KickChick Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 those three main Chinese internal arts (Tai Chi, Ba Gua, Hsing-I) .......However if anyone can point me to a real Ba Gua master who somehow ended up setting root in the NoVA/DC area I'd be much obliged . I spelled those three different arts differently oh well, you can get more info, videos and informative articles (including finding instructors) here: http://www.pa-kua-chang.com/ http://www.hsing-i.com/
omnifinite Posted January 29, 2003 Posted January 29, 2003 I spelled those three different arts differently oh well, you can get more info, videos and informative articles (including finding instructors) here: http://www.pa-kua-chang.com/ http://www.hsing-i.com/ Thank you... I'll take a look. From what I can tell there are a few different systems (decided by some scholars somewhere) of putting Chinese into English letters... guess I used a different one . I've seen them spelled both ways. 1st Dan HapkidoColored belts in Kempo and Jujitsu
kolhoz Posted January 30, 2003 Author Posted January 30, 2003 I did a bit of research and it still looks like Hsing Yi is the way for me. I found a school that has a 10 ppl class and they only focus on internal arts. The guy who runs the school is white. Could somebody address the issue of race as it relates to potential and expertise level in internal arts? What I mean to ask is if I'm white, are there any inherent limitations to my potential in configuring my mind for itnernal arts? Are there any genotypical limitations to my body's abilities?
omnifinite Posted January 30, 2003 Posted January 30, 2003 Some white people are good at something and some aren't. Some asian people are good at something and some aren't. There're no guidelines or rules or anything. It's all just individuals. However being a westerner you might not be used to some of the mindsets that would be ideal for advancement in the art. Culturally it probably wasn't something you were as immersed in. But since you're looking for that kind of art in the first place I'm sure you're already headed in that direction. I say go for it. Might want to make sure the teacher has a ton of experience though. If they've studied in China at some point that'd be a plus. 1st Dan HapkidoColored belts in Kempo and Jujitsu
Kensai Posted January 30, 2003 Posted January 30, 2003 The thing to remember is that most of the Wudang Kung Fu (internal chinese arts), do have very heavy philosphical overtones. And you wont get the full impact of the style unless you appriciate them. Also these arts take a long long time to use properly and only with the skilled eye of a good Sifu are you going to become any good at them. If you like these sort of arts, then perhaps something like Choy Li Fut, Wing Chun or Baji Kung Fu would suit you better.
kolhoz Posted January 30, 2003 Author Posted January 30, 2003 all of the above is some valuable advice.....I feel encouraged somewhat by what has been said here before, especially regarding philosophical predispositions. I have been studying transcendental philosophy for 5 years now and my search for a physical manifestation of its effects is just natural. It appears to me that this type of background will very smoothly and coherently migrate into learning of internal arts. Does anybody have thoughts on that? Is transcendental approach a suitable core for internal arts development or could it become an obstacle at some point? What is the general perception of existence implemented by internal arts? Once again thanks to everyone participating in the discussion.
omnifinite Posted January 30, 2003 Posted January 30, 2003 I could be wrong, but from what I know Ba Gua is mainly Taoist in its view of the universe. I'm not sure about the others. I'm sure there's plenty of Zen to be found (though since we're talking Chinese I guess it would be Ch'an). Really, I don't think you'll get any closer to what you're looking for outside of one of the aforementioned arts. You'll just have to figure out which you prefer. After a lifetime of effort, what the real masters have discovered through them, I believe, is nothing less than a higher plateau of consciousness and another level of involvement with the reality around them. As for how many of us could reach that point, well, depends on the teacher and depends on how many decades we put into it. 1st Dan HapkidoColored belts in Kempo and Jujitsu
Kensai Posted January 30, 2003 Posted January 30, 2003 Ba Gua, Hsing I and Tai Chi are all taoist. Good advice there Omnifinite.
kolhoz Posted February 4, 2003 Author Posted February 4, 2003 Could you guys tell me if anything can be achieved by studying from these videos? http://www.chiflow.com/cgi-sz/webcwrap/szw/st_prod.html?p_prodid=33&p_catid=5&sid=1oE8Co0lCA5t84R-12103384021.72 Thanks a lot.
BlueDragon1981 Posted February 4, 2003 Posted February 4, 2003 Study any art maybe ever more than one. Tai Chi would be the most internal (in my opinion) that you could get. Aikido has a lot of internal aspects also.
Recommended Posts