Tai
Chi Chuan – Paradigm Shifts
Once
in a great while, I play with someone who does not play MY game. And it is a reminder that there many ways to
skin a cat (though I don’t advise you try this at home).
I
was sword dueling with a partner who clearly works the interactive form of dueling
with a different focus.
What
to do?
First,
observe what your partner is trying to achieve in the game. He was doing two effective things: the point
is mostly aimed directly at me as a warning to keep out and his neutralization works
to block me from getting closer to him. This
is done with real finesse. My game focuses on inviting him in and NOT letting
him know where I am by just sticking and following without much regard to getting
a strike. If he comes in too close, I
have a shot at getting a point.
When
I told him that I always know where his tip of the sword is – because it is
always aimed at me – his response was that he didn’t care that I knew where his
sword is. This was great news to me
because now I have a situation where I know where his sword is, but he doesn’t
know where my sword is. In my form, the
tip often leads away from my partner, so he can’t know what I’m going to do
next.
But
in all fairness, his form and his skill are of value. It tests my form and my skill and makes me
work harder to effectively “defend” myself.
My form makes me more vulnerable and my regular partners don’t always
test this vulnerability because we get caught in our own patterns and assumptions
about the game itself.
I
have to adjust to his style, and he has to adjust to my style. All forms have pros and cons. They all have strengths and weaknesses. If we work from a “learning” perspective, not
a “wining” perspective, we can really grow.
Luckily for me, he operates this way.
We
all have to adjust to whatever the situation really is and make appropriate choices. If we stick to our built in patterns, we lose
the value of this particular interaction.
My goal is not to persuade partners that I am right. My goal is to find a way to play their tune and
not lose my core principles.
That’s
where deeper learning takes place.
I
have to note that this is easier to do in sword dueling as opposed to push
hands. There are ways to escape
difficulties in sword that in fact may be a way of not really being in the
game. I need to take a closer look at
this tendency.
