate hand gesture:
“A clenched fist represents the destructive potential of Karate. The open hand symbolises karate ethics and restraint. The open hand covers the fist, just as ethics restrain the karate practitioner’s actions. Many karate kata begin and end with the hands in this position.” – Charles C. Goodin.
An open hand symbolizes ’emptiness’ and being able to let go, while the fist is a universal language of combat.
“It is a combined version of the yin and yang,” suggests Sensei Leo. “When we have studied the ability and the control to what we choose our hand to be for situations, we ourselves are much more aware and in better control of the self.”
“This is life-long work on the self” explains Sensei Leo Ming. “It is very easy for the average person to recite and understand but very difficult to live by. Displaying ethical behaviour challenges us.”
“It is about how we look at things in life, our attitude. It is how we are able to do right and if we miss an opportunity, to then ‘make right’. It is about our daily conduct. It is about what we say (especially to others). It is about consistency. And it is about integrity.”
These lessons and qualities are ones that even Leo, for the past 43 years, has been working on in himself. He sees his role in developing ethics in his students, as their Sense, as a very important one, where he needs to set the example.
“I think values such as these never change… the things around us may change, such as modern technologies and phones etc, but these values remain constant, and hence relate to modern day society too.”
Each system of martial arts may have variations on their credo. The credo is just simply theory if one only reads it. To be able to fully understand the Mings Martial Arts Credo, we must bring the points into practice.
“Therefore we have certain ‘rules‘ of entering and leaving the training place, the dojo,” clarifies Sensei. “These are the ‘hidden’ understandings and methods for actual practice that students often overlook.”
An example is when a karate or tai chi student bows at the door, he is not bowing to anyone in particular, but to himself.
“Students may think they ‘have to’ or that it is for me, the Sensei, but I don’t only see it that way. If they can understand, it is a training for their higher self,” wishes Sensei Leo.
Students who train in karate and tai chi are encouraged to not only develop their physical abilities, but to conduct themselves in their daily life with ethics and integrity.
Knowing the difference between what we are capable of or have a right to do, and what is actually right to do, is a life skill that can lead us far in our own lives, and as a society as a whole.
Join us on this daily journey of living ethically.
For more information and to try a class out, contact your Sensei, Leo Low Ming, on 0833780468.
Patience; discipline; respect; control; effort; etiquette. These are some of the qualities student learn in our taiji or karate classes. Part of the foundation of martial arts, is developing a high degree of ethics. This is emphasised in kobujutsu karate training, due to the nature of the physical skills that karate teaches us. Charles C. …
Tai chi may have very early roots in China, yet it has and still is spreading in popularity all over the world. This is due to the many benefits it provides.
Here is a short clip that explains taijiquan and it’s wealth that we can enjoy. It also has some interesting footage of Chen village– where we recently visited on our tour to China.
The video covers:
Contact Sifu Leo Low Ming on 0833780468 to learn more about his Tai Chi Classes in Parkview, Johannesburg.
Tai chi may have very early roots in China, yet it has and still is spreading in popularity all over the world. This is due to the many benefits it provides. Here is a short clip that explains taijiquan and it’s wealth that we can enjoy. It also has some interesting footage of Chen village– …
There are various methods and techniques of push hands. The main purpose of push hands is as a sensitivity taiji drill whereby two people connect by ‘push’ and by ‘yield’, using their hands. The exercise is aimed to be done in a harmonious way.
Initially one does this drill for developing physical balance and strength. It also improves the subtler internal aspects of co-ordination, timing, sensitivity, reflexes, groundedness and leverage.
As you practice it more, you move onto the other benefits where the exercise leads to internal harmonious synchronization of the energies. You also learn about the body’s natural instinct to utilize and direct force, and to rather develop the martial arts style of developing the body’s ability to yield to and redirect a force.
In our tai chi classes in Johannesburg, we practice the forms, and these types of exercises. When we do a solo tai chi form, our attention is on ourselves physically and internally. We gain understanding of our internal energy flows, and any tensions too. We’re asked to confront our thoughts, emotions and any possible internal struggles.
However, when we do a partner exercise with others in the class, like push hands, we can explore our techniques which we learnt in the tai chi form, together with the application of these moves on or with our partners.
We now not only have to deal with our own internal states, but also with external forces and the energies of our partner. This brings awareness to how we interact with others. We learn to listen to our partner, focusing on their intention in the direction and strength that they are moving their hands.
Thus we can, in the safe environment of a controlled martial arts class exercise, learn about neutralising forces coming at us, and at the same time, gain a sense of our own power to generate and carry out an action towards another.
Push hands is also a method of utilizing and strengthening our other senses. One worth mentioning is our sense of Chi. This can be likened to our vital force, or life energy. Thus by focusing on this inner strength’s development, on increasing our Chi, we become stronger from the inside out.
The aim is also to be learning to use chi (our inner strength) and not li (our physical strength).
Push hands helps us to develop finer distinctions in sensing our chi and focusing more on our internal strengths, rather than external strengths.
What is Push Hands? There are various methods and techniques of push hands. The main purpose of push hands is as a sensitivity taiji drill whereby two people connect by ‘push’ and by ‘yield’, using their hands. The exercise is aimed to be done in a harmonious way. Benefits of Push Hands Initially one does …
“In most if not all martial arts, there is some form of integrative meditation component that forms the building blocks of a balanced yet formidable martial artist… half the battle is won and lost in the mind,” says Nicholas Bruce in his in depth article in the Business Day, May 2018.
The article explains how martial arts like karate and tai chi can help us develop the ability to prevent ourselves going into the fight/flight response. When we don’t have this ability, we can lose part of our logical thinking faculty and can make less healthy decisions, and we find it harder to manage our emotions.
One of the key ways that martial arts helps one to be stress free, is its meditation component.
We ask Sensei Leo Ming to give his input on this key element of martial arts training, and encourage you to learn more about the science and research into this aspect, in Bruce’s article.
Q: What is Beginners Mind and why is it important in martial arts training?
Leo: Sho Shin…beginner mind… This is such an important concept in the martial arts. We always have the ego which gets in the way of the reason for doing our martial arts. We get side tracked, whether it be from something visual, something external that catches our eye, or from an internal thought. A simple example would be when we are trying too hard to impress others, or wanting to over achieve in class. Once this happens your ‘way’ (or dao) is lost. We need to always remember to keep our training pure and authentic.
There is a saying that in the beginners mind there are countless possibilities, but in the experts mind there is only one. Thus we get stuck because we think that something can only be done in a certain way, and that our way is the ‘correct’ way.
If we look at children, they are very spontaneous and have an open energy. It is free, uncluttered, and natural. They can absorb but they can also let go of. They cry with intensity, and then it’s all over. We want to train to attain our original mind, our spontaneous and empty mind – this is a good example of sho shin.
More often than not we bring our baggage wherever we go, in the dojo, onto the court, on the field, even into our homes. This weight prevents us from flowing and feeling the moment.
Q: What are the benefits of this ‘beginners mind’ for life outside the dojo?
Leo: There are so many. A few benefits are:
Q: What is meditation in Martial Arts?
Leo: It is essentially learning self introspection, being aware of self, being aware of breath, emptying the mind -having the beginner mind.
Q: What aspects of your teaching do you do to encourage this development?
Leo: Meditation is one of the teachings that I integrate into all my classes- to learn patience with the process. Mindfulness is learnt through meditation as well as through self perfection of techniques. One trains a single technique repetitively until it becomes part of you, or you become part of it, hundreds and thousands of times until you reach a state of ‘no-mind’ or mu-shin. Everything muscle and tendon is relaxed, flowing and natural, yet filled with chi. This is something which cannot be replicated through learning theory. You need to experience it.
We welcome you to join us for a complimentary class, so you can experience a taste of Sho Shin, and the benefits of becoming a martial artist.
For more about Tai Chi and Kobujutso Karate classes in Johannesburg, contact your Sensei, Leo Low Ming, on 0833780468.
“In most if not all martial arts, there is some form of integrative meditation component that forms the building blocks of a balanced yet formidable martial artist… half the battle is won and lost in the mind,” says Nicholas Bruce in his in depth article in the Business Day, May 2018. The article explains how …
With a background of over 40 years in Martial Arts and teaching self-defence, Sensei Leo Ming shares some of his tips and strategies for keeping safe and avoiding situations where we are an easy target to criminals and might be threatened.
These points to remember are especially relevant for those living in big cities like Johannesburg, where there is a high risk of being mugged, or car hi-jacked.
If possible be with someone. If you are alone, your first defence is your awareness – especially of loiterers.
around you.Martial arts brings awareness to one’s behaviour. It also develops an attitude of alertness and awareness to ones surroundings. Awareness is key to one’s own safety.
The next aspect is self-protection. Not only does martial arts teach us basic self defence movements, it also teaches us confidence in bodies and in ourselves. With this confidence we can have a different insight and awareness to the world around us, and a more assertive response which is needed to protect ourselves.
One also learns and understands the psyche of people and potential threats through training in martial arts.
All these give us a better insight of scenarios and hopefully our coping skills are heightened.
Be aware, and be safe!
For more about Self-Defence and Martial Arts classes in Johannesburg, contact your Sensei, Leo Low Ming, on 0833780468.
INFO about next Self Defense Course here.
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With a background of over 40 years in Martial Arts and teaching self-defence, Sensei Leo Ming shares some of his tips and strategies for keeping safe and avoiding situations where we are an easy target to criminals and might be threatened. These points to remember are especially relevant for those living in big cities like …