Alias
12-Dec-2003, 09:57 AM
Here is a link (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=325) to an article on the musician Lou Reed and his tai chi chuan mentor, Ren Guangyi.
For those who don't know, Reed formed the seminal 60s rock band, The Velvet Underground, and went on to become a successful solo artist.
Anyway, I thought Reed, a highly intelligent and articulate fellow, gave some excellent insights in this article, and I wished to share them:
From linked article:
M: Is there a relationship between being a musician and doing tai chi?
LR: Well, everybody does something, some people race cars, others collect stamps, I find tai chi to be philosophically, aesthetically, physically and spiritually fascinating. I was told in my fast form there are four emotions you express. I found that a fascinating concept to have.
At what point are you a martial artist as opposed to someone interested in the martial arts? And if you’re looking at it that way, you’ve got a layman, you’ve got a dilettante, you’ve got this and that, at what point would you say martial artist? Well, that’s a martial artist (points at Ren). I mean, look at painters. OK, Van Gogh, there’s a painter. Lots of people paint, lots of people teach painting, are they artists? No. That’s an artist (points again at Ren.) A martial artist. That’s a goal. I don’t think I’m in any position to call myself a martial artist. I’m a student of the martial arts. He’s a martial artist, that’s a whole other level.
I admire that approach. He asks a good question, too: "At what point are you a martial artist as opposed to someone interested in the martial arts?"
For those who don't know, Reed formed the seminal 60s rock band, The Velvet Underground, and went on to become a successful solo artist.
Anyway, I thought Reed, a highly intelligent and articulate fellow, gave some excellent insights in this article, and I wished to share them:
From linked article:
M: Is there a relationship between being a musician and doing tai chi?
LR: Well, everybody does something, some people race cars, others collect stamps, I find tai chi to be philosophically, aesthetically, physically and spiritually fascinating. I was told in my fast form there are four emotions you express. I found that a fascinating concept to have.
At what point are you a martial artist as opposed to someone interested in the martial arts? And if you’re looking at it that way, you’ve got a layman, you’ve got a dilettante, you’ve got this and that, at what point would you say martial artist? Well, that’s a martial artist (points at Ren). I mean, look at painters. OK, Van Gogh, there’s a painter. Lots of people paint, lots of people teach painting, are they artists? No. That’s an artist (points again at Ren.) A martial artist. That’s a goal. I don’t think I’m in any position to call myself a martial artist. I’m a student of the martial arts. He’s a martial artist, that’s a whole other level.
I admire that approach. He asks a good question, too: "At what point are you a martial artist as opposed to someone interested in the martial arts?"