New starters @ £7.50

We offer two beginners classes in Newcastle:

1. Monday 7:00 - 8:00 PM
   - Community Hall, St Andrew's Church, Station Road, Benton, NE12 8AW
    
2. Tuesday 7:00 - 8:00 PM
   - St Teresa's Church Hall, Heaton Road, Newcastle, NE6 5HN

Doors open at 6:45 PM

25% off joining fee until end of February

If you want to try the class, there is no need to e-mail in advance. Just come along.

We welcome adults of all ages. Prior experience is not expected.

New starters are treated as beginners.

We reward long-term membership:

5 years:

1. potentially become an indoor student

7th dan:

1. train to become an instructor in our school

10 years:

1. free annual membership
2. free workshops

20 years:

1. free evening class tuition

New starters @ £7.50

We offer two beginners classes in Newcastle:

1. Monday 7:00 - 8:00 PM
   - Community Hall, St Andrew's Church, Station Road, Benton, NE12 8AW
    
2. Tuesday 7:00 - 8:00 PM
   - St Teresa's Church Hall, Heaton Road, Newcastle, NE6 5HN

Doors open at 6:45 PM

A student must reach a certain standard within a structured syllabus and prove their skill.
They demonstrate the discipline and the knowledge necessary to become an instructor.
Martial arts schools around the world ask the student to be of 3rd dan black belt level.

Not all tai chi schools have grades and belts. But they should at least have standards.

New starters @ £7.50

We offer two beginners classes in Newcastle:

1. Monday 7:00 - 8:00 PM
   - Community Hall, St Andrew's Church, Station Road, Benton, NE12 8AW
    
2. Tuesday 7:00 - 8:00 PM
   - St Teresa's Church Hall, Heaton Road, Newcastle, NE6 5HN

Doors open at 6:45 PM

Do you have what it takes?

A student may decide that they can be an instructor.
This sounds reasonable.
However, can a student assess this for themselves?

It is like a person deciding that they want to climb a mountain.
Have they researched the criteria?
Do they meet with the necessary fitness standards?
Is their skill level adequate?
Can they be trusted to do what they are required to do?

You may think that you are good enough...
So what?
You are not an instructor.
You have not climbed the mountain.
From your perspective you cannot even see how high the mountain is or understand what is involved.

Only the most arrogant person decides for themselves that they are instructor calibre.

Your instructor will assess whether or not you are fit to be a teacher.
It is not for you to decide.

What qualities does your instructor seek?
You need to be:

1. Caring
2. Reliable
3. Earnest
4. Genuine
5. Punctual
6. Motivated
7. Committed
8. Trustworthy
9. Friendly and personable
10. Interested in other people

Beyond this, you need to have actual talent.
You cannot be lazy, indifferent or emotionally unbalanced.

There are 5 levels of Tai Chi Instructor in the UK these days:

1. Health-only Tai Chi Teacher
   - 5 years experience
   - these are the majority
   
2. Tai Chi Chuan Instructor
   - equivalent of 3rd dan black belt in any martial art
   - 5 years experience
   - these people are less common
   
3. Tai Chi Expert
   - 15 years experience
   - 10,000 hours tai chi chuan practice
   - 10 years teaching experience
   - fewer to be found
   
4. Tai Chi Master
   - 25 years experience
   - 30,000 hours tai chi chuan practice
   - 20 years teaching experience
   - pretty rare
   
5. Tai Chi Grandmaster
   - extremely rare

Peter Southwood has graded Sifu Waller as being a Tai Chi Master based upon his practice quality and experience.

Plan your walk such that you have plenty of time to wander, to drift, to explore.
Find avenues that are away from the bustle and the noise. Places of quiet and calm. Relish the solitude, the integrity of being alone yet united with all things. Feel your place in the world. Enjoy the easy rhythm of your stride.
Let your body loosen as you walk. Feel the ground. Be whole

Expert students must move from a connection/leverage-based structural framework/use of the body onto an energy-based functionality.
This is a big step.
Li is easy, jing is not.
In order to facilitate vibration and effective reeling the student must:

1. Internalise
2. Free the joints
3. Stop stretching
4. Rely upon soft tissues
5. Reduce the frame size
6. Use a far smaller circle
7. Express sung and folding
8. Make the stances smaller and higher
9. Arcs and circles are largely replaced by spirals
10. Bring the hands closer to the body and not as far away

The delivery mechanism becomes less overt, more subtle.
The outcome/effect is quite different.
Fa jing is possible.

Form without application literally has no meaning.
After all, a sequence without purpose is merely a pattern, a dance.
This is not kung fu.

Only when a student can apply each and every movement of the form are they truly performing the form meaningfully.
Until then, it is merely an empty form.

After some months of questioning and reflecting on the true nature of internal martial arts I was recently, along with a number of Sifu Waller’s students, given an energetic and skilful introduction to the world of baguazhang. My first reaction was it’s everything I thought it would be, and clearly so much more.

 To be on the receiving end of an application of bagua from Sifu is to be permanently cured of any lingering doubts as to its effectiveness as a profound martial skill. I certainly harboured those doubts coming as I do from a background of predominantly external martial arts. (Where’s the flamboyant stances, where’s the crack of the gi as you snap out a gyakuzuki???) But as I gingerly picked myself up off the floor after a particularly enlightening application from Sifu those doubts have died away like the echo of a scream from someone on the receiving end of ‘cavity press.’

 As a general rule when Sifu remarks ‘Hey, this will make you laugh!’ I have come to understand a particularly vigorous application is approaching! It is in these applications that I am beginning to recognise firstly the skill and depth of Sifu’s learning, and secondly how my own learning skills and experience are woefully inadequate to the task of learning bagua and tai chi.

 It’s certainly sobering when after all those years of training, facing Sifu I feel about as effective as an old lady throwing marshmallows.

 Sifu is constantly stressing relaxation. As I was reflecting on this it occurred to me that watching Sifu perform bagua is for me like trying to read a book without my reading glasses. Once I learn to relax everything will become a little clearer.

 I feel very grateful to Sifu for an introduction to a form of martial arts that as I understand it is not that widely available to western students in its authentic form. And, as Sifu recently pointed out bagua is part of the black belt syllabus, I feel he has generously presented us with a wonderful opportunity.

 It is also I suspect in my own case something of a double-edged sword. As part of the Mc generation I am as guilty as anyone of wanting everything now, and being very demanding in terms of my own needs, of looking straight to the highest teaching and grasping after it. It’s interesting to reflect after the introduction that this is clearly the opposite approach that is required by a martial art like bagua, and then it follows that an introduction to bagua at this time may simply be utterly beyond our capabilities. As Adam Hsu says in his book, The Sword Polishers Record, ‘kung fu literally means time and hard work, there are no shortcuts.’

 Certainly bagua cannot be seen, as perhaps it could be argued some other aspects of martial arts are, as simply another medal to pin on the chest of ego.

 For those of us who’ve been involved in martial arts for some time, and have some experience of Chinese arts and teachers, I feel we can be confident that with Sifu we have stumbled upon a treasure trove of authentic Chinese martial arts. It’s tremendously exciting as the lineage and history is abundantly clear in his approach. It struck me, the first time I saw Sifu demonstrate it, that 5000 years of Chinese culture and history is somehow woven into the lethal beauty of bagua.

 Having reconciled myself many years ago to an understanding that I have no flair for Chinese martial arts, in fact I am hopelessly inadequate and uncoordinated, I must confess to feeling a little intimidated by the skill required to approach tai chi and bagua. A friend, an excellent choi lee fut practitioner, once remarked as I struggled through a set from shaolin long fist that ‘ you look like my father disco dancing at my wedding.’ I can’t help feeling that Sifu’s generosity and skill may be utterly wasted on me and I should put all my energy in learning to be an expert at falling well! Right now that would be a profound achievement.

 (Graham)

External tai chi classes often place their emphasis upon form practice.
How the form looks is more important than any internal concerns.
This is essentially performance art.

These external forms are practiced with tension.
There is little or no understanding of the martial nature of tai chi chuan and no ability to use the art in realistic self defence.
When pressed, exponents resort to brute force and muscular tension.
And this is not tai chi chuan.

In order to promote health, the People's Republic of China created new, simplified forms of tai chi.
Lacking neigong and the martial component - they could be learned quickly and easily.

Many of these forms combine elements from Chen, Yang and Sun style tai chi chuan, but the forms are not martial.

The new forms were designed as performance art and are popular in competitions and exhibitions e.g. Peking 24 step.

Most tai chi chuan classes are not really teaching tai chi chuan.
They offer a health-only syllabus aimed at the non-martial student.
The combat curriculum (chuan) is missing.
Only a small fraction of the art is being taught. Over 90% of the material has been omitted.

In truth, such a class is teaching tai chi-style exercise.
It is not tai chi chuan.

Tai chi chuan is a martial art. A style of kung fu.
There is a world of difference between tai chi chuan and tai chi-style exercise.

Relaxation is not the same as rest. 

Rest means stopping, and doing nothing.
Watching TV does not qualify as rest.

Taken literally, rest means either lying on the ground and undertaking 'constructive rest', or actually going to bed and getting some sleep.

 It is quite common for students to neglect their fluid intake.
 Dehydration is very bad for you.

 Ideally, you should be drinking well over a litre of water during a training session.
 If you do not drink this much in class, be sure to re-hydrate when you get home.

In order to escape from danger,
one need only take the line of least resistance,
just as liquid spills from a vessel over the lowest point of its rim.
Concentrate only on escaping.

(I Ching)

TV, food, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, caffeine - these do not free you. They are addictive and harmful.
They are distractions. They dull our minds and use up our time.
Instead of living, we waste our lives 'killing time'.

People attend football matches and jeer as people race up and down the field.
Others are glued to reality TV shows.
Distractions come in all forms.

Some distractions can seem to be more academic or even spiritual:

1. Reading 'intelligent' newspapers
2. Gossiping
3. Politics
4. Further education
5. The news/current events
6. Religion
7. New Age interests: crystals, auras, chanting...

These may be further illusions, more convincing deceptions... Who can say? 

It is difficult to learn both tai chi and bagua - but absolutely worth the effort!! With time, I expect to be able to fully differentiate one art from the other without having to think about it and also not mix them up in practice. They are both so completely different, one teaching to yield, empty the centre and act - the other teaching to move your centre and act. Baguazhang is sneaky, like moving in a shadow. Tai chi teaches to yield to the incoming force as a tactic.

 It can be a lot to take in at times, however, when you 'get it', the feeling is fantastic. Applying an application on an opponent correctly is both exciting and surprising. The effect from so little work and being relaxed [or trying to be relaxed] is incredible. It is absolutely worth it, but it obviously requires more practice than learning one art alone. Reading, relaxing and practice are the key elements to be able to learn both in my opinion.
 
 (Barnaby Baron)

Does everything need to have a function? 

Humanity is obsessed with being productive. 
We fill our living spaces with junk, and then work harder and harder to acquire more and more.
But why? What is it all in aid of? Do we need all this stuff? Why are we doing this?

A functional life may sound fulfilling and useful, but it also sounds mechanical. 
Where is the fun, the pleasure, the creative spirit?
Do you explore who you are? Or what you want from life?

Becoming an instructor takes a lot of time: literally years...
You need to be closely guided by a skilled and knowledgeable instructor.
It is easy to mistakes.

Your instructor will set you many tasks to determine your attitude.
Laziness is your worst enemy.

An instructor works far harder than a student.
If you lack the motivation to do what is necessary, you would make a very shabby instructor.

We are told that we need to make a contribution. To be useful, to be a tool. Why is this?
Has humanity become happier by acting like a tool?
Do people feel worthwhile and needed because they have a role to fill?

As an adult we are asked to define our contribution, to be something useful. 
This may sound positive but how many people are doing things they do not want to do?
How many people are fulfilled?

Often the pursuit of one action has an unforeseen side effect. Unforeseen consequences.
Pollution. Toxic waste. Garbage. Stress. Injury. Physical strain. Psychological problems.

The Industrial Revolution reduced the human being to a cog in the machine.
Is this all we are? Really? 

We are told that life must have meaning and purpose, but who says so?
And why do you choose to believe them?
Are they saying what you want to hear?
Is that it?
Maybe we do not have a purpose. Maybe our actions are largely meaningless.
Do you know for sure?

Hui Tzu said to Chuang:

I have a big tree
The kind they call a stink tree.
The trunk is so distorted,
So full of knots,
No one can get a straight plank
Out of it. The branches are so crooked
You cannot cut them up
In any way that makes sense.

There it stands beside the road.
No carpenter will even look at it.

Such is your teaching-
Big and useless.

Chuang Tzu replied:

Have you ever watched the wildcat
Crouching, watching his prey-
This way it leaps, and that way,
High and low, and at last
Lands in the trap.

But have you seen the yak?
Great as a thundercloud
He stands in his might.
Big? Sure,
He can't catch mice!
So for your big tree. No use?

Then plant it in the wasteland
In emptiness.

Walk idly around,
Rest under its shadow;
No axe or bill prepares its end.
No one will ever cut it down.

Useless? You should worry! 
(Chuang Tzu) 

The best way to prepare your body for class and daily life is to:

1. Show restraint
2. Be playful and friendly
3. Do not get caught-up in fear
4. Exercise your body gently every day
5. Take some time to bring the mind 'home'

If you pull a muscle or hurt yourself during martial arts training, it is important to rehabilitate slowly and carefully.
Combine rest with gentle exercise.

'Constructive rest' (performed twice daily) is ideal.
Work through your qigong and stretching exercises cautiously; avoiding any extremes or discomfort.

Pain is a warning; do not ignore it. 

This is a one-way trip.
As soon as you notice an alternative way to live, you have changed. There is no turning back.
Even if you think to stop, the seeds of your transformation have already been planted, and will continue to grow.

Living a deliberate life is an opportunity for self-fulfilment, a chance to be you, to do what you want to do.
It is a chance to transcend pettiness and ego, to be free of your conditioning.
To die contented and happy. Without regret.

It is easy to get carried away during combat training. It is easy to be injured or cause injury.

By remaining composed, loose and friendly - safety can be encouraged.
Play, rather than fight.
Aggression has no place in our school.

 Sifu shows that the use of bagua in self defence is very effective and formidable. It is unpredictable for the attacker and extremely disorientating due to the movements and stepping of the defender. It is sneaky in its use of angles and finding openings. It offers many possibilities for the defender to counter attack. Bagua encourages lightness and mobility. It gets you out of the way fast and helps you deal with the potential chaos of multiple attackers. Good for people with smaller stature.

 (Rachel Waller)

Everybody feels fear.
It can be an overwhelming, overpowering experience, or merely anxiety.
This is normal and natural.

The main thing is to be present, in the moment.
Relax.
Place your mind on what is happening, rather than what you are anticipating.

Have faith in what you are learning, and avoid resisting.

Not many people actually think to live a deliberate life.
They just do what their friends do, or their family, or the people on TV, in the newspapers, in the magazines.
Instead of waking up and noticing the cage of convention that surrounds us all, most people just carry on sleeping.

Waking up is not easy. It may even prove to be disheartening and lonely.
You will be one voice in a tornado of noise, one person swimming against the current.
No one around you will notice, care about what you are doing, or offer you support.

People may even try and persuade you to stop.
They may invite you to set-aside your quest and re-join the ranks of the sleeping many.

Human beings have been civilised for a tiny fraction of the history of the species. Beneath the suits and dresses are primal genes. Even if it never acted out, the potential for violence is at the core of the games people play, a kind of hidden text.

Arrogant people employ it as a threat, timid people fear to confront it. Both conditions are out of balance and create trouble. Martial ability enables one to understand and come to terms with the subtextural violence, both in oneself and others.  It enables the practitioner to soften his hard edge and defuse of deflect the aggression of others. The deeper your kung fu, the less likelihood you will have to use it. Arrogance and fear draw trouble, internal power and centeredness bring forth wellbeing.

(Wolfe Lowenthal) 

We want to address an attack on a sliding scale of violence:

1. shuai jiao: fast and effective, a good deterrent

2. chin na: pain-infliction, suffocation, sprains, tears and breakages

3. striking: concussion, damage, internal injury

If shuai jiao does not work: chin na, if chin na does not work: strike... http://www.internalkungfu.co.uk/Freeformtriangle.htm 

Old news?

It is common for students in a martial arts class to tense-up.
This bad habit is often acquired at a young age.

The problem with tensing is that it locks the joints and stops the skeleton from moving freely.
Instead of falling to the floor in an organic, natural way... the body is stiff, brittle and rigid, and falls like a plank of wood.

There is a Chuang Tzu story about a drunken man falling out of a cart.
His inebriated state meant that he did not realise that he was falling, nor did he tense-up.
Consequently, he was not injured by the fall.
This is not promoting drunkenness or 'spacing-out'; but rather: relaxation.

The drunken man simply went with what was happening - without resistance - and was unharmed.

The human survival mechanism is referred to as 'the reptile brain'.It is the primitive part of our brain that deals with instinctive requirements rather than thoughts and desires.

When attacked, a human being experiences the 'fight or flight' response. You either defend yourself or you run away.

Our classes do not want people to freeze, run or become aggressive. We do not want to use the fight or flight response.There is an alternative.
The aim is to become composed and detached. Self-consciousness ceases. The mind becomes quiet and you are absorbed into the immediate.

When a student fails to train at home, they should commit a reasonable period of time before the lesson to preparing their body.
Loosen the joints, lengthen the muscles, improve flexibility.
Do not simply rush into combat.

Avoid a cursory workout; the time you commit to sensible training is an investment in your own wellbeing.

Training daily at home between lessons is the best way to avoid injury in or out of class.
A gentle daily workout will significantly strengthen your body.

Stronger muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments - combined with mobile joints - will enable your body to respond to adversity in a better way.

I am really enjoying learning baguazhang. Learning two different concepts of internal art really gives you a lot to think about and take in. The teaching method is exactly how I would want it to be. Focusing on one aspect of bagua one week, and then another aspect the next, never combining. You are clear and concise with your ideas, teachings and requests. I feel that this is vital to a student being able to learn. The student must be able to listen though or the teachings are pointless.

 Within the baguazhang class, I like the fact that there are no belts. Everyone has equal status, although different levels of capability. The class has a clear path; each class seems to have a message or a lesson to be learned. Not just learning 'something', but a specific lesson. I will always leave a bagua session with something new in my head. Again, I feel this is vital to keeping interest levels up without overdosing on information. I guess that this comes down to only teaching someone what they are capable of understanding.

 (Barnaby Baron)

Imagine a woodcutter with an axe...

If he hacks at the wood using great force and muscle strength, he will rapidly become tired.
The axe head has weight and so does the shaft.
When chopping, the woodcutter must propel the axe using his body.
If he softens the tension in his own frame, he can use momentum to swing the axe.
Tension in his muscles and joints will block movement.
It is the movement that produces momentum and the greater the momentum, the more powerful the stroke.

Think of an athletics event where a hammer, discus or shot putt is thrown...

The person moves their body in an arc, allowing the hammer to pull out from the body.
Centrifugal force draws the hammer around the arc, increasing its weight and power.

They move their body around the hammer, increasing momentum but sustaining the gravity.
Then they let go.
Striking in kung fu uses centrifugal power to gain momentum, then centripetal power to come back upon impact.

In self defence we do not aim to become nasty and cruel. Simply escape. Do only what is necessary.

Many kung fu students have a very balanced relationship with the world around them; animals, environment and people.
They refrain from hurting other people with words, actions or deeds.
Often, they are vegetarian and actively work to encourage other people to respect all life.

We can learn a lot from animals and can repay these lessons with kindness and compassion.

Some martial artists seek to be as fierce as an animal by copying the perceived behaviour of the beast.
Their emotions run wild, they lose control and become very aggressive.
This is not what we want in kung fu.

The kung fu person is not angry or aggressive; they are only doing what needs to be done.
Inwardly, the emotions are cool and relaxed, the mind quiet and expansive.
Their bearing suggests detachment combined with a physical readiness to act.

This is the animal way of martial arts: a potentially violent situation arouses animal instinct, which leads to fear, which activates the glands, which raises the heart rate, which engages the body, and it fights.

This is the human way of martial arts: a potentially violent situation instantly arouses the human ability to detect how best to handle the situation, without stressful anger, then the mind/body becomes tranquil and highly alert.

(Bruce Frantzis)

It is not enough to simply copy how an animal attacks. Nor is speed the answer.
Both body and mind must behave differently.
Neigong trains the body to move in a kung fu way; with connected, soft musculature and sensitivity.
Relaxation is imperative.

Unless your body is incredibly relaxed and balanced, it cannot move spontaneously in any direction.
Similarly, the mind must become quiet and alert.
Emotion must subside and awareness must grow considerably.
Mind, body and emotion are joined in every action - this joining is called shen.

Some martial arts have developed from the observation of animals.
Often the style may adopt similar strategies or body language to the animal.
In kung fu, the focus is upon the nature of the animal rather than just the physicality.

Consider: how does a snake attack?
It is not aggressive or anticipatory, it simply moves - spontaneously.
The attack is sudden and continues for as long as necessary.

We learn to adopt the same instantaneous approach.

'Fight or flight' is the term used to describe our instinctive response to serious danger.

Unfortunately, many people imbue situations with inappropriate import, and they are perpetually in a fight or flight condition.
There are very few situations in everyday life that are literally a matter of life and death.
Letting your animal nature rule you is not a good thing - it puts the body under stress and creates anxiety.

We train to be detached from violence, to remain calm and friendly.
By keeping a cool head and letting our body naturally do the work, we can work more effectively in the face of threat.
The reptile brain may move our bodies into action but it is not allowed to corrupt our temperament with aggression.

Not all violence is physical or overt. People are often extremely violent without realising it.
Violence can take many forms.
Harsh, unkind words. Derisive laughter. Sarcasm. Mockery. Insults. Emotional hostility. Aggression.
Pushing, forcing, controlling, manipulating.

Many people use violence in a sneaky, underhand way. Through gossip, malignant words, innuendo.
Our culture is far from being non-violent.

Most of the training in class is playful. We yield to force and have consideration for one another.
Nobody wants to be injured; they just want to have fun.
When you become accustomed to approaching violence playfully, you learn to avoid it.
There are usually alternatives to violence. If you can avoid conflict, step aside.

Humour helps to relax your emotions.
Kung fu asks you to let-go of pride and dignity; to treat these concepts as simply ideas.

Violence causes chemical imbalances within the body, stiffens musculature and locks the joints.
When you play, fear dissipates and your heart becomes light.

Try this approach outside of class.

Being restrained is not what some martial artists have in mind when they consider self defence.
This only demonstrates an immaturity of character.
Once they become capable of crippling or killing somebody with their hands, why would they want to?
And that is the whole point.

When your intention is tempered by restraint, you use the kung fu carefully.  

When learning a martial art it is crucial to remember that combat can be dangerous.
There is a risk of injury.
This is why discipline is important in class:

1. Keep your mind on what you are doing
2. Be playful, not macho
3. Respect your practice partner
4. Warm-up thoroughly
5. Stay loose and relaxed
6. Train at home between lessons
7. Prepare your body for combat

Most of your combat training in our school will not involve sets.
We prefer our students to experience a wide range of spontaneous attacks from solo and multiple attackers, armed and unarmed.

Sets are a learning tool and can be very useful, but they are not random enough for self defence.
Melee combat tests the individual's ability to respond under pressure.

How do we cope with an assailant without being violent?
That is a very good question.

Striking and chin na can undoubtedly cause serious damage to an assailant.
Yet, would that be your intention?

A kung fu person seeks to avoid confrontation and would only use their kung fu reluctantly.

You do only what is necessary to escape the situation.
Although the effect of your kung fu will indeed be violent, your disposition should remain composed and compassionate.
At no point would you become angry and deliberately hurt the assailant.

A great mountain can collapse at your feet and you need not change countenance.
(Cheng Man Ching)

Expert students learn to take the sets apart and gain a comprehensive understanding of the biomechanics involved.
They can also make connections and associations between patterns, themes and form movements.
Hidden applications become apparent.

Every combat set contains countless chin na, shuai jiao and variations on a movement.
A skilled student can easily recognise viable follow-ups and explore these.

At this stage, the combat set pervades the student's consciousness and can be used readily in self defence.

Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam: Put your hand in the box. I hold at your neck the gom jabbar. This one kills only animals.
Paul Atreides: Are you suggesting a duke's son is an animal?
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam: Let us say I suggest you may be human. Your awareness may be powerful enough to control your instincts. Your instinct will be to remove your hand from the box. If you do so, you die.
(Dune)

This quote from the movie Dune highlights a major consideration in the internal arts: composure.
Composure enables a person to handle stress and crisis.

We are not interested in triggering our fight or flight response.
It may have certain advantages but it can also be a serious impediment.

The aim is to remain calm, composed and present...

The primal part of you is the base animal instinct, the 'fight-or-flight' reflex. 
When we are in real danger, the psoas muscle contracts and the back is forced to bend forwards.
This posture is a fear reflex which protects the soft parts of the body from harm. 

Unfortunately, it also freezes the entire body. In kung fu we need to stay relaxed.

Humans are violent because other people conflict with their desires.
Sometimes they are simply bored.
This is very different to 'nature violence'.

In nature, violence is not the consequence of boredom or petulance.
Survival prompts the violence, rather than thought.

How do you know if you are doing it correctly?

It works.
It feels easy.
It is very effective.
The attacker should be incapable of mounting an effective counter-attack.

People follow conventions because they are familiar. They see no need to 're-invent the wheel'.
However, not everything we have in modern society is viable.
Look around you.

The legal system, education, politics... does any of it really work? Be honest.
Computers are useful. But are they really all that good? Have we achieved the paperless office?
Do they really save us any time?

There may be an accepted way of doing things, but that is not the only way.
If you are smart, you will consider the nature, character, purpose, essence of what you are undertaking.
You will re-assess its validity.
Explore options, variables, alternatives. Adapt, change, improvise.
Take nothing for granted. Re-invent the wheel. Only this time, improve it.

Valentine's Day

Many aspects of modern life are warped.
The original meaning and purpose has been lost and only a parody remains.
People merely 'go through the motions' and the sincerity is forgotten...