TCC Versus Martial Arts

From teacher Lucinda Kutsko: Occasionally a student comes to my T’ai Chi Chih class who has previously been a student of one of the martial arts. I notice that for the first few classes he or she often struggles with softness and a defensive posture. It is rewarding when I see such a student soften in his or her movements and embody the essence of peace in TCC rather than martial arts aggression. Jan Poncar was one of these students who recently shared his TCC “conversion”:

During my days in graduate school studying to become a counselor, I was exposed to mind/body connections and the benefits of mindfulness or meditation. Doing meditation techniques with like-minded people in small groups was comfortable and enjoyable, but I found it difficult to establish a routine by myself. I found a routine of daily running helped gain mindfulness and maintain physical health.

When T’ai Chi became prominent in the news and was touted as a way to develop mindfulness and maintain physical health, I became interested. I had a chance meeting with a former student who had earned a Black Belt in Kempo Karate, a style developed by Chinese Shaolin monks. He was starting his own school and would be teaching martial arts and T’ai Chi. I took his T’ai Chi classes for several years until his school closed.

I continued to practice T’ai Chi at home but was not making the progress I desired. I decided about a year ago to enroll in T’ai Chi Chih classes. I soon found TCC was different than what I had been exposed to previously. My former instructor taught movements based on martial arts. I learned several sets of forms. I was taught that one must always imagine facing an opponent when performing the movements. Therefore, I always felt I was in a defensive mode, which was not conducive to gaining mindfulness and relaxation (which is what I hoped to achieve).

Learning TCC brought a new perspective in my quest for combining mindfulness, balance, exercise and relaxation. The emphasis on being grounded, moving with ease and developing the flow of Chi is relaxing yet exhilarating. Through gentle instruction, each session brings some new enlightenment in mind, body or spirit. The opponent facing me has disappeared.

sun

vibrant

galactic

supernova

it’s too hot

sunburn

ouch

– Miles Light

sun

burning

bright behind

clouds of my own

sad design

lost my

fire

– James Berbert

sun

does not

always light

up the things we

would like to

see the

most

– Ariel Byrd