Forty push-ups this morning: two sets of twenty with the two qi gong forms and the tai chi form sandwiched in between. These are not nose-to-the-floor push-ups, I must admit. But neither are they pansy push-ups where I pretend to bend my arms. Need to start working on getting one of these two sets of 20 into nose-to-floor form, I think. I also think it’s interesting that I had to break through the “20 push-up wall” to get to the point where I could do 20 push-ups without stopping. It’s kind of like the argument that space exploration advocates keep mounting, that to colonize the moon we have to push out toward Mars, and that to really colonize Mars will require expanding into the asteroid belt, and going after the asteroid belt will require stationing mining operations among the moons of Jupiter, and so on. Blue Flame Magic talked about this a while ago, too, and I’ve certainly found that her advice works for me. On a slightly different level, it’s kind of like Toastmasters — if you practice your speaking in front of a supportive but responsive audience, you get results and improvement.
Today’s poem is Ward Off Right.
Fold the hands inward to carry the ball
before the navel, and then bear with grace
ball of power, for this is where all
of your chi circulates, from this one place.
Center your weight on your left foot, and step
forward with right foot, so toes dangle down
just beside the left — end with a small flip
clockwise of the toes. Recall what is known:
the pointing toe determines direction.
Lift the right backhand to block approaches;
left hand defends the body’s mid-section,
and both hands ward off any encroaches.
Let chi fill the frame of the right arm’s curve:
This is your kingdom, your realm and preserve.
[…] From Ward-Off Right, lift the right hand skyward: bend arm at the elbow, keep bicep sure. draw back the left hand, palm facing backward; bend the left knee so that you can endure the onrushing thrust of your opponent. Left hand touches right elbow, blocking force even as weight shifts, the ever-constant flow of chi like a river in its course, from right foot to left foot. This is the way to make your opponents overextend — let them press on your warded defenses when you are forward; they are at their end and when you draw back your walls and fences, their over-reach becomes your advantage; their mass becomes a thing you can manage. […]
[…] Tai Chi Y3D173: Ward Off Right […]