Wei Wu Wei – The art of doing without doing
First published in Tai Chi Magazine 1993/4
Keith Roost
Translated by Benjamin Hoff in `The Tao of Pooh´ as “doing without doing” Wei wu Wei is an integral precept of Taoism, the underlying philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan. Yet few of us seem to have acquired the ability to just let things happen in their own time, particularly when it comes to our own advancement.
Recently one of my students reminded me of the benefits of wei wu wei. Jean is one of my longest standing students, and one whom I have tremendous admiration for. The quality I most admire in jean is her perseverance, her downright dogged determination to get it right, and keep trying until she does.
By her own admission, Tai Chi did not come easily to Jean, like many she struggled to remember the form, like many more of us she had ingrained habits that affected her posture. Yet unlike almost all the other students who enrolled at the same time, she is still here, still trying.
It was this same admirable quality that in some ways provided her biggest challenge. As her understanding of Tai Chi deepened, she would notice more things that she did `wrong` and then she would see newer, more athletically gifted students performing techniques closer to her ideal.
Gradually she became more frustrated at her difficulties, as every training session turned into an ordeal of mistakes and forgotten moves, amplified by her desire to get it right, followed by despair when she didn’t.
For my part I succeeded in making things worse, adding to the pressure by helpfully pointing out where a foot was late in turning, or the weight was wrong. Jean wanted desperately to improve and I wanted to help her, so together we worked at individual movements trying to correct the same difficulties to no avail.
Nothing seemed to be helping, and I feared that I might loose a valued student if the trend continued. My only saving grace was that I realised I was adding to the problem. I withdrew slightly and allowed her to do her own thing with the other senior students.
Pondering the situation, I realised that what was missing in Jeans training was a vital ingredient……enjoyment. Say what you like about your reasons for beginning Tai Chi, one of the reasons you keep going is simply that you enjoy it.
When I advised Jean to try and enjoy her Tai Chi again, the size of the problem became obvious, “how could she enjoy it if she couldn’t do it properly?” All my reassurance that she need not be perfect fell on deaf ears, however well I said she was doing she was dissatisfied with her performance.
We decided the best tactic was to try not to improve for the present, but simply take part in the class activities, this stopped things from becoming worse, but I could tell Jean wasn’t happy. There was an air of resigned hopelessness about her at times.
Fortunately for us both fate decided to lend a hand. Unexpectedly I had to take some time out from teaching, and the burden of maintaining my classes fell to my senior students, much of it to Jean.
In the space of a couple of weeks the difference in her was impressive, leading the class and helping less experienced students, she forgot her self imposed targets, and no doubt the evident admiration of other students helped to rebuild her confidence. In any event, I returned to find a happy smiling Jean, who’s form and technique are amongst the best in the school.
So for Jean, the rewards of Wei wu wei became tangible, and almost instantaneous, and all without really trying to improve. As for me, I have learned a valuable lesson also, in future I am going to try teaching without teaching.
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written by Keith Roost and published at http://www.bloguedesporto.com/
