My first teacher in the fighting and internal arts, Tao Sorjaiphet (Absolute MMA) once told me to measure my practice in increments of 10 years. He said this to me as encouragement and for me to reflect on how far I had come in my practice and training from a decade previous. So at the start of a new decade I look back again and see that indeed progress has been made. Whilst the daily work, hustle and grind can make it seem as though we really aren’t getting much done from a seemingly endless list of things to do, over time if we continue to move forward step by step we find indeed we have actually come a long way.
It is not much more than 10 years ago that I began my journey with Heaven Man Earth Internal Arts, Sifu Adam Mizner and his two top instructors Andy Mack and Curtis Brough. It was actually my fight coach at the time Tao, who suggested I go and pay Andy a visit at his new school in Melbourne (circa 2007). Andy had plastered huge posters all over the city that boldly stated ‘real taiji - 4 heavy hits in 1 second’. Somewhere in my fantasy I thought I would go and test out this arrogant guy who had decided that he had the ‘real’ taiji. As it turned out he certainly did have the real deal and I never looked back.
Countless trips later to study intensively with Sifu Adam Mizner and here I am again. This time in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I am here to deepen my understanding and experience of this truly profound art that is taiji quan. Yet again, I am astonished and inspired by the man I call my teacher and dear friend. Yet again, I am humbled by the endless depth and wonder of this indescribable and unfathomable internal art and the path it offers and that I am blessed to walk.
I could take this in many directions and reflections. But I will just say that 10 years later I am happier. I am also 40 years old and with that time under the belt it seems there comes a natural maturity and ease. A great practitioner of the art once said that taiji builds great capacity for enduring frustration. As I practice daily with my teacher he keeps me consistently at the furthest reaches of my ability and just slightly beyond. However, a great difference I recognise from 10 years ago is that I am good with the frustration of trying to achieve the seemingly impossible. That is to say that presently it is without frustration. Rather, the pleasure that arises simply from the doing is truly immense and yet I am certain that I have barely touched on the limitless and boundless nature of taiji and the freedom that this art of cultivation offers.
This life of practice. Nothing to to be grasped. Nothing to be gained. Nothing to be lost. Any words that can go close to describing it inevitably fall short. Such as it is, there really is not much to be said. Enjoy your practice. Many well wishes for 2020 and the coming 10 years.
