Take a moment and look properly, it has become over used but its message remains valid. In it we can see everything that has and will happen in our life and in the universe around us. The energy that arises, how the forces of nature move with us and manoeuvre us on an unseen path. It is not to be taken lightly. The Ultimate principle of balance. You're mistaken if you think "I don't buy into that new age bullshit". You have no choice in the matter and there is nothing new age about it. Like the image of the five elements cycle it acts as a blueprint for existence so it is best for you to have a look at it and take a moment to reflect on the importance of this simple image.
My first real teacher in martial arts Sifu Steve Newby, to whom I will always be thankful for his guidance, used to say "There is only really one stupid question, and that is the question you ask on the bus on the way home". By this he meant the question that you could've asked in class when someone was there to answer it, but you didn't. Leaving it perhaps until the next week where it would most likely be forgotten and left unanswered. However I've been around long enough to know that there is in fact more than one stupid question but once again the lesson remains!
So if the "Yin" of stupid questions exists then what must arises from it is the "Yang" of intelligent questions. Like the singular significant black dab that appears within the symbol, what is that overriding query that sticks out from all the white noise around it? What is the vital question we need to ask to elicit as much information about as possible? What is the name of this technique? Does the hand go like this or like this? Should I make a longer or shorter step? What is the application of this bit? Would this work for real? All of these questions I believe are secondary to the only question worth asking: What is the energetic consequence of this technique?
To understand the meridian system within the body is the greatest reason to pursue Martial Arts. Not only will it give longevity to the pursuit due to its complexity, the small revelations that you make on the way will give longevity to your life. Correct alignment allows the energy to flow throughout which means you stay healthy. Is that not the best reason to train? Not everyone wants to learn weapons or train how to fight but everyone wants to be healthy. Through motion we can find stillness and clarity. Through the stillness of meditation the motion of our internal energy systems will bring about real benefits.
I have trained the internal martial arts for a while certainly, but not as long as others and certainly not with the same single-mindedness. I began my training in the Yang of external arts and have found that those energies that I mentioned in the first paragraph have coerced me toward the Yin. Study any martial art long enough and you will reach the same point: exactly the opposite place you thought you would find yourself! If you began in Yang you will conclude in Yin. Likewise greater understanding of the Yin will no doubt lead you into the Yang. It isn't some unknown coincidental factor it is the natural flow of things explicitly illustrated in the formula of the Yin Yang symbol.
