T'shuva/Crane Philosophy part 2 of 3 [Kung Fu Expressions #2]

2. “Returning to the Source: T’shuva and the Lessons of the Crane – Part 2 of 3”

Often, beginners are more adept at hard, strong and heavy movements of the tiger rather than light, quick and precise movements of the crane. Why is this so? One reason may be that beginners have little experience in moving their bodies in diverse ways, so they are more apt to be hard and heavy. Another reason could be that the crane runs contrary to the natural idea of what power is, because it is light rather than hard. Most beginners do not have the confidence in their own ability to trust their strike. I would like to offer a third possible reason that ties in to the Jewish concept of T’shuva (returning to or discovering the source of spirituality) mentioned in the previous post.

The crane represents the element of wood. To the martial artist wood has the quality and function of balance. The sounds that we use in performing wood movements are tied to the organ of the liver, which regulates many physical, emotional and mental functions of the body. Some of these include “coursing” (keeping continuous flow of chi and blood in the body) and “draining” (purging stagnation from the digestive functions of the stomach and spleen), maintaining mental well being and stimulating the upward and downward flows that assists digestion. (see http://www.itmonline.org/5organs/liver.htm).

We see that the benefits from the crane conserve the essence of the martial artist by keeping the body within harmony. It is said that white cranes can live past the age of 80 years old, a feat for animals and humans alike. Thus the way that the crane lives and interacts with the world conserves its essence and allows it to live a long life. When it has to fight for survival or expend energy in hunting for food, the crane always returns to a restive position, no matter how far it extends itself for survival. From this we learn that no matter how much we exert ourselves, in combat, life or training, we must return to the source and find a restive place so that we may continue our intended quest.

In the next and final installment of this chapter of Kung Fu Expressions we conclude by exploring the T’shuva and crane mindset through a personal experience of the author.