Klutzy? Take Taiji or Ballroom Dancing!

You need balance and agility for rock climbing in the jungle. So how do you train for that? I study Taijiquan, specifically the original Chen style, but any style will do. Ball-room dancing also works. Anybody who can foxtrot with ease across a ballroom has enough balance to jump rocks on the river. If you happen to do both Taiji and ballroom dancing, then one will improve the other.

I’m basically a clumsy and poorly coordinated person. Gerry says that dancing with me is like hauling around a big bag of potatoes. In fact, I used to farm him out to other women at parties because I couldn’t follow him and we would end up fighting. “Just follow me, you idiot”…
“Why can’t you just shut-up and have a good time, you miserable old sod!”
“Go back on your left foot and follow me…what IS it with you???”
“Oh piss off and go dance with Penny…I’m done with you!”

Then we started dancing lessons with a professional – the beautiful and incredibly talented Lucia - and she got us moving together after the first lesson. Want to fire up your marriage? Take private dancing lessons! We learned all the ball room dances – even the Argentine Tango. The important thing is one partner has some sense of rhythm and can lead or back-lead the other. I have no natural rhythm at all so have to work hard at following my partner.

When I started Taiji, it immediately improved my balance and my ability to dance - and to do just about everything else. The mind quiets and the body relaxes.

Taiji is known to have immediate health benefits but requires some 20 plus years of training to truly excel as an internal martial art. This is true. I have been at it for 3 years and am still a beginner. My teacher trained with Master Xhang of Fan’s line in San Francisco but couldn’t truly communicate to me the internal energy for a long time. Partly I wasn’t ready but even then, she had to use Pilates-like descriptions to help me to understand and really get it.

So something happened this morning with Patricia. Suddenly, after 3 years of Taiji training, I felt the chi - impulse circling deep within. It sounds really esoteric but the feeling is real. The energy comes up and circles forward to back or side to side or any gyroscopic circle within and around the dantium – your center core. Your limbs are superfluous but carry out force through yi - attention. The impulse pulls the arms down in neutralizing force and circles up and around to give energy back (to opponent). All motion starts deep inside the center, pulling energy up from earth or down from sky. This is the spiral energy!

Also. The pushing forward always parallels opposite force with back leg pushing foot into the ground. Springing forward is never total commitment. The back foot pushes with opposite force into earth. Or rather, the stretch involves the qua – hip joints shifting through pelvis. The impulse forward circles into backwards. The tree is always rooted.

Does that make sense?

In any case, there is hope for klutzy people – Taiji and/or ballroom dancing!