tensegrity

[brucelee2]

Wondering if anyone practices tensegrity. If so, how does it complement your martial arts? What changes are you finding in your self and your life?

thanks-

[Crimson Phoenix]

I thought tensegrity was a novel architectural concept (Buckminster Fuller), even if some persons successfully apply it in biology (theoretical models of cellular behaviour and maybe applications in cancerology).
I didn't know you could "practice" it, could you tell me more about that?
I know, nevertheless, that tensegrity is incredibly identical to the way the body is conceived and used in internal styles, and I might even add that for me internal arts ARE tensegrity applied to human bodies and fighting...
Indeed, the chinese discovered sooooo many things before the rest :-)

Phoenix

[wujidude]

It's also a term used in connection with some vaguely mystical-magical (like his writings)quasimartial movements espoused by author Carlos Castaneda and his syncophants. You're better off with Yang Guo Tai's baguazhang, BL2.

[brucelee2]

Yeah, I'm referring to the tensegrity of Carlos Castaneda. These are series of movements (forms), also called 'magical passes', that are done with the intent of beckoning power and changing awareness, among other things too complex to get into here. Wujidude, have you tried these at all? I am continuing bagua but I also like to keep an open mind and try new things (otherwise I would never have gotten into bagua ;-) ). I have been doing some work with intent and awareness and was thinking that they might be a nice complement. Also, Wujidude, I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding the work of CC, however, there are two people I know of and respect that offer independent corroboration of his works. One has an indian friend from Mexico or Arizona whose grandfather is a shaman and this shaman, tho having no relationship with CC, showed my friend 'passes' similar or identical to those taught by CC. I could go on but you get the point...

peace-

[brucelee2]

Yeah, I'm referring to the tensegrity of Carlos Castaneda. These are series of movements (forms), also called 'magical passes', that are done with the intent of beckoning power and changing awareness, among other things too complex to get into here. Wujidude, have you tried these at all? I am continuing bagua but I also like to keep an open mind and try new things (otherwise I would never have gotten into bagua ;-) ). I have been doing some work with intent and awareness and was thinking that they might be a nice complement. Also, Wujidude, I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding the work of CC, however, there are two people I know of and respect that offer independent corroboration of his works. One has an indian friend from Mexico or Arizona whose grandfather is a shaman and this shaman, tho having no relationship with CC, showed my friend 'passes' similar or identical to those taught by CC. I could go on but you get the point... In any event, my general policy is to try out things that interest me (within certain limitations) and see how they work for me-

peace-

[Sam Wiley]

Why don't you take Castaneda's descriptions of how to do the passes and use them in your Bagua training, perhaps experimenting with your palm changes using his guidelines, or else your circle walking and the different steps you might use to walk it?

*********
"I put forth my power and he was broken.
I withdrew my power and he was ground into fine dust."
-Aleister Crowley, The Vision and the Voice

[brucelee2]

Sam,

If I understand you correctly, you're suggesting that I use the intent/purpose of tensegrity and infuse my bagua training with it. An interesting idea- have you tried it? However, it implies that the tensegrity movements in themselves have no 'objective value' and could be substituted with any movement, such as jumping jacks, and would have the same effect as tensegrity as long as the practitioner held the same intent while doing them as he did while doing tensegrity. That seems to be in contrast with my understanding of tensegrity (movements discovered by the shamans of ancient mexico during states of heightened awareness that enhance awareness, perception, cause the mask of socialization to drop,.....) In any event, maybe I'll give it a shot after I do tensegrity for a bit (I haven't started yet) and get a feel for it. Thanks for your response

[logic]

Does C.C. and his intent or master of intent refer to lominus glow from his book Power of silence and if so what is L.G.He talks of the energy feild around individuals.Could this mean chi in any way??

Honest Neutral Clearity

[Sam Wiley]

BL2,
No, you could not substitute them for something like jumping jacks. While I am not familiar with the term "tensegrity," I have read Castaneda's descriptions of gaits and dances of power, which cannot be substituted with simple walking and dancing, as they are not the same thing. It would have to be a special movement designed to do something energetically, which the movements of Bagua, Taiji, and Xingyi do. There are certain things we do in these arts to change states of awareness and cycle the energy in a certain way. For instance, one of the things we do in Baguazhang is to look at the palm with intent, hold the back a certain way, and mudstep around the circle. After a while we experience a change in conciousness, perception, etc. That's the kind of thing I'm talking about, using his teachings to try and augment your training, because part your training is geared toward that general direction anyway.

And the aura thing he writes about is more like Yi than Chi.

*********
"I put forth my power and he was broken.
I withdrew my power and he was ground into fine dust."
-Aleister Crowley, The Vision and the Voice