|
|
Master Klein's Articles
-
|
We usually create new classes for beginners each September. I need your input about which classes you would like and at which times and days. Class #1 – Tai-chi Yang Short Form. The slow, relaxing movements most people think of as Tai-chi. Class...
|
-
|
The Tai-chi weekend festival at Bruce La Carrubba’s 23 acre home in Wantage, New Jersey, was an incredible success. Many talented teachers provided a choice of three workshops on Tai-chi per time period, so that it was difficult to choose which...
|
-
|
In many cultures the circle is a symbol of power. The circle can represent seniors giving their lifetime of knowledge, wisdom and skills, back to the next generation. In our culture, the emphasis is on constant change, and the knowledge and skills of...
|
-
|
The yearly Tai-chi Park Festival is a celebration of Tai-chi, of Jou, Tsung Hwa's birthday (founder of the original Tai-chi Farm) and a chance to take incredible workshops with many Tai-chi teachers in a beautiful mountain setting. Wandering among...
|
-
|
As we move into Spring you might expect to become more energetic. Yet many people feel tired at the change of each season. The Spring brings pollen and even if you are not allergic, your body fights against pollen’s foreign protein and this requires...
|
-
|
“In the tradition quickened by the Celestine Prophecy , Bob Klein takes us to places at once far away, intimate, strange and familiar. The beauty is in the lush regions, cultures and cosmologies it describes, and in the invisible realms it remarkably...
|
-
|
One of the greatest benefits of practicing Tai-chi and Zookinesis is that you experience life more intensely. Your body seems much more alive. Your senses and your mind are sharper. You can feel the living energy of your surroundings. Students often say,...
|
-
|
Remember that if you click onto "blogs" above you will see these same articles but with a "more" button at the bottom of the page. Click onto the "more" button for many more articles....
|
-
|
Two new senior exercise DVD's are available in the Zookinesis series: 1. Chair Exercises for Flexibility and Strength and 2. Chair Exercises for Weight Reduction. Visit the "Online Store" and click on the "Health and Fitness" section...
|
-
|
The universe takes place all by itself. Our body functions all by itself. Between the two we sit, and wonder how to interfere with these processes. We want both the world around us and the world of the body inside of us to give us what we want –...
|
-
|
The healing principles of Tai-chi identify habits as one of the most destructive forces leading to the deterioration of the body. These principles explain the underlying cause of those habits and how to resolve them. We all know that drug habits and eating...
|
-
|
Several of my students over the years have worked with autistic children and have had great success in applying Tai-chi and Zookinesis principles. Our discussions of their experiences have led me to an understanding of autism that I believe can benefit...
|
-
|
A new class in Tai-chi and Zookinesis exercise has begun Thursdays at 7pm. All are welcome! You can contact the Tai-chi-Chuan School at 631 744-5999. The school is in Sound Beach, Long Island (Sound Beach is located between Rocky Point and Mount Sinai)....
|
-
|
The many ancient cultures I have studied all seem to agree on the secret to obtaining great wealth and power. They also agree as to how we have been robbed of our power as individuals. Even nature, herself blatantly reveals this power to us. When I used...
|
-
|
Tai-chi-Chuan teaches you how to avoid attack on the street and to make it difficult for a sparring partner to defeat you in class. Even if you are not strong or are not used to fighting, there are ways you can thwart the attacker’s efforts. A mugger...
|
-
|
Tai-chi approaches to health and healing is based on preventing and reversing the aging process. It is based on understanding the underlying causes of the deterioration of body and mind and providing simple exercises to stay young and active. The principle...
|
-
|
Fear is like a dragon, chasing us and trying to grab us. It controls our behavior by making us run away from it. Zookinesis and other Taoist training provides a way to turn fear into power and joy. Fear is the closed door to the palace of beauty. We do...
|
-
|
My doctor told me that it was unusual for a 60 year old man not to be on prescription drugs. That shocked me. Apparently most people my age take several drugs on a regular basis. Does this mean that we are an advanced society because we have invented...
|
-
|
Kano tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to a movement beneath some dead branches. "That is a paca. Go and get it." I walked over to the spot and discovered a paca which seemed to be full grown - about 25 pounds. But as soon as I approached...
|
-
|
The next morning at breakfast Kano took a small portion of his meal and threw it away. He did this at every meal. I always assumed there was dirt on that portion. But his persistence in this behavior finally caught my curiosity. "Kano, why do you...
|
-
|
The new novel, The Doubting Snake, by Bob Klein has just been finished. It is based on the adventures of the author in the jungles of Central America and on his decades of training in healing by teachers of traditional healing. While this book can be...
|
-
|
TAI-CHI MASSAGE is a powerful type of healing that frees you from habits of emotional and physical tension, even those that have plagued you for a lifetime. The masseur uses principles of Tai-chi as he moves individual parts of your body in relaxing,...
|
-
|
One of my students was in such agony from a punch to his shoulder that he had to sit down, shaking his head from side to side. Yet I only gave him a light tap. The reason that he felt the light tap as a powerful blow gives an important clue to Tai-chi...
|
-
|
The Zen expression, “Selling water by the river” means that you already have all you need to be fully healthy and active. All a teacher can do is point out to you, skills you already have and health that is already inside of you. Our modern...
|
-
|
When I first began studying Tai-chi and Zookinesis, the 1960’s were in full bloom. The theme of the times was to try something new. The music, Eastern traditions such as Tai-chi, exploring space, love-ins and all of the social movements gave us...
|
-
|
The Tai-chi Park in Wantage New Jersey, is a memorial to Tai-chi Master Jou, Tsung-Hwa. A festival is held each year with many teachers and workshops on all aspects of Tai-chi. The spirit of this weekend event is like a big Tai-chi family reunion. We...
|
-
|
The battle of the dragon and tiger is a common theme of Chinese art. Hidden within these drawings is the secret of how to access power unknown in the modern world, especially the power to heal, to find great joy in every moment of life and to free yourself...
|
-
|
Remember that you can click onto "blogs" above (at the top of this page), go to the end of that page and then click onto "Next Page" to see even more articles....
|
-
|
Healthy skin is an important part of staying young and avoiding the normal process of aging. The ancient Chinese Taoist healing systems describe a secret training specifically used to keep the skin young. It is an important part of Tai-chi and Zookinesis...
|
-
|
A Push Hands workshop will be held at the Long Island School of Tai-chi-Chuan on Saturday, Sept. 27 th . This two person exercise is the heart of Tai-chi training. This workshop will focus on the use of internal energy (chi), incorporating all the Tai-chi...
|
-
|
Push Hands is the most effective way to get in touch with the inner workings of your body, to learn to perceive and use internal energy, to perceive the dynamics of consciousness itself and to unite mind and body into a powerful and efficient system....
|
-
|
Chi-Gung is a type of Tai-chi exercise that heals the body by strengthening the flow of internal energy (“chi”). It is important to appreciate the way chi-gung works in order to practice it properly. We see examples of the energizing force...
|
-
|
My van was filled with boxes of animals I had just picked up from the airport. After bringing them into the facility I opened the largest and heaviest box first. An eight foot long monitor (dragon) lizard emerged and began walking towards me. I slowly...
|
-
|
The source of joy in our lives does not come from external circumstances but from our internal state, according to Tai-chi and Zookinesis principles. We have created our own cage of fears and assumptions that blocks us from our full share of joy in life....
|
-
|
The animal importing company was like my second home. After school and on weekends I took care of monkeys, parrots, anteaters, hedgehogs, pythons, dragon lizards, tarantulas and dozens of other species. The animals were my family. Many had been there...
|
-
|
Tai-chi will be an Olympic demonstration sport this year in August at the opening ceremonies. Tai-chi forms, push hands and full contact fighting will be on world-wide display. This is likely to bring Tai-chi to the forefront as a healthy exercise and...
|
-
|
The process of meditation returns us to our natural state. Our culture and our own minds have weaved many tales of who we are, where we came from and how we must conduct our lives. Yet within us, there is a direct experience of our biological nature....
|
-
|
Tai-chi is considered to be a “spiritual” practice and many people wonder how a physical exercise can be called spiritual. While most people begin their Tai-chi practice to improve their health and to reduce stress, they soon learn that there...
|
-
|
Your body does not need to degenerate as you get older. In fact, it can continue to get stronger, more flexible and more agile throughout life. The exercise systems of Tai-chi and Zookinesis explain how to keep the body young and avoid aging altogether....
|
-
|
YOU CAN VIEW EVEN MORE ARTICLES BY CLICKING ONTO "BLOGS" ABOVE (ON THIS PAGE), GO TO THE END OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ONTO "NEXT PAGE"....
|
-
|
The issue of death can lead us to a more powerful way to live our lives. We know what happens to our bodies at death. What happens to our consciousness (or what I call, “attention”)? We fear death as if it were not already part of us. Yet...
|
-
|
The way the martial art of Tai-chi approaches grappling is very applicable to daily life. The pressures we face on a psychological, emotional and spiritual level are the way life grapples with us. When common sense is applied to grappling we can easily...
|
-
|
The internal martial arts train the student to become more powerful in his everyday world, not just in fighting itself. They were a way of encoding ancient secrets of keeping your body and mind young throughout your life and developing magnified vitality....
|
-
|
At a certain point any healing teacher looks back over all the clients he has healed and asks, “What are the main problems causing poor health among all these people?” Is there a fundamental change in our lives that can heal all people at...
|
-
|
During our “Push Hands” party this Saturday, many issues came up. A new student wondered about the “magic” of the use of chi (internal energy). Several asked why we breathe in when we strike in the martial aspect of Tai-chi while...
|
-
|
A newborn is completely dependent on the people around him or her. The behavior patterns of the people around him gradually imprint themselves on his behavior. At a certain age he begins to exert his independence to break free from the control others...
|
-
|
Lessons from a student’s cultural background can often be used to help teach the Push Hands exercise. The story of Jesus provides a great opportunity to explain the principles of Push Hands. Though I am not Christian I try to learn about my student’s...
|
-
|
The key to progress in the internal martial arts is to recognize the three forces at work behind your techniques and your power. There are two “intelligent” forces at work that have power and one which depletes power. The depleting force is...
|
-
|
I recently had the opportunity to spar with my original instructor, Tom, in Grandmaster William C. C. Chen’s school in New York City. It was like the old days again and reminded me why Tai-chi-Chuan sparring is so different from other styles. We...
|
-
|
More about my trips to Central America... We had to go into the town of Chepo because someone had brought me a dead margay. The margay is a small wild cat and the fellow had heard I was interested in animals. He thought I wanted them for the skin. I explained...
|
-
|
We understand that play is a natural behavior of many animals. Puppies and kittens understand that they aren’t really trying to kill each other. They understand make-believe. They also understand reality as when a large animal runs after them, growling...
|
-
|
Another episode of my experiences learning from the people of the jungle forests of Central America: Carlos came down from the hills to our little “town” early in the morning. Eduardo handed him a cup of coffee and we all waited for the cow...
|
-
|
Greetings! To have Master Klein's audio lessons delivered to your mailbox, please visit: http://www.movementsofmagic.com/comments.html PLEASE ENJOY THE FOLLOWING COMPLEMENTARY DISCUSSIONS WITH MASTER KLEIN: 13. Please click on the following link for...
|
-
|
All of this training culminates in a single, powerful, all revealing realization that brings power and vibrant health back to your life. You understand the source of your power as a human being and how to channel that power in your life. I will describe...
|
-
|
Only a fraction of the human brain is used in modern times. We have moved our focus of attention away from those parts that make us powerful and coordinated physically and which allow us to channel the biological forces of nature through our bodies. This...
|
-
|
During the winter months, I take the goldfish from my outdoor pond and bring them to a large fish tank in the basement. I didn’t dig the pond deep enough to be able to leave them out over the winter. As I watch them swim around I wonder if they...
|
-
|
The concept of a spirit world, common to almost all pre-industrialized cultures, lies at the heart of developing and learning to use internal energy (“chi”). Zookinesis explains this concept very simply. We humans have senses that we do not...
|
-
|
Tai-chi-Chuan uses a fundamentally different fighting strategy than any other martial art. When this strategy is applied to everyday life and to conducting business, it provides a more powerful and effective approach. This is just one example of that...
|
-
|
Do you feel that work and the responsibilities of life are tearing you apart? Are you exhausted, more due to aggravation and worry than physical work? Tai-chi and Zookinesis explains why this is so and what you can do to avoid getting torn apart. One...
|
-
|
Most of our lives are dedicated to just getting through the day. Many ancient teachings point to a technique which can be used in daily life, to completely change the results of your efforts. Zookinesis explains that the nature of your identity, your...
|
-
|
In an internal martial arts system, the smaller your movement, the more powerful it is. The goal is to send your energy into the other person. If you can do that without using up that force in your own movements or in tensing up your body, you can send...
|
-
|
The Zookinesis “art of soaring” is one of its most powerful teachings. A student learns to merge his system of internal energy (chi) and even his consciousness with those of other animals. The effect is to radically transform the student to...
|
-
|
This is an episode of my experiences traveling the jungles of Central America. If you would be interested in reading more such episodes, please let me know in the comments for this article. I will be happy to write more. A heavy rain danced on the swollen...
|
-
|
Kung-fu systems such as Tai-chi-Chuan and Phantom Kung-fu are based on the way animals defend themselves. The student learns to copy the body mechanics and skills of several species in his sparring. In the 1960’s and 1970’s I owned an animal...
|
-
|
The immediate goal of Zookinesis training is to re-experience the primal state – the biological state of consciousness. At this level of awareness the world you experience is very different and you have more power. You understand the connection...
|
-
|
I used to spend a few months at a time in the jungles of Central America, hunting for unusual reptiles. They were used for research programs to study how to develop captive breeding colonies in case the species became extinct in the wild. When you first...
|
-
|
The ability of fear to control behavior is an impediment to developing the full power of your attention. As you develop the sensitivity of your attention you will notice many things that you were too dull to notice before, such as the flow of energy in...
|
-
|
Welcome back to the Movements of Magic "Community" site. Our site has been down for several months but we are now ready to provide weekly lessons on our front page, clips of instructional programs, audio lectures, articles and the discussion...
|
-
|
The feet are considered to be the "gateway to consciousness". The condition of your feet as it steps, affects the response of the rest of the body to that step. If you do not have awareness in your feet, and you fall into your step, the rest...
|
-
|
This week's lesson at the Long Island School of Tai-chi-Chuan is about the home of the attention. We usually experience our attention as originating from our head and then going to what we are paying attention to. In Tai-chi, each part of the body...
|
-
|
This principle applies to everyday life as well as practicing forms, push hands and self defense. It is the main factor eliminating excess tension and keeping the mind and emotions calm while still being active. In Zookinesis training, this principle...
|
-
|
The use of internal energy (chi) as power is a very difficult subject to understand and to use in actual sparring. We usually associate power with muscular tension and with forcing the opponent's strikes out of the way. Internal martial arts systems...
|
-
|
"The Elements" are the basic philosophical tool of Taoism. It is the language by which the philosophy is described. This week, I will discuss the element of metal. It is the element of will and spirit. I can describe metal with a discussion...
|
-
|
When I worked on editing videos (back before the days of computer editing), there were four video monitors in front of me on a shelf. My eyes were glued to those monitors as I edited. Monitors have raster lines. These are the lines between the rows of...
|
-
|
The principle of yin/yang can be applied to the dynamics of attention. A large part of the training of Zookinesis is to learn that attention itself has dynamics. There is a physics to the energy of attention. Each aspect of attention (its strength, agility,...
|
-
|
This concept in its simplest form means sinking into your root. More specifically, it is the ability of each joint and muscle to drop individually towards the ground. Most people interpret sinking as dropping the knees. Sung means that each joint drops...
|
-
|
This practice is essential for progress in Tai-chi and Zookinesis. Each of us feels "we" are located somewhere in space. This location may be the head, the entire body, just the thoughts within our head, just our emotions or some combination...
|
-
|
Tai-chi Massage is a form of acupressure that is part of the Zookinesis system. Physically, it uses finger and palm pressure as well as muscle and fascial stretching. With the Zookinesis background, the masseur is able to apply a pressure along a very...
|
-
|
The power in Tai-chi-Chuan sparring comes from relaxation with a minimum use of muscle tension. This contrasts with "hard" or "external" styles. The power of the punch, for example, originates in the foot as it presses into the ground....
|
-
|
A Tai-chi form is a way of revealing the internal dynamics of mind, attention, emotion and internal energy, in external movements. If your movements are jerky, for example, then your attentiion proceeds in discreet, segmental units. If you turn your head...
|
-
|
Traditionally,Zookinesis training required spending part of each year living in the wild, learning directly from animals. I had the opportunity for many years to do this and much of my teachings are an attempt to convey that training. The first thing...
|
-
|
My students say that the most important effect of Tai-chi and Zookinesis training for them is that it helps them to understand other peoples' behavior. They can understand the turmoil going inside other people and can see their outward behavior in...
|
-
|
There is often a big difference between what you hear the teacher say and what he means. It's not that the teacher doesn't explain himself well; its that his teachings have to penetrate the body of assumptions you have accumulated all your life....
|
-
|
There is a point in every practice where the benefit you receive exceeds the effort you put in. At the beginning there is a lot of effort as you learn the principles and condition the mind and body. But then the creative energy of the mind and body begins...
|
-
|
When a student first begins learning Tai-chi and Zookinesis, the first thing that impresses him is how much his body has degenerated. The student is asked to use the body correctly and he can barely feel his body let alone make connections to it. You...
|
-
|
When we look at the scene around us, we are actually perceiving two spots of light, one on each retina. The area of visual acuity of each spot is an eighth of an inch in diameter. We perceive a large room (or whatever we are looking at) and can appreciate...
|
-
|
In most martial arts styles, technique is pitted against technique and one body is pitted against another body. In the Phantom Kung-fu system you divide the opponent’s attack into its smallest components. You analyze the structure and movement of...
|
-
|
The basic philosophy of the teaching method of Zookinesis is to bring back your awareness. The answers to any questions you may have lie in increasing your awareness of your situation. It is like the case of a blind man. He can memorize the placement...
|
-
|
There is a moment in your training when you experience the most basic aspect of who and what you are. The training is designed to allow you to drop your excess baggage, that is, the many concepts about who you are and what life is about. This is done...
|
-
|
An important principle in Taoist philosophy is “letting go”. Power comes from letting go. The power to take a step forward comes from the willingness to let go of your rear foot. In many ways we keep our rear foot stuck to the ground and,...
|
-
|
In Zen (Japanese) and Chan (Chinese) Buddhism, a “Koan” is a challenging question or statement used to bring the student to a higher level of awareness. The sixth patriarch of Chan Buddhism used this Koan, “Give your bones to your father...
|
-
|
A teacher can only be as good as his student. The student makes as much of a contribution to the class as the teacher. When you are invited to a dinner, you expect the host to prepare the meal. But you would certainly bring a bottle of wine or a box of...
|
-
|
Before beginning this week’s comments, I would like to invite everyone to participate in this website. You can contribute your views, experiences and questions to this front-page section and to the discussion forums. You can also sign up for the...
|
-
|
The element of metal, in the Chinese teaching of the elements, represents, among other things, the human spirit. This spirit is represented by the sword. The art of sword making refines the base ore into the refined metal, which is what we are trying...
|
-
|
There are chasms within us that are created by the poor condition of the body. It is hard to understand the great break between mind and body or between the emotions and the body until you begin a practice to heal those breaks. The condition of the body...
|
-
|
American Indians use the drum as a form of meditation and as a metaphorical representation of the development of consciousness. Imagine a hand-held drum made out of a six-inch wide ring of wood. An animal skin forms the head of the drum. A long strip...
|
-
|
Tai-chi-Chuan is a unique self defense system due to its basic principles. STICKING – You remain connected to your opponent, following every nuance of his movements with your own body. To him, it seems that you are like wet clothes, clinging to...
|
-
|
A student of any “internal” system of exercise begins his or her practice in a “catch 22” situation. He learns a series of techniques that should lead him to develop a connection of his mind and body. This connection allows him...
|
|
|
|