Note from Justin, Part 2

Here is a wonderful testimonial for T’ai Chi Chih! Tundra Wind is a friend of Tom Fernandez’ and now Mary Pish’s student. He is a Zen teacher who came to Mendocino for my talk there, and we struck up a correspondence. He has given me permission to use portions of a recent letter; plans to take the T’ai Chi Chih Teachers’ Training Course next summer.

“T’ai Chi Chih is really wonderful. I do it every morning and it sets the tone for the entire day. Mary tells me that you have handed over the T’ai Chi Chih ‘organization’ to Steve Ridley and that you will no longer be doing teacher training sessions. So, I plan to write to Steve to get the information on when the next teacher training will be and where. I think T’ai Chi Chih invaluable for Zen students. I am seriously considering requiring it for my own students.

“I don’t think I ever told you that I take Karate. One of my Zen students teaches Karate and she offered to teach me for free. As I have always been rather sedentary by inclination, I decided it would be a good idea to study some kind of physical discipline. Comparing the results of Karate with T’ai Chi Chih has been fascinating for me. First, I don’t believe that Karate stimulates the circulation of the chi. Karate helps in the circulation of blood and other body fluids, and that is valuable, but after a Karate session most people feel quite worn out. When chi is circulated correctly one does not have that worn out feeling. Second, I have always had a weight problem. I gain weight very easily and really only need two meals a day. Interestingly, Karate has not helped me lose any weight (I need to lose about 30 lbs.). Even with all that exercise my weight remained the same. T’ai Chi Chih, on the other hand, seems to have had a swift and direct effect on weight loss without any change in diet or conscious attempt on my part to lose weight via T’ai Chi Chih. Third, Karate can be dangerous. I have broken my toe, split my lip, and jammed my fingers in Karate practice. Karate injuries are quite common. T’ai Chi Chih, on the other hand, is absolutely beneficent. In this way I sometimes consider it the I Ching of body arts; because the I Ching is so benign. I really enjoy Karate and value the training and discipline it has given me. But I consider T’ai Chi Chih, even after just a few months, more valuable and broader in scope and application. I am deeply grateful to you.”

– Tundra Wind