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The Great
Ultimate
by Lee Soares |
Study of martial arts builds many skills that translate well to the art of
moving over stone. Having been a student of martial arts for over ten years
now, the skills I have acquired have helped me move the grades. Many people
are familiar with Kempo, Karate, and most other "external" styles of martial
arts. These have their place in the sporting world and give a decent base
of knowledge. However, they do not compare to the "internal" styles, such
as Tai Chi Chuan or "the Great Ultimate fighting art."
Instead of punching and kicking until the cows come home, Tai Chi chooses
to focus more on increasing your awareness and sensitivity, and stilling
the mind. Remaining calm under fire is what will keep you alive in a fight.
It doesn't matter how hard you can hit someone if you don't have the mental
capacity to engage that response, it is a useless skill. When the heartrate
exceeds a certain number of beats per minute, your vision narrows and fine
motor control is greatly diminished. |
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| Tai Chi helps develop a core stillness which keeps the heart rate down
and the muscles relaxed allowing greater coordination throughout the body.
When these skills are brought to the boulders, the results are easy to see.
Whether you are trying to flash a problem or your trying it for the 100th
time, finding the proper state of relaxation is key. Too much tension is
as bad as being flaccid, because neither will help you climb your best.
Sometimes I go through a "form" of a boulder problem before I actually touch
the rock. I not only visualize the moves, but actually move my body into
all the positions of the problem. This is what Tai Chi is, only with fighting
applications instead of climbing movements. Like a fighting application,
a boulder problem may have many variations. Crimp left, then high step and
rock over may be one, but without a reservoir of skills to choose from you
may be lost. Skills can only be acquired through training. It doesn't matter
which you choose, it just matters that you make a choice. There are many
valid paths to take, Tai Chi is mine.
The body is a whole unit, it should be trained as one. Don't break it down
into separate parts but focus on the total body inside and out. Power should
be measured by total body coordination and unity. Being connected with all
points of the body; this is strength.
I hung up my fighting gloves years ago, but my climbing shoes, never! The
balance that Tai Chi brings is very valuable to me. I can't see not doing
the forms each day, to stretch, to open my joints, and to be healthy. The
many benefits of this system are too numerous to list. Helping me climb for
years to come is just one. Being able to defend myself is another. |
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I dare not claim mastery of either of these wonderful arts, for to do so
would imply limits. Just as there are no limits to the power that can be
gained through Tai Chi, I believe that there are no limits to what can be
done on stone as well.
If you are interested in beginning study in Tai Chi, you must seek a competent
master. Tai Chi was first developed as a fighting art, not as meditation
or a cultural dance. A real master will convey this message as well as be
able to demonstrate any technique in the system. It is better to search for
a year to find the right teacher, than to train for a year under an inferior
one. |
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| For more information on Tai Chi, check out these books:
Complete Book of Tai Chi by Stewart McFarlane and Mew
Hong Tan and
Beginning Tai Chi by Tri Thong Dan. |
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