Dimensional thinking lead to having move in different dimensions
Presenter: Chen Zhonghua Length: 20 min. In: English Year: 2014 Difficulty:2/5 At:Ottawa
Workshop participants please contact James Tam for free access
“Dimensional thinking” Online Video Trailer
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This video provides a theoretical framework for students who are learning the art of Taijiquan. The contents of this video are not easy to absorb in one sitting. It requires some time and effort for viewers to absorb all that is explained in this video. According to Master Chen Zhonghua, “When you first do it, it should not look or feel right; it cannot make logical sense.” In a slow preamble, Master Chen talks about aliens to get listeners into thinking about knowing and not-knowing, and about being in the same or different “dimensions”. An entity can have an effect on another only if they are in the same dimension. From around the 8:10 mark and forward, methods taught in Practical Method for connecting (“space tunnel”) are explained together with demos of accuracy, alignment, and direction. It is explained that all this is mechanical and that when two or more objects or events get together to reach a “threshold” point then a pure state/relationship of energy and space is manifested. According to Master Chen, all this is achieved through physical training, with lots and lots of practice.
great video, lots to think about.
This is a lecture given to a general Ottawa public as well as an University of Ottawa students specializing in the Performing Arts.
Master Chen with usual humor and insight challenges the audience to think about the unique approach to Taiji offered by the Practical Method. Following a typical Taoist path, Master Chen uses both parables, allegories, definitions and physical demonstration to provoke the audience into a new way of thinking. This is a nice video for those that wants to see how Master Chen explain a complex subject in a simple and direct way. For the students of the Practical Method, this is an example of how Master Chen addresses questions that are often asked by the general public.
Some highlights, quotes, and important points:
For “young people, you need a drastic demonstration. You need a shocking experience for them to remember.” .. “Otherwise, they won’t listen.”
“Suppose Taiji is an alien art”, an art from outer space, ” what does that mean?” Is Master Chen an alien? Is that why he can do the things no other people can do? How will you react if you are faced with this alien art?
Perplexed, the martial arts enthusiast asked the Instructor.
” Look, you are a man and I’m a man. I did no see you do anything to him. So why is that person falling down. ?”
The Instructor said.” Oh, because he paid me a lot of money to attend this workshop, so if he does not fall down he feel that he has wasted his money. ”
The martial arts enthusiast was adamant that the Instructor explain his martial arts technique.
The Instructor replied. “Because when he attend other Martial Arts workshop, he paid them $100. They will then just punched him and he falls to the ground. He paid me two hundred dollars but I don’t punch him but he still fell to the ground by himself. So if I punched him, he only has to paid me $100. ”
Then the Instructor walked away.
Why Taiji is not mysterious? A Taoist thought experiment for University students to understand this point.
The concept of “Dimensions” that forms the bases of Taiji techniques and several physical demonstrations of this idea.
An explanation of the Practical Method which uses purely mechanical actions to achieve the Taoist ideal of the “threshold”. A level where the mechanical actions becomes pure energy or spirit.
Good questions Ming. Do i know you from the videos? I don´t know who you are. Your articles are always great. Master Chen gave some information regarding that topic last year at the Berlin Workshop. I don´t want to go into detail here, but apparently, or better, as a matter of fact, those dimensions are real. If i interpret a bit, which we are actually not supposed to do, the opening of the Kua is some kind of mechanical, dimensional shift in this joint. The point is, if you have experienced or actualized this or not. I believe, that from the scientific point of view, this is easy to prove and show.