The Tai Chi Code Journal

Tai Chi Code:

The learning and practice of tai chi is deep and subtle. It takes years of dedicated learning from learned teaching to be able to touch and peer into its profound value. Without the willingness to sacrifice time and effort and competent instruction, the a learner cannot fully appreciate tai chi’s magical depth – the internal martial art that can “deflect the force of a thousand pounds with a mere four ounces”. Tai chi then would remain an unreacheable secret . . . a virtual code for deciphering.


Application to Everyday Living:

What makes this code worthy of dedicated years of unraveling is the realization that this code is not just for martial purposes, but is in fact a key to solving present, 21st century issues of humanity.

The rapid rate of change in life that is spawned by relentless development in science and technology tilts the balance towards human's over reliance on “hard” intellectualizing side– consequently causing the underdevelopment of his “softer” side. Given this, human solutions are generated predictably from the very same tendencies that are the very roots of the problems.

The idea of tai chi is not to supplant the hard force of the intellect, but to balance and harmonize it with the soft, internal approach of sensing and feeling – the use of the subtle force of chi.

The unraveling of this way holds the key to handling the problems that we face, near and far. From the daily stress that we feel, the personal conflicts that we endure, the chronic illnesses we suffer, to the global warming that threatens our planet – tai chi, in its depth and profundity holds a key. These problems are the “thousand pound issues” and by comparison, we, you and I, the tai chi enthusiasts of the world are a mere “four ounces of influence”. In tai chi, that is all we need if we can unravel the code.

This prospect of making an impact in these real concerns that we face, not only globally but more immediately in our daily concerns on stress, health and relational conflicts, makes our investment of time, energy and resources to the unraveling the tai chi code worthwhile and meaningful, if not imperative.


Learners’ Journal:

Keeping a common learners’ journal suggests a different strategy to both the unraveling of the secret and discovering their application.

First is the premise that we are all equally learners, althought at times in different levels. No tai chi master will honestly claim that he has nothing more to learn, particularly in the aspect of tai chi’s application in daily living. In fact, all teachers learn more than their students in the practice of teaching.

Second is that we should learn from each other, regardless of level. The breadth of daily life application requires a groundswell of ideas-triggering-other-ideas from the kitchen to the boardroom. Every contribution of honest thinking is a grain of gold, a gem in the making.

Third is that the magnitude of the problems we face requires not individual super heroes, but empowered ordinary individuals discovering their own unique talents that would be needed in concerted solution generation and implementation.

Fourth is that this effort requires the constancy of a disciplined journal keeper. Developing the real martial spirit to honestly reflect and persistently concretize his realization into a clear thought.


The Unraveling Method:

Being self-organizing in nature like everything else in nature, this method is merely a suggestion. Ultimately, emergence from unforeseeable intuitive understanding connecting with other intuitive understandings will radiate out as synergistic alignments of coherent courses of action.

Outcome orientation: It is helpful that we follow a practical approach to “begin with the end in mind”.

As an art, every learner would find the method towards mastery if he is in the right direction. Finding the direction is the main goal, because then the eventual end would just be a matter of time and effort. Far too many of us learners are pointed in the wrong direction such that no amount of effort and time will lead us any closer to mastery. The originators of tai chi gave us the legacy of the tai chi classics that outline not only the outcomes but also the methods and steps towards achievement. Focusing on this and exposure to other learners realization in various levels will provide everyone the realizations to self-adjust one's direction towards mastery.

As an application to daily living, our outcome is the specific desired effects we want in during the day as they relate to the broad areas of 1) stress and conflicts situations 2) personal healing, health and empowerment and 3) environmental healing.


Solution generation:

As tai chi learners, we shall seek from the tai chi classics and chi kung principles the metaphor that would apply as keys to find solutions to our everyday problems. Learning the principles, contemplating on the principles, practicing the principles in the form or push hands, we will not only learn deeply their subtle meaning but also find practical applications of these principles in our everyday life.

The principles can be divided into two: being tai chi and doing tai chi. Eventually, they the division is lost and they become one, being is doing is being. Being tai chi refers to the principles in doing the form and standing meditation. Doing tai chi refers to the principles of push hands as applied to actual combat.

We derive the principles from the “Tai Chi Classics” attributed to Chang San Feng, Wang Tsung Yueh, Wu Yu Hsiang and later day masters. We will clarify the principles with other concepts from the broader art of Chi Kung or the working with energy of which tai chi is a part. We will also search the professional discoveries in many field that can be used as part of the tai chi approaches for everyday life situations.


A Worthy Quest:

In this life, we may never ever use this art in self-defense, but the discipline, health, and inner strength we develop and the wisdom and skill to apply these skills in every day life would make our dedicated unraveling of the tai chi code and its application in everyday life worth more than every second and sweat we invested in it.

~ESS/ Manila Philippines/Copyright Pending