Issue 49 - Tse Qigong Centre

Some ways it differs is in the way martial arts are practised,the way they are taught and the things that are emphasised.Also, the relationship between the student and the teacher isdifferent. Although some change has been for the good, I seea lot of evidence that the content or depth of many good martialarts has been lost or watered down.This is a very sad statement for me to make but it isbased on many years of travelling and talking with martialarts practitioners from around the world. I have met manymartial artists, including instructors and students of BaguaZhang who havehad numerousyears of trainingand experience intheir chosen arts,some even morethan I. But, it hasbeen a surprisefor me to discoverthat these experiencedpractitionerscannotanswer evensimple questionsas to why theyperform theirmoves or exercisesin thespecific ways thatthey do.When Ihave asked themwhat they havelearned, sometell me that theyhave studied foryears, decades and even longer. Some tell me they have studiedmany martial arts, that they have learned many forms or thatthey have won many trophies. They may tell me that theyhave studied in China or that they have studied with this famousperson or that famous person. But, they cannot tell me “why”they do what they do. They say that it is the way their teachershowed them or that it is just the way it is done. Ask yourself,is this a good answer? Does this indicate true understanding?It is clear that many practitioners have spent a lot of time andsome have spent many thousands of dollars in their studiesbut to what end.Practitioners who do not understand the “why” behindthe requirements of their arts have little true understandingand have obtained little lasting value from their practice. Isthis the fault of their art or the the fault of their teacher orteachers. Or maybe it Is their own improper approach to theirart or a lack of dedication? Every serious practitioner must lookwithin himself or herself and face this question. You must allask yourselves, “What have I really learned that is of truevalue?”I often speak to my students, as Lu Shui-Tian spoke tome, about the importance of understanding the differencebetween the surface of a martial art and the depth of a martialart. A martial art in the traditional sense is more than just acollection of forms and techniques. There is more to martialarts than mere choreography. A Bagua Zhang form is not BaguaZhang. A Taijiquan form is not Taijiquan. An Eagle Claw formis not Eagle Claw. Martial arts forms represent only an aspectof the total art. They are a training device and a referencetool. I have said on many occasions that far too manypractitioners in today’s martial arts’ society focus just onlearning forms - thinking that more forms mean greaterexpertise or greater credibility as a martial artist or teacher.This view is flawed and misguided. Forms, exercises, andtechniques mean little if the practitioner does not understandwhat is underneath within the depths of the art.Anyonecan learn orcopy any formbecause a format its most basiclevel, is simply aLu Shui-Tian and his studetn Bok Nam Parksequence ofpostures andmovements. Itmust be understoodthat this isjust the surfaceof the system. Itis the principlesbeneath theform, beneaththe techniquesand beneaththe methods,that are the keyto deeperunderstandingand mastery ofany martial art.The secretsin themartial arts do not lie in the forms. The secrets lie in thefundamental ingredients and the understanding of how tocombine or cook them properly. Let me give you another of LuShui-Tian’s analogies. At a grocery store, there are many kindsof food available. You can pick and choose whatever you like.But when you get home, if you do not know how to combinethe ingredients properly and how to cook the ingredientstogether, how do you think your meal will turn out? It is likelythat the meal will turn out badly and you will not eat it. Perhapsthe meal will taste okay, but later, it may even make you sick.Either way, you will not be nourished. Ultimately, you will starve.Without proper experience, you cannot and will not be able tochoose the correct ingredients and without a proper recipe youwill not be able to combine and cook them in the proper way.A single mistake or omission at any stage can ruin the finalresult.Many people in the martial arts world community todayare just following someone else’s recipe without any real ideaof whether the recipe is good or bad, whether it is complete ormissing critical elements. They do not consider whether it willhelp them or hurt them or ultimately accomplish nothing. Oftenthere is an assumption that because the teacher is famous orhas won many awards or indeed is instructing at all, that theymust be good. However, without a true understanding of theunderlying principles, how can anyone judge? This is a seriousissue.Qi Magazine 20