A while back we were working on the phrase "I... don't understand... yet... I'm open" Which is kind of a cool non-mantra mantra which can be interpreted and expressed many different ways.
This Sunday, as we were finding ourselves in the moment, the idea of "I know" came up with its buddy "I don't know" and this found it's way (as things often do at the School) into a push-hands demonstration. Now, at the school we talk about the difference between "brace" and "internal strength" a lot. Now, the brace idea is basically locking your body into the strongest possible linear structure in opposition to a force, whereas true internal strength has much more freedom and flexibility inherent in it. Brace is strong, but tends toward rigidity.
So we're pushing hands a bit, and my partner is showing what happens when "I know" starts to creep in. As soon as you commit rigidly to one way of doing something, as soon as you say "I know" and stop paying attention, you get stuck. This is when brace shows up. Saying "I know" locks you in. It's "dead post".
Now contrast this with the statement "I don't know" in the sense of "I don't understand yet I'm open" and you get more of a process going on that's connected to the moment. Relating in this way leads to a more internal push hands expression.
Wujifa is all about connection - how are you connecting? We play with refining our connections so that we will experience unity - both in our bodies and in our lives.
