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‘Doing nothing’ is an art form
TAOIST philosopher Zhuang Zhou, who lived around the 4th century BC, related a story in his classic philosophy book “Zhuangzi.”
A cook, he wrote, was cutting up an ox for his lord. He was not only fast and efficient, but the sounds he made while butchering the ox created a perfect rhythm matching two ancient dance melodies. The lord was impressed and asked how he did that.
The cook explained that he had learned the inner anatomy of the ox after slaughtering so many over the years. He made his cuts only through existing openings and in spaces between joints, never touching ligaments, tendons or main joints. He used the same knife for 19 years, keeping the blade sharp as new.
“From you, I learned the way to maintain good health,” the lord said.
The story exemplifies the Taoist idea of wu wei, or “doing nothing” that interrupts the natural flow of body or the existing harmony in the universe.
The same idea is at play in many Chinese kung fu styles, including tai chi. It teaches that one may initiate the attack later than the opponent, but it should reach earlier, with better efficiency. It is about reading the weakness of an opponent and hitting those spots with the least force required.
To many, such philosophical ideas are just as intriguing as the movements themselves, if not more.
“I love practicing tai chi, and I’m fascinated by the Taoist concepts behind the art,” says Jeff Hasenfratz, an American expatriate who has been practicing kung fu for 15 years in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
“I like to try to apply these concepts in daily life,” he says. “For example, when someone is insisting that I agree with an idea I don’t feel comfortable with, I can ‘deflect’ the force of the insistency by saying, ‘I see, tell me more about that.’”
Famed martial arts novelist Louis Cha often compares kung fu styles with the ideals of calligraphy, painting, gardening and music, explaining that they are all inspired from the same source of traditional Chinese cultural and philosophical ideas.
After all, the celebrated calligrapher Zhang Xu from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) grasped the essence of cursive writing after watching the solo performance of a sword-dancer.
Cha once wrote that “tai chi seems slow in motion, but it never stops. The source of force in tai chi comes from the opponent, who is essentially defeated by himself.”
The name “tai chi” derives from ancient Chinese texts, including the book “Zhuangzi.” It refers to the mother state of one, before it is developed into two states, yin and yang, and then into four, and then into eight.
Many Chinese kung fu styles draw from traditional cultural ideas, notably Confucianism and Taoism. Baguazhang, or the “eight diagrams palm,” was used by actress Zhang Ziyi’s character in the 2013 movie “The Grandmaster,” directed by Wong Kar-wai.
The concept draws on the idea of eight diagrams. It is noted for sophisticated footwork that matches the eight diagrams and directions.
Another fundamental Taoist text “Tao Te Ching,” written around the 4th century BC, is often quoted in martial arts training manuals.
“Supreme goodness is to be like water,” the author explained. “Water is the softest element in the world, but elements harder and stronger can’t defeat it.”
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