Tuesday, October 3, 2023

MMTCA October Newsletter 2023

With Master William C.C. Chen in Minnesota, 1985.

“My objectives for Taiji practice are to be simple, easy, natural, enjoyable, and more productive.

-Master William C.C. Chen

 

October is ROCKTOBER! I love the Fall colors and look for that last hot spell to practice outside before the weather turns cold…

 

Our Fall schedule begins October 7th. We’ll be moving classes indoors at St. Sahag dance studio. I’ll also begin a new curriculum, with review as well.

http://saintsahag.org/

Here is the schedule and curriculum:

Tuesdays 6-8PM (starting Oct 10th)

Solo Form, San Shou, Cane, Two-person Cane, Bagua- 8 Palms, sword, sensitivity.

Wednesdays 630-730PM Zoom Solo form class.

Thursdays 6-8PM Hybrid at St Sahag and on Zoom (starting Oct 12th)

Solo Form, San Shou, Cane, Two-person Cane, Xingyi- Three-hand Combo, 5 Element Linking Form.

Saturdays 900-1030AM (starting Oct 7th)

Solo Form, Advanced Pushing Hands Drills, Cane, Two-person Cane.

New Class and Time!!! Saturdays 11-12PM Introduction to Taiji. This is a great time for new people to begin. Drop ins welcome.

Also, check for monthly Pushing Hands and Check In.

 

Book Suggestion= The Way of Qi Gong by Kenneth Cohen. If you haven’t read this, you are in for a treat! Highly educational as well as entertaining, Master Cohen presents more than qi gong to the reader. 

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31385154692&ref_=ps_ggl_18382194370&cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade0to10-_-product_id=COM9780345421098USED-_-keyword=&gclid=CjwKCAjw9-6oBhBaEiwAHv1QvDb-t37OqoYJ7Hlbb9pAYyUnCCsrcD7mThB4IQktieW2wK_msk_fXhoC5Y0QAvD_BwE

I am finishing up the 12 Animals of Xingyi lessons and applications by Master Wai-lun Choi on my Patreon page. I am continuing my 8 Palms lessons, Taiji Classics, and will post the first two advanced pushing hands drills, Willow #2, and Short Power. Here is an excerpt from my upcoming book on pushing hands.

 

Advanced Drills

1.Willow #2

“Find the Line”

In Willow #1, the pushing or attacking side is like a coach, trainer, or helper. They only attack fear, tension, inflexibility, and anticipation. The pushing side helps the defending side train their neutralizing skills. The attacks help with developing the softness, flexibility, and evasiveness used in Taiji defense. In Willow #2 that all changes. The training is now for the pushing side. Here is where you learn the Tai-Chi art of attacking. To affect their balance or cause internal damage, the three main places we attack are the stance line, the centerline, and the center of gravity.

If your partner is soft or loose, you must tie them up with three pieces of rope, 1. Stance Line 2. Centerline 3. Center of Gravity, and then you can push.  If they are hard or tense, they tie themselves together, and everywhere you touch, you automatically find the line, centerline, and center of gravity. This is the analogy of lifting or moving a chain versus an iron bar. The iron bar is a metaphor for a stiff, tense, hard, substantial opponent. Anywhere you touch or move the iron bar, it affects the whole bar. An iron chain is a metaphor for a soft, relaxed, supple, insubstantial opponent. Only the place you touch is affected. You have to gather up the chain to move it. For pushing hands, you either have to make them tense or learn the three places to attack to move them.

When I started studying advanced pushing hands with Master T.T. Liang, he mostly talked about the stance line and the center of gravity, and sometimes mentioned the centerline. These are the most effective for pushing. When I studied pushing hands and sensitivity with Grandmaster Wai-lun Choi, he mostly talked about the centerline and the stance line, and occasionally spoke about the center of gravity. These are the most effective for striking. I put these two masters’ teachings into Willow #2 to equally address the stance line, centerline, and center of gravity.”

 

Brennan translation- From Master Liang’s teacher, Shi Diaomei.

https://brennantranslation.wordpress.com/2021/12/31/shi-diaomei-on-pushing-hands/

 

Master Shi Diaomei


I have new business cards and a new poster. I can simply hand you cards and give you a pdf for the flyer. Email me! I also have to let go of my PO Box. If you need to snail mail me anything my address is with my contact info below.

I’m planning now for Chinese New Year, and a one-day retreat. CNY in January and a retreat some Saturday in February. I’ll have more info in next month’s newsletter.

Thanks again to all those lovely people who joined me for outside classes by the river and outside the church. It was one of the most pleasurable outdoor practices seasons of my life! I don’t think I missed a single day. I even practiced when it was sprinkling! I do look forward to flat floors, frankincense, and no “clumps!” Let’s have a great Autumn filled with relaxation, well-being, calm, glowing health, learning, practicing, reviewing, and refining!

 -Sifu Ray

 “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

-Marcel Proust

 

Contact info

my phone- 1-218-341-9894

 

email= skrayhayward@gmail.com

 

blog= rayhayward.com

 

website=  mindfulmotiontaichi.com

 

facebook= Mindful Motion Tai-Chi Academy

 

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my books at Lulu= lulu.com/spotlight/Ray_Hayward

 

my books on Amazon= amazon.com/author/rayhayward

 

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Instagram= Ray Hayward, or, ataoistsufitemplardruidviking

 

School shirts-        https://www.zazzle.com/single_whip_chakra_tee-235016484610969225

 

My address,

2715 Nathan Lane N

Plymouth, MN 55441

 

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Possibly the last photo of Yang Chengfu.

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