Persistence

When you speak to someone who practices taichi it is common to ask "how long have you been practicing taichi?" The answer is almost always "3 yrs", "5 yrs.", "20 yrs", etc. Very few would answer like me "3 months". At 3 months I am not expected to know much. In the 108 step taichi I am learning, I still don't know the name and exact order of every move. Learning taichi is a lifelong pursuit.

In a world of instant gratification, 24 hour internet access, multi-tasking, and fast food taichi is an aberration. How many people today would even dare to start something that will take years to learn? Give me the Cliffnotes please. I don't want to read the book, is the video out yet? Taichi will take years to learn well. If you are not persistenct better just forget it and take up badminton.

I'm generally a pretty fast learner. Its nice to focus on something that will take me years, maybe even decades to learn well. Following Jesus is the same. There are no instant disciples. It takes persistence.

Tai Chi Party

I invited my Taichi friends over for lunch this week. My house is rare in Hong Kong, in that we had enough room to practice a little Taichi. My daughter Jennifer came out and practiced a little "fan" Taichi with Mrs. Taam. It was great fun.

In Taichi you learn by doing. You do first, and the explanation follows later. This is the way of the master and apprentice. You do, and later the master will explain why. If you remember the movie "Karate Kid", the young protagonist went to the home of master to learn karate. Instead he was sent to wash and wax his cars: "wax on, wax off". When the young man got fed up and wanted to quit, then and only then, did the master explain what the "wax on" "wax off" motion was used for.

I am convinced that most of the training we do in churches is actually counter-productive. We train people as they sit in rows and take notes. The context of our training is all wrong. Training needs to happen in the world, Jesus style, with the classroom setting saved for the debriefing, explanation phase. The context speaks louder than our words.

Learning from the Elders

Everyone in my Taichi group is older than I am. Mr. Lai, age 72, helps me a lot. This morning I asked him to show me a set a moves, and then I questioned him about one of the moves "are you sure?" He growled at me to shut up and just follow him. It was great. The Bible tells the older men to be examples for the younger men; older women are supposed to instruct younger women about how to love their husbands and take care of their families, but no one ever does it. The young usually bristle when their parents try to tell them how to do something. It is seen as meddling, unless asked for. In Taichi I am in the position of "asking". I have positioned myself as a learner. Our sifu is 64, Mr. Lai and a number of the others are in their 70's, some in their 60's. There is probably only one other person around my age (53).

It seems to me that the older men pay more attention to their "form" when they know a younger man is watching them carefully. Doing this "right" and doing the "right things" isn't just for them, it is for me. This father - son, sifu - disciple relationship benefits them too.

If I were to be able to do life over again, I would have found an older man 20 years ago and learned from him. One of our pastors called me last night to talk about a situation in his church. He didn't want me to do anything, just listen. I don't know if I helped him, but it was a joy to talk to him. I hope I was encouraging and was able to give some perspective. It's never too late, find an older person and learn!

4 leung move 1000 catties

Last night was Mid Autumn Festival so only 4 of us showed up for TaiChi this morning. I was early and everyone else showed up late, because they were out late with the family, picnicing, enjoying the lanterns and the grandkids. Mr. Lai took me through the 108 steps once. I thought we were doing 24 step, but turns out I've been learning the more complex one. He hopes I'll be ready to practice on my own by the time I go to Bali for meetings. I hope so too.

After practicing taichi we stood and chatted. The sifu told me I need to keep my head up and look ahead not down. He said that the theory of taichi is "4 leung moves 1000 catties". 4 leung is around 8 ounces. 1000 catties is around 1000 lbs. He said he didn't need to overcome my strength and mass to defeat me, but rather "borrow" my strength, momentum and mass to beat me. Taichi works not by direct resistance, but by subterfuge, by using your strength against you.

153

472

44

240

Centering

This morning during TaiChi I felt really "leuhnjeuhn", that's Chinese for "clumsy". My shorts were too long and I could feel them dragging on me when I tried to balance on one foot and kick. Mr. Lai, the 70+ year old man, who is helping me is constantly telling me to be careful of "my center". Instead of balance, he says "center". As you move from foot to foot, it is vital that your center of gravity shift. If you don't shift your center, you can't properly make the next move. Footwork, balance and centering are crucial basic skills. Our sifu, Mr. Lau (in his 60's) called me up the other day and had me lean into him and push against him. My 220 lbs couldn't budge his 150 lb frame. He put down roots and I couldn't move him.

Jesus followers in the 1st century cautioned "be careful how you walk". They were talking about life, not TaiChi, but I think they would agree "watch your step, keep centered, step carefully, maintain balance. But what does that mean for a follower of Christ? I can't speak for everyone, but I know I need to stay Jesus centered. When I move from one activity to another, I need to refocus on Jesus and what he wants to do in my life and through my life at that instance. If I run ahead without centering, I inevitably open my mouth, insert foot, say or do something stupid or hurtful. I don't want to become paranoid, just "centered". I want to be able to stand on one foot like a crane!

Stay Close to the Master

I decided to blog about this experience because it seems like there are valuable lessons in tai chi, and I would like to write about them as I learn them. That way, maybe I won't forget them. Since I'm a newbie it is entirely possible that I will misunderstand and get things wrong, but this blog is about my perceptions as a Westerner joining a group of Chinese practicing tai chi. The lessons I learn are subjective and so this blog will be subjective as well. Right off the bat, I want to say that I am "learning to follow the Master Jesus as well, and I see a lot of parallels in the Sifu/Learner relationship in TaiChi. I promise to try not to be preachy.

This morning when we practice tai chi, the sifu took us through the first 24 steps. I started out near the back of the group, but one of the other members told me that I should stand right behind the sifu. He said "right behind the sifu is the best place, because you can see every move." By the way in case you don't know a sifu is a master, a teacher. If you're following a teacher, a master, a sifu best place to learn is right behind him. When you're out in front you can't see what the sifu is doing and you won't know-how to make the right moves, where to put your feet or what to do. If you're beside the sifu, it works okay but often your head is turned watching the sifu and that gets your body out of balance. When you stand right behind the sifu you go follow his steps, and pretty much see you what his hands are doing as well. It's the best place.

If your new person following the sifu Jesus, the best place to be is right behind him, up close, where you can see how he moves in what he does. The best way to do that, that is, the best way I know it is to take time to listen to him. For me reading the Bible with a listening heart, then writing and meditating on what I've heard helps me to follow Jesus and learn his way. The master Jesus promises that if we draw near to him that he will draw near to us. Stay close to the sifu.