Taoist Arts Organisation Li Family Style As taught by Prof. Li Kam Chan and Prof. Chee Soo The Taoist Arts Organisation is dedicated to promoting and preserving the purity, quality, and completeness of the LI Family System of Health and Martial al Arts NEWSLETTER : APRIL 2015 In this issue: The Exceptional Story Of Li-Style p 1-2 Response from Tony, our Technical Director p 2-3 Profiles on the World Cup Team Members p 3-4 Ground Reaction Force p 5 6 John Richmond p 7 Summer Booking Form p 8 THE EXCEPTIONAL STORY OF LI-STYLE I wrote this after working on Hubert s account in the last issue of the response given to the TAO team in Taiwan I feel these events raise questions for Tony and for us all. A.M. Long ago, the Li-system developed within a family. The family developed it, loved and nurtured it because it helped them develop, grow and protect themselves. The family grew the system and the system grew the family. At the beginning of the 20 th century, the traditional internal family systems were threatened by political change in China and had to leave to survive intact. Although other systems moved to Taiwan and other areas near, but not on, mainland China, it appears that one system, the Li-system, came to London. Nowadays there is no trace of it anywhere except as resulted from that migration. The thread could have broken there, but it didn t. The system came to London with a single member of the family, Li Kam Chan, and, although he taught it to other Chinese émigrés, he had no family of his own to nurture it with him. The thread could have broken there but against all the odds Li Kam Chan found an orphan boy, part Chinese, who was talented and dedicated enough to absorb the system. Before he died, Li Kam Chan adopted Chee Soo, making him the new holder of the Li-family tradition. Chee Soo went to fight in World War II and was taken prisoner by the Japanese. He escaped into the jungle and for some time was missing, presumed dead. The thread could have been broken there, but it wasn t. The system makes its people exceptional and Chee Soo survived and returned to Britain. He began to teach westerners. He taught the early few carefully and well, as he had been taught. Then came the Kung Fu crazy 1970s and he had so many students that inevitably more of the detailed instruction was lost. When Chee Soo died in 1994, there was no formal Li- family, not even adopted members, to nurture the system. Many loved the system and felt called to preserve it but they had different levels of knowledge and varying motivations. They did not hold together as one family but fragmented into competing groups. Would any of those groups manage to keep the system intact and nourish it for future generations.. or would the thread break here? Twenty years later, in 2014, a student of one of those successors to Chee Soo took a team to Taiwan, where there were experts who had preserved and studied the other family systems that had escaped from China before the revolution. They had never heard of Li-style, but they knew how to recognise the qualities and complexities of a true internal T ai Chi system. They watched the members of this team from Europe and recognised a sophisticated system, demonstrated with such expertise that they gave them gold medals, ranking the westerners work above their own in some cases. They were utterly amazed to hear that these Europeans had never visited China or had a Chinese teacher. So we now know that when Chee Soo died the thread that could have been broken, was not. We now have external affirmation that Tony Swanson has protected and nurtured the Li family system and passed it on to others in all its power and Copyright is asserted on behalf of individual authors, photographers and the TAO http://www.taoistarts.org/ TAO Newsletter Apr 2015 page 1
beauty. He does not have to claim lineage he has demonstrated that he holds the Li-family line. But how long can the Li-style go on hanging by a single thread? It has nurtured and strengthened 3 exceptional men and they have kept faith and preserved it, but without a family the Li-system is always only one step away from being lost. Can we learn from the mistakes of the past and find a way to create a 21 st century, western family for the Li-style, to give it the security it needs? Can Tony help us forge the necessary links so that we are prepared for the transition of leadership that must one day become necessary? Threads twisting together make rope. Threads woven together make cloth. Anne Manasse * * * * STATEMENT FROM TONY SWANSON at the beginning of the 20 th Anniversary This is a proud time for the TAO, not only has it flourished for 20 years but also the long hard years of work designed to improve the reputation of the Li style inside and outside the Organisation are bearing fruit at the highest level. We have worked hard to set and maintain the highest standards of performance and teaching of the Arts. Our students have worked hard to absorb the subtleties and detail that are necessary to express a true internal system. We have obtained NVQ, ITEC and other qualifications to ensure our teaching is validated and conforms to proper western standards of health and safety and correct delivery. We have insisted our Instructors are properly authorised, insured and qualified in first aid so that our students have the best and safest possible experience of learning the Arts. Our latest achievement in this area is that I am now authorised to qualify Tui Na practitioners to 3 levels of competence: holistic massage, therapeutic massage and joint manipulation. So we go on adding to the range of things on offer within the TAO so that members can explore the Arts as fully as they have time and inclination to do. If I look back at the first 20 years of the TAO, I can see that the work involved was worth it, and we have achieved our first objective, the reputation of the Li-style as taught by the TAO is now established at world level thanks to the efforts of those who have competed at that level over the past few years. Gemma Salter was the first to enter world level combat competitions and Romina Naito also won recognition in forms at world level a few years ago. Those two had guts to go alone into new territory. Latterly, with our two Europa teams, we have shown that not only my students but those coached by James Brulet in France and Bettina Hausmann, Hans Lütz and Hubert Schneider could succeed at European level. And of course the latest achievement is the team coached, again by Hubert, who did so well in Taiwan. So now the question I am asked is where do we go from here? And, as Anne has said in her intial article, how do we create security for the system in future generations? My belief is that the family that the system needs is created by people feeling a proper pride in belonging to the group and appreciating that every one of us plays a key role so that the group is nothing without all of us. We need competitors to showcase our wares but we also need teachers to bring on new students and find the talented ones who can be coached to become future competitors and teachers. The coaches of champions are not necessarily champions themselves, I have never personally competed at world level but I have coached many who have. We need students because they are the future and because an Instructor may learn a lot about themselves by training but it is only by teaching others that they best learn about the many variations of which the human body is capable. We need the committee members and administrators who make the training opportunities possible and ensure the smooth running of the Organisation. In my 20 years as Technical Director I have always tried to enact this belief in the group. I have avoided the Arts being about me as a personality and emphasised that it is about the TAO; this is because I would like the TAO to be able to provide the secure future the Li-style needs. I have seen the destructiveness of squabbles between individual egos and, if possible, I would like to guide the TAO past that pitfall. Unity is needed to take us forward past that sticking point so that we can leave something strong and integrated for future generations to benefit from, just as we have benefited. Copyright is asserted on behalf of individual authors, photographers and the TAO http://www.taoistarts.org/ TAO Newsletter Apr 2015 page 2
To do this I would like people to think about what the TAO has done for them in their enjoyment of the movement arts, in the benefit they have gained from the health arts and in the influence they think all this training has had on how they live their lives. If some of you felt able to share these experiences in an article for the newsletter it would help others appreciate the strength of the system and the far reaching influence that practice of the Arts can have on our lives. If we can increase our appreciation of how lucky we are to be part of the system I hope it will help us understand that every one of us is on a unique and amazing journey and that we are privileged to travel alongside one another. Tony Swanson Techincal Director In response to Tony s request, I shall be running a new regular series in subsequent newsletters. It will be rather like Health Matters - a series of personal accounts of the benefits of the system but with a wider range how has the Arts changed your life, in any way, big or little? It could still be health related but can also include any way in which you feel your practice has influenced your life: perhaps in a decision you made or a direction you followed. Please write anything - 2 lines or 2 pages we want to hear from you! A.M. 20 TH ANNIVERSARY SUMMER SCHOOL This year being the 20 th anniversary of the TAO, we hope to make this event a celebration of all that we have achieved as an Organisation. But the best way of celebrating is to have as many members there as possible, enjoying the unique atmosphere in our 3 rd visit to the lovely Harlaxton Manor. The booking form is on the back page of the newsletter and on the website. Please make sure James knows you are booking, whichever way you are paying your deposit. CHI SHU SHUAI JIAO : Package of 2 Weekend Courses These take place on May 30 th 31 st and July 11 th 12 th in Beckenham. Only 1 place remaining, so contact Anne asap if you want it. 2014 WORLD CUP TEAM MEMBER PROFILES: Name: HERBERT ARNDT Age: 60 Training: 1985 1993 Rolf Weber and Chee Soo, 2005 - date: Tony Swanson also Jan Silberstorff (Chen Xiauwang), Gianfranco Paco (T ai Chi Chuan) Arthur Schnabel (judo) Previous international competition success: Herbert first achieved gold in the British Championships 2006. He also won medals at the German Championships (Hannover), Europa Championships (Paris). In Judo he won a bronze medal in the World Championships in Miami in 2012 and a silver medal in Prague in 2014. 2014 T ai Chi World Cup 2 Golds in Fixed and Moving step Push Hands It was very good in Taiwan and next time I want go for a longer. We had training time in the lovely parks in Taipeh and it was great that everyone liked to push hands with me. (They called me Big Man Standing like a Rock.) I didn t lose at push hands in Taipeh but I still feel I am just an beginner in the Martial Art. The best part of the competition is when you become friends with your opponent and learn from each other. Name: JOSHUA BENTSCHECK Age: 20 Training: Started aged 8 with Hubert and Tony Previous international competition success: Europa Taichi 2012 Paris: Silver: Li Sword Mixed Category Bronze:Moving Step +90kg Category German Taijiquan Open 2013 Hannover Gold: Li Sword Guandao Silver: Moving Step 100kg Category Copyright is asserted on behalf of individual authors, photographers and the TAO http://www.taoistarts.org/ TAO Newsletter Apr 2015 page 3
2014 World Cup 3 Golds, 1 silver, 1 team gold. It was a great experience to compete at such a big and well-organized event. The people were very friendly and offered help whenever needed, especially when it came to language difficulties. It was really interesting to see the judges watch every Li style competitor attentively, as they have never seen Li- Style Tai Chi before. Name: MONIKA BOCK Age: 41 Training: started in 2007 with Hubert Previous international competition success: British Championships 2010 1 Bronze Europa Taichi 2012 Paris: 5 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze German Taijiquan Open 2012 Hannover 1 silver, 1 bronze Wu Wei Cup Hamburg 2014 1 silver All medals for various Forms. L R: Anna, Joshua, Hubert, Monika, Gabi and official 2014 World Cup 4 Gold, 2 bronze, 1 team gold. Taiwan is a very interesting country: a densely populated area in the west, but also amazing natural scenery in the east and south. There are a lot of differences within a small place: modern high-rise buildings are close together with traditional temples. We took part in two competitions on the weekends and had a very good organized journey through the country in between. The competitions brought much new experiences for us. The people are very friendly and were very interested on who we are, about our T ai Chi style and where we are coming from. I was very happy to have made this journey and would never miss experiences like this. I would like go to next competition in 2016 and it would be great if more members would join that we can go with bigger team. Name: ANNA SCHNEIDER Age: 18 Training: from age 5 with Hubert and later Tony Previous international competition success: Europa Taichi 2012 Paris: Gold - Fan, Silver - Flying Hands, Bronze Push Hands German Taijiquan Open 2012 Hannover 3 Gold medals in Fan, Broadswoard and Flying Hands 2014 World Cup 2 Golds, 1 team gold. In Taiwan we were welcomed very kindly. They took many photos of us and were interested in the Li-style. Since Joshua and I arrived later, we had a jet leg and therefore, the competition was even harder. Consequently it made me even happier when I recognised that I won Gold in Fan, in the European and also in the Asian group. It was also interesting to see so many different and unique styles and people at both competitions! The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Our trip around the island was the highlight and we discovered wonderful places where we could train for the group competition early in the mornings. We also tried unknown tastes like tropical fruits and frog stomach (not yummy). I really suggest a trip to Taiwan to everyone! Name: HUBERT SCHNEIDER Age: 53 Training: Li style for 29 years with Chee Soo and primarily Tony Swanson. Previous international competition success: Hubert has been competing successfully since 2002 in Push Hands. He started doing Forms as well in Europa 2009 and has developed that since with multiple medals, he is too modest to share! He has been coaching students for competitions since Europa 2009. 2014 World Cup: 5 golds (forms) and 1 team gold Hubert co-ordinated the team entries and demonstrations and organised the team entry into the Chi Gong competition that brought a gold medal. His impressions are in the Jan 15 newsletter. Copyright is asserted on behalf of individual authors, photographers and the TAO http://www.taoistarts.org/ TAO Newsletter Apr 2015 page 4
GROUND REACTION FORCE -let s get physical? What is ground reaction force (GRF)? It is quite a complex concept to understand and put into the T ai Chi and therefore also difficult to explain. But here goes. The way you move from stance to stance and root your posture is necessarily affected by GRF, if you have got the hang of using it to your advantage it life becomes much easier but it requires correct posture and weight distribution and control of your centre. Let s start with the physics then give some examples and analogies to help our understanding. Of Isaac Newton s laws of motion, GRF is specifically number 3 but all of them are handy in helping us understand. Here they are for those who failed physics (like me!) 1. Every object in constant motion will remain in that state of motion, at the same speed and in the same direction, unless an external force is applied to it. This is the Law of Inertia. 2. The force, F, generated by a moving object is equal to its mass, m, multiplied by its acceleration, a. F = ma (The force and the acceleration will be in the same direction.) 3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. We can use a 10-pin bowling alley as a very basic example. The 1st Law says a skittle has no motion until the bowling ball applies force to it and equally the bowling ball moves forward at a constant speed except when it is slowed down by the friction with the floor and, hopefully, the collision with the skittle. The 2nd Law says that the force with which the ball hits a skittle can be calculated by multiplying the mass and acceleration of the ball together. The faster you bowl, the greater the force. The 3rd Law states that when the bowling ball hits the skittle, the skittle pushes back with an opposite reaction (that is what causes the ball to slow in Law 1). Because the inequality of mass between the skittle and the ball, the force exerted by the skittle is less than that exerted by the ball and so the skittle gets pushed by the ball with a force equal to the difference between the two. The 3rd Law works in the vertical plane too. When we push on the ground, it pushes back, and when you push off the ground to jump into the air you push the Earth away and the Earth pushes you back with the same force. But applying Law 2, the earth has MUCH more mass than you and thus its downward acceleration is negligible compared with your acceleration into the air! When we walk, we ignore all the things that we are doing naturally, this includes releasing and applying force to ground which pushes us forward. Newton s laws always apply - you could try walking without applying force to the ground, but it results in a virtual shuffle that will get you nowhere. Newton s 1st Law specifically said that an object will not change its motion unless acted on by an outside force. We didn't really focus on the outside part earlier, but now we can. The force you apply cannot be applied to yourself. (Well, it can, but it won't change your motion.) Any forces that will change your motion must be applied to you, not by you. Then how are you going to get something outside of you to apply a force to you? This is where we use Newton's 3rd Law. If you apply a backwards horizontal force to the ground, the ground will apply a forward horizontal force on you through static friction....and most of the time you will walk along without thinking about it. Now let s look at some jelly. If you push down on the jelly it pushes back, but you can hold it down by applying more force than the jelly can push back with. If you release that force then the jelly can push back and will bounce back. This is the idea behind sung or release. Imagine you are moving through stances with sponges filled with water on the bottom of your feet. When you step down (A), you gradually transfer the weight into the correct configuration for the stance which squeezes the water out of the sponge (B), making it thinner (like pushing down the jelly), the water cannot come back into the sponge until you release, this action takes some weight off the Copyright is asserted on behalf of individual authors, photographers and the TAO http://www.taoistarts.org/ TAO Newsletter Apr 2015 page 5
A B C D sponge and allow the water back in making it thicker again (C). This action of releasing, is like letting your weight drop in the stance so you are no longer holding it up with tension and allowing gravity to act on the you and create a greater force on the ground without resistance - the push from the ground can then act on you in your tensionless state which pushes you back (D). All this explanation seems a bit extreme for what is in effect a mild bounce but, when done with properly formed posture and weight distribution, what this achieves is light but absolutely rooted stances that enable you to remain relaxed and move with ease even when under pressure. Now lets put this into push hands as an example. Law 1 - you do not need to move unless a force is being acted upon you. Many people move for no real reason when all you need to do is misdirect any oncoming force so it will no longer act upon you. Law 3 - if someone applies force to you, your body will be pushing back. However, if you are of a lesser mass then your acceleration will be greater and you will be moved. T ai Chi postures compensate for that, rooting means that you recruit the GRF of the earth where your feet are resting on it. This adds the mass of the Earth to your mass. Now, if you apply Law 2 - F=ma, then you have a greater mass and you can apply force in the form of a push or punch. Your opponent may be skilful enough to do this too, in which case the biggest variable under your control is acceleration. This is where everyone tries to do everything as quickly as possible, but the real key is to move naturally and stay relaxed otherwise you lose your rooting. Think of throwing the arm out as if swatting a fly rather than forcefully trying to punch something hard. Think back to Bruce Lee s famous 1-inch punch; this was produced from a powerful explosion of the body, using the GRF and using the initial part of the acceleration (the fastest part). Very clever, very T ai Chi. So when you are practising your T ai chi or Feng Shou try to incorporate or think about Newton s laws, particularly the fact that you must be using good postures and techniques of motion to achieve them. If you understand Ground Reaction Force any better now, then great - if not, I hope this article gives you food for thought and gets you questioning, exactly how does this work? Nik Kerwin GRADING NEWS Our congratulations to Val Anderson who has achieved 1 st Tengchi in T ai Chi. WEEKEND COURSE UPDATES There are still places in Newtown for Friday evening 24 th and Saturday 25 th April. Please contact Anne if you intend to come. Our Fan Refresher Day in Leamington Spa on Sunday 26 th April still has a limited number of places. Again please contact Anne if you wish to attend. The 20 th AGM will take place on 20 th June and the whole Twyford weekend 21 st 22 nd June of training is open to all members. The theme this year will be a taster course in Vibration and Sound Therapy within the Li-Style. Have you noticed that this year the Scottish course is in September, rather warmer than the normal February. Why not plan an autumn break to travel to this outstandingly beautiful part of the country. Frances and Gillian and their students would be very glad to see visitors. Contact Anne for details. Copyright is asserted on behalf of individual authors, photographers and the TAO http://www.taoistarts.org/ TAO Newsletter Apr 2015 page 6
John Richmond 23/3/1962-11/4/2015 R.I.P. Very sadly, John died on the morning of the 11th April. I am sure many will remember Big John with that low, deep voice and infectious laugh. Ever helpful and with a wealth of knowledge on Tao Yin and Taoism he had been training in the arts since 1986. He was a founder member of the T.A.O. and trained with Tony Swanson here in London. I, and probably many of you, have spent many a happy hour or two talking with John about all things spiritual, Monty Python or just simply enjoying his wonderful sense of humour. As a good friend I will miss him, but treasure all the good times, good training and when we needed inspiring, watching Enter the Dragon - quoting all the lines as we went along. Farewell John. John s friend, Nik, who wrote the above, suggests this would be an appropriate verse for a man who loved his Taoism. Tao Te Ching - 16: Lao Tzu: If you can empty your mind of all thoughts, your heart will know the tranquility of peace. Watch the endless rush of worldly beings, yet contemplate their return to the Source. Each being in the universe returns to the common Source. To return to the Source is to find peace. To find peace is to fulfil one s destiny. To fulfil one s destiny is to be constant. To know the constant is to be enlightened. Not knowing this leads to eternal sorrow. Being at one with the Tao, you naturally become impartial. Impartiality is the highest nobility. You are no longer concerned about losing your life because the Tao is constant and you are one with the Tao. This from member Sue Davies, reproduced from Facebook. Wow -such tributes on Facebook pouring in for the legend that was John. Although I am sad that he has passed, I was on the periphery of knowing this man, I knew him as a TAO friend and he gave me instruction gems to help me along my way. So many of you were obviously much closer and are suffering, much more than I, the grief that follows such a loss - grief hurts and memories of past times are released like a flock of birds. Despite the fact that John's life was curtailed by a hideous sickness, he won the battle - not the cancer which attacked him. How was that? He maintained his dignity, pride and sense of humour during his treatment and eventual final days in St Joseph's Hospice where he was eased through his last journey. He was given the gift of time to arrange his closing months and, I can see from photos posted on Facebook, enjoyed seeing his family and friends, celebrated a birthday, in March 2015 he achieved his 29th year as a Member of the TAO and the crowning glory... married Star. He remained positive throughout his closing days - what a man! His was a life completed and not interrupted. His last Facebook message to me I am proud to share with you "Hi Sue I thank you for your kind thoughts regarding my recent misfortune. I am well supported by friends, healers and others that have my best interests at heart. I am a truly fortunate man! :-)) xx" Those of you who are now in sorrow will find it difficult to be positive in the face of this adversity, but will one day be able to smile rather than shed tears when you think of this remarkable person who, when faced with such "misfortune" still saw the positive and saw himself as "fortunate". John - I salute you - reading the tributes to you make it clear that others salute you too - it was a privilege knowing you. God bless you and those you leave behind xx Thanks to all who have contributed in so many ways to this newsletter and the things it celebrates. The next newsletter will be in July, hopefully to be distributed at summer school. Please send your contributions including those for Tony s new series and any other recollections of John you want to share by mid- June to Anne Manasse, Tel 0191 281 6476 annemanasse@blueyonder.co.uk Copyright is asserted on behalf of individual authors, photographers and the TAO http://www.taoistarts.org/ TAO Newsletter Apr 2015 page 7
Venue: 20 th Anniversary UK Summer Course Harlaxton Manor, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG32 1AG Dates: Sunday 26 th to Friday 31 st July, 2015 Course Instructor: Tony Swanson, T.A.O. Technical Director Costs: Training Fees: 140.00. This must be paid as a deposit to secure your booking and is nonrefundable if you cancel. There will be a further charge of 1 to pay on arrival for teabreak supplies. Full Board and Accommodation from Harlaxton College: 250.00 Please pay in cash on arrival. Booking Procedure: To book one of the 60 places available please o send/give your completed booking slip to James Lumsden o and pay your deposit to James Lumsden or Marie Hartshorn in the UK, Anita Mallock in Germany or Dominique Gantier in France. Single rooms will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Cheques (in sterling only please), payable to TAO. The closing date for bookings is 15th July 2015. We cannot guarantee that later bookings can be accepted and if they are they will be subject to a 20 surcharge. People cancelling bookings after this date will have to pay an additional 110 as Harlaxton will charge us in full for their board and accommodation. Further Information: There are 2 campsites within a few miles of the college for those wishing to train without living at Harlaxton. The College will cater for those with special dietary needs provided advance notice is given. For information about these and any other queries, please contact James Lumsden as soon as possible. Course Organiser: James Lumsden. 10 Lawford Road, London, W4 3HS, UK. Email: jhlumsden@btinternet.com (please do not use his old aol email address) Tel: 020 8995 4752 Mob: 07738004731 2015 Summer Course Booking Form Please reserve me a place on the TAO 2015 Summer Course. I enclose / send separately my payment of 140 and I understand this to be a non-returnable deposit. I will pay board and accommodation costs in cash on my arrival at the course. I understand it is my responsibility to ensure that my insurance is up to date before participating in training. Name : T.A.O. Membership No : FULL Postal Address : Email Address : I require a single room Yes / No Dietary Preferences Normal Vegetarian Other dietary requirements(please specify) I will be staying on at Harlaxton to attend the Tui Na Training Y/N Copyright is asserted on behalf of individual authors, photographers and the TAO http://www.taoistarts.org/ TAO Newsletter Apr 2015 page 8