Los Gatos: 408-353-3001
Ancient Chinese Movement
When we watch practitioners of traditional martial arts, it is easy to see that there is a subtle quality to the way they move- a combination of concentrated effort and controlled relaxation. For any dedicated practitioner, there are certain mental, emotional, and physical components which must be combined for this subtle quality to be present. This is certainly true for people engaged in the types of moves which originated in ancient China. So, what is ancient Chinese movement?
Well, it's what comes out when everything is lined up in a particular way. The martial meditations which originated in China's antiquity are manifestations of philosophies of life which promote ideals like balance and harmony. As a result, ancient Chinese movement also promotes balance and harmony between mental, emotional, and physical levels of thought.
Can this type of movement come out without this alignment? No!! The reason is when the emotions, ego, stress, sadness, depression, sickness, poor circulation, and other imbalances are present, it is impossible for this alignment to occur. Without balancing the mental, emotional, and physical, there is no way to tap into the flow of the right amounts of these things.
What is the right amount? The "right amount" means not too much, and not too little. In order to tap into the flow of the right amount, a person must first understand that to find the middle you must become aware of what the two extremes are, meaning the two opposites present in any spectrum. This concept is easily understood when it comes to simple survival and existence. For example, the sun comes up, and the sun goes down. Sometimes we are hot, and sometimes we are cold. We all know this, and when it is cold outside, without even thinking, we know to put a coat on before we go outside. Otherwise we risk getting cold and possibly sick. This also indicates that on a physical and mental level, we already know where the middle is: not too cold, not too warm. In other words, by using a simple thing like a warm coat when it is cold, we are able to unify opposites. When we unify opposites, we automatically become aware of the middle way: not too much, and not too little.
The key to finding the flow in ancient Chinese movement is by practicing and understanding opposites. This is true for other forms of meditation practice as well. If I am practicing sitting meditation, and I have allowed my mind to wander and stray, then I did the opposite of staying centered. This is called a "mind trap" or distraction. By practicing, staying on task, and recognizing the distractions as they arise, I can mentally work with unifying opposites. Through doing other types of meditation practice, we can increase the balance of the emotions as well. Out of the balance of the mental and emotional levels of thought comes physical, flowing movement.
When I refer to ancient Chinese movement, I am really talking about opening up the middle way first mentally, then emotionally, to allow it to come through into physical movement. In ancient times, back even before the times of famous martial meditation systems like those developed in Shaolin Temples, this practice already existed and was practiced by Shamans. However, the original intentions of such practices were not for fighting, but for healing and promoting health and well being for the people and the community. Thousands of years ago, this was common practice, but today, such practices seem so exotic that they might almost be lost, were it not for dedicated practitioners who keep these traditions alive. So... I would encourage anyone interested in this type of class to e-mail us, or call and set up a free class to experience Kung Fu Santa Cruz, the Middle Way.
