The Dao of Movement Alan Sims

Iwill try to write about something that I find hard to put into words. I have never read anything about it, so I have to rely on my writing skills to convey this concept. To be honest, to talk about the "Dao" of anything, is to imply a level of skill that approaches that which is supernatural. In this case, the subject being discussed is movement. It is a wonderful subject and to say that I have attained it might be an overstatement. However, I'm close enough to it to discuss it. To achieve this level of movement and express it in the context of movement improvisation is a good and somewhat difficult task. It is like in a science fiction movie when a visitor or alien speaks in one language, and five other beings (each of them speaking different languages) hears the visitor or alien speaking only in their own particular language. Similarly, when one can express pure self-expression through improvisational movement, five different people watching it may see five totally different things. My Taijiquan teacher's instructor (master Jou Tsung Hwa) once said that most Kung fu players would beat most Taiji players. Since my Taiji instructor at the time (Larry Banks) was a martial artist as well, I felt flat footed when trying to use Ving Tsun kung fu when sparring with him. This led to my desire to be able to move in a more flexible way. That led to my experimenting with stances in Taiji forms and achieving my aim. I later found out (this was all done entirely on my own much later) that I could expand this concept from the potential in fighting to the potential in movement itself. That is sports, dance, and choreography (although that requires at least 2 people). Some people may see this level or demonstration of it as just martial arts, and my challenge to go beyond martial arts. Others may feel that it has no potential in martial arts. That would be like a person seeing someone shooting at birds in a tree and then asking "What else is it good for?” This is a big subject and right there is the joy and frustration in presenting it.

To view the previous analogy of an example of presenting and demonstrating the use of a machine gun to shoot at birds in a tree, with an observer then asking what else is it (the machine gun) good for, is like seeing the "Dao Of Movement" and asking can it be used in fighting.

I recently decided to not only resume my practice of master Jou Tsung-Hwa's Chen form (1st routine), but to also work with some of the stances in it. Just yesterday I was inspired to practice a stance that I've never practiced individually before. However, when working with a Taiji particular form, I never practice a stance (at least for quite a while) that doesn't move directly into an attack. But yesterday I practiced a beautiful stance with the back foot left toes pointing approximately between 10 and 11 o'clock. The right front foot directly in front of the back foot, with the toes pointing approximately between 1 and 2 o'clock. The right hand is extended directly to the right at shoulder level but not locked with the palm facing directly forward as is the vision and head. The left hand is extended in front of you, palm facing forward with the elbow facing the left with the arm basically at shoulder level. The stance should resemble a person playing a flute. This stance moves directly into "The Whirlwind Kick". The left foot comes up, (from 6 to12 o'clock) hits the extended left hand as the body rotates towards the right until the entire body is now facing opposite the original starting point. This should also be practiced with everything in the reversed positions. The main thing however, is to practice the stance, and look for more and more stances until everything is a stance, and the stances evaporate.

I wanted to spread this level of attainment while I am physically able to do so, in whatever category that I can. I especially wanted to achieve this with dancers, because although many people can improvise, but usually can only improvise with dance moves (to music-I'm not against music being myself a musician), or with moves or postures which have no purpose or application or even attractiveness.

Chopin was once at the piano in an informal setting in which he was trying to improvise, and said, "Nothing's coming, nothing's coming”.

My particular problem in improvisational movement is that everything's coming at the same time, therefore the attempt to perform every movement in the universe at one time. It sounds ridiculous but it’s true.

I want to finally have the stances, and the movement without them looking like a martial art (all Taiji forms do not look alike). That is another level entirely, pure formlessness.

If I were using the principles put forth by master Jou Tsung-Hwa, there would be more movement in my body and less seen by the viewers. I still have a ways to go.

Beautiful Movement of Blue and Yellow… Image source: Adobe Stock Image by: Digital Art Studio