Comments for T'ai-chi Utah Organizes http://taichiutah.org USA World Taiji Boxing Events in Salt Lake City and the High Mountains Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:58:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc Comment on Organizing A Tai Chi Reformation by Ben Weiss http://taichiutah.org/organizing-tai-chi-reformation/489#comment-1298 Ben Weiss Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:35:57 +0000 http://taichiutah.org/?p=489#comment-1298 This is good news. Great news. Having practiced the Chen Fu form now for a good half year or so, I think the transition is a good idea. It is much more martial in places, but still holds that relaxing fluidity that can only be found in taiji. I have learned the first energetic third of the Lu Chan form and I can safely say that it is awesome. I've learned many forms over my years of martial arts training, and in the first third of this long form there is more to be found than in most of the other forms, long and short, I have learned over the years. I also extend my thanks and gratitude to the WTBA, Erle and Eli Montaigue in particular, for making this knowledge readily available. I also extend my thanks and gratitude to Steven Smith for being around to guide us to the Supreme Ultimate Fist. Without his guidance this long road would be much longer, with more twists and turns and dark forests, deep rivers, mountains and canyons to deal with. This is good news. Great news. Having practiced the Chen Fu form now for a good half year or so, I think the transition is a good idea. It is much more martial in places, but still holds that relaxing fluidity that can only be found in taiji. I have learned the first energetic third of the Lu Chan form and I can safely say that it is awesome. I’ve learned many forms over my years of martial arts training, and in the first third of this long form there is more to be found than in most of the other forms, long and short, I have learned over the years. I also extend my thanks and gratitude to the WTBA, Erle and Eli Montaigue in particular, for making this knowledge readily available. I also extend my thanks and gratitude to Steven Smith for being around to guide us to the Supreme Ultimate Fist. Without his guidance this long road would be much longer, with more twists and turns and dark forests, deep rivers, mountains and canyons to deal with.

]]> Comment on World Taiji Boxing 2008 Event by Chris Torsak http://taichiutah.org/world-taiji-workshop-2008/45#comment-1297 Chris Torsak Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:43:25 +0000 http://www.taichiutah.org/?p=45#comment-1297 I enjoyed this workshop very much. I have been practicing the internal chinese martial arts for over 16 years and can say that based on my own studies and exposures to the arts of Hsing-I, Taichi, and Bagua, that Eli is truly one of the best in this field. He did an exceptional job in this workshop. I loved the nice balance of martial and energetics practice. I look forward to learning more and can't wait for the next workshop. I'd like to thank Steve Smith as well for his work in hosting these workshops and his efforts to grow the Internal Martial Arts in Utah. -Chris I enjoyed this workshop very much. I have been practicing the internal chinese martial arts for over 16 years and can say that based on my own studies and exposures to the arts of Hsing-I, Taichi, and Bagua, that Eli is truly one of the best in this field. He did an exceptional job in this workshop. I loved the nice balance of martial and energetics practice. I look forward to learning more and can’t wait for the next workshop.

I’d like to thank Steve Smith as well for his work in hosting these workshops and his efforts to grow the Internal Martial Arts in Utah.

-Chris

]]> Comment on Kick Your Balance Woes by Jason Socci http://taichiutah.org/kick-your-balance-woes/289#comment-1296 Jason Socci Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:27:14 +0000 http://taichiutah.org/?p=289#comment-1296 Steven, Thanks for discussing the diferences between the 4 CBD and post holding. I don't know much about post holding myself. You mentioned that the 4 CBD is more "laced with anatomical, scientific suggestions instead of energy development concepts." i would agree that the literature available on both would support that. I do not believe that either is better than the other in developing internal energy. I think movement or stillness done aware, deliberate, and with the proper posture can, will, and does develop internal energy based on my experience. Aaron, Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on mud stepping. Perhaps we'll hear more about this challenging and peculiar practice in the future on <a href="http://ubagua.com" title="Your Baguazhang" rel="nofollow">ubagua.com</a>. -Jason Steven,

Thanks for discussing the diferences between the 4 CBD and post holding. I don’t know much about post holding myself. You mentioned that the 4 CBD is more “laced with anatomical, scientific suggestions instead of energy development concepts.” i would agree that the literature available on both would support that. I do not believe that either is better than the other in developing internal energy. I think movement or stillness done aware, deliberate, and with the proper posture can, will, and does develop internal energy based on my experience.

Aaron,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on mud stepping. Perhaps we’ll hear more about this challenging and peculiar practice in the future on ubagua.com.

-Jason

]]> Comment on World Taiji Boxing 2008 Event by Steven http://taichiutah.org/world-taiji-workshop-2008/45#comment-1295 Steven Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:21:33 +0000 http://www.taichiutah.org/?p=45#comment-1295 <strong>Brian</strong>, I'm with you. The impeccable work of Erle and Eli always impresses me on DVD, in person: even better. Their hardy, reality approach makes Taiji a real martial art. <strong>Eli</strong>, great work as always, and you bet we'll be ready for some Large San Sau next September...let's think about a theme for late February or early March. <strong>Aaron</strong>, your depth of experience in martial arts helps remind me how potent our work is in the World Taiji Boxing martial arts and healing arts. Thanks. Brian, I’m with you. The impeccable work of Erle and Eli always impresses me on DVD, in person: even better. Their hardy, reality approach makes Taiji a real martial art.

Eli, great work as always, and you bet we’ll be ready for some Large San Sau next September…let’s think about a theme for late February or early March.

Aaron, your depth of experience in martial arts helps remind me how potent our work is in the World Taiji Boxing martial arts and healing arts. Thanks.

]]> Comment on Mystical History of Tai Chi by Steven Smith http://taichiutah.org/mystical-history-tai-chi-chuan/32#comment-1294 Steven Smith Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:00:25 +0000 http://www.taichiutah.org/2008/03/23/mystical-history-tai-chi-chuan/#comment-1294 Thanks for your continued efforts to describe histories of Tai Chi Chuan. Some records fail to describe Zhang Sanfeng as a scholar at all, rather, as a brute. Even some of the legends, if you strip away the embellishments, sound like a burly woodsman, hunter, warrior. I like those. <a href="http://taichiutah.org/learn-death-point-striking/31" title="Death Point Striking For..." rel="nofollow">Peace</a>, afterall, comes to us who are certain, not by thinking, but by knowing. Thanks for your continued efforts to describe histories of Tai Chi Chuan.

Some records fail to describe Zhang Sanfeng as a scholar at all, rather, as a brute. Even some of the legends, if you strip away the embellishments, sound like a burly woodsman, hunter, warrior. I like those.

Peace, afterall, comes to us who are certain, not by thinking, but by knowing.

]]> Comment on Six Daring Acts to Lighten Up by Steven http://taichiutah.org/six-daring-acts-to-lighten-up/326#comment-1293 Steven Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:48:11 +0000 http://taichiutah.org/?p=326#comment-1293 <strong>Jenn</strong>, I want to feel innocent (like a kid) and maintain my buckets of experience, my maturity. I suppose most of the article is about capturing the kiddish feeling, but it takes an adult to try it. Come on people! <strong>Arlie</strong>, I suspect you need practice. Jenn,

I want to feel innocent (like a kid) and maintain my buckets of experience, my maturity. I suppose most of the article is about capturing the kiddish feeling, but it takes an adult to try it.

Come on people!

Arlie,

I suspect you need practice.

]]> Comment on Five Little Known Ways to Relax by Steven Smith http://taichiutah.org/five-ways-relax/171#comment-1292 Steven Smith Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:24:04 +0000 http://taichiutah.org/?p=171#comment-1292 <strong>Nate.</strong> Smirk: it's perfect, inner relaxation. Nate. Smirk: it’s perfect, inner relaxation.

]]> Comment on 5 Simple Ways to Avoid Violence by Steven Smith http://taichiutah.org/5-simple-ways-to-avoid-violence/340#comment-1291 Steven Smith Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:09:11 +0000 http://taichiutah.org/?p=340#comment-1291 Training violently does not imply seeking violence. Oh contrare, it means avoiding it. Partly because one's spectrum of options becomes wider, one may choose how to act and understand capacities of the perpetrators. No one avoids violence by putting their heads in the sands. The politics of America imply deep seating undercurrents of violence...hmmm...that's another topic I suppose. Certainly a case can be made that knuckleheads could really amp up violent tendencies by studying this art. They'd just get hurt. Eagle vision, or predator vision, does not utilize foveae; rather, it's a kind of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_vision" title="Check out Wiki" rel="nofollow">peripheral vision</a> that one attends to. We use rods, not cones, to see with this kind of vision. Visual acuity is reduced, but sensation and response times unfold in profound ways. I we had two foveae, we'd be twice as slow. Training violently does not imply seeking violence. Oh contrare, it means avoiding it. Partly because one’s spectrum of options becomes wider, one may choose how to act and understand capacities of the perpetrators.

No one avoids violence by putting their heads in the sands. The politics of America imply deep seating undercurrents of violence…hmmm…that’s another topic I suppose.

Certainly a case can be made that knuckleheads could really amp up violent tendencies by studying this art. They’d just get hurt.

Eagle vision, or predator vision, does not utilize foveae; rather, it’s a kind of peripheral vision that one attends to. We use rods, not cones, to see with this kind of vision. Visual acuity is reduced, but sensation and response times unfold in profound ways.

I we had two foveae, we’d be twice as slow.

]]> Comment on World Taiji Boxing 2008 Event by Aaron W. Johnson http://taichiutah.org/world-taiji-workshop-2008/45#comment-1290 Aaron W. Johnson Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:00:04 +0000 http://www.taichiutah.org/?p=45#comment-1290 Greetings, Over the last 19 years, I've been exposed to hundreds of martial artists from many disciplines; some phenomenal, others mediocre. I can say, with full confidence and truth, that Eli Montaigue is one of the greatest, most consummate artists I've ever witnessed. He is the Art, and the Art is him. It is absolutely amazing that someone so young could have already attained such an unusually high level of skill. It really was awe inspiring. The WTBA teaches internal arts as they were originally fashioned; as martial arts - not geriatrtic, syrupy dances that most of the "internal arts" world milks the populace with, which is most unfortunate. I was only able to attend the second half of each successive day, but what I gathered from those two sessions (particularly structure, alignment, and full integration of internal and external mechanics) is honestly enough for me to work on for years. If you are a Nei Jia Quan (i.e. Internal Martial Arts) enthusiast and you've not yet taken some quality time to check out the Montaigue's WTBA system, I highly, strongly encourage you to do so. I, myself, turned more towards the internal arts after extensive external training about 8 years ago, but I never found anyone in Utah over those 8 years that had the flavor of the Art that I was looking for, and I did, indeed, hit every TaiChi (and anything else Karate, Kung Fu, and such) school from Ogden to Salt Lake City on a continual basis over those 8 years until FINALLY discovering Mr. Steven Smith. I am one you could consider an "outsider" coming in, and, therefore, I can say, without bias, that the WTBA is the best there is in the state about 500 times over, times another 5,000, ergo, give it a look; you will be most pleased, I assure you. Aaron W. Johnson Greetings,

Over the last 19 years, I’ve been exposed to hundreds of martial artists from many disciplines; some phenomenal, others mediocre. I can say, with full confidence and truth, that Eli Montaigue is one of the greatest, most consummate artists I’ve ever witnessed. He is the Art, and the Art is him. It is absolutely amazing that someone so young could have already attained such an unusually high level of skill. It really was awe inspiring. The WTBA teaches internal arts as they were originally fashioned; as martial arts - not geriatrtic, syrupy dances that most of the “internal arts” world milks the populace with, which is most unfortunate.

I was only able to attend the second half of each successive day, but what I gathered from those two sessions (particularly structure, alignment, and full integration of internal and external mechanics) is honestly enough for me to work on for years. If you are a Nei Jia Quan (i.e. Internal Martial Arts) enthusiast and you’ve not yet taken some quality time to check out the Montaigue’s WTBA system, I highly, strongly encourage you to do so. I, myself, turned more towards the internal arts after extensive external training about 8 years ago, but I never found anyone in Utah over those 8 years that had the flavor of the Art that I was looking for, and I did, indeed, hit every TaiChi (and anything else Karate, Kung Fu, and such) school from Ogden to Salt Lake City on a continual basis over those 8 years until FINALLY discovering Mr. Steven Smith. I am one you could consider an “outsider” coming in, and, therefore, I can say, without bias, that the WTBA is the best there is in the state about 500 times over, times another 5,000, ergo, give it a look; you will be most pleased, I assure you.

Aaron W. Johnson

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