Fightmonks / Home Page / Tai Chi Chuan, Internal Martial Arts, Medicine

THE SCHOLAR BOXER

Dec. 29th 2011 by William B.

I remember those old tiresome, frustrating, days of trying to coordinate all the Long Form (Yang Style) Tai Chi postures into a synthesized form. It took years for me to ingrain the long form into my subconscious and be able to relax and flow through the form with any kind of formidable fluency. Hence, there are many stages of development when training in Tai Chi Chuan, and I can remember many times being discouraged by the tightness of my movements and the inaccuracy of my balance, during those first few years.

At the beginning stage, everything is tight, postures often morph and get mixed into the wrong segments of the form-- flexibility is limited, rendering an image on my video camera of a stiff, poorly coordinated, rigid buffoon, trying to gain something substantial from day to day form practice. I stuck it out, although many feel compelled to quit, and write off Tai Chi Chuan as Asian non-sense; a blatantly fictitious soft, feminine-like pansy martial art. The astute ones trek on in pursuit of something, at the time, they can't foreshadow or see.

Soon, memorization makes the set more enjoyable, and relaxation moves from theory into reality-- this stage is what I consider as the Intermediate stage of training. Momentum soon builds with confidence and intrigue into the art form, and relaxation soon becomes a commonplace. Rooting is re-analysed and whole body movements feel more aesthetic. At this point, the long form becomes a habitual enjoyment, and the long sought after gains start to materialize into culpable skill. At this advanced plateau, your sensitivity levels are heightened, as well as your whole body awareness, and you begin to understand how to create a strong root, and also how to deflect an opponent's force with demonstrable talent. Push hands is no longer a challenge and you start to build up your root until you are no longer worried about the possibility of being uprooted.

Now the mind becomes a dominating X-factor. This is the real meaning of Mind Intention Boxing, Xingyi, which many Scholar Boxers refer to in their works. People like: Yang LuChan, Yang Chengfu, Dong Haichuan, Sun Lutang, Chen Manching, and T.T. Liang have reached the long sought after status of Scholar Boxer. This, of course, was not obtained without many sweaty afternoons, failures, embarrassing interactions, the drive to never give up, and focused humility.

At this stage of development, every move seems to be right, wrong is no longer a possibility, and fluidity comes without predetermined thought. All combative possibilities are foreseen and clearly discovered. The Consciousness expands and intention of projection overwhelms brute force. The Psyche is no longer meditated on fighting and combat skills, but shifts into health, longevity, and vitality. The combative side of the art is no longer appealing or mature in nature. The Ego and bestial competition become alienated waters of unfruitful withering trees. The carnal takes back seat to the platonic. aesthetic-nature of kindness, gentleness, friendships and love. The beauty of the spirit and the subtle nature of patience & tolerance shine through like a resilient beacon of light; permeating over whatever spec of darkness manifests within the player's path.

The Scholar Boxer practices so he can study longer, and focus sharper. He raises his energy levels to get the most out of the day, and seize upon moments of kindness and charity. The intention redirects mundane priorities and the pursuit of happiness lies in finding innovative ways of fighting off old age and atrophy. Medicine and Biology become major endeavors; healing and soothing people become the errands of the worker. Life is short, mortality becomes the final challenge, as the enlightened seek truth and justice, before passing on the legacy to our children and the next generation.

Who amongst us will be the next generation of Scholar Boxers?