Tuesday, February 24, 2009
24th Feb '09 - The downhill bit
We started back with training yesterday, doing sword drills and skills. Feels good to be back, partly because we're more than half-way through and the days are counting down, partly 'cos I love learning and training in Tai Chi and miss it if I'm not. So, we were studying parries and sticking skills in middle, low and high ranges, how to change from one to the other and change sides. My sword got a bit hacked up...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
16th February '09
I had originally intended to stay until Thursday, but it felt right to travel back with Mary and Dorian. It’s safer travelling as a group in Mexico, also there is an impending bus strike over the price of diesel. As all travel is done by bus/coach here it would bring the country to a standstill; although it would probably be only for a day no-one could say (some protests here last a while).
Tlakaelel had to go into town in the morning, so he checked the buses for us in case ‘they’ weren’t showing it on the TV (it was a protest against the government, after all, and not all news gets reported…).
This morning I had a great opportunity to speak with Maestro and ask some questions, some that Cher had emailed me and one of mine. A visiting Maestra, Camila, graciously translated, and I had permission to record, some of which you may find on our YouTube site. Camila’s own study amongst the Maya is amazing, and if you ask me about it I’ll tell you what I know and put you in touch with her.
Tlakaelel had to go into town in the morning, so he checked the buses for us in case ‘they’ weren’t showing it on the TV (it was a protest against the government, after all, and not all news gets reported…).
This morning I had a great opportunity to speak with Maestro and ask some questions, some that Cher had emailed me and one of mine. A visiting Maestra, Camila, graciously translated, and I had permission to record, some of which you may find on our YouTube site. Camila’s own study amongst the Maya is amazing, and if you ask me about it I’ll tell you what I know and put you in touch with her.
15th February '09
What an amazing day! The experience of returning 10 years later, seeing the places where I had spent so much time, worked so hard, even learned a bit – and becoming aware of how much I’ve changed, grown and learned since. I feel so honoured to be able to invite and share this with Mary and Dorian; our hike up the mountain to the circle and the powerful time we each spent there has left a lasting impression upon me, most of all in a sense of completion. A journey I set out upon over ten years ago has finally ended (in a spiral kind of way), and it’s time to move on. “A Hobbit’s Tale: There and Back Again.”
15th February '09
Got up this morning at 6 so we could see sunrise over the valley. Very beautiful! And it brings back so many memories of doing exactly that almost every day for 6 months. Then the artillery started – there’s an army range on the mountain the other side of the valley…
And there was smoke in the valley, too; the grass is so dry at this time of year that there are spontaneous fires, one of which was covering the whole valley and the pyramids.
Walking through Teotihuacan, climbing the pyramids of the Sun and Moon (thank heavens for the stairs in San Miguel); wandering and taking photos of us all in various Tai Chi postures (can’t take a Tai Chi player anywhere without them spontaneously posturing); buying souvenir T shirts… Bliss! On the Pyramid of the Moon I did a round of wobbly 5 Section Tai Chi – look for it on our YouTube site! It’s very bumpy and was difficult to keep my footing, as you’ll see in a couple of places.
We’re now back for lunch, maybe a siesta, then up the hill to the Kalihuey (long house, which I helped build), and even higher to the Sundance circle.
And there was smoke in the valley, too; the grass is so dry at this time of year that there are spontaneous fires, one of which was covering the whole valley and the pyramids.
Walking through Teotihuacan, climbing the pyramids of the Sun and Moon (thank heavens for the stairs in San Miguel); wandering and taking photos of us all in various Tai Chi postures (can’t take a Tai Chi player anywhere without them spontaneously posturing); buying souvenir T shirts… Bliss! On the Pyramid of the Moon I did a round of wobbly 5 Section Tai Chi – look for it on our YouTube site! It’s very bumpy and was difficult to keep my footing, as you’ll see in a couple of places.
We’re now back for lunch, maybe a siesta, then up the hill to the Kalihuey (long house, which I helped build), and even higher to the Sundance circle.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
14th February '09
Well, it’s been a while since I wrote anything. We’re half-way through the intensive, and later I’d like to see what I can say about what we’ve been learning and what it’s meant to me; there's also the kind of chatting that'll wait ‘til I’m back and enjoying a pint of good British ale, chatting and exploring Tai Chi theory; and then there's when I'm teaching and our students are asking really good questions, the kind that come from their own experience…
We have a mid-intensive break, so I’ve come with Dorian and Mary to visit with Tlakaelel, the Azteca/Tolteca elder I studied with the last time I was here in Mexico, almost 10 years ago. He’s difficult to describe, but he’s a great teacher and leader of his community, and a wonderful and actually wise human being. I always feel such love and warmth whenever I even think of him, let alone being with him, and it’s good to be back here. Dorian asked me a great question (she’s like that); “How are you the same, and how are you different to the last time you were here?”
He welcomed us very warmly, then we (Mary, Dorian and I), went with Marco (a young leader and director of Kalpulli Koakalco) and Camilla (a film maker) to San Martin to get us all some food for a few days and to eat some. Marco remembered when I first arrived here, “fresh and clean”, and how I was when I left, “wiped out”. He says he as the pictures to prove it, which I’m hoping to get sent to me as I have no pictures from that time (but great memories).
When we got back Maestro talked to us about the project here, the work that is involved in it, of the people who have been involved in it over the years (including me).
The pyramids themselves are amazing, as always. We’ve arranged to be picked up very early in the morning (even if it is a Sunday/lie-in day!) by taxi (Fernando, also a member of the Kalpulli, so trustworthy and doing it as a favour to Maestro so much cheaper than otherwise).
We have a mid-intensive break, so I’ve come with Dorian and Mary to visit with Tlakaelel, the Azteca/Tolteca elder I studied with the last time I was here in Mexico, almost 10 years ago. He’s difficult to describe, but he’s a great teacher and leader of his community, and a wonderful and actually wise human being. I always feel such love and warmth whenever I even think of him, let alone being with him, and it’s good to be back here. Dorian asked me a great question (she’s like that); “How are you the same, and how are you different to the last time you were here?”
He welcomed us very warmly, then we (Mary, Dorian and I), went with Marco (a young leader and director of Kalpulli Koakalco) and Camilla (a film maker) to San Martin to get us all some food for a few days and to eat some. Marco remembered when I first arrived here, “fresh and clean”, and how I was when I left, “wiped out”. He says he as the pictures to prove it, which I’m hoping to get sent to me as I have no pictures from that time (but great memories).
When we got back Maestro talked to us about the project here, the work that is involved in it, of the people who have been involved in it over the years (including me).
The pyramids themselves are amazing, as always. We’ve arranged to be picked up very early in the morning (even if it is a Sunday/lie-in day!) by taxi (Fernando, also a member of the Kalpulli, so trustworthy and doing it as a favour to Maestro so much cheaper than otherwise).
Thursday, February 5, 2009
19th January '09
The weekend was pretty chilled – training with most of the guys on Saturday, then a short walk into town, but mostly chilling at home. We have an astounding place, and I can’t imagine a better one for being here. The view is incredible! We also have a housekeeper who cooks, cleans, does laundry… it does make for an easier life after training, and I strongly suspect we’ll be even more grateful for that as time goes on.
I’ve still been feeling pretty rough with ‘flu, it seems to be dragging on a bit. I know that Cher’s still not better yet; even though she started hers first she was much worse off at the beginning.
I’ve still been feeling pretty rough with ‘flu, it seems to be dragging on a bit. I know that Cher’s still not better yet; even though she started hers first she was much worse off at the beginning.
15th January '09
So, I’ve had a few problems with money, and I’ve been pretty stressed because of it. On checking my accounts I found that most of the money I needed to live on whilst here was gone – it seems from an electronic error at the airport, where I was trying to withdraw US dollars. I got really upset, mostly because that money isn’t only mine but represents the faith and trust of my wife; it’s our money. I found this really upsetting, and wasn’t able to appreciate being here and being with everybody here at first, but Life’s settled down some since. As Bobby beautifully put, a crisis or emergency isn’t something that can easily be solved with a few hundred bucks but something which may involve guns and/or hospitals…
Training’s been good this week, starting directly with the foundations of Yang Style Tai Chi from a classical and literary perspective, looking at how push hands has been depicted from the earliest records and what happens if you follow those old instructions… Sam’s knee’s been playing him up, so the weeks training was partly geared around that, so looking at breath and breathing, qigong and meditation, as well as a lot of pushing hands.
Training’s been good this week, starting directly with the foundations of Yang Style Tai Chi from a classical and literary perspective, looking at how push hands has been depicted from the earliest records and what happens if you follow those old instructions… Sam’s knee’s been playing him up, so the weeks training was partly geared around that, so looking at breath and breathing, qigong and meditation, as well as a lot of pushing hands.
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