Don’t Try This At Home!

Some years ago we were hanging out with a friend and he picked up a coffee table martial arts book to flick through its pages. Given the time period it was probably Chris Crudelli’s martial arts encyclopaedia which was a chunky tome released around that time. Our friend read the disclaimer which had a don’t try this at home type theme and he commented that it made him want to try it more. This is the correct response. Incidentally we don’t see much of that particular friend any more, he was an unintentional energy vampire and very difficult to be around.

It is a bizarre irony that many martial arts books that are explicitly training manuals come with a similar disclaimer. Of course this is partly legal back covering but there is also a strong sense that it has an element of elitism.

We have discussed previously the notable phenomenon that “made up” systems are easier to tap in to than lineage heavy arts. A facet of this phenomenon is that training guides, whatever form they may come in, that have gaps, mistakes or are otherwise flawed, often produce remarkable practitioners. Of course there will be some casualties on the way who can’t work with something other than paint-by-numbers instruction but for those that can there are advantages.

This is very much the case with Franz Bardon’s Initiation Into Hermetics. IIH is a compilation of notes put together after Franz Bardon’s death so inherently has a requirement to go beyond the written instruction and endeavour to inhabit his mindset in order to apply the material. This appears to be the system of choice for those taking a Western hermetic approach to Tai Chi/Chi Kung though didn’t end up being our end point for powering our system. It was a little bit too obtuse and slow acting for our liking but this is a reflection on us not Franz Bardon’s remarkable legacy.

Let’s look at a controversial real world martial arts/internal alchemy example and we may as well name names. Specifically Mantak Chia’s Universal Healing Tao system which is probably the most prevelant example that exhibits the traits discussed. This is much debated online, particularly on the Dao Bums forum. There are lots of third hand anecdotes about individuals who have injured themselves working with this stuff either from the books/dvds or in person instruction. There is little detail shared around what the specific issues with the system are or who the afflicted individuals are. Note that we are not making comment here on any social dynamics or other issues within the organisation, just purely the work itself. And this is just one example of many in the western world, we don’t have any experience to be able to comment on what is going on any further east than Europe. So we are not particularly picking on this system, it is one of many, but does seem to be particularly low hanging fruit.

The majority view according to “the internet” is that the Universal Healing Tao system as a whole is a synthesis of various Taoist practices that do not necessarily work together well, have some inaccuracies or issues and are not necessarily practiced by the group in the way they are published or even practiced at all by any of the instructors or students. Certainly many people suggest that the main man himself does few of the practices (that being said we couldn’t say with honesty that we have touched every practice in our syllabus in the last year or so). This situation forces the aspirant to look very carefully at the practices and assess, amend and fill in the gaps accordingly. If you want a starter for ten try keeping your shoulders where they should be in their sockets, spine held naturally, fill all of the lungs and focus on natural relaxation. At face value much of the instruction involves clenching the rear end and pelvic floor alongside every action like somebody who had the reduced to clear supermarket sushi the night before. Kegels have their value both mechanically and energetically speaking but overuse is the root of some of the issues.

However with this winding path up the mountain as opposed to the more direct route, assuming you can avoid falling on the way, the view from the top is particularly rewarding. Of course we strongly suggest that you don’t try this at home!