The Teaching
Q: So how is this (the 'mission') approached in your lessons? Tek: I have started with the teaching of some martial art forms, namely the traditional 108 Yang Style Taijiquan, the Qigong Ba Duan Jin (The Eight Brocades), and Liu He Ba Fa (The Six Combination and Eight Methods). To teenagers and younger students, I teach them Tan Tui (Springing Leg), a Northern Shaolin kicking form. I believe everyone should have a healthy body to begin with. However, physical health could not be sustained too long without the presence of a healthy mind. A really healthy person is one who lives with mind and body in harmony so as to have a healthy lifestyle.
We need some 'Forms' to follow, to practice and to 'master'. Although in the Heart Sutra it mentions "Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form. And Form is no different from Emptiness and Emptiness is no different from Form." Yet we need to start somewhere and that is why we need the 'form' to begin with as a vehicle.
And also in Dao De Jing Chapter 64, it mentions, "A journey of one thousand Li (Chinese mile) begins by putting down one's first step." So the form practice is the 'first step' to go. By practicing the forms together with good manners like bowing to the seniors (students) and teachers, sincerely and wholeheartedly, one would transform the 'rituals' Li, to Yi, one's unspoken duties and obligation. And hopefully by practicing the "Li" and "Yi" sincerely and long enough, one would uncover one's "Ren" Kindness, and "De", Basic Goodness, from within. And I call the "De" to be Wu De, the Virtue and Basic Goodness of Martial Art.
This is what I want to bring about. And this ("Wu De") is what most of the martial art practitioners might have overlooked. Confucius says, "Kindness is invincible!" We have to keep that in mind all the time, it is not just our fast kicks and punches that win.
Q: Many people may not agree with this philosophy of yours.
Tek: If others prefer to do something else, for example, chase material wealth, then that is entirely up to them, we all have our own specific needs and paths to follow, but my personal philosophy is based on this Taiji philosophy:
"Nothing is absolute, everything is relative.
Nothing is forever, everything is ever changing.
So, one should not try to control, rather they should let go."
When one follows the flow of nature, things will fall into places where they are supposed to be. So do not interfere and do not overreact, stay put and everything will turn out the way it is supposed to be.
Q: Won't this sound a little too grand or far-reaching for those who simply wish to study martial arts for self-defence, or just to fend off the neighborhood bully, or just for healthcare and maintenance, so to speak.
Tek: Talking about self-defence. I believe self-esteem, self-respect and self-confidence are the three important requisites. These are also the foundation of Wu De, the Virtue of Martial Arts, as I've mentioned earlier. Without these qualities in a person, the relative skill and technique training would only end up producing street fighters, bouncers, or contract killers. We certainly do not need these in our societies. So besides Wu Shu, the skills of the martial arts, we should have Wu De as well.
As for health, just to have a healthy body is not enough. Your physical health can be easily affected by your emotions such as stress, anger, hatred, jealousy and anxiety. So only when you are relaxed and content can you achieve peace of mind. And only with peace of mind and body can you achieve a complete state of health. By practicing Taijiquan you become more relaxed. You will know yourself much better and look within for answers rather than outward. Taijiquan just becomes a way of life for many people. You look at life's events and people as just the way they are. Nothing is absolute so we don't pass any judgment.
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Q: So how is this (the 'mission') approached in your lessons? Tek: I have started with the teaching of some martial art forms, namely the traditional 108 Yang Style Taijiquan, the Qigong Ba Duan Jin (The Eight Brocades), and Liu He Ba Fa (The Six Combination and Eight Methods). To teenagers and younger students, I teach them Tan Tui (Springing Leg), a Northern Shaolin kicking form. I believe everyone should have a healthy body to begin with. However, physical health could not be sustained too long without the presence of a healthy mind. A really healthy person is one who lives with mind and body in harmony so as to have a healthy lifestyle.
We need some 'Forms' to follow, to practice and to 'master'. Although in the Heart Sutra it mentions "Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form. And Form is no different from Emptiness and Emptiness is no different from Form." Yet we need to start somewhere and that is why we need the 'form' to begin with as a vehicle.
And also in Dao De Jing Chapter 64, it mentions, "A journey of one thousand Li (Chinese mile) begins by putting down one's first step." So the form practice is the 'first step' to go. By practicing the forms together with good manners like bowing to the seniors (students) and teachers, sincerely and wholeheartedly, one would transform the 'rituals' Li, to Yi, one's unspoken duties and obligation. And hopefully by practicing the "Li" and "Yi" sincerely and long enough, one would uncover one's "Ren" Kindness, and "De", Basic Goodness, from within. And I call the "De" to be Wu De, the Virtue and Basic Goodness of Martial Art.
This is what I want to bring about. And this ("Wu De") is what most of the martial art practitioners might have overlooked. Confucius says, "Kindness is invincible!" We have to keep that in mind all the time, it is not just our fast kicks and punches that win.
Q: Many people may not agree with this philosophy of yours.
Tek: If others prefer to do something else, for example, chase material wealth, then that is entirely up to them, we all have our own specific needs and paths to follow, but my personal philosophy is based on this Taiji philosophy:
"Nothing is absolute, everything is relative.
Nothing is forever, everything is ever changing.
So, one should not try to control, rather they should let go."
When one follows the flow of nature, things will fall into places where they are supposed to be. So do not interfere and do not overreact, stay put and everything will turn out the way it is supposed to be.
Q: Won't this sound a little too grand or far-reaching for those who simply wish to study martial arts for self-defence, or just to fend off the neighborhood bully, or just for healthcare and maintenance, so to speak.
Tek: Talking about self-defence. I believe self-esteem, self-respect and self-confidence are the three important requisites. These are also the foundation of Wu De, the Virtue of Martial Arts, as I've mentioned earlier. Without these qualities in a person, the relative skill and technique training would only end up producing street fighters, bouncers, or contract killers. We certainly do not need these in our societies. So besides Wu Shu, the skills of the martial arts, we should have Wu De as well.
As for health, just to have a healthy body is not enough. Your physical health can be easily affected by your emotions such as stress, anger, hatred, jealousy and anxiety. So only when you are relaxed and content can you achieve peace of mind. And only with peace of mind and body can you achieve a complete state of health. By practicing Taijiquan you become more relaxed. You will know yourself much better and look within for answers rather than outward. Taijiquan just becomes a way of life for many people. You look at life's events and people as just the way they are. Nothing is absolute so we don't pass any judgment.
Read More