Learning Tai Chi in water
By Leo Ming
I love water and its intrinsic value to life. I am a ‘fish’.
Many years ago, while I was swimming, I thought I would try some taiji in the pool.
Suddenly it dawned on me that the principles of taiji, through the movement under water, can be transferred and combined into being one with this element.
Weightlessness and Weight
A person would gain valuable insight into weightlessness but at the same time learn about how we need ‘weight’ or “chong” to be able to be grounded. Otherwise without this groundedness, we would fall over in the pool.
It takes a long period of patience and practise to do this correctly.
Letting go
The other aspect I learnt from practicing tai chi in water, is to do with the principle of ‘letting go of’. This principle is easier to grasp when in water as we now have an element that surrounds us , catches us and holds us ‘in position. Letting go or ‘fong song’ is critical in order to progress with tiaji and to gain insight.
Many people who come to taiji do the moves beautifully, yet they still have no concept or idea of how we can ‘fong song’. This practice of non-resistance is in alignment with the tao/dao, which is a part of the understanding of taiji. It is exemplified in this saying–
“When you have movement , everything moves, when you are still everything is still.”
Join me for a class to have an experience of ‘fong song’.
To attend a session in Johannesburg, contact your Sifu, Leo Low Ming, on 0833780468.
By Leo Ming I love water and its intrinsic value to life. I am a ‘fish’. Many years ago, while I was swimming, I thought I would try some taiji in the pool. Suddenly it dawned on me that the principles of taiji, through the movement under water, can be transferred and combined into being …