Tai Chi - A Way of Life

For quite some time now, I've been an avid reader of the Dynamic Balancing Tai Chi blog. I discovered the site few years back - just as I surf my way through the lists of blogs in Blogger_Com. Their messages convey the serenely strong and yet simple principles of Tai Chi. I think it's beautiful and will be such a waste not to share with you and explore it with me.

Since I used to be a martial arts enthusiast, that is of course before the bulging tummies, I stopped and read few posts and been a regular visitor since then. I learned that basic principle of the Tai Chi is acceptance and the power to seize an opposing force by means of a peaceful retaliation or better, avoidance. It is pushing the principle that you can not always fight violence with violence but rather use the opposing force against itself. It is I guess the most basic and fundamental of all forms of martial arts.

Like language, Tai Chi becomes a poetry of motion. Not merely a symphony of muscles and bones but is a principle of self-defense. A principle not just against a violent oppressor but against issues implicating one's life. One example is marriage, my old grandparents, they told me when I got married, 'this has been an age old advise for your marriage to work: in cases you and your wife need to argue something, like the river that flows freely towards the ocean, so should both of you accept and listen to each other's heart and work hand in hand towards a resolution.

As Confucius had said, "Like the water that fits itself into the vessel, so should one fits himself into any circumstances".

Allow me to give you a glimpse further into Tai Chi from one of the teacher's 2001 posts:

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Friday, 14 December 2001

Yes

Try being accommodating and receptive for a day. Say "Yes!" to everything: agree, accept, approve, receive. Yield and yield and yield. Let those barriers soften and fade. Be fearless.
(From http://dynamicbalancingtaichi.blogspot.com)

I encourage you to visit the site as well. They might enlighten your thoughts and spirit.

 

Technorati Tags: Tai Chi,Aikido,Way of Life,Life Style,Life Principle

Season of Bad Fate

In as much as I always want to write of happy thoughts and happy affairs. My mood and my spirit is now pulled down by the news of a shootout between the police and the hold-up gang armed with automatic weapons and grenades that took place in Manila just recently (December 7, 2008). A shootout crossfire so deadly it left sixteen people dead including ten of the robbery gang members, the news confirmed.

A father and his seven years old daughter on board a passing sports utility vehicle were hit in the crossfire and few moments later died. They were among the six civilians, collateral on that police operation. The Two other people manning a truck near the office of the transport firm also died from gunshot wounds. And, a men's fashion designer who was just on his way home from a Christmas party was also caught in the cross-fire.

What saddened mo most is the death of the father and the daughter. The father just went home for vacation to be present on his seven years old child's birthday. Who would have thought this dreadful event would left a weeping and wailing mother. A mother full of questions as why her spouse and child had to die. Why has she been left alone now? What would she be doing with her life now - that she's alone. Asked by this mother and wife as she hugged their pillows and kissed her daughter's school ID. What's is not more heart-breaking sight to see than this? And considering the time of the year this fate had occur.

What gives me more discomfort, is the speculations that again the p-o-l-i-c-e again had made some inaccurate mistakes. I have this frustrating doubts and fear that in such cases like this, accuracy of neutralizing situations is a quality questionable from the part of the forces. This is not the first time in the police force, when a civilian is undeniably part of that collateral damage. One civilian always has to die every time their is a shoot out like this one. Containing the situation accurately and swiftly should be a skill to be mastered by our forces to spare the lives of a civilian. One civilian's death is inexcusable. It is excusable because no one will answer to a collateral damage - especially not in the kind of justice system Philippines has.

On the contrary, the criminals, it is them that they would not care who their bullets will hit when they pull some triggers. Imagine an aimless shower of bullets from them - anybody could be hit of course. And they had to be neutralized - swiftly. Nonetheless, a question is asked. From whom did this bullets that ceased the lives of the innocent passers-by come from? Doing ballistic analysis, I wished this question will be answered honestly by the authorities.

LiveJournal Tags: Assault against violence,Christmas,collatera,crime,Family,justice,Opinions,Patriotism,Philippines,Politics,Rant,Safety,Terrorist,Violence