Record turn out for YMAA’s celebration of World Taiji & Qigong Day!

Jeff Pratt leading the class

Wow, I had a great time at the Arnold Arboretum, together with YMAA, joining in the World Taiji Qigong Day celebration this past April 25. I got there a little early to check out the ground, it had been raining in Boston for what seemed like weeks that spring. Fortunately the ground was dry and firm under the carpet of grass in the Rose Garden of the Arnold Arboretum. I was able to spend a little while quietly getting ready for the event and talking with the other early arrivals. We could see the one of the ponds in the Arboretum from where we were standing and it was mirror bright and still with a couple of ducks easing across the surface. Slowly over the next half hour more and more people filtered into the area. We couldn’t have gotten a better day. The sun was shining and the Arboretum was blooming around us. I try to have the event every year in the Rose Garden because it is close to the Forest Hills entrance so people can find us pretty easily. It is also screened by low trees so while it is very accessible there is a feeling of privacy that lends itself to practice. The Rose Garden is very lovely and several of the trees that provide shelter flower in the spring; adding to the beauty of the immediate area.  We have been going to the Arboretum for several years now to celebrate the World Taiji Qigong Day and have had a lot of fun with a fair turn out from the school’s members. I was delighted this year when I counted over fifty five people performing qigong with us at the 10:00 AM official start. Many of the people had come up from Cape Cod to join us. (They were led by Joel Conrad and have classes at the Harwich Community center; thanks all for joining us.) We were also joined by many family members of the YMAA student body which is a treat. I want to thank everyone who came and took part. We had several sets of qigong, three different Taiji sets, two different versions of the Two Person Fighting Set, Taiji Jian (long, narrow blade sword), Taiji Dao (saber) and a Cane or Walking Stick routine performed. The day was a great success.

The Taiji Fighting Set

In particular, I really enjoyed the performance of the Taiji Fighting Set done by Wayne and Gretchen. The two practitioners were very generous in sharing their skills with all of us. Wayne talked of his experiences over a life time of martial practice around the country, starting decades ago out in Hawaii. Several things interested me in their fighting set. The scale of the movements was much smaller and tighter than the YMAA set. This added a sharper focus and made their version of the fighting set more martial in feeling. I wondered at the time if the scale was a characteristic of the fighting set as they learned it or if had evolved out their own practice over time. (Since most Taijiquan starts out with large low postures and develops into a smaller scale as the practitioner gets better and/or older.) I got the impression from Wayne that he had been practicing for quite some time, so I wondered if the scale was taught or evolved. The crowd loved watching this new variation (to all of us any way) of the Taiji fighting Set.

In the rose garden.

We also got to see a Taiji cane or walking stick routine that Wayne knew. I paid a great deal of attention to it as I have been researching cane techniques for a little while now. (I started looking into cane techniques for the practical reason that earlier in the year I thought I might need one for everyday use. I had been having pain in my left knee that just would stop. Eventually I got diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees. So I thought I would need a cane if things continued down hill.)  Wayne’s cane, a straight stick with a bulbous head if I recall correctly, whirled around him. Darting around as he moved in and out of the shadows cast by the tree behind him; his walking stick whirled though figure-eights as he moved. (It reminded me of an old manual on sticking fight that I had found on-line, The "Walking Stick" Method of Self-Defense” by “an officer of the Indian Police”. I mentioned this book in our discussions after Wayne’s demonstration and he indicated that he was familiar with the book.) Watching Wayne move easily over the grass and roots beneath the tree really showed grace and root. I hope I can move as well in twenty or thirty years when I get to his age.

I was running from person to person as the morning progressed so I have a few sort of snapshot memories. Here are some of the best memories I have of the event.

With friends from the Cape.

The Qigong Set

Seeing a larger and larger group of people accumulate as I was leading the first qigong set; it was great, periodically I would open my eyes to watch what the group was up to and another row or cluster of people would be there in the back or off to the sides of the clearing. I could see the other patrons of the Arboretum strolling by and looking at what we were doing. Many stopped for a few minutes and watched. Occasionally some would nod their heads in understanding of what was going on then start walking again. Sometimes if there were children watching the little ones would mimic our movements.

Axie brought her families’ new puppy to the event. Cassandra, my 18 month old daughter, went crazy over the “doggie”. My wife and daughter are bound and determined to convince me to adopt a dog. Axie’s pup is not helping me hold the line against K-9 incursion.

Watching Jim O’Leary’s son, William, run up and grab his father’s leg while Jim was doing the long form.

William is a great little boy and a real bundle of energy. He charged out into the group doing the long form watching everything his father was doing. Suddenly he grabbed Jim’s leg in a big hug and hung on for all he was worth. Jim gamely tried to continue the form with this new attachment on his leg but finally had to pry William off and take him off to the side where they could both watch the people doing the form

Ariana and Cliff’s solid performance leading the group in the YMAA long form.

Seeing two junior students dive in to help out is heartening. Cliff and Ariana really stepped up to lead this divergent group. It was made even cooler by the wind blowing clouds of petals from the surrounding Dogwood trees. The petals drifted and floated around and between the individuals, weaving back and forth in a vivid sinuous counterpoint to the slow elegant movements of Taijiquan.  I look for this every time we have a class or event in the Arboretum. It feels like a benediction from the spirit of the land when we have this shower of blossom’s cascade through the group. It helps me reconnect with the Tao when serendipitous things like this happen. I just wish I got a picture of it. (I think next year I’ll bring my video camera.) The YMAA players who participated in the Long form with Cliff and Ariana did a good job. I know how stressful it can be performing in a public area. Even more so in the Arboretum where lots of things go on in the background and people and animals are quite likely to wonder through the performance area. I want to thank and congratulate everyone involved.

Pushing Hands

Collin and Cliff doing Pushing Hands.

As the morning progressed we moved from form work to Qi Gong and onto Push Hands. Many of the people attending had little or no experience with Two Person Taijiquan or Push Hands so I had a chance to introduce many people to the best part of Taijiquan; working with a partner. You don’t really get to understand Taijiquan until you have to apply the principles to what another person is doing to you. We got to work on sensitivity (Listening Jing), Rooting and Neutralization. I was lucky enough to have a very open and enthusiastic group of people to expose to these vital concepts.

(I am always surprised when I meet people who practice Taijiquan and do not Push Hands. It reminds me of a line from one of Dr. Yang’s books. “Learning Taijiquan and not doing Push Hands is like buying a car and not driving it.”)

We finished a really fun day with Qi Gong. I hope everyone had as good a time as I did. I want to thank the Arboretum for allowing us to hold the event there and for Nicholas Yang’s great support of the event through the YMAA website. Axie Breen and Ariana Berns also helped me out a lot with organizing the event.

Thanks one and all and see you next year.