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Many of my relatives have the Celtic gift of being warrior/poets. At the very least they are superb raconteurs or 9th Duan Masters of Wit and Sparkling Repartee. Mostly, however, I nowadays only meet them at funerals and, frankly, despite the joy of hearing their stories I have been seeing rather too much of them lately.
If I meet any of my relatives nowadays I am reluctant to ask about the health of them or their families. Most of the men, having been keen rugby players have ruined knees and hips and no front teeth. I more or less take this for granted. It is an act of supreme self sacrifice to fall on a loose ball in Welsh rugby. In Richard Burton's last game in Wales the last thing he heard before loosing consciousness was a second row forward saying "never mind the bloody ball, where's the bloody actor!"
Even more worrying, however, are the fatalities. I think it was Somerset Maughan who during a conversation with a friend about the number of deaths among their circle of acquaintances confided that he was quite relieved if his friends managed to make it through luncheon.
This morbid entrée has been prompted by a conversation with one of my relatives I met at my mothers funeral. His brother, a fine rugby player has just died of a heart attack. Peter himself had just had a hip replacement operation and his wife, Yvonne, has just been told that she has motor neurone disease. Being a district nurse she appreciates that she has less than a year to live.
With nowhere else to turn Peter asked about Taiji and if it could help. My first thought was "no, hardly at all". We say that health is one of the benefits of Taiji so how do we justify that claim.
Well firstly, Taiji does quieten the mind and teach the body the art of relaxation. It is proven medical fact people who meditate have on average a physiological age that is five years younger than their chronological age.
Secondly Taiji is a good exercise but does not put a strain on the cardio-vascular system.
Thirdly, the gentle movements of the joints contributes to the breaking down of crystals so it helps prevent rheumatism and arthritis.
Fourthly, as you know, the Chinese theory of medicine is based on the premise that illness is the result of blockages in the chi. Acupuncture and Shiatsu etc. free such blockages. Taiji reduces the chance of such blockages occurring by moving chi around the body, so it is preventative medicine.
Fifthly, martial arts appear to strengthen the immune system. I read a confirmation of this in a book Nigel Sutton recommended to me a couple of years ago called "Path Notes of an American Ninja Master" by Glenn Morris. Despite the silly title and the sillier photograph of the author on the front cover this is well worth reading.
Does Taiji produce longevity? It would appear not, Cheng Man Ching was only 75 years old when he died. What it certainly does do is improve quality of life in the meantime. It is also nice to think that you can be better at something at the age of 65 than you were at the age of thirty and that is certainly possible for diligent Taiji practitioners.
To get back back to Yvonne, however, the purpose of this article is to say that as a result of my conversation with Peter and on the recommendation of my wife Diana I contacted Linda Chase Broda who, as many of you probably know, has taught Taiji in Manchester for many years.
In the past she has sometimes given me the impression that she does not entirely approve of Zhong Ding although being the courteous lady that she is, she has never directly said so.
Her interest in recent years has taken her more and more into the area of Taiji for health and, perhaps, for healing. So she definitely comes from a different direction to us and has perhaps been less than impressed by swashbuckling young (and not so young) heroes.
I knew she had developed a form of wheelchair Taiji and I have to admit that this rather offended my purist ideals and were it not for Yvonne, I would not have looked into it.
I got in touch with Linda, however, and with her usual efficiency I got a tape from her wheelchair Taiji the next day. I watched it before passing it on to Yvonne and I have to admit it wiped me out. I have not cried like that since the first time I saw E.T..
The cheerfulness and bravery of these crippled and dying students as they practiced and interacted/pushed hands etc was immensely moving. Their attitude was an abject lesson to me. I lead such an incredibly privileged life and yet spend such a ridiculous amount of time being discontent; pushing always to acquire more prestige, possessions or superior skills to those I already have. And here are these crippled people cheerfully showing not only a better attitude to life than I have but even a better attitude to Taiji. Because they are doing Taiji just for the sheer fun of doing it and it seems an awfully long time since I did that. Master Tan Ching Ngee often finishes a form that appears exquisite to the observer and then says something to the effect of "That was rubbish". I too suffer from that 'critic on the shoulder' who is always saying "could do better" and "sometimes the pursuit of excellence can be an awful burden".
I think I have a lot to learn from Linda's video. Occasionally ego should be given a holiday. Sometimes, perhaps, I should just do my form and enjoy it, however bad I think it is, do it just for fun, just to cheer me up.
Most of the people in her video were never ever athletes. They had never experienced that team spirit so well expressed by Newbolt:-
"And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat
or the selfish hope of a seasons fame
But his Captains hand on his shoulder smote
Play up! Play up! and play the game!"
Yet here they are at the lowest points of their lives deserving and doing just that.
I do not for a minute suggest that wheelchair Taiji has any place in Zhong Ding. We are one of the best organisations in the UK giving "whole cloth" training in the pursuance of excellence in Taiji as a martial art. That is an important role and we fulfil it well. Personally I lack both the patience and the compassion to go down Linda's road. However, I recognise her genius and understand where she is coming from in a way that I had not previously done. It has been both an enlightening experience and an abject lesson in humility for me and I feel that such insights are worth communicating.
Vincent.
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