A fat Taiji master? (Video)

[Taiji Bum]

Some dude who wrote in my comments on one of my sword videos:

"if you are so cultivated why are you tubby and overweight like the average sedentary american"

My response:
YouTube- Why am I so tubby if I am a taiji master? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MeXwnWN2UQ)
http://lightworkersacademy.org/forum/Themes/Moonraker_tp/images/icons/modify_inline.gif

[UHF Tycoon]

LOL, Taiji...these videos are magnificent

[Samyama]

I still have to meet the tai chi master who isn't 'tubby'. My current teacher just started being a master and he has this beginning of putting on some insulation layers, but his master - were I humbly started practicing is even bigger. Funny thing is he does seems very healthy and as I have experienced is very agile, were I would estimate his weight on at least 240 pounds. No messing around with this guy he just throws people like they're paper aircraft.
Besides, Yang Chen-Fu was quite big also. Doesn't all images of chinese (tao or buddhistic?) masters depict them as quite the tubby fellow?

[Luke Saint]

Besides, Yang Chen-Fu was quite big also. Doesn't all images of chinese (tao or buddhistic?) masters depict them as quite the tubby fellow?
Hmmm. I question if there was a purpose behind them depicting them as fat. Like some symbolic meaning or lesson? :confused:

[Poimandres]

LoL!! Great Video! Indeed, great series of videos.

As for the masters being depicted as "tuby", I'd say it was a symbolic means to get the point across that the power comes from energy manipulation and internal/spiritual conditioning and not from physical conditioning...but who knows for sure.

[AfterViewer]

:)Ah, the the price one pays to be a celebrity! The Laughing Buddha you see in all the Chinese restaurants knows the true meaning of Shrimp Dumplings. AV.

[Luke Saint]

As for the masters being depicted as "tuby", I'd say it was a symbolic means to get the point across that the power comes from energy manipulation and internal/spiritual conditioning and not from physical conditioning...but who knows for sure.
Sounds right for me; for what that's worth...

[Moonburn]

Tai chi ain't running

It burns about the same amount of calories as brisk walking. I guess if you were to practice it four hours a day....

[m1thr0s]

http://abrahadabra.com/images/attached/Maitreya.png


must admit - there is some resemblance! :cool:

go buddha-dood! :D

m1

[AfterViewer]

:pYum Dim Sum! http://images.google.com/images?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&q=shrimp+dumplings&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=OUf_SsHbJobIlAefod2SCw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CBsQsAQwAw

[UTI]

Yeah, I'd also say that hanging on someone's appearance is to seek Tao within form, and that is just silly. How can someone judge your attainment within something formless through how you look on youtube. Besides, what you talk about in your videos has nothing to do with physical strength.

Although, if you do the form a bit deeper (god Darin, bend those knees!) you'd probably get some good exercise as well. I'm 85 kilos, and all the exercise I get is daily Taiji training. I still have better stamina and physical strenght than everybody I know that doesn't jog on a daily basis.

[izi]

Yes you are a lard ass

[izi]

It's not the way of the budoka to be obsessed with one's appearance. It allows you to become vulnerable to people's remarks and distracts you from the real issues at hand.

I would not call myself a Taiji master, nor would I call you one. For you to be a master you cannot allow yourself to be moved by such petulant remarks.

I don't care for your vain show of insecurity. If you were a child or simply a normal human being I would understand, but for a proposed master it is unacceptable. Why do you think anyone gives a shit about you explaining yourself to some random idiot on the fucking internet?

Nobody cares. Not anyone who matters. You need to get over your body image issues and move on.

[AfterViewer]

:dull:Um.... Proceed with caution, Critiques are not always as productive as the medium is intended. Are those "white kids" wearing "black face" ?

[Taiji Bum]

It's not the way of the budoka to be obsessed with one's appearance. It allows you to become vulnerable to people's remarks and distracts you from the real issues at hand.

I would not call myself a Taiji master, nor would I call you one. For you to be a master you cannot allow yourself to be moved by such petulant remarks.

I don't care for your vain show of insecurity. If you were a child or simply a normal human being I would understand, but for a proposed master it is unacceptable. Why do you think anyone gives a shit about you explaining yourself to some random idiot on the fucking internet?

Nobody cares. Not anyone who matters. You need to get over your body image issues and move on.
It was funny. You can put me on ignore now if you would like. Really, you can. Please.

[izi]

:dull:Um.... Proceed with caution, Critiques are not always as productive as the medium is intended. Are those "white kids" wearing "black face" ?

Are you possibly an idiot?

[AfterViewer]

:o_O:Guess not, picture looks different now, Jolsonesque Aliens, I guess. Beamers, probably. Bad guess. Uh, I guess I'm an idiot. :laugh:

[izi]

That's better Starscream

[Saxarba]

are you just going to take that from her lying down like that AV?

[Samyama]

This whole issue goes back to Yang Cheng-Fu. I linked 2 pictures of him, one as a young man the other when he was in his later years. This caused a lot of people to question if tai chi would lead to obesity.
The thruth is ofcourse, it doesn't. A lot of masters end their career only practicing tai chi, while they in past practiced external boxing systems (which ofcourse require a lot more calories than internal). When you stop a kind of activity and don't reduce your calorie intake the body will store it in fat, thus become bigger. A lot of sportsmen have experienced this.

the young Cheng-Fu (http://www.chipellis.com/Pictures/comparitive-pics/typang_book_early_yang_chen_fu_pics_2_70.jpg)

the elder Cheng-Fu (http://www.chipellis.com/Pictures/comparitive-pics/yang_chen_fu_book_single_whip_2_small1.jpg)

[izi]

Yeah but the older one doesn't look obese to me. Stupid. People are so fucking wrapped up in their body image it makes me puke

[AfterViewer]

:DExcellent dig, Samyama. Have seen video of Masters in their 70's and 80''s doing Kung -fu Form sets where they have kept themselves "limber" and move about , not letting the age of their bodies crimp their style. And of course there are stories of masters in that same age range easily defeating much younger fighters in sparring matches. AV. PS: And, Yes, I'm afraid so, Saxarba, Ha! Did'nt see Naomi's reply until now, I Was asleep at the wheel with my initial observation. Ha!

[izi]

hmmph

[Luke Saint]

http://abrahadabra.com/images/attached/Maitreya.png


must admit - there is some resemblance! :cool:

go buddha-dood! :D

m1



And even at that size, he is STILL laughing!! lol And yes, I know why...:D

[izi]

he's laughing because he's making fun of Taiji Bum

[Taiji Bum]

I actually bought a little statue just like that one Luke Saint in Taiwan. Maybe its a buddha curse? Look he is handing me food... and it looks like cake.

[Samyama]

The thruth is ofcourse, it doesn't. A lot of masters end their career only practicing tai chi, while they in past practiced external boxing systems (which ofcourse require a lot more calories than internal). When you stop a kind of activity and don't reduce your calorie intake the body will store it in fat, thus become bigger. A lot of sportsmen have experienced this. May I point out that you've overlooked something here? :)The problem with your explaination is that it is too mechanical.
You see, tai chi is in nature an alchemical proces. Energies being transformed with a external guise of martial arts. Most of time the movements and postures are executed slowly, but it's aim is stir up the fire of digestion which then can purify the meridians (or nadi's). Odd as it sounds, this happens by a combination of relaxation of the outer muscles and right posture.
Now from firsthand experience you know that a lot of times you stand in a pool of sweat while your movements hardly outpace a snail on steroids. A lot of stuff does get's burned. And with your explaition that couldn't happen, because calories are burned.

One thing is the alchemy does not always happen. When you practice everyday, there are days when it just won't get through layers of mood or boredom. Maybe some masters practiced so much that the repetition diminished the alchemy so it flattened to the point of plain calorie burning.

[AfterViewer]

:DOr, you can always switch to CHEN Style and shake some of the lead out (Alchemical pun). Hee! YouTube- tai ji quan chen style tino wong (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SWx_iydEug&feature=fvw)

[j00lz]

Cheers for that AV
Really enjoyed that video....

I really miss Autumn leaves!

Equatorial winters don't mark such a dramatic change....

+ I'd always wondered how to dance to dubstep !

[frater luciferi]

a fat tai chi master is cool in my books. Means he's good at wat he preaches and ends up with a bit more then just a bowl of rice to munch on every day.

[izi]

like pussy cuz he has a hot girlfriend and shaves

[Ritual_Kiss]

I never got on with the idea that being fat or skinny had anything to do with spiritual mastery of something. Overall physical health is obviously important to magickal practice, but it isn't always a solid indicator of how knowledgeable and well practiced someone is. We aren't talking about body building, after all.

[Filius Fortunae]

Eh, you know the tree by the fruits.

[Ritual_Kiss]

Well then I refer not only to the statue of Buddha that was posted above, but the fact that fat content is not an idicator of health. There are people with high metabolisms who are skinny as hell that never work out, and they are more unhealthy then the fat people who work out 4 times a week for an hour. We are influenced by the medias perception that skinny equals healthy, which isn't necessarily true.

This issue was dealt with in another thread, so I'm just gonna leave it at that.

[AfterViewer]

True on all accounts. NON-issue.