“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise, seek what they sought.”

On our way (Do) through life we pass by many doorways of opportunity. Some we do not see, some we see but do not stop, some we try but they do not open, some open but we enter not therein, and some we enter through. Beyond those doorways we entered there may be an enlightenment, a discovery, and experience, which we may or may not recognise for what it is, for 'seeing is not seeing'.
Sometimes we try to return to a doorway having realised its worth but now it may not open for us. We are indeed fortunate if we are awake to the opportunities that unfold before us, as you may be now.
 Many times we awake when the path has long ago passed by that doorway ... even in that there is a lesson to be discovered. The path is the goal itself and the goal is not the destination, for there isn't one, we only think there is.
Our path is blessed if it travels through time in Ai Ki (harmony of Spirit). Keep your eyes on the path and what is on it.
Beware that the fog of thinking can obscure the doorways, consider the paradox of not thinking and yet all will be revealed.
Just like a rolling stone gathers no moss a moving mind gathers no thought. Keep the mind moving. Thought is not required, what is required is inspiration and intuition. Both of these will arrive uninvited when the thinking mind is quiet.
 'Calm is always the key'. 

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Relaxation .... the key (Ki)

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I think I am beginning to understand something, I don't know it enough to explain and if I could it would do you no good as you must find it yourself. However the great secret is ... that it is just simple, and that it is available to everyone, it is naturally the 'normal' way we should be ...except our inner dialogue creates a resistance that prevents that 'animal' normality, that oneness with heaven and earth. We must search to find a different way of looking at our world, the word 'spirit' has value and meanings beyond our material understandings. Your intuition is usually right ... but how often do you listen?     Easter 2012.

A doorway I never tried.

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Relaxation allows extension of the body and opening the joints.

Relaxation enables energy to flow; there is more ‘mind’ to it than we often think or use. It is less ‘willpower’ but more a subtle imagination or belief that is required. Willpower can create its own tensions and blocks.

A relaxed body is a united body and therefore has more power.

It is said, “where intention goes, energy flows”, but examine carefully the possible differences between where your energy goes and where your intention goes. Intention may be one directional (simply stated here) but energy may be expanding in all directions.

Your imagination or belief for want of better description can also lead your energy or ki in other directions like spirals and circles and at some distance from your body.

Sometimes this will defy all logical thought, but explore it none the less, for 'seeing is not seeing'.

This theory can make sense of the following advice..............
"Do taijitsu, think weapons.
Do weapons, think taijitsu".

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"When facing an opponent with a sword, stand squarely between life and death;
 remain calm and do not be confounded by the enemy or his weapon.
Without a single opening move decisively with irimi and
obliterate the opponent's evil intentions."
The Master himself, Ueshiba.
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Next we'll look at some ideas on unifying the body posture to generate more power .... more power means less effort ... believe it or not.
The ideas shown below are my own, so don't blame my teachers ! However, it does fit with what we call an 'internal' art.
Firstly though, the knees . . . made to move more or less in one direction or plane. The knee joint will not be comfortable if bent in other directions or twisted .. ask your own knees, they will tell you. So my advice is to align the knee centre with the middle of the foot . . . the long toes.
 I am given to understand that in the USA successful claims have been made against tai chi teachers that failed to cater for this very point in their teachings.

Photo on the right, below:-  I'm trying to show that you can set up a 'circle of connection and therefore power between the opposite arm and hip, ie right hip and left arm as shown in the picture. The same is done for the other opposites (right arm and left hip). It is hard to explain but I'll try ... the hip crease is drawn in a little but the feeling has to be that it is opening ..  almost as if it feels it is going forward, which results in the energy making an arc .... part going to the ground and part raising the ribs slightly.    I think this is valid but represents my opinion only.

"Why do you fix your eyes

On the swinging sword?

His grip reveals

where he wants to cut."

                          O'Sensei

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