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Old 07-19-2007, 07:10 PM   #4
DH
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,394
United_States
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Re: Different training methods . . . same skills?

Hi Tom

Since you have trained both- it would be interesting to hear your views on both the approach and the feel.

Having had my hands on Lou Chengde and his hands all over me, (spare me the jokes people) and some serious lengthy questions and answers, then conversations and email with Rob I would draw similarities only on a certain levels. There is a use of the dantien and fascia that I have talked about with both and they are NOT, or at least -were not then- pursuing the same things in that department. There is a method involving the dantien that I train and have discussed with Rob. It is different, than what he and Ark do, (Caution; my opinion only here).
Lou Chengde is also a healer and does a lot of Chi work-no small wonder where his training for power ties together with his healing arts. FWIW his "spirit" and heart filled the room when I met him. I cannot describe it other than to say his heart was so big and sincere and his skills to match that if my interests were in taiji I would take him up on an offer he made to me. He was a truly magnificent man and at 70 years old had "nuts" power. What a load of fun. As an aside another thing I found quite fascinating is that he told me he had trained two of Sagawa's students when he taught in Japan. For whatever reason we hit it off, and he was open and willing to discuss "his ideas" in detail of the similarities and some differences in Daito ryu's use of the internals and the Chinese ones. Life is full of surprises. For me it was a brief but rather interesting experience.

Training methods and videos are not very meaningful without hands on time. Two groups can outwardly do the same thing-say shiko- and not be doing the same thing with it at all. And yet still be working and establishing connections in the body. They just may differ in focus and intent on some levels. Even simple cross-line work VS same-side work can be a substantial difference in how one would approach say..double weightedness. Anyway, everyone has their own approach as to how they accomplish things for themselves and also how they get others there.

Last edited by DH : 07-19-2007 at 07:13 PM.
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