Justin Stone's T'ai Chi Chih and Bruce Johnson's Chinese Wand Exercise

When I was taking an interest in old-time Appalachian music, one thing that became apparent was the attention paid to lineage and pedigree. It wasn't enough to just learn a tune from your fellow jammers, or from a recording by 2nd generation or contemporary musicians like Bruce Molsky or Riley Baugus, no you had to seek out source recordings of who they learned it from. And, if possible, who that person learned it from, unless that was before recordings were made. There also wasn't much emphasis on writing your own tunes in the style.

Now that I'm starting to study traditional exercises like tai chi, I see immediate parallels. In martial arts especially, a form doesn't carry as much weight if it isn't backed by a centuries old, authentic and unbroken heritage. Teachers take pride in being able to trace their style back generation by generation to the earliest known sources.

Which brings me to two interesting takes on this that I've recently become aware of: T'ai Chi Chih (Justin Stone) and Chinese Wand Exercise (Bruce Johnson). Both books debuted in the mid-1970's. Both authors were white (non-Asian) Americans. In the case of Justin Stone, he considered himself the originator of a movement practice called T'ai Chi Chih. He took credit for its creation, although it seems as though Mr. Stone borrowed heavily from pre-established movements, like those associated with qigong the tai chi ruler.

Bruce Johnson, on the other hand, adhered to the lineage tradition, stating that he learned his Chinese Wand Exercises in the 1940's from a 93 year old grand master named Dr. Ch'eng. My guess is that Dr. Ch'eng is mostly fictional, similar to Carlos Castaneda's Don Juan. It is possible that Bruce Johnson saw some or all of these exercises being done by Chinese practitioners but filled in the narrative portion himself. We'll never know for sure, but Dr. Ch'eng may have just been a conglomeration of various personalities that Johnson encountered while stationed in Shanghai. (These wand exercises also bear some resemblance to gymnastics teachings of the late 1800's/early 1900's which could also have been an undocumented influence).

I'm trying to remain ambivalent about how I feel about a venerable background versus an original creation. Both have their pros and cons. No matter how you feel about them, there are great things to be learned from T'ai Chi Chih as well as the Chinese Wand Exercise. I'm glad that I have found vintage copies of each book to study and add to my collection.

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Pawel Widuto Bulava Short Mace and Jeff Martone D-Ball Indoor Shot

I've been doing some training sessions with trainer/coach Will Parker, who this past week told me about two exercise tools I hadn't heard of: the Bulava by Pawel Widuto and the D-Ball by Jeff Martone. I'll start with Pawel Widuto.

Pawel Widuto is a Polish-born fitness master now living in Norway. He is the founder of the Tengu ECS (Element Cycle System). Most longer maces like the kind made by Onnit or Set for Set are 40 inches (100cm) or more, but Pawel Widuto came up with a short mace he calls a bulava in weights ranging from 3kg (7lbs) to 11kg (24lbs).

House of Tengu Bulava mace

I think the length is about 60cm. The exercises you can do are similar to what you would do with steel clubs, meels, or longer maces. While it's not necessarily revolutionary, the bulavas sure are cool looking! I want one.





Now for the D-ball from Jeff Martone's tacticalathlete.com. The D-Ball is like an indoor shot put. They have a rubbery grip with ridges to allow for grabbing and do not bounce. The weights range from 3lbs to 14lbs, but the diameter remains the same (5 inches) over all the available weights.

D-Ball Indoor Shot

Jeff uses these D-Balls as part of his Superior High Output Training (S.H.O.T.).  The movements and exercises you can come up with are seemingly endless, dependent only on your own creativity, skill and motivation. There's also a series of training videos you can download here: https://tacticalathlete.com/product/s-h-o-t-i-superior-high-output-training/



Exciting stuff.

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More Tai Chi Ball Videos (Taiji Qiu)

Tai Chi Ball Qigong or Taiji Qiu is something I am very curious about and just starting to learn about and practice.  I think there may be two different primary styles - one called Yang and one called Chen. But I'm not sure about that yet. Here's a collection of videos that I'm going to want to return to.

There's a Static Peacefulness to the Present Moment

I've learned many things over the past two months, but the most important may be the realization that there's no need to rush. I'm here now, whether or not I've showered, brushed my teeth or changed clothes!

There's been a day to day consistency over the last 8 weeks that is unprecedented in my lifetime. This has revealed little pleasures like the joys of reading haiku, listening to ambient music, reading an entire book series (Bosch), or trying to gain some understanding of a mind-body-spirit practice like qigong. It feels like a new age.

There's been no fear of missing out FOMO because you're not missing out. As an introvert who is almost always more comfortable at home than at a social situation, I no longer have to feel weird about not having things to do, and/or I don't have to feel anxious about being invited to that rare dinner party that I didn't really want to go to in the first place. I don't have to wake up hungover the next morning because of some stupid decision to walk to the bar around the corner.

Maybe you're not supposed to "look forward". I don't know. But one of the things I look forward to the most right now is a weekly nature walk. If it's a Saturday evening and I'm planning on going for a hike early the next morning, the last thing I want to do is jeopardize that by drinking the night before. In no way would that enhance the experience.

I'm OK with concerts and other big events being postponed right now. When they do resume, if I am to participate, I want to approach this experience from the same perspective as that nature walk. I want to be able to look forward to these events, and not feel angst, knowing that they are going to be worthwhile, positive experiences before, during and after.

What to Read after Bosch? (Other Binge-Worthy Book Series)

Prior to this year I had never read any of Michael Connelly's novels, but now I have read 6 by this author including 5 Bosch books. Before Connelly I wasn't really in the habit of reading one book after another in a series (now I see the appeal of that) and also before Connelly I didn't make it a habit of reading police procedural style detective mystery novels. Now I guess I do both.

Fortunately there are over 20 Bosch books and from what I gather there really aren't any duds or lulls along the way. Nonetheless, I'm already wondering what else it out there so I have assembled a list below. These descriptions aren't really my words or opinions since I haven't read these books yet, but are composite descriptions based on what others had written.

Roy Grace series by Peter James (Book 1 Dead Simple, 2005)
Set in Brighton, England. Roy Grace is a down-to-earth detective with a strong sense of conviction, and a sense of humor. He was touched by tragedy ten years earlier when his wife disappeared. He still hopes to find her and even keeps some of her things in place in case she resurfaced.

Many characters in the Roy Grace books turn to Grace as a kind of shining light in their time of darkness. He is easy for victims to talk to and trust. Roy Grace will use anything and everything available to him to solve a case. He will use basics like pathology analysis and forensics, to mediums as far off the beaten path as the paranormal, getting input from mediums and clairvoyants about his work. Grace has his own belief system in ghosts and things that go bump in the night, and he brings that into his cases.

Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke (Book 1 The Neon Rain, 1987)
Working within the French Quarter of New Orleans, Detective Dave Robicheaux has seen too much violence for one lifetime. Previously serving in Vietnam he now chases after criminals and lowlifes through the musty streets of his home city. Everything comes to a head when the body of a prostitute is discovered in the bayou, leading him further into the heart of the criminal underworld.

The Neon Rain has a fair degree of violence, something which becomes commonplace as the series progresses. A claustrophobic ambiance lingers over the narrative, with danger and evil lurking around every corner.

Charlie Parker series by John Connolly (Book 1 Every Dead Thing, 1999)
This is a series of supernatural crime thrillers written by Irish author John Connolly. Charlie Parker is a former New York City policeman hunting the killer of his wife and daughter. He would do anything for the vengeance of his family’s death. As a private investigator his cases increasingly push him into the realm of the supernatural.

Jack Reacher series by Lee Child (Book 1 Killing Floor, 1997)
Jack Reacher is a drifter and ex-military policeman. Each book in the series is a self-contained story, and the plot of each book relies very little on the prior books in the series. Tom Cruise played Jack Reacher in a movie. These mystery/adventure books are/were written by British author Lee Child (AKA Jim Grant).

At 6’5", the musclebound Reacher is a larger than life hero whose military and tactical training comes in handy. Reacher kills bad guys through a combination of complex calculations (physics, geometry) and brute strength. Reacher makes up his own rules and shows no restraint, rarely taking any laws into consideration.

John Rebus series by Ian Rankin (Book 1 Knots and Crosses, 1987)
John Rebus first appeared in Knots and Crosses in 1987. Rebus once served in Britain’s elite SAS and later became an Edinburgh cop. He’s gruff and disheveled sloppy underdog, but his messy exterior and bad habits hide a keen mind and (mostly) benevolent nature.

Rebus books are usually from Rebus’ point of view, although sometimes this point of view will shift to various characters in the book. Every novel involves some sort of murder, deaths, or disappearances, which Rebus investigates, delving into the dark underbelly of Scotland. Rebus has to deal with a number of internal and external conflicts with his personal life, police superiors, and colleagues.

Part of the series' appeal is the detective’s borderline sympathy for the criminals he associates with, against the backdrop of a shady Edinburgh; a direct dichotomy of the highly clean and commercial city projected to the world.

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series by Robert Crais (Book 1 The Monkey's Raincoat, 1987)
The Elvis Cole books follow the private investigator and his partner, Joe Pike, as they solve crimes in Los Angeles. Elvis is a tough, conscientious, and somewhat unorthodox investigator.  His hobbies include include cooking, yoga, tai chi, and tae kwon do. He resides with a feral cat in Laurel Canyon above Hollywood. Little is known on Cole’s history prior to becoming a detective. In the first book you learn that he has been partners with Joe Pike for at least 13 years.

Joe Pike is a former Marine and sniper who has seen combat. A man of few words, he has arrow tattoos and is always wearing sunglasses. He is a black belt who enjoys working out and reading.

Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell (Book 1 Postmortem, 1990)
When the series begins Dr. Kay Scarpetta is a medical examiner in Richmond, VA, and one of the top forensic pathologists in the country. The plots are notable for their emphasis on forensic science, which influenced TV shows like CSI. Along the way, the series also features FBI profiler Benton Wesley, Kay’s genius niece Lucy Farinelli, and homicide detective, Pete Marino.

Virgil Flowers series by John Sandford (Book 1 Dark of the Moon, 2007)
Virgil Flowers is a thee time divorced, friendly member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), who reports to Lucas Davenport, the protagonist of Sandford's Prey series. Davenport gives Flowers only the toughest cases. But he isn't your typical detective. For one thing, he doesn’t like guns.

Amos Walker series by Loren D. Estleman (Book 1 Motor City Blue, 1980)

Amos Walker is a private detective in Detroit. As a Vietnam vet who boxed in college and served as a military policeman, he is sharp and streetwise but he also has an irreverent side. Amos was fired from the Detroit Police while still in Academy for punching someone out in the shower. In Motor City Blue, set around 1980, Amos is in his thirties.

Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson (Book 1 The Cold Dish, 2004)
Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series follows a sheriff in fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming. Longmire solves crime near the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation with the help of his longtime friend, Henry Standing Bear. He is a widower whose wife died from cancer. His daughter, Cady, is an attorney in Philadelphia. Longmire catches killers, and he is good at it.

J.P. Beaumont series by J.A. Jance (Book 1 Until Proven Guilty, 1985)
J.A. Jance's mysteries set in Seattle convey a sense of darkness. (she also writes horror fiction.)  The dark underbelly of the city is something homicide detective J.P. Beaumont is well aware of. He is a sympathetic but flawed detective who, as the series progresses, puts his life back together piece by piece while catching violent killers. Over 20 novels in this series so far.

Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny (Book 1 Still Life, 2006)
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is the main character in a series of mystery novels set in Québec, written by Canadian author Louise Penny. The stories usually take place in the village of Three Pines where Gamache investigate murders by digging beneath the idyllic surface of village life to find long buried secrets.  The series features unconventional murders, a long list of suspects, plenty of red herrings, and dramatic endings.

Inspector Vaara series by James Thompson (Book 1 Snow Angels, 2009)
Kari Vaara, police chief in the town of Kittilä, Lapland, debuted in Thompson's first novel, Snow Angels. In the second novel, Lucifer's Tears, he moves to Helsinki. While he is portrayed as a good cop in the first two books, in the next installment, Helsinki White, we see Vaara turning into a rogue and corrupt cop. Helsinki Blood takes on further along the same line, with Vaara trying to tie all loose ends and redeem himself. There are only 4 books in this series since James Thompson died in 2014.

Detective Erlendur series by Arnaldur Indridason (First translated book Jar City, 2000)
The Inspector Erlendur Series is set in Reykjavik, Iceland. Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson is a brilliant cop, but also a gloomy and thoroughly anti-social figure who guards his privacy jealously. When he’s not doggedly pursuing a case, he is hunkered down at home brooding over its details, or reading through his library of papers about people lost in the wilds of Iceland. The childhood loss of his little brother during a snowstorm, for which he blames himself, is still a permanent presence in Erlendur’s life. He also feels guilty over his own indifference towards his children after his marriage failed so many years ago.

Iceland’s stony, unforgiving landscape reflects the silent, glacial progress of Erlendur’s battle with his own inner storms. His investigations provide rich insight into Icelandic culture, old and new, covering issues such as the criminal justice system, nationalism, racism, immigration, corporate greed, the welfare state, and genetic disease. Erlendur's partners Elinborg and Sigurdur Oli also play significant roles.

Kathleen Mallory series by Carol O'Connell (Book 1 Mallory's Oracle, 1994)

Kathleen Mallory is a Detective Sergeant working in the New York Police Department. She was orphaned as a child and was adopted by a police officer and his wife. Even after years of living as a civilized person, Kathleen has still not forgotten her wild roots. She does not like to get called by any other names except Mallory. She judges things as right or wrong based on intuition and her own sense of justice.

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Having Fun with Pentatonic Scales

Earlier this month I spent some time with five-note scales, AKA pentatonic scales. I sort of felt rejuvenated after doing so. When you just have five notes, each note becomes vital; an entity in itself. It's less about what notes you have to work with or the succession you play them in, and more about how you play those notes and the feeling you have while doing so.

Pentatonic scales are conducive to improvisation - playing original, unpredictable phrases of your own invention, in free rhythm. Just playing around with these notes makes pleasing sound combinations. You can hop around however you like.

The pentatonic scale is sometimes referred to as the black key scale since if you play only the black keys of a piano keyboard you will be playing in a pentatonic scale. Playing within pentatonic scales can cause your music to take on an Eastern feel, as the pentatonic scale is the most frequently used type of scale in the music of the Far-East. It is also used in Native American flute music.

To create the most common type of pentatonic scale you simply remove the 4th and 7th notes from the 7-note major scale.  In the key of C (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) you remove the 4th note F and the 7th note B to create a five note scale with the notes C, D, E, G, A.

From this five note scale of C, D, E, G, A you can create four other modes:

D, E, G, A, C (transposed to C that would be C, D, F, G, Bb)

E, G, A, C, D (transposed to C that would be C, Eb, F, Ab, Bb)

G, A, C, D, E (transposed to C that would be C, D, F, G, A)

A, C, D, E, G (transposed to C that would be C, Eb, F, G, Bb)

These modes can go by different names in different cultures:

C, D, E, G, A = Ryo in Japan, Tizita Major in Ethiopia.

C, D, F, G, Bb = Yematebela Wofe in Ethiopian music. Slendro in gamelan.

C, Eb, F, Ab, Bb = Shegaye in Ethiopian music. Man Gong in China.

C, D, F, G, A = Ritsu in Japan. Ambassel (Major) in Ethiopia.

C, Eb, F, G, Bb = Minyo in Japan, used in Shakuhachi flute music. Also called Batti Minor in Ethiopia.

Some other more unusual pentatonic scales include:

C, Db, F, G, Ab = Kumoi in Japan. Ambassel (Minor) in Ethiopia.

C, Db, F, Gb, Bb = Iwato in Japan.

C, Db, F, G, Bb = Han Iwato in Japan.

C, Db, F, Gb, A = Anchihoye in Ethiopian music.

C, Db, Eb, G, Ab = Balinese Pelog pentatonic.

C, D, Eb, G, Ab = Hirajoshi in Japan, Tizita Minor in Ethiopia. Distinctive use of semitones. 

C, D, F, G, Ab = Kokin Joshi in Japan.

C, D, Eb, G, A = Akebono in Japan.

C, D, Eb, G, Bb = Pygmy scale.

C, Eb, F, G, Bb = Batti Minor.

C, Eb, F#, G, Bb = Batti Minor 4# in Ethiopia. A variant of Batti Minor/Minyo.

C, Eb, F#, G, B = Batti Minor 4/7# in Ethiopia. Like the Hungarian minor mode minus two notes.

C, E, F, G, B = Rhukuan in Japan. A unique scale from Okinawa. Also called Batti Major in Ethiopia.

C, E, F#, G, B = Batti Major #4 in Ethiopia. A variation of the Batti Major mode. Also the "Chinese" scale.

C, E, F, G#, B = Batti Major #5 in Ethiopia. Also called Bacovia in Romanian music.

C, E, F, A, B = no name Japanese mode. (one of the Kumoi modes)

C, E, F#, A, B = no name Asian scale.

Note that Hirajoshi, Kumoi Joshi, and Iwato are all modes of the same basic pentatonic scale.

Pentatonic scales are a reminder that your instrument can be a spiritual tool to reach enlightenment and that playing is a form of meditation. Total absorption in the task is perhaps a more noble achievement than advancement to a higher technical skill level. 

Under the watchful and critical eye of a master one may practice the writing of Chinese characters for days and days, months and months. But he watches as a gardener watches the growth of a tree, and wants his student to have the attitude of the tree - the attitude of purposeless growth in which there are no short cuts because every stage of the way is both beginning and end. (Alan Watts, The Way of Zen, Zen in the Arts)

Music To Be Heard But Not Necessarily Listened To (Part 1)

So much of the music we take in is based on performance, to entertain and capture the attention of an audience. Even when listening through your own headphones or speakers, music is still designed to actively engage with the listener. But since we can't go to concerts right now, why not turn our periphery to music that can be heard but doesn't necessarily have to be listened to. Maybe if only a plant was to hear it, or feel it, that would be enough. Or the audience could just be furniture, or wet paint, and so on.

With that in mind, there's no better place to start than a Grammy winning 2019 compilation called Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990. This 3 LP set presents an overview of the minimalist, ambient, and New Age music - collectively referred to as Environmental music - created by Japanese composers and sound designers in the 1980's. These quiet natural sounds were created for "spaces, products and experiences", whatever that means, or to "transport the consumer into a parade far away from the heat and hurry of urban life.” OK now I'm really confused but I am enjoying my new Sanyo air-conditioner, so that's a plus. If you can't leave your house to be in nature, at least you can feel close to it by listening to this Japanese environmental music.

Next we have Brian Eno's 1978 masterpiece Ambient 1: Music for Airports. This is a record I love to listen to on a chilly spring night when sitting out back on the patio while a chiminea fire is winding down. Maybe you had listened to something more uptempo while the fire was blazing, but now it's that last hour when you're not going to be putting any more wood on the fire and you're just letting it wind down to coals, but you have to stay there and watch it finish. Well, Music for Airports is the perfect music to accompany that. The volume doesn't have to be loud because that way any diegetic sounds happening around you can become part of it.

Above I mentioned that this type of music might be something that plants could appreciate. I was foreshadowing Mother Earth's Plantasia by Mort Garson. Back in 1976 plant buyers could pick up this album as a freebie at Mother Earth Plant Boutique in Los Angeles. And somehow we know about this album today and love it. Kitsch factor notwithstanding. Come on, composer/occultist Mort Garson chose the perpetually cool Moog synthesizer for this "warm earth music for plants...and the people who love them"!

I'm going tropical with my fourth selection, Aguas de Amazonia by Uakti (pronounced wah-keh-chee). This is a long-time favorite CD of mine. Uakti is a Brazilian ensemble that makes use of traditional, exotic and one-of-a-kind home made instruments including pans, marimbas, PVC pipes, stringed instruments, various percussion and more to produce its New Age classical rainforest fantasy world. On this 1993 recording they arrange the music of Philip Glass like it was always meant to be that way. Uakti may be really far out, but they tether some of their experimental techniques by sprinkling it with authentic Brazilian flavors.

I feel like I should include some kind of gamelan or gong music on this list, but rather than a traditional Balinese or Javanese orchestra (maybe next time) I'll start with Seattle's Gamelan Pacifica. Their 1994 outing Trance Gong is focused on their original compositions and closes with a cover of John Cage's In a Landscape. It's gamelan music from an avant-garde point of view. Spotify told me to like it and they were right as usual.

Feel better? Feeling cleansed? What a sound bath!