Martial Arts

By Jesse S. Somer

http://www.taichiacademy.com.au/default.htm

I am very interested in Martial Arts, as I’ve been training inTai Chi on and off for ten years as well as an Internal MartialArt called Wu Dao Gong for a year and a half. I have searchedmany websites to find a good one to write about but none seem tocompare to the site by the actual organization that I amfortunately part of. They are called the Tai Chi Academy andtheir online magazine can be found at a link from their homepageor at: http://www.taichiacademy.com.au/magazine/index.htm

What I find so remarkable about this site compared to othermartial art sites is the variety and depth of information sharedwith visitors. These people really want to paint a true, honestpicture about everything that they do and why they do it. ‘Flowlike a river, and be still like a mountain.’ This famous Tai Chiquote epitomizes the flowing yet static style of this website.There must be at least a hundred pages about everything frombasic school principles for prospective students to recipes forhealthy vegetarian food recipes! Martial Arts are a lifestyle tothis school and I believe they want to address all aspects oflife in a truly holistic approach.

Integrated throughout the site are heaps of photos (most ofwhich are in vibrant color) depicting the actual training aswell as cool photos of their field trips to China etc. Themagazine site itself is separated into



main categories such asArchived Features, Testimonials, Archived Interviews, SuggestedReading, and Vegetarian Corner for Non-vegetarians as well asLinks.

Under the ‘Archived Features’ section is a category entitled‘Training in Wu Dao Gong’. This couple of pages gives thevisitor an excellent, detailed perspective on the philosophybehind this training. If you are then interested in finding outmore you can click on the Tai Chi Academy actual Home Page andclick on the subheading ‘Courses’. There you can read severalmore in-depth explanations about all the aspects of the trainingfrom meditation to physical exercises and their effects. Theyemphasize that emotional and spiritual development are integralto moving forward down the path of happiness and peace. They areadamant that this is a course for the arts and is not religiousin any way.

I found the ‘Testimonials’ section to be quite interesting asthere are a variety of responses from students. They come acrossas being very authentic as there seems to be such a diversereaction to the training. The Kung Fu seems to have helped somany people ranging from older women to teenage boys. One aspectthat everyone comments on is the lack of ego and competitivenature of the instructors. Just like the website, the stigmaticqualities often associated with Martial Arts is not presenthere; no one is trying to look cool or be aggressive. This isvery important to people whom just want to increase their healthand self-defense capabilities like myself.

This website is a perfect example of the true function andintention of the Internet, to share positive information andknowledge around the world. Of course the Tai Chi Academy is abusiness, but the honest and open format of their websitereflects the philosophy of their teachings and is appreciated byvisitors. All products’ costs are right there to be seen; asthere is nothing to hide when monetary gain is not the soleimperative of an organization. A lot can be learned here bycompanies’ and individuals’ approaches to constructing anidentity on the Internet.

About the author:Jesse S. Somer, M6.Net http://www.m6.net Jesse S. Somer is abamboo tree bending in the strong wind, but rooted to theground. He is learning and hoping to show others how to be moreflexible and stable in our contemporary world.