It was my final golf lesson yesterday – out on the course and after feeling pleased with myself with the putting, chipping and driving in previous classes naturally it was all different playing the holes for real! Just like doing push hands with another person for the first time.

Actually it is perfectly understandable – coming cold to a ball and getting everything right immediately reminds me of story about the Japanese sword tester at the peak of his skill who made an error and managed to nick a valuable blade – not trusting himself again he consulted a Zen priest who recommended he train in a particular type of Japanese flower arranging – which requires partial breaking of each stem – a process that has to be done right first time. By gradual diligent practice with less valuable flowers he regained his confidence and his skill with a sword.  

Clearly I have yet to gain any measure of skill – but the answer is the same – diligent practice to gain “golfing Kung Fu” and confidence. Worth a few more extra lessons to see if I can get past the first stage of frustration!

I practiced driving on my own the other day and paid attention to being relaxed – while pulling my right elbow from the centre – this seemed to work well and I managed improved grouping although still only about 7 out of 17 within comfortable reach of the marker @ 100 yds. This gave me some further insight into lu energy – plus it confirmed how important it is to maintain the feeling of the top of the head floating upward in line with the spine while turning about the centre using the waist/hips. Interesting how the Tai Chi approach helps to identify problems in golf and then to sort them out – excellent!

I’ve been looking around Youtube and found some more interesting videos – they are either embeded or linked from here – worth a look.

Chi and Body mapping and muscle power – my latest thoughts on a western interpretation of Chi and how it is of value in Tai Chi – at last seem to be coming together in a sensible form – perhaps others will find this English description of value along with the many others either translated from Chinese or based on them. I have tried to come at the subject from a western cultural and science viewpoint by understanding and re-interpreting from first principles as well as drawing on present scientific knowledge – it is of course limited by the extent of my own experience and ability – but hopefully it will be enough to stimulate thought as a help to others involved in the same process.

My 2^nd golf lesson yesterday – chipping to the green – this time using hips – just as in Tai Chi with some conscious adjustment needed to accommodate the mechanics of the club but basically pulling it through from the centre as one pulls a sword or ones arms in silk reeling – controlling power and body position by sensitivity of the feeling. Ultimately a case of creating an intention ( to put the ball in the hole ) and then letting the unconscious mind/body get on with it. A good example of a complex action requiring consistent perfection – achieved with mindfulness and simplification according to basic principles – very much like practicing a Tai Chi form – with instructor James providing skilled correction and an excellent example to model – good fun!

Never having played golf in my life I had my first golf lesson on Thurs last week and did some practice on my own yesterday – it was interesting to note how loose I need to hold my shoulders to putt properly. And to turn about the chest chakra. Very Sung and soft with a very light grip so that the putter is like a soft extension of the arm – and the arm/putter swing from the body like a flexible pendulum – a weight on a rope pulled by the body movement.

I managed to sink 2 out of 4 from – 4 feet, 7 feet and 14 feet and left with a sense of being able to recognise when I get it right – quite satisfying.

To see an article that relates – click here.

To contact James at Mount Pleasant Golf Club – click here.

There is quite a resurgance of interest at the moment about Mindfulness – something at the heart of Tai Chi – so I have put a few thoughts together in a short article – click here to download.

In much the same way I keep coming across issues of bad backs – so a few simple thoughts on “Tai Chi for a Good Back” may be of interest.

Like probably all Tai Chi instructors I have been teaching a lot of people who are completely new to Tai Chi – and I have come to recognise that often the “newness” of the experience can be quite mysterious to people – so I have put a few guidance notes on the main website in the hope that they will be helpful for those just starting – click here for notes.

One of the things that I fhave found paradoxical about Tai Chi and Martial Arts in general over the years is the balance between practice and the thinking about it – gradually I have accepted that we need to do both and I’ll just do it my way – so my mind just keeps on thinking about this stuff and related matters – after all once you get into Tai Chi it all seems related anyway. So in that vein I have put some more articles on the Shefford Tai Chi website – they are not all filled out completely – but I’m sure readers can fill in the gaps for themselves:

 Tai Chi – important behaviours – this is a recent piece about behaviours that are useful in a fight – and elsewhere – with some notes on Chi at the end

Physical awareness and non-verbal communication – an older piece that does what it says on the tin

Nobody ever said that a Zen Master had to be patient! – it seemed a point worth exploring.

Feedback and Education in Tai Chi – pretty much about feedback and education in Tai Chi – from a personal perspective – isn’t it all?

A few useful strategies – as much about life in general as about Tai Chi