Possible???

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Possible???

Postby pete5770 » Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:22 pm

Here's a weird one. Some years back I read a short blurb in a martial arts book about how a few of the old masters(of no particular martial art) could walk on fresh fallen snow without leaving footprints. The very brief description of the training involved in doing this talked about obtaining a large round wicker basket with a lip wide enough to walk on and about 6 foot in diameter. You then fill the basket with rocks and practice walking around the rim, trying to avoid tipping the thing over, all the while removing a rock or two every week or whenever. Long story short, empty basket plus you on the rim equals weightless walking equals no footprints in the snow. Now I don't believe it for a second as it would involve levitation and I'm not buying into that either. Still, I remember it caught my attention. Wish I could find that book but I'm sure I LOANED it to someone, never to see it again. That brings up another question. Why does "loaned" mean "gave to forever"? Especially if it involves a book?

Wow, stop the presses. Found the book. "Asian Fighting Arts" by Donn Draeger & Robert Smith. The first edition was 1969. Apparently I have a 7th edition from 1974. Page 51 Quote "There are myriad methods, however, that promise great results - some of which have been verfied - and that IN ANY CASE can be achieved with great effort." The authors then briefly describe this "light walking" as I did above(well, more or less).
So, what do ya think? A bit of "great effort" and it's possible??? Hmmmmm.
I'm still skeptical(go figure).
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Re: Possible???

Postby adamfuray » Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:50 am

if that were possible, it would also be possible to stand on a weight scale and decrease the registering number by means other than decreasing your weight. When I was learning about rooting many years back back, I tried standing on a scale to get the weight to increase. Even when my rooting was secure, this never happened. A couple days later, I got the joke. :twisted:
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Re: Possible???

Postby pete5770 » Fri Mar 16, 2012 8:02 am

adamfuray wrote:if that were possible, it would also be possible to stand on a weight scale and decrease the registering number by means other than decreasing your weight. When I was learning about rooting many years back back, I tried standing on a scale to get the weight to increase. Even when my rooting was secure, this never happened. A couple days later, I got the joke. :twisted:


I'm not joking with the question. Anyone believe it's possible?
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Re: Possible???

Postby John the Monkey mind » Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:54 am

Well my Tibetan Lama suggested so (I think but given his English...) and I believed it is commonly held belief among Tibetan Buddhists (the Tibetan ones) given the nature of reality and illusion. Maybe it would be connected to the physical form of an enlightened one in their world view.

I have a thread on it.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4785
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Re: Possible???

Postby yeniseri » Sat Mar 17, 2012 1:41 pm

Alot of this stuff is superstition, ignorance and speculation in an illiterate population.

Prior to the Chinese invasion, TIbetans were highly illiterate despite the brilliance of Buddhist theocracy and the many Lamas who, many times, lifted up their own Orders as opposed to educating the populace. Literacy, upon the Chinese invasion, did much to 'educate' the citizenry but it meant that they (ordinary Tibetans) saw 'religion' in a new light in their greater education.
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Re: Possible???

Postby pete5770 » Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:28 pm

John the Monkey mind wrote:Well my Tibetan Lama suggested so (I think but given his English...) and I believed it is commonly held belief among Tibetan Buddhists (the Tibetan ones) given the nature of reality and illusion. Maybe it would be connected to the physical form of an enlightened one in their world view.

I have a thread on it.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4785


Thanks for the links. I've seen that kind of thing before and a lot of it seems like something any well trained gymnast could do. However, I believe that I could train 12 hours a day for the rest of my life and still leave footprints in the snow. Of course, I could train 12 hours a day on my fiddle and Carnegie Hall still wouldn't call. Guess I'm not cut out for either. :(
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Re: Possible???

Postby John the Monkey mind » Sun Mar 18, 2012 5:02 am

You would still leave footprints but would they be as deep? By walking with care and balance you can move over sand and snow with less indentation. I doubt the scale would show you weighed less but the effect is the same.
Anyway there was said to be an internal aspect to the training. High level Qi Gong and not just walking on a pot. Non of use are at the level to attempt it with any degree of success.

This book gives some idea of what high level training requires.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opening-Dragon- ... 005&sr=8-1
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Re: Possible???

Postby Amaranth » Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:50 am

There is video of walking on suspended rice paper somewhere on youtube... Sorry - no link. If you press against a paper piece that is wet with your index finger, it will pop right through, but if you use your intention to spread the force throughout the paper - in time - it will take much more force... If you go beyond sending the force to the paper, but into the device holding it: in time the paper will not break from the force, but the object holding it might (depending on the amount of force applied). You can eventually work past the paper to the mount to where it is mounted etc. Walking on snow and leaving no footprints isn't levitation, but a spreading of force with training to keep it from going into a small area. Standing on a scale and training this intention does start to show less weight.
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Re: Possible???

Postby Josh Young » Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:14 pm

I personally and sincerely doubt this skill exists.

However there are some interesting stories about it, one being that Yang Luchan once arrived somewhere when it was wet and muddy out with dry feet and it was believed he used this skill.

The Chinese like many cultures tend to exaggerate, like the Chens, they say one of their founders once defeated a thousand bandits one day...

be careful about what you hear and read
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