Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts Blog

Investing in Loss - How Losing Your Ego in Practice Allows You to Win

chen tai chi training training Jun 17, 2013

One of the more interesting concepts I learned when I started in Chen Taiji is the concept of "investing in loss." It was a foreign concept, but over time, I embraced it.

When you invest in loss, you check your ego at the door. This can apply to any learning situation, but it is mostly applied in push hands. You experiment against your opponent and learn what works and what doesn't. You learn what's effective and what isn't.

Your goal in practice is not to win. Your goal is to prepare yourself to win when your life depends on it. So your opponent may get the advantage of you. So what? The question you should focus on is not, "Did I win?"

The proper question is, "What did I learn?"

After you try it again and again, the logical next question is, "Have I improved?"

Some people describe "investing in loss" as allowing an opponent to attack while you appear defenseless. For me, that description doesn't work. Pretending to be weak and luring in an opponent so you can lower the boom ...

Focus on the Moon, Not the Teacher -- Taiji, Xingyi, Bagua Advice

chen tai chi training chen taiji training internal arts training Apr 13, 2013

There is a Zen proverb -- When a master points at the moon, many people never see the moon, they only look at the master.

Bruce Lee said it in a slightly different way, when he told the student, "It is like a finger pointing a way to the moon." When the student gazes at his hand, Bruce slaps his head and says, "Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory."

I've been very busy since the Chen Xiaoxing workshop on Xinjia Yilu two weeks ago and haven't written much about it since that time. Instead of writing, I've been practicing the movements we went through in Chicago. It has been on my mind a lot.

The workshop was a great experience, and it was organized in a way that promoted learning. In workshops past, I would scribble as many notes as possible during breaks or at the end of the day, trying to remember the little details. In this workshop, remembering wasn't a problem.

Chen Xiaoxing would demonstrate a sequence of movements several times -- slowly --...

Chen Xiaoxing and Xinjia Yilu -- A Good Workshop in Chicago

chen family taijiquan chen tai chi training chen taiji training chen xiaoxing tai chi workshops Apr 01, 2013

Chen Xiaoxing coaches me through a movement from Xinjia Yilu in Chicago, March 31, 2013.

This weekend, I attended a workshop held in Chicago by Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing, who was teaching Xinjia Yilu. I've received some instruction on the form, including a little information from my friend and teacher Jim Criscimagna and also a short private lesson with Chen Xiaoxing's son, Chen Ziqiang. I still had questions about how to perform certain moves.

Chen Xiaoxing -- who just turned 60 (and so did I) -- is the younger brother of Chen Xiaowang. He stayed in our home for a week when Nancy and I sponsored his visa in 2006, allowing him to come to the U.S. for a series of workshops. He held one in the school we owned at the time, and trained with me in our basement for a week. It was a lot of fun and I got some great insights. He didn't speak a word of English and I didn't speak Mandarin, but we managed.

He recognized me on Saturday and we had a brief exchange through the interpreter at t...

Ken Gullette's Internal Fighting Arts

Investing in Loss - How Losing Your Ego in Practice Allows You to Win

Focus on the Moon, Not the Teacher -- Taiji, Xingyi, Bagua Advice

Chen Xiaoxing and Xinjia Yilu -- A Good Workshop in Chicago

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