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Marshall Ho'o & SK Gatts in Oaxca (a) |
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Marshall Ho'o & SK Gatts in Oaxca (a) |
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Tai Chi Chuan Philosophy, Science, and Praxis. 
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Table of Contents: Tai Chi Chuan Holography Philosophy and Science Research Personal History VideoClips |
TAI CHI CHUAN
I began study of Tai Chi Chuan in 1984, and was accepted as a
disciple and teaching assistant of Dr. Marshall Ho'o in 1985. I
worked continuously with him until his death in October 1993. I am
documented in the lineage of Professor Huang Wen Shan and Dr. Ho'o.
Huang studied with Chen Wei Ming and Tung Ying Chieh, two major
students of Yang Cheng Fu. Ho'o was given a Western Master
Certificate by Tung and elected to Blackbelt Hall of Fame in 1973 for
Tai Chi Chuan.
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He was Dept. Head of Sociology at National Central University, Dean of the Law School at National Sun Yat-Sun University, and President of Chien Shek University of Shanghai, a member of the faculty of the New School for Social Research, NYC, University of Southern California, and Columbia University. He lectured widely across the US since 1950, and continued teaching in mainland China, Hong Kong, Canton, and Taiwan. He published and distributed throughout Asia more than a hundred books and treatises on Ta i Chi Chuan written by various authors. He authored FUNDAMENTALS OF TAI CHI CHUAN, published in 1973. The eloquent introduction is by Laura Huxley.
In 1973 Ho'o pioneered a television series for KCET, Los Angeles, teaching tai chi chuan. The 13 part series ran for several years, locally, nationally, and in Canada. He travelled nationally, teaching tai chi, acupressure, and Chinese concepts of health to many health professionals for over 10 years. He sat on the Advisory Council, Center for Chinese Medicine and was a consultant to PREVENTION MAGAZINE'S book: THE DOCTOR'S BOOK OF HOME REMEDIES.
1980-85 she worked closely with Manly Palmer Hall on a daily basis, completing over 15 manuscripts for he and his wife, including Mr. Hall's last epic: MEDITATION SYMBOLS IN EASTERN AND WESTERN MYSTICISM.
In 1984 she began tai chi chuan and acupressure study with Marshall Ho'o. She was accepted as a disciple in 1985, and is a documented lineage holder of Huang and Ho'o in tai chi chuan philosophy, science, and praxis. She researched and completed the manuscript for Ho'o's TAI CHI CHUAN 27 POSTURES. She has extensively taught tai chi programs and workshops to all age groups, many of whom were seeking vital regeneration of body-mind-spirit. Since 1989 the focus has been to develop Tai Chi Chuan teaching processes that adhere to classic principles, yet allow students to experience regeneration of their physical disfunctions. Almost 100 % of the students have had some physical problem they were seeking to bring to homeostasis. She has worked extensively with back pain (one student had 5 back surgeries and constant severe pain not affected by medication), hip replacement (both hips replaced & walked with small shuffling steps), stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Attention Deficit Disorder, arthritis, knee problems, limitations in joint mobility (lower & upper body), sports injuries, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack recovery, and of course balance problems (both minor and severe).
These were the students who came to my classes. Teaching them became the tai chi chuan path that the Universe presented to me.
Dr. Gatts has a BA in Psychology, a Masters in Public Administration, and a PhD in Human Physiology from University of Oregon. Her area of specialization is Motor Control & Biomechanics of Human Balance Recovery during slips while walking in impaired older adults. Results of her studies will be published in peer reviewed scientic journals in late 2005 and early 2006. She designed a 3 week intensive intervention, based on 10 years of teaching over 4000 older adults, that significantly improved neuromuscular, biomechanical, and clinical measures of balance.
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Classic Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient series of postures linked
together with flowing, circular movements that keep the body, mind,
& life force limber, flowing, penetrating, and balanced/centered.
Thus, homeostasis of body-mind-spirit is enhanced. Tai Chi Chuan's
soft movements are sometimes called moving meditation, and likened to
swimming in air.
According to Chinese medical theory, Tai Chi's relaxed style of
exercise allows the CHI (Life Force) to flow to all parts of the
body. The flow clears the meridian channels. Since the meridians
connect to principle organs and functions of the body, the li fe
force to these areas is enhanced. Additionally, the movements
themselves realign and massage the body's physical structures. Thus,
the functioning of the physical structures is enhanced. Hidden within
the soft circles and movements are martial applications. For example,
when you fall off a log floating in water, the log did not intend to
throw you. You fall because the forces moving through the geometric
structure of the circular part of the log give instant amplification
of your emitted force. In this case, what goes around comes around,
meets a too rigid body or engenders an overly extreme reaction, and
throws you off the log.
It is told that Fu Hsi (46th century B. C.) ordered Yin Tang to perform the Grand Dance for the envigoration of the body and the elimination of sickness in the people. Later centuries began to emphasize technique without penetrating the underlying principles. Thus began a division between internal schools that emphasize a unified body/mind/spirit cultivation and external schools that emphasize training of the sinews and muscles.
Tai chi chuan physically expresses the principles of wu chi, yin and yang, and the circle. The body movements of Tai Chi Chuan originate and rotate around a center in the body, as does movement in a ball. This center is wu chi, the void, containing both the animated and static states, which gives rise to yin and yang. When yin and yang are in motion they separate, and when they rest they combine.
Chang Sang Feng (approx 1279-1386 A. D. or. 1391-1459 A. D.) Was this the same man, or two differnet men? No one can yet say. However, the bearer of this name has left the world some of the finest writings about Tai Chi experiences, and is considered by many to be the founder of modern Tai Chi Chuan.
The following is my interpretation of his classic canon.
"Master Chang San Feng of Wu Tang Mountain has transmitted this theory with a desire that all the people of the world will be helped in attaining longevity and rejuvenation. (This note was attached by Yang Lu-Ch'an, 1799-1872 A. D.)
"In motion the whole body should be light, alert, and fluid, moving like a
string of pearls.
The chi should be active, but the spirit should
remain centered and calm.
"The postures should be without distortion, unevenness or projections.
The flow of motion should have no break or discontinuity.
"Energy has its root in the feet, flows through the legs into the
waist.
The waist directs the energy into the fingers where it is released or
expressed.
"The energy flows from the feet to the legs, into the waist, and is
directed by the waist into the fingers.
This must be one continuous flow achieved by unity of the parts, timing,
and position.
"If one fails to master these principles, the body will exhibit disorder
and/or confusion.
To avoid this disorder or confusion, adjust the legs and waist.
"The principle of adjusting the legs and waist applies for movement in all
directions;
whether the movement is up or down, forward or back, left or right.
"All movements are motivated by intent of mind, not from outside.
When above, do not forget below.
"Striking left remember right.
Advancing remember retreating.
"When the mind goes up, have the idea to exert down.
Oscillation severs attachment by alternating yin and yang forces.
"The principle of yin and yang as empty and solid is clearly expressed
everywhere in the body simultaneously.
Remember the string of pearls and how these principles apply to its
movement.
WHY TAI CHI?
Tai Chi Chuan simultaneously calms thought energy, as well as the
energy of the body. Penetration of the mind into the body is directly
experienced. Linking of mental concentration with physical movement
is required in the early and middle training stages . Repetition is
an absolute necessity to form a new body/mind system that is
physically integrated. However, mindless robotic repetion of movement
is not a part of tai chi chuan.
VARIATIONS OF TAI CHI CHUAN
STYLES
Forms are based on variations of Tai Chi Principles. Chen and Yang
schools were previously the most widely disseminated.
The spacial perceptual ability,
psychological tendencies, physical structure, and philosophical
intent all impinge on the expression o f the
principles. My teacher described the form he taught me
as consisting of 75% Yang, 10% Wu, 10% Chen, and 5% Tung.
From this foundation form I developed The STRING OF PEARLS SCHOOL which
relies on a timing and posture without stylization or any intent,
totally focussed in the moment, moving through the 8 directions. I
return to the Void, the Yin mother of infinite potential that gives
rise to the TAO, which is the TAI CHI. I lose myself in order to find
myself; physically, mentally, spiritually. The form of no form or the
sound of no sound can be experienced by all who seek to understand.
In my opinion, we are in a renaisance regarding Tai Chi CHuan, as
many dedicated Tai Chi Players and Teachers are experiencing their
own beloved awakening as Tai Chi opens them to their infinite
potential in the TAO.
CLASSIC TAI CHI
PRINCIPLES
During the early years of tai chi chuan study, training emphasizes
slow, smooth, non-jerky motion. Both yin and yang is present in every
movement. Yang is not overly emphasized, as this would disbalance
Yin, and give rise to use of crude muscular force. ( Yin is
considered to give birth to Yang.
Each change in posture oscillates through Yang/Yin or Yin/Yang, and Center. Stepping and lines of force flow along the 8 pathways/directions. These lines follow the 8 evenly spaced spokes of a wheel, just like the directions we see on a map delineating North, South, East, West (an equal arm cross +) and NorthEast, NorthWest, SouthEast, SouthWest (an X).
Classic Tai Chi Chuan allows people to make slow, steady, NATURAL progress, according to their own abilities, needs, and pacing .
LEARNING TAI CHI CHUAN IS A DEVELOPMENTAL
PROCESS
I have observed that plateaus of development take place in the
conditioning experience created by Tai Chi Chuan. Roughly, they take
about 5 years each. Whatever developmental stages the person skipped,
or did not fully develop as a child, will be the fir st areas that
the person will naturally be addressing in tai chi. Basically, this
involves the sensory-motor system.
The second 5 years emphasize the limbic system, sometimes called the emotional-relational brain.
The third plateau emphasizes the higher cortical structures.
Of course stimulation is occuring to all these systems at each stage. However, just as in normal human development, there is an emphasis on each of these systems at certain stages during the experiential process. Additionally, I theorize that more refined harmonics of each of these systems is eventually brought into operation, and made to circulate as a unified field. This gives rise to a "reborn" body, mind, spirit whose life forces functionally integrate more aspects of reality.
REELING OF SILK
Internal control that is used to maintains evenness of movement when
necessary. For example as in the most
skilled fisherman can catch a fish with one strand of
silk. If he does not have internal ability to react to the movements of
the fish by keeping even pressure on the silk strand, it will break. So
too must the skilled silk reelers control their force when, in the silk
factory, they attach a new strand to the fast moving previous strand.
THE WHEEL
Movement controls all things. Creation, Destruction, Birth, Death are all
one turning of the wheel. The rigid is dispersed, and the moving remains.
THE AXLE OF THE WHEEL
A circle which has no beginning or end. This is like subtle consciousness
that transcends time and space, the true experience of center. Connection
can here be made to Tantra as continuity. Continuity is the basis of
change, yet has at its center undifferentiated consciousness.
THE LOWER TANTIEN OR HARA
Third Chakra, Cinnabar Field, City of the Shining Jewel are names for this
center. This is primarily a center of earthly
power that is necessary to ground ourselves. As the energy increases it
must be circulated into the higher centers. If this circulation does not
occur, and the energy is left to nourish primarily the turning of the 1,
2,3 Chakras, then we have a strong sex drive linked to aggression and
violence; the energy is full of craving, likes to dominant, consume and
control; and relates to self as center of all things.
Breathing (and other) techniques can be used to circulate this energy into
the higher Heart/4th chakra. Visualization techniques, coupled with the
breath, and actual movement of the Chi through the meridians are used to
transform the 3rd Chakra energy into the Throat/5th chakra. Here we
approach what is discussed in Taoist Golden Elixir and Tantric "Virgin
Birth"/transformation techniques.
BALANCE
Keeping one's Center of Gravity is the foundation of good balance. Keeping
to the Tai Chi Principles, such as head held upright, straight spine from
head to tailbone, relaxed shoulders and waist, and knees not going past
the toes all enhance control of Center of Gravity. Training in these
principles usually brings good balance.
Eight years before meeting Marshall, a man walked up to me at a party
held in an old Hollywood house. Later I found out this man was
considered to be a very accurate psychic, who always charged a lot
for his services. My friends said he was known to never give free
advice. The psychic's first words to me were, "You don't live alone."
I said, "Yes, I do." He said, "No you don't." I said, "Yes I do." He
said, "You don't live alone, an old Chinese man lives with you."
My inner voice said, "He's got something to tell you." I said to the
psychic, "What is it you have to tell me?" The psychic replied, "You
do not live alone, an old Chinese man lives with you. They are
showing him to me. He's doing some strange movements I have never
seen before, and cannot describe. The movements look like a dance,
but they are telling me the movements are not a dance. The only way I
can describe what I am seeing is that the movements look geometric.
I'm sorry, that is as close as I can come to describe what I am
seeing. Let me see if I can pick up his name. Well, I don't know how
it is spelled, but it sounds like Saum, Saum, Saum Ping. Yes that's
as accurate as I can be. His name is Saum Ping." The psychic sort of
"came back" to conscious awareness of his surroundings, and abruptly
walked away. It was then my friends rushed up to me and asked what
he'd told me, and filled me in on the details of who he was.
The end of the story is, after about two years of study with
Marshall, I finally remembered this story. The memory sent a familiar
energy through me. I have had more than my share of unusual
occurances in life, and I have learned to file them in my memory
bank. Eventually they enfold with another event. In this case it took
ten years. It took another eight years to possibly explain the name
Saum Ping.
In September of 1993, I was reading a lot of books and writings on
Tai Chi Chuan. I came across the name Hsu Som Ping in several places,
and spelled differently each time I saw it. However, the
pronunciation was the same. Hmmmm.
images and text © 1994 Gatts,3 Sections to the video: FORM, VERBAL INSTRUCTION, REPETITION COST: $27 US FUNDS plus $5 shipping in continental US. email:sgatts@hotmail.com for address. All rights reserved. |
Lee
Scheele Tai Chi Insights
Christopher
Majka, Nova Scotia, Canada
Patience
Tai Chi Association
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