Illustration inspired by Hsiao Chin 蕭勤
海底撈月
"Fishing the moon from the bottom of the sea" (海底撈月) is a movement of the Yang Tai Chi Sword form (楊氏太极劍) that it was and still is very difficult for me. I do not know the reasons for that, but in the end it requires a lot of work. In a way, it reminds me the essence of Martial Arts, the need to work hard to perfect oneself.
"Fishing the moon from the bottom of the sea" (海底撈月) is also an expression, that means something like "a hopeless illusion" or a "mirage". The moon is not at the bottom of the sea, to look for it there is the certainty to never find it. An ellusive goal, to fetch the moon.
Given both meanings, it seemed to me appropriate to name my blog after it. After all, the essence of the study Internal Martial Arts (内家武術) is a bit like surmounting difficulties in order to achieve ellusive goals.
This blog and the associated content are there to consolidate in a single place the results of my own study, research and reflections on the Internal Martial Arts (内家武術). The orientation of my study comes from what I learned from my teachers: a non-nonsense approach to the arts, close to the tradition, trying to not pollute myself with topics that are not essential to the Martial Arts. In doing this, I allow myself to filter the information to the original and relevant for me.
One should note that the only aspect really essential to Martial Arts is to practice, everything else is superflous, including this blog. However, serious research and sharing, another objective of this blog, allow me to both go further on my practice and to tissue relations with other students and teachers. And this could only enhance it.
A note on what this blog is not: Internal Martial Arts have been compromised by other topics, religion, philosophy, medicine, commercial promotion, by people that are more or less honest and realistic about them (depending on the case). This blog may touch some of this aspects eventually, but on an accessory manner. The focus is on Internal Martial Arts and not on Taoism, Chinese Medicine, Esoterism or promotion of this or that school.
The interesting and useful information in this blog were found through the inspiration and help of my teachers and co-students. All mistakes come excluseively from my poor understanding.
March 6th 1993, as far as I remember, is the date when I took my first class.
"Fishing the moon from the bottom of the sea" (海底撈月) is also an expression, that means something like "a hopeless illusion" or a "mirage". The moon is not at the bottom of the sea, to look for it there is the certainty to never find it. An ellusive goal, to fetch the moon.
Given both meanings, it seemed to me appropriate to name my blog after it. After all, the essence of the study Internal Martial Arts (内家武術) is a bit like surmounting difficulties in order to achieve ellusive goals.
This blog and the associated content are there to consolidate in a single place the results of my own study, research and reflections on the Internal Martial Arts (内家武術). The orientation of my study comes from what I learned from my teachers: a non-nonsense approach to the arts, close to the tradition, trying to not pollute myself with topics that are not essential to the Martial Arts. In doing this, I allow myself to filter the information to the original and relevant for me.
One should note that the only aspect really essential to Martial Arts is to practice, everything else is superflous, including this blog. However, serious research and sharing, another objective of this blog, allow me to both go further on my practice and to tissue relations with other students and teachers. And this could only enhance it.
A note on what this blog is not: Internal Martial Arts have been compromised by other topics, religion, philosophy, medicine, commercial promotion, by people that are more or less honest and realistic about them (depending on the case). This blog may touch some of this aspects eventually, but on an accessory manner. The focus is on Internal Martial Arts and not on Taoism, Chinese Medicine, Esoterism or promotion of this or that school.
The interesting and useful information in this blog were found through the inspiration and help of my teachers and co-students. All mistakes come excluseively from my poor understanding.
March 6th 1993, as far as I remember, is the date when I took my first class.
There is a huge amount of data contained herein, but it becomes more as saying the same principles within different topics that seems to make them separated.
ReplyDeleteThis aspect is covered on the complex subject of LiuHe BaFa 六合八法拳 which contains all most all of the aspects mentioned but brings them together [this is not quite so obvious]. Site: http://waterspirit6x8.tripod.com
Thank you for your comment.
DeleteI totally agree, all the information contained here are different views of the same fundamental principles. As you say, it is not an easy task, and it was the reason I started looking at the written texts (even before starting this blog), in order to clarify the common points. It comes out of a need in my training and curiosity for the arts.
I do not have any knowledge about Liuhe Bafa, its teachings or traditions. I am very interested about it though and will look at your site to start getting some knowledge.
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