Cast
GrandMaster Fu Sheng Yuan and Master James
Sifu and Simu
G9- Gandi
DS- Devraj Sanyal
S- Sirish
PS - Priya Srivastava
RS- Rohit Srivastava
KG - Kaustav Guha
G - Ganesh
M - Mala
N – Neelima
S and S – Sathya and S
SFDN - Saifuddin
SK – Sachidev Kumar
SS- Sarvanakumar
NL- Nischol
Day 1 (5 March 2010)
The Tai Chi retreat had been a great experience and I do not quite put words to what touched me most but nonetheless I would take a shot at it. Why have we come to love the art of Yang Taijiquan? The reasons may be varied but we all have to come to love it. In my experience the practice of 85 forms has become an indispensible part of my life style and is a necessary ritual for me to function in this literally mad hectic world. It charges the body in the morning and there is enough energy to enjoy the simplest things in life at the end of the day. But the retreat tops all that. I am not alone in smiling at anything and everything and cracking the dumbest jokes for the heck of it like an idiot while and after the retreat. So many ridiculously passionate arguments over nothing! Thinking about which I smile and I knew that the grand ultimate Qi was flowing through my meridians like grade 1 white water torrent. I would share all those nonsensical-non-nonsensical gibberish that transpired in the course of my fooling around with that unfortunate lot who had to put up with me, juxtaposing with what transpired in the sessions.
The WarmUp
After the drive from Central over the beautiful ECR with G9 by me side, PS and RS at the back seat the entry to Temple Bay was "HERE IT IS- I am finally here and despite &^@%$%$$ I made it YES". G9 was almost a devotee of Sifu and shared some of his earliest experiences and about driving. That was short intro and pretty much sometimes you meet very interesting people and then they are unknown again. Sifu and Simu were really on the swords edge and this was to be pretty much throughout the retreat first of which is happening right there when I called my wife and extending commiserations - "How Sad that you couldn't make it" and "I miss You". The property is beautiful and as a Bengalurite I found Chennai COOL not that the beautiful Firangs who greeted us with a "Vanakkam" had anything to do with it. The rooms weren't ready and I suspect that with their 5 ishtarr procedure of cleaning up the room for 80 odd people is a rarity.
“DS: Can you see an ELECTRON?”
Thus began the night one of the retreat. This was an argument that had been simmering for quite some time given my philosophical disposition regarding fundamental aspects of life in general- the author of this statement does not believe any system that will lead us to the truth be it organized religion or science. Any system is a pair of crutches that we rely on to understand what truth is but we can never stand the truth unless we forsake those very crutches. Obviously with the flowing Chi in our meridian (KG, DS and S) decided to have a serious intellectual head butting. So much so that the Chi spilled over the balcony of room #136 rattling unsuspecting passersby of which G and M responded and there Qi rattled us back. The gist of it
KG: To understand electricity one cannot rely on mere abstractions in physics
DS : So can you see an electron?
KG: Electron is a mere abstraction but not what IS
G and M: Who’s UP THERE?
DS, KG: Oh uhh errrr sorry did we bother you ?????
Bangalore Crowd
We at Bangalore come to the Tai Chi Class like a thief and leave surreptitiously. Its almost like a secret society so secret that our very presence in the class is a secret to ourselves. The retreat thawed this super-cooled chill amongst us, more on that later. The Day 1 was super good.
Day 2 (6 March 2010)
Sunrise Tai Chi
Mornings and at 4 AM. 4 AM? You ask what on Earth was I doing at 4 in the morning with S and S deep in their slumbers. I brought my @$%^& !& work to the retreat. In 2 hours the sunrise TaiChi was to commence. And I was in the balcony facing the pool I was looking at the ripples on the water which I think was the state of my mind right at that time. How reflecting!!
At 5:30 I am out on a waking spree, waking S and S, DS, S, G.
DS: “Why? Why? Why Mr Guha? Why? Why do you persist?
KG: “Because I choose to” ……
DS: Shut Up…I dreamt electrons last night because of you.
I had done my damage the next mission-finding the lawn on the beach.
Story Time
It was just past the Sunrise TaiChi, I see this small group looking at me and N practicing sword and the saber, more at N than me. Oh I had to make an impression right so there was quite a load to keep up with the forms. Well the group was impressed (they are only too kind) and thus began some interesting exchange of stories. The group had SFDN, SK, and others.
-Story 1: What is Zen?
Once upon a time, there had been a Zen practitioner though he had a business of his own and quite successful at that Zen for him was really a fad. But the more he got into it more bewildered he became. Then one day he could take it no more. He approached his master and harassed him “For Heaven’s sake what is Zen?” No matter what the master said couldn’t pacify the student. Finally the master said “If you want to know Zen then meet my master. He would be walking by the road on the mountain reaching the shrine. Meet him and he will tell you what Zen is. The student reached the appointed place and waited for the master’s arrival. Nobody arrived except a laborer with a heavy sack on his back. He waited for many days and he enquired people passing by, except the laborer, but everybody was negative to his query. Finally one day he asked the laborer whether he knew his master and he nodded yes. Then finally the student asked the master “It is bothering me for quite some time but what is Zen?” To this the laborer dropped his sack and was all relaxed with a serene face. The student was bewildered he asked him “What does it mean?” to which the laborer immediately picked up the sack and placed it on his back and walked away…
Some in the crowd got it and went Ahhhhh…and some went “What does it mean?” still carrying the burden
-Story 2: The Beggar
SK is a Rotary Club member and was distributing food and met a beggar once in his social missions. He gave him some sambar rice and other accompaniments to which the Beggar replied with a smile “What is this lunch?” and SK acknowledged him in the positive. The beggar had small morsel and gave it back to SK and said keep this in your pooja room. SK was moved, this is very odd, and nonetheless he took it his home and kept in the pooja room. A day passed the food was not spoiled and still the same, 2 days and 3 days passed and it was still the same it just wouldn’t go bad. Finally SK himself had a morsel and left the mystery alone.
-Story 3: The Wretched Lady from Assam
There was once a man quite accomplished in his life but as is life goes he had cancer. The doctor did not give him much hope and obviously of no help. His spiritual guru asked him to go to Kanyakumari and meet this tobacco chewing Assamese lady. She was with the dogs and living the very basic life. He religiously meets her and before he could introduce himself properly she asked how his guru was doing. After the small talk she gave her spit to him and asked to chew it and have dip in the sea and go home- “All problems will go away”. He does precisely that and he is fully recovered.
With that very warm exchange of stories we left to our rooms feeling something quite different.
With a quick bath we hit the breakfast halls and feasting on the sumptuous.
-Story 4: The Beautiful Sword
The most beautiful of sword is always sheathed.
28 forms and the pressure points and push hands with the GrandMaster
The description of the pressure points at either ends of the wrist is what we dealt in the 28 forms corrections. This aspect of pressure points was very illuminating at least for the seniors. I hope everybody is seriously incorporating the conscious awareness of the pressure points in their practice. And next was the Tin-Jin and my partner for the day SS. The Tin-Jin in Day-2 was a lot clearer than the usual single hand push hands and the sticky hands. I will admit I wanted bask in the masters presence and I was looking for every opportunity to interact though not risking being a pest. I pressed SS to practice as GrandMaster was just around making his rounds and then the moment I was waiting. Push hands with the GrandMaster, WOW it was surreal at his age to have the sensitivity shamed mine. That was a high point. I am not going to wash my hands that were privileged to be corrected by the Master himself. DS and I and I hope we are not alone we wondered why there should be any break. We just couldn’t have enough of it.
QA
The QA started with my query on single whip and Master James at his elements. He explained about the tail bone tucking in during the turning on the heel for single whip and his antics in explaining was hilarious- “You need to come to the bathroom to understand”. The high point of the QA was NL’s question on step up parry and punch. NL a big burly guy is stopped in his tracks by solid stance of Master James, Oh awesome stuff. NL was made to understand the meaning of his own name- stillness. The significance of why 85 forms is right side dominant (because liver being on the right side) and the other questions were placeholders compared to what was to follow- the history behind simplified Yang being the stuff of chicken fight rather than any real martial art. Oh this is serious Tai Chi at its very best.
Camaraderie of Bangalore
This was a great opportunity of serious bonding of the Bangalore contingent. Bangaloreans are a busy lot and the 3-4 hr of Tai Chi leaves very little time of any meaningful socializing. I discovered a lot of interesting things to learn about each of them. Ladies and Gentleman presenting to you the Bangalore contingent
Ramesh: I love to get on his nerves he is one serious Tai Chi and Buddhism freak. Imagine to check out the lawn of the Sunrise Tai Chi one must actually check it out by practicing 85 forms at 7 PM after the day’s toll on the body. Imagine that he is the person. Imagine, wouldn’t you love to get on his nerves. Every word or gesture of the GrandMaster Fu’s or Master James is as if the Buddha’s sermon at Bodh-Gaya. Mind you tread with caution with this guy, as far as internal martial art is concerned he is an expert of Xingyi and Bagua and always getting in contests with Harold is a testimony enough.
Krishna Kumar: KK, we call him. This guy has a hearty laugh and this makes pulling Ramesh’s leg even more enjoyable when you have a discerning audience such as KK. A Taekwondo expert you have one serious martial arts practitioner in him. He loves pulling Ramesh’s leg and you would understand when I say – “Jab mil baithe Teen Yaar, KK, main aur Ramesh Sir”.
Anand: I discovered a great friendship in him only at the Retreat. I had a brief and forgettable introduction at Bangalore. This man is an ace Tennis player and an ex-Karateka and has a big zest for life. You sit with him and if your wavelength matches the resonance is going to shatter any ear drum.
Devraj Sanyal- He is my philosophical adversary as is apparent, quintessential Agent Smith to this Neo, Tai Chi researcher who is not going to stop at nothing. He is going to go beyond the 4 quadrants of Tai Chi. A hearty Bengali whose is a vegetarian by choice?!!??!!!!! He hails from a family of freedom fighters who are accomplished in traditional stick fighting. Software engineer and loves his work. A astute student of Ramesh needless to say where the antagonism for me comes from.
Sirish- He is an introspective, much wiser for his age, sensitive, philosopher, jazz, blues, rock keyboardist and guess what 19 years of age. He is silent but listens and actually can stand me as a person. I can’t pull this fellow’s leg at all. I can’t believe it. He is one grand old man in a late teen’s body that is as far as I can get to pulling his leg.
Meera- A contemporary dancer, yoga enthusiast and in the hunt for spiritual bliss are all Meeras in the world like the Original or rather Authentic Meera Bai. Needless to say her Tai Chi is in her list of spiritual exploration. Exudes youthful exuberance and would you believe, she is a Mother of an 8 eight year old.
Venky – He is into Tai Chi for spirituality and philosophy. A person who is very clear about life in general. He picked up his 85 in a jiffy. If he hangs around there is lot in Tai Chi for him.
Murali- A top exec in a top company. He got 11 adverts for the retreat. A down to earth person, Tai Chi, Yoga enthusiast and has a zest for life.
Neelima- A very warm, kind and a mother-figure of our Bangalore contingent. Konkani studied in Shantiniketan has chaste Bengali tongue and a great baker. A perfectionist in 85 and her favorite the weapons. So choose you weapons carefully.
Priya and Rohit- They celebrated there anniversary in the Retreat Rohit is a hardcore Yoga and a Tai Chi enthusiast. Fearless and is sensitive about many issues that are plaguing our lifestyle – GM foods, stress in work and many others. As I am writing this please welcome Priya into our Tai Chi family no doubt the Retreat played a major part in convincing Priya to take up Tai Chi.
Shreeguru- One of the very senior students of our academy. Into lot of Yoga and as Neelima and I discovered into cooking with practically no oil and no salt???!!!!???
No oil and no salt??!!??
SaravanaKumar – S for short. Ex-Karateka and was pretty much busy with the sessions and his family, father of a cute girl with Happy Feet. Despite all that a serious Tai Chi practitioner and my push hands partner.
No oil and no salt??!!??
Santosh- Not much about him a silent and up to himself was a Chennai student and a Harold Rose protégé.
Sifu and Simu- They belong to Bangalore. Not much to say you all know them. The first couple of the academy and the reason why we are together.
No oil and no salt??!!??
Wanna Wanna Wanna WANNA
The dinner had a rock band singing my favorites “Cocaine”, “Smoke on water” and “We don’t need no education” and were murdering them, but somehow their innocence, youth and exuberance made it sound NICE. But they were good in their originals and a particular crowd favorite “Wanna” the Bangalore crowd obviously the most discerning rock audience enjoyed and even shook to some atrocious, pathetic leg, hand and hip movements, I wouldn’t call it dancing, I would call it… never mind that wouldn’t sound politically correct. But it was fun, really fun, really really fun stuff. Mind you the Chennai lot was equally culpable of dancers and was party to the crime.
Day 3 (7 March 2010)
So today is the end to the trilogy. Or is it really the beginning of something new. The question is
“How Can You Keep a dew drop from losing?”
All of our destinies made us meet. We all come from different backgrounds and we are together in the Radisson Temple Bay resort learning from the Masters. The swimming pool waters are calm today, and by this time you would know that I am talking about myself when I say that. In two hours the Sunrise TaiChi will start with Master James.
Master James makes a Rooster call in the Golden Cock Stance. It was funny but I was not laughing. I was amazed at the solidity of his stance; he was put like a statue. Today’s Sunrise TaiChi had an musical accompaniment. Dr. Himanshu Vaz had this very beginning of the day relaxed music and it was quite apt with all the graceful moves we have with Tai Chi. What I am talking about is the external significance. Anybody who would witness the event would have been mesmerized. Internally I cared only about not falling and not screwing up my forms. Keeping up with Master James is by far not easy at all. He is so much in control and his movements are so solid and so very well defined. I was sweating profusely at the end of it. Good thing was that I was at the corner and I enjoyed all the space around me without the dreadful dread of bumping into another.
You could see Master James sweating so much so he almost had a puddle to drown in. We had an impromptu QA at the end of the Sunrise Tai Chi, I think there were some interesting questions but it flew over the stratosphere not an altitude where my brain flies. But this was all that I could gather from those moments. Chinese associate an animal out of the twelve they have to every hour of the day. When GrandMaster Fu and Master James practice it is the hour of the Rat which is 11-12 pm. At that hour there is a lot of energy scurrying all around that begins with the ending of a slumbering pig, 10-11 pm, which Master James says his wife calls him one. Goes to show what all wives think about their beloved husbands regardless of who they are even if one has Mastered Taijiquan. If you are shocked let me assure you it is Master James in his hilarious elements. For those who have the apprehension of being branded as part of the loony tunes practicing at that hour you settle for a practice when the sun rises, at the hour of the rabbit the furry distant cousin of the rat, and more in tune with Indian sensibilities of exercise. Dr. Vaz had a question and it was all medical with brain circuits and all that Master James couldn’t understand. I thought there was something interesting to understand. I did not understand no point talking about it. But I liked being in his presence and so did all of us who were there. We just liked it- all that leg pulling of Master James. This I understand.
Push Hands
The rolling hands practice on day 3 really clarified the push hands like never before- Having the privilege to do push hands with the GrandMaster Fu on day 2 and now the cherry on the cake push-hands with Master James. Its lot of hard work and one needs to have a very strong and flexible lower body. I do not yet know how to fathom what I have learnt in these days but the experience has only made me lot more curious and serious about Tai Chi. But one thing a veil has been lifted in these 3 days at the retreat, Tai Chi is a Martial Art and beyond those meridians and esoteric gibberish, beyond those abstractions and images. There is a lot of hard work and toil ahead mastering this body and these senses to really know what Tai Chi is.
85 forms
“launch away”->”Sit back”->”lei”->”Chi”->”Again” I lost count of how many times GrandMaster Fu ordered and we obeyed. Again and again and again… It goes to show what it takes to be perfect, practice and practice and practice and …This we did but the journey is far from over as it would become apparent on the lunch table.
FaJIng
We practiced FaJing and Master James had an interesting story to share. Sometime in the early 90’s the Chinese Media had come to GrandMaster Fu’s house. GrandMaster Fu demonstrated push hands with his then nineteen year old son Master James. GrandMaster got a little to excited that he threw Master James to wall like a piece of meat. Master James whispered to GrandMaster Fu that “I can’t go on anymore” but GrandMaster just went ahead with even more push hands and even more plops on the wall. Later that night Master James coughed blood and an internal bleeding and luckily their family prepare traditional Chinese medicine and in this case Shanchi powder was administered to Master James. This helped but it took Master James 3 months to recover. Mrs. Fu, Master James’ mother was all furious “How could you do this to your own son”. Later on Master James took his complaint to GrandMaster Fu to which GrandMaster Fu said only this much “You know Kung Fu?”
Kalari
There was a Kalari demonstration and I wouldn’t believe Asan of 72 year old could be so quick, flexible and so fierce. His students would almost wet in their pants when sparring with him. It was amazing. Then there was cultural exchange of Master James demonstrating Saber. All this was so amazing that in the words of the Dragon Warrior Po the Panda we were blinded by the overexposure to pure awesomeness.
Lunch Time
I admit I am a pest. I wanted to go where GrandMaster went, I wanted to sit with him and lunch and dine regardless of whether he called Mala as MOLA HA HA HA. Well I don’t mind having a Cantonese equivalent of my name. Thanks to the non-pests in the Bangalore contingent I too became a non-pest. However I was dying to be one. I invited Master James to lunch at our table and the non-pests were thanking me though wouldn’t care to admit it then or later. He regaled us with the stories of his experiences, his student winning an Olympic medal in 2008 (Wushu-Taijiquan), about his tryst in the media, teaching experiences. Needless to say his food was getting cold. He is one fun loving person and would crack anybody anytime with jokes and anecdotes, he had us in splits. The best part was what came out of the conversation on massaging GrandMaster Fu’s back. He said that his and Sifu’s fingers would hurt so strong was GrandMaster’s Fu’s back. He looked at me and said “You touch his back (pointing to DS’ back) and go touch GrandMaster Fu’ back”. For a moment I thought is that actually happening. I went to GrandMaster Fu with a fear of not offending him lest I would be a piece of meat on the wall. I took his permission and touched his back. Compared to the soft and cushy back of DS’ GrandMaster Fu’s back was as hard as a piece of Granite; I am not under any influence of alcohol or psychotropic drugs when I say that. He laughed his signature hearty laugh “HA HA HA” and then goes “TOUCH TOUCH” pointing to his forearm, it was three times my forearm and as hard as a ROCK. Then he again went again “HA HA HA” as if pointing me and saying “See Kid I am the Master, you are a Kid and continue to be one so HA HA HA”. But whatever happened was a dream and I even started laughing like him “HA HA HA”.
Photo OP
The photo Op. In the official group photograph you could see me seated 3 seats to the right of Simu. Where Master James goes humor follows. He swapped his wife for Simu and Simu boy she blushed the entire crowd was all in splits. Master James goes “that is a good exchange”. Simu would kill me next time she comes to Bangalore I am sure for bringing this up. After saying CHEESE we head back to complete the 85 forms correction.
Sword and Saber
We were just about to start the weapons and Master James noticed me carrying wooden sword and saber. He talked about the jin not travelling the length of the wooden sword and getting reflected from the handle itself. He demonstrated the Jin travelling the sword and rattling the tip. He asked me to do the same I did and the tip wouldn’t rattle. He goes “See, the sword doesn’t listen to you. Do it harder”. I redeemed by pride by going at it harder and rattling the tip. Then he demonstrated that he could rattle the tip without thrusting the sword. He would just hold the sword and the jin would emit out of his hands and rattle the tip. This was out of the ordinary and I was amazed. I go to KK and share my sorrow- “The sword doesn’t listen to me, my wife doesn’t listen to me” to which KK replied “and in my case my kids don’t listen to me”. I vowed then that one day I will have a real sword.
We had so little time for sword, so much got crammed into that time that my head was reeling. Master James himself felt that. Nonetheless that is the best we could do at that time. We went into saber and finished a routine. GrandMaster Fu suddenly out of the blue called everybody to grab any stick, hilt sword whatever and made them practice the saber. He just put everybody in a spot and we all did the first few forms. Again and again and again and…
Souvenier, Certificates and the closing
It dawned on us like all good things come to an end so would this retreat and all the happy memories from these three days would be revisited again and again and again …
My article “Discovering One’s Self”, of course edited to suit the fine discerning taste of the audience made it into the souvenir. I was shocked; the editors must have had a nightmare with that piece. The souvenir was too good. It looked like a top class coffee table book. The graphics were amazing and so were the articles and hats off to the Chennai Team to have brought it out so well and being such a gracious host to the proceedings that transpired. We got the certificates and the souvenir and were beat.
Dinner
This would be the last dinner under the star lit sky. A Bharatanatyam performance by kids with our Masters enjoying it thoroughly, explanation of who or what a Bengali is by DS- “Orey Baba Akashe Koto Tara” (translate: Oh My God The Sky has so many Stars), plans for the next day to head home or to check out the nearby lonely planet must see, and many such conversations dotted the night. I felt a bit light inside and the sea is just a distance away. So many good experiences- Master James’ jokes, GrandMaster Fu’s HA HA HA and the bonding in the Bangalore group. I just wanted to stop time and stay with the feeling of being in presence of the masters needless to say an infantile idea finding its root in my head. The time moves on what it will make me I know not. I know this much that I am very curious right that very moment something that will carry me more and more into the depths of the Yang Style Taijiquan ever getting into the depths until I get to realize the answer to question that began the Day 3 journey.
“How Can You keep a dew drop from losing?”
By throwing it into the Sea.
The Bangalore crowd ended the night doing a group meditation facing
the Bay of Bengal.
the Bay of Bengal.
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