I want to make a table. It’s going to have 3 strong legs, and a shiny, round surface on top of a well structured frame. So I go to a local DIY store, and I buy myself these things: Wood Chisel Saw Hammer & nails Table making book Once I get home, I read my book. I read the instructions and look at the diagrams. I understand what I need to do. I’ll make the legs first. I get a piece of wood 3ft long, and I cut it into 3 identical lengths. I take my chisel and I start to scrape away at the rough exterior of the wood, carving out beautiful legs for my new table. So now I have three legs. But if I want my table to be secure, I can’t just balance the top surface on the legs. Once again, I look back to my book. My next step is to build a frame to connect my 3 legs together and hold them upright. I take great care when crafting the frame for my new table, as I know the frame will be the vital part of holding my table together, and making it strong. Again, I take a long piece of wood, and cut it to 3 equal lengths. I cut the ends of these lengths to 60 degree angles. I take my hammer and nails, one of my table legs and one piece of my frame. I nail the angled end of the frame to the leg, making sure it is firm. I do the same with the other legs and frame pieces, and soon I have my three table legs, joined together by a strong, steady frame. I consult my book again. Now is the best part – the surface of my table. I take a board of wood that I bought, and using my saw, I cut it into a perfect circle. I smooth the edges and the top of the wood, before positioning the surface on top of the legs and frame. I carefully nail the surface of my table into place. So now I have my table, but to keep it in tip-top condition, I have to polish it every day. This is when I realise that my table is like my taiji quan practice. I first gathered my equipment: Wood – my body Chisel, saw & hammer – my mind ready to explore Carpentry book – a teacher who knows his craft Then I set about using my equipment to create my Taiji table. First I made my three legs: Zhan Zhuang 8 Jins 5 Directions Then I connect these legs together with my tables frame, my taiji form. My tables surface is the fighting techniques of Taiji quan. The applications. The thing that enables my table to do it’s job. And then I further realise, that the nails holding my table top to my frame and legs are actually representing pushing hands. The bridge between form and function. So there is my Taiji Quan table, and I continue to polish it every day. BT
and, with years of practice, you might be able to use your table to knock someone out (possibly without even touching them)
Drop it on them from a great height, perhaps? Or - the moment they put a cup on it it collapses, beucase, for all the theory in the book, they never tried putting a cup on it, so didn't know it couldn;t take the weight... cup falls on to passing mouse, stunning it long enough for the cat to get it, cat runs off, trips up the host, host goes flying, lands on guest, breaks guest's neck. It's all so simple you see - words prove all, at the end of the day!
BT, You cannot make your table because you are not an inner door student of the mighty magician, and therefore are not privy to the secrets. So your table will be wobbly and crap.
Haha, good replies I should probably note (even though you can probably guess), I never actually made a table, I just wrote this trying to highlight how the different aspects of Taiji training all come together to create a workable martial style. BT
I suspect that only YOU would build an imaginary table with.....nails!! Shows how shonky your imaginary taiji is....... Wot a craftsman...... I'll be in my bunker...... :Angel:
Yeah, but doesn't that just say it all. You never actually made a table like that. So you don't know how hard it is to make a table - all the theory sounds right, but believe me, because I actually did try to make a table once, and several other things, what you're left with is an abomination that prays dailiy for November the fifth to come around. You aren't the person that got the tools, read the book and made the perfect table. You're just the person who thinks you could.
