Just a clarification... I did not mean to imply that t'ai chi is a superior practice or anything of that sort. I just wanted to poit out that being constantly or frequently bruised can detract from quality of life in subtle ways.

Here's another angle that bears consideration. Aside from the strictly medical, or physical effects of repeated bruising there is the subtle psychological effect of going through life always, or frequently, nursing bruises. We like to think we ignore them or rise above them or even wear them proudly...

Some injuries do have long term and cumulative effects. And no one anticipates them. The scratched cornea from an accidental thumb across the eye in sparring... the deviated septum from the busted nose that leads to a snoring problem, poor sleep... the repeatedly sprained toes or fingers that lead t...

Sounds like you have thought about it, and it was just one of those things that happens from time to time. When I get an injury I always evaluate...Is this worth it? Would my life be better running the risks, or better if I dial back a little... There is a constant tension between these two position...

Very important insight, Kerry. Maybe this is one of the limitations of any formal martial art. A necessary one if we are to practice and then get up for work the next day. By the way, this is why we have started to wear padding and make contact in some of our drills at the Hut... it is a step closer...

I hate to sound like a spoilsport, but my reaction upon reading of your injury was to wonder if it was a karate training accident. If it was, my advice would be to think long and hard about the kind of training that led to the injury, so it won't happen again. As we age (and I don't know how old you...

David, I tried to email you but it bounced back. Try me at giella@attbi.com

Hi, David,
My return address should come to you with this reply. I'll look forward to hearing from you. Paul

Wonderful news, Greg. Johns Hopkins?

Rick and Bill,
Do all great minds think alike or is there some cosmic harmonic convergence going on here?... this discussion is much like the one on Van's forum under the heading "When to let go".

We routinely do push hands - a Uechi-ryu derivative of the T'ai Chi classic _ at George Mattson's Saturday class at the Hut most weeks. Some students never 'get it'... they just can't let go of the "hard". Some do it very well, and it augments their classic Uechi-ryu training.

thanks, Gary. The acknowledgement helps. Anytime anyone breaks new ground there is the anxiety of not knowing how it will be received. I value the feedback.

As Len Testa points out, Sanchin is meant to be a different and more basic training aid than the other kata. So the classic simple form will remain unchanged. And I struggled with this when I developed the long drill. I thought about calling it something else (eyes-breathing-posture training?)just s...

My own idea about why kotikitae makes us stronger is fairly prosaic. I know nothing about the cellular level and histological changes people are talking about above. Just like learning to focus or grip or clench the abdominal muscles for a hard sanchin test, and learn it so well that it is an automa...

I also learned the three-three-three and then the three-four-three, for all the reasons cited above. Then, over the pst four years or so, I have developed my own preference for individual practice... the "long sanchin". As I have written in other threads, this is a variant that takes twent...