Sifu Says – The Candle’s Light

Teaching Moments With GM Sam Chin

“Keep on adjusting” means keep adjusting to connect. If the variation is too much, you cannot connect.

Everything is about the center—the center that is strong enough to go out and come back. The center must be strong. Sometimes I talk about using the candle light—these last few talks I have been talking about the example of the candle light.

If the flame is shaky, if the wind is making it keep on flickering, then you cannot see things clearly. If there is no wind or anything to come to disturb the candle light, then the candle light is so steady—then you can see things clearly.

This is about the center—that means if the center is shaky, there is no precise direction. Also, if the candlelight is too dim, you also cannot see the bigger view. You only see a little thing. If the candle light is bright, then you can see a bigger view more clearly. 

To have a center is the same. If the center is stable, it must be holding very stable to give precise direction and precise separation. So, the center, to be strong, is balanced by directions, at the same time. But when you rock to give different directions, it is only through one point that you rotate can you give all directions. That is, only by spinning can you get all directions.

By using the Spinning Force, you get the directions – forward/backward, up/ down —  and if you go up and down by rotating up and down, then, at the same time have forward backward left and right. If you aren’t rotating but only use the rocking to shift, then you only have one at one time.

Simultaneously, at the same time, to have all directions is by rotation

That is why the spinning force with one point of rotation is the only way you can get the balance point, hold the balance point, and hold the point not to move.  That is why the primary movement is from one point of rotation. But when you rock on 3 points (forward backward and neutral) that is to understand the difference: to see from one point—yin, another yang and the neutral). That kind of recognizing is just by using three points, but after recognizing three points, then to get the three together all at one time comes only from rotation.

That is why we talk about the six directions as the main characteristic, then the three dimensions, and then it expands to the to five elements. The 6 directions have a center to give you the directional.