Today we met as a group at Ling’s Oriental Martial Arts up in Noblesville to learn self-defense techniques and Tai Chi. When we first walked in, we were required to takeoff our shoes and put them in a bin next to the door. Master Ling didn’t explain to us the importance of being barefoot, but from my understanding it is common practice to not wear shoes inside a dojo.
To show our respect to the practice of martial arts, we were instructed to enter the mat by entering at a corner and bowing towards the center. Once we were on the mat, we were not allowed to leave unless we went back to a corner and bowed again. Master Ling explained that if you’re on, you’re on, and if you’re off, you’re off. We then took place in a group warmup. For two minutes we jogged around the outside of the mat at a steady pace before turning around and running in the other direction. Next, we did some slides and other agilities before lining up in the middle of the mat. We finished the warmup by doing two rounds of jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups. The first round consisted of 25 jumping jacks, 10 push-ups, and 10 sit-ups, while the second round was 10-15 jumping jacks, 5 push-ups, and 5 sit-ups.
After the warmup, Master Ling talked to us for about a half hour about both his past and the history of martial arts, particularly Tai Chi. When Master Ling immigrated to the United States from China about 30 years ago, he was amazed at how advanced our road system was. However, it is interesting to note how much China has evolved over the years and how fast the country is growing. He said that if he were to go back to China, the roles would be reversed and he would be amazed at how advanced the China transportation system is compared to that of the United States. Before we started learning and practicing a couple moves, Master Ling briefly mentioned why people practice Tai Chi. Not only is it good for self-defense, but it is also a good form of meditation and has many health benefits. It was also explained to us that in Tai Chi, there is not a single winner. In a sport such as karate, one person wins and the other loses. In Tai Chi, however, the goal is not to hurt each other. For example, if someone throws a strike, it is meant to be defended and countered by the opponent. To me, this reflects Daoist beliefs and practices in Chinese culture that we have discussed in class. For example, the idea of yin and yang and how two forces can counterbalance each other to complement one another.
The self-defense moves that Master Ling ended up showing us were much more directed towards the girls, as they probably should be. He would sample the moves on the guys, and then we would pair up with the girls so that they could practice the moves on us. Although it was a fun experience, it was actually a rather painful experience for the males in attendance. Before we left, Master Ling was nice enough to give us two different demonstrations – one using a fan and the other using a sword. The one with the fan was much more eloquent, while the one with the sword was more aggressive, involving many swings and strikes. When he was finished with his demonstrations, we all thanked him for his time before bowing with him to show him our respect. We then headed to the corner of the mat to bow again so that we could exit the mat to leave the dojo.