Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Believe it or not this is actually related to CMA, but I am not exactly how to put what I am thinking into words but here
goes.
I had a discussion with my wife about TCM training the other day we were discussing treatment methods in China as compared to
TCM treatment methods used here. She use to train foreign students in acupuncture at Beijing hospital for the WHO (not the
band the Heath org) and she said the hardest thing to train a westerner in TCM is the TCM way of diagnosis. In TCM in China
you figure out what caused the problem and treat the then treat the problem and the result. And the biggest issue is that in
the west we have all been brought up focusing on treating the result. I have a cold, make it go away ASAP, not what caused
the cold in the first place and treat that so you don’t get it again kind of thing.
In the west if you have a headache take a pill if you have a sore throat take a pill, you have a cold take a pill and so on.
Every headache can have the virtually same cure, take some tylenol. In TCM you look for what caused the headache and not only
treat the headache which is the result but what caused it as well, to much heat to much cold, etc. Because not all headaches
are caused by the same thing. This is a big part of TCM but it is very difficult to teach this to us here in the west since
we are so focused on treating the result. In China it is the cause and the result that tells you what acupuncture points to
use and or what herbal to use. And it can be different and from case to case even though the result “Headache” is the same.
This led me to a thought based in martial arts. Are we so focused on results in MA; becoming a master, getting a black belt,
getting the next rank, being dangerous, etc. that we are missing something in our training. And if that is the case is it
possible to figure it out without the years of cultural training you get in countries like China and Japan just by the fact
someone is born there.
I am not asking are they better martial artists that all depends on the martial artist but are we missing something more
important that we simply cannot get without the cultural background. But then again are they better martial artist based on a
definition of martial arts that is not focused mostly on being a better fighter?
I have 3 sifus, 2 are from China one is from America and all 3 are highly skilled and serious about their chosen style and I
feel I am lucky to train with all 3 but there is a distinct difference in the approach to teaching between the 2 from China
and the one from America. All 3 actually teach differently but I see similarities between the 2 from China more than my
American Sifu.
I may start sounding like a fortune cookie here and if I do let me apologize now… sorry about that. :asian:
But my American sifu is much more direct which in most cases is very good but he seems more focused on result, which is also
good but both my Chinese sifus seem more focused on the process to get there first and the result second. This approach has
led me to much frustration over the years with my Taiji sifu but after my talk with my wife I see that it was and is actually
a good thing. Of course it could also be that neither of my Chinese sifus are teaching to support themselves or their family
and my American Sifu is and I am making more out of this than I should, but I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t this focus on
the result that we have in the west that may be causing us to miss something very important in our training.
And if I knew what I thought that was I would tell you but right now it is just a feeling.
Opinions, thoughts…….
goes.
I had a discussion with my wife about TCM training the other day we were discussing treatment methods in China as compared to
TCM treatment methods used here. She use to train foreign students in acupuncture at Beijing hospital for the WHO (not the
band the Heath org) and she said the hardest thing to train a westerner in TCM is the TCM way of diagnosis. In TCM in China
you figure out what caused the problem and treat the then treat the problem and the result. And the biggest issue is that in
the west we have all been brought up focusing on treating the result. I have a cold, make it go away ASAP, not what caused
the cold in the first place and treat that so you don’t get it again kind of thing.
In the west if you have a headache take a pill if you have a sore throat take a pill, you have a cold take a pill and so on.
Every headache can have the virtually same cure, take some tylenol. In TCM you look for what caused the headache and not only
treat the headache which is the result but what caused it as well, to much heat to much cold, etc. Because not all headaches
are caused by the same thing. This is a big part of TCM but it is very difficult to teach this to us here in the west since
we are so focused on treating the result. In China it is the cause and the result that tells you what acupuncture points to
use and or what herbal to use. And it can be different and from case to case even though the result “Headache” is the same.
This led me to a thought based in martial arts. Are we so focused on results in MA; becoming a master, getting a black belt,
getting the next rank, being dangerous, etc. that we are missing something in our training. And if that is the case is it
possible to figure it out without the years of cultural training you get in countries like China and Japan just by the fact
someone is born there.
I am not asking are they better martial artists that all depends on the martial artist but are we missing something more
important that we simply cannot get without the cultural background. But then again are they better martial artist based on a
definition of martial arts that is not focused mostly on being a better fighter?
I have 3 sifus, 2 are from China one is from America and all 3 are highly skilled and serious about their chosen style and I
feel I am lucky to train with all 3 but there is a distinct difference in the approach to teaching between the 2 from China
and the one from America. All 3 actually teach differently but I see similarities between the 2 from China more than my
American Sifu.
I may start sounding like a fortune cookie here and if I do let me apologize now… sorry about that. :asian:
But my American sifu is much more direct which in most cases is very good but he seems more focused on result, which is also
good but both my Chinese sifus seem more focused on the process to get there first and the result second. This approach has
led me to much frustration over the years with my Taiji sifu but after my talk with my wife I see that it was and is actually
a good thing. Of course it could also be that neither of my Chinese sifus are teaching to support themselves or their family
and my American Sifu is and I am making more out of this than I should, but I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t this focus on
the result that we have in the west that may be causing us to miss something very important in our training.
And if I knew what I thought that was I would tell you but right now it is just a feeling.
Opinions, thoughts…….