Staying Focused While Ignoring the Noise

Music: Bach's Two-Three Piece Invention

Staying focused while ignoring noise is a challenge for most people. 

One of the most difficult everyday objectives to accomplish is to stay focused on one's current objective while being mindful of one's own grand objective.

Ignore the election.  Discount your favorite team's latest victory or loss.  Disregard the "Disneyland distraction of the news economy."

Ask yourself  whether those external  topics really matter if you are not able to achieve your own grand objective. 

Focus on your objective after looking at your gameplan or script.  Understand how one object connects to another while remembering that it is "duty before pleasure."

The Art of the Focus: Maneuvering Through the Efficient Economy Through Non-Techie Means

(updated at 05/09/15 3:33 hrs)

Have you always been depended  on your technology as the principal mean to solve problem and to maneuver through your complex settings?  Are you addicted to the "one button push" solution?

Are you able to walk around your terrain without looking at your mobile device?

Do you think that you can operate without your tablet or your mobile phone attached to your face?

The Tangible Perspective
In the information economy, almost everyone is depended on some level of technology. Being overly depended on it can be mind numbing for some members of the masses are so depended on it that they cannot breathe without it.

We noticed that it is quite difficult for then to  maneuver through their own settings with their gut instinct and a basic strategy 

Most of us liked our techie toys to solve our immediate problem while concealing our own intellectual deficits of not being able to project the next change.  

While many of these one button solutions have creating the illusion that all problems of life can be solved with a few "pushed" buttons, it does not propel the implementer to think critically and strategically. 

Building a balanced life with technology as the alternative means is quite difficult.

As "classical" strategists, some of us still write our notes on white index cards or using chronograph to view the current time. 

We purposefully maintained this proclivity for the purpose of maintaining the skill of being methodical by style and the tactile skill of "mind to eye to hand" coordination.   This practice also builds the mindset of conscious-driven patience and control. 

For personal control reasons, one of our associates still preferred to operate on a linux desktop from a command line. Using a graphical desktop interface has a way of transforming the attentive mind of the user into mush. 

Suggestion
While technology is the opium of the masses and the embracing of the rapid, mindless changes is the amateur way of evolving in our society, some of us still believed in maintaining the perspective of being methodical by style. 

This grand approach allows us to stay focused on our objective while mindfully de-accelerate slowing down the change factor around us. 

Some of us still believe in the following classic practices:

• Going to the libraries for research purposes;
• Connecting the dots by reading the paper version of the Wall Street Journal or Financial Times;
• Searching for interesting news items on Saturday (Thanks goodness for Google News); 
• Recording unique ideas and information on paper or with a white board;
• Reviewing those mentioned points strategically before the digitalization of information is ever considered;
• Utilizing engineering graphic paper for design projects;
• Saving private documents in portable digital storage mediums;
• Using the command line of a linux desktop to surf the web;  
• Compiling C/C++ or running perl code from the command line for efficiency reasons;
• Listening to various compositions from Mozart, Handel, Bach and other classical music geniuses;
• Listening to baseball games with the radio;
• Play weiqi (Go) games or chess games with zero distractions; 
• Standing mindfully when thinking;
• Standing mindfully when having group meeting;
• Walking and talking mindfully in private "one on one" meetings;
• Planning mindfully with the purpose of zero useless moves; 
• Operating strategically with the mindfulness of pure efficiency; and 
• Maneuvering by focusing on the grand concept of the singularity that exists within the the Big Picture of one own settings.

There are more tactile-based practices to this listing.  It is moderately long but quite pragmatic for certain situations.  We will elaborate more on these practices in a future post.

Our experience tells us that these practices will help those who are "strategically driven to stay ahead of the curve." 

Anticipating the next view of the Big Tangible Picture (BTP) with or without the technological toys is the real skill of the 21st century strategists. ...  You do know how to do that. Do you ?

Someone once explained to us that the most efficient way to maneuver through the efficient economy through non-techie means is to stay "centered" first.  This exercise allows one to be more methodical by style.

Staying centered means staying focused while standing calmly. Avoiding distractions can be a challenge.

By staying "centered" on the objective of understanding the configuration of the Big Tangible Picture, one sees the Big Tangible Picture of their strategic setting.   

The Compass Solution 
“These are the ways that successful strategists are victorious. They cannot be spoken or transmitted in advance. ... It is by scoring many points that one wins the contest beforehand in the conference room (while performing scenario planning and modeling);  it is by scoring few points that one loses  the wins the contest beforehand in the conference room (while performing scenario planning and modeling). The side that scores many points will win; the side that scores few points will not win, let alone the side that scores no point at all.  When I examine it in this way, the outcome of the contest becomes apparent." 

- Art of War 1 (Paraphrased from the Ames translation)

Q: What set of factors do you use to assess your current setting and to anticipate the next state of the Big Tangible Picture?

Staying focused on the target while being mindful of the Big Tangible Picture 

Side Note: Strategic Decision Management

Reaching to this stage of simplified decision management is never that easy. Collecting the tangible data and assessing it is the next challenge after one is able to stay centered.

The Anticipated Trend
The quantity of mobile searches is currently greater than the quantity of desktop  searches.

Conclusively, we are now living in a mobile economy that encompasses the essence of complexity where the "price demand" factor has now become quite relevant.  

Those who control the certain niches that exist within the consumer marketplace, will function on the general social-economic guidelines of "supply and demand" and "first come first served." 

# # # 

Succeeding in the Info Economy with the Right Cyber Toolbox for Desktop and Mobile Applications

In the evolving technological driven world. there is no golden ring or any perfect "kitchen sink" software that would maintain the image of 100% efficiency, especially in the cyber security realm.  Things change. Bad hackers abused the gaps. The mindfully and successful  strategists quietly adjust, evolve and stay ahead of the curve.

Regardless of this "flaw", it is better to have the tools and not use it than to need the tools and not have it.  ...  Staying ahead of the curve is about anticipating two events ahead while executing one move ahead.

The successful strategists sometimes prevail because of a combination of their willpower, their focus, their strategic framework, their operational team and their toolbox.  ... 

The List of Necessities not Accessories.
Following is an abridged list of software apps that one should have in their desktop pc toolbox and/or mobile phone toolbox:

• Chrome (free)
• Firefox Browser (free)
• Evernote (free)
• Foxit Reader (A free pdf reader)
• Open Source Suse (A free alternative operating system to MS Windows.)
• Opera Browser (free)
• Kindle reader for the Windows Desktop 
• Perl (This scripting language is the master toolbox of all programming languages. It has a super programming library.)
• C/C++ Programming Language (The "nuts and bolts" of all programming languages.)
• Microsoft Excel (The Excel spreadsheet is still the predominant digital swiss army knife for organizing specific data and composing math formulas and equations for small scale numerical analysis projects.)
• Mindjet (This mindmapping tool is great for conceptual "top to bottom" brainstorming)
• Password Safe (free but effective)
• Sublime text (A good GUI-based vi text editor for programmers. Their older versions are for free)
• Spinrite (This app is great for protecting the data integrity of the hard drive)
• True Encrypt   (Click here for their FAQ)
• Thunderbird  (Good for archiving one's email.)
• UltraEdit (A good text editor for programmers that allows customization.)
• Vim  (A good and free vi text editor for programmers.)
• VM Player 
• VM Virtual Box

Our Favorite Web Services

• CPAN
• Google's Documents
• Grammarly  
• Skype
• WebEx
• Sourceforge
• Feedly
• I Heart Radio
• The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Meta-CPAN
• WSJ
• NYT
• Jacquie Lawson (Greeting Cards)
• Mindjet

Most free products are usually good enough for massive usage.  In some scenarios, we preferred to utilize the tools that allowed the user to implement some levels of customization.

Non-Techie Tools for the Cyber Realm 
Here is our abridged list of above average non-cyber gear for unpredictable times

• CCrane (This is a great source for high performance radios. A good radio enables the user to be in touch with the real world without being entirely connected to the digital grid. During the spring to autumn season, it is always fun to listen to a baseball game or a radio talk show while writing code.) 
• Emerson Knives (It is nice to have a reliable bladed implement for the rare worst case  scenarios.)
• Saunders Clipboards (Their metal clipboards are just great for focusing one's attention in a non-techie setting. They are usually manufactured in the USA.)
• Bulletproof Clipboard
• Lamy Pens  and Tombo Pens (Both companies have been manufacturing durable and functional writing instruments for many decades)
• Red Blossom Tea (They sell great green tea)
• Standup Desks

Tools for Fools
Utilizing throw-away gimmicks that served the minimum purposes is the norm.  ...  Successful strategists that we have met, do not collect irrelevant tools. They are focused on having the best quality tools...  You would rather have a quality tool that performs to its highest standard 1,000 times than to purchase 1,000 of the same tools that barely work once or twice. 

Conclusively. some of us possessed a grand infatuation for superior utilitarian workhorse type of tools. ... 

Side Notes
While most people believed in the view of the pen is mightier than the sword in most instances.  Some of us preferred to position both items in accord. 

The successful strategists sometimes prevail because of a combination of their willpower, their focus, their strategic framework, their operational team and their toolbox.  It is rarely about one attribute.  They instinctively understand how to effectively balance those attributes. The usage of rules and simplifications are for novices and amateurs who are looking for stop gap solutions.

Comments From The Compass Desk 

Being mobile and having immediate and fastest access to the right data are two of the many keys to strategic success in our information economy. Knowing how to assess the Big Tangible Picture and comprehending what tools work for that unique moment are the prerequisites to positioning ahead with sound and solid planning  and preparation.  

Having the large toolbox is one thing. Utilizing it in an integrated mode and knowing when to carry certain tools for certain situations are some of the keys to tactical success.  

There is more to building a pragmatic but favorable setting than to reading the manual.  It is all about comprehending the configuration of the Big Tangible Picture (BTP) in terms of the Five Critical Strategic Factors (CSF) and building a defensive mechanism around it. 

You can read more about the basics of the Five Critical Strategic Factors in our future book project. 

More to Come

The Art of the Focus: Achieving Centerness and Staying Focused

wikimedia

(update at 13:18:18)

Most of us are surrounded by near-bearable noise regardless of our locale. Occasionally, it interrupts our ability to think strategically.  When the volume of the noise is greater than the bio-signal that is flowing through our brains,  the progress for completing the objective becomes nil.  

Using noise-cancelling headsets  and turning off our mobile devices could only go so far. 

Pragmatic Solution #1
Finding silence and solitude is the name of the game.

Going to coffee shops is not a good idea.  Most of the time, the noise is barely tolerable. It is rare to find a place with zero noise setting.   If you are into the hustle and bustle of a noisy surrounding, go to the coffee shop or your favorite fast food chain. 

Fwiw, most successful strategic thinkers do not strategize at that setting.  It is a productivity killer.

The near-perfect sanctuary is usually that one library and finding that quiet, clean and well-lighted room while avoiding the crowdedness is always a challenge.  An associate who lives in Michigan, recommended a few  interesting "quiet" places located in the University of Michigan.

Pragmatic Solution #2
Our previous posts introduced the importance of staying centered.  Some does it through the practice of Taijiquan, Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Yi Quan, Liu Hop Ba Fa Quan and Yoga.

To build this state of focused centerness (zhong zheng), one must do the following:

• Relax while centering your attention to your breathing.
• Connect to the ground by relaxing the weight of your body downward while centering your attention to the movement
• Center your breathing to the ground while centering your relaxation and your connection to the ground
• Calm yourself by minimal movement while centering your attention to your entire being
• Feel the wholeness of your being while performing the four mentioned "centering" points.  

One knows when he/she has achieved the fundamental stage of this practice by being able to hear their thoughts while working. 

Side Notes

• Our Cook Ding Kitchen associates ( principals of a martial arts blog)  usually practice a daily 60-70 minutes session of yi quan-based standing exercises.

• Spending hours on replying to irrelevant emails and texts is also a productivity killer.  It usually disrupt the ebb and flow of the workflow.  

• If you think that there is a power to becoming quiet, read this book.

• When researching or managing tons of paper, we recommended the practice of using a standing table. The practice of standing also helps one to achieve centerness and staying focused.

• Script the steps to achieving the state of centerness  will also help. 

We will elaborate more on our unique set of pragmatic practices.

Comments From The Compass Desk

Chinese Calligraphy Store

To strategize properly, one must remember that silence is golden. ...  A successful strategist is usually centered and focused.  These attributes enable him to devise a well-planned and prepared strategy while being mindful that proper preparation propels profits. 

Whether you are in a library or out in the streets of New York, stay centered and focused on your objective while being mindful of your settings and beyond. 

The First Step to Succeeding in the Info. Economy: Staying Focused

(updated on 11/3/13 at 23:33 hr.)

We are living in a society where many of the technology-dependent people possessed an attention span of one minute and have the immediate need for automatic gratification. They have a tendency of  trying to find different stimuli that would enable him or her to stay focused on that one task.

Currently, staying focused on one task is the most difficult thing to accomplish. To some people, this pseudo-easy task  could be the only thing. 

As many great masters recommended their readers with this following key phrase, "Practice. ... Practice... Practice"

Some preferred to follow this phrase, "Practice. Reflect. Optimize. Improve. Evolve. .."

The Psychology of Mono-Tasking
One usually focuses on a task when it is a tangible priority. Psychologically, this behavior centers the person on the given task.   

Understanding of the configuration behind the given task gives the chief decision maker the options on knowing where to focus their time and their energy. By knowing the given constraints behind the task, one knows what to focus on and what to neglect for a certain time.

Not every task is the same. It is all about how the chief decision makers make their decisions. Successful strategists usually decide on their tasks that are  based on these five points:

• the risk of completing the task;
• the constraints for completing the task; 
• the complexity of completing the task, 
• the length of completing the task; and 
• the precedence of the task  to the precedence of the Big Tangible Picture

Knowing those points allows them to stay focused on the task with ease.

The Compass Exercise of Mindfulness
How does one build a consistent state of mindfulness?

He/she isolates him or herself in a solitary room and focuses on the act of centered relaxation by standing.  The next step is to focus on one's task while being mindful of one's setting.

This feedback-based approach requires a certain level of methodicalness from start to finish. It starts with a mindful focus of self-centerness. 

Notes From The Compass Desk

By cultivating this skill of mindfully focused on a daily basis, one has just accumulate a small but significant strategic advantage against those who cannot stay focused on one target for a long chronological-driven interval. From our experience, this skill is also useful when strolling through an extreme chaotic and complex setting. 

Those who do know, will not say.  However you can learn more about this unique practice at Cook Ding's Kitchen.

Remember to be patient and build the experience of strategic fortitude. Use your awareness of your actions at different situations .  

We will discuss more on the psychology of strategy in future posts.

Gone Fishing Again.

(updated at 11:38 am)

In life, the successful fishermen (or strategists) regularly decided on what bodies of water to fish from and what categories of fishes that they wanted to catch. He or she usually knows the risk benefits and the risk consequences of their strategic choices before making the next move.  This can be achieved by knowing the configuration of their Big Tangible Picture (BTP). Having this advantage, enables one to get to the projected endpoint without any emotional inertia.  ... You do know how to do that . Do you?

Other Thoughts
If you are burned out and looking for a new view,then leave your desk. Visit a local fishing hole and do the obvious. Relax and center yourself.   ... 

Comments From the Compass Desk
We have been busy with our various Compass projects and our Compass Script book project.  Thanks for coming by.  We will be updating the blog soon.

Illegal Profiting Through Deception on the Web

"Things are not as they appear to be, nor are they otherwise."  
- Surangama Sutra

When surfing online,  one needs to be careful where he/she is pointing and clicking   

Here are two NYT articles on malware that could put a dent in your pocketbook - news item #1 and news item #2. 

Click here and here for other web frauds.

Stay centered on your grand objective when surfing the web. Assess your settings for a quick moment before clicking.  One should not take things for granted. Do not be distracted while pointing and clicking.

Remember that there is always a penalty for having a lack of concentration. Time is an expensive commodity.

Final Thought
Remember that "the desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.  .." 

Succeeding in the Competitive Economy: Building The Competitive Mojo Before The Game

Building The Mojo 
Various players would do certain rituals to start up their competitive mojo.  Wade Boggs, the former Bosox 3rd baseman starts his ritual by eating some sort of chicken meal before a game. Where Tim Lincecum, the S.F. Giants  Cy Young winning pitcher would regularly eat In and Out's "Double-Double" burgers before a game and/or after the game. .

Wade Boggs would also fielded 150 ground balls before a game.  

Steve Young, the famous S.F. Niners quarterback used to vomit before a football game while his teammate Ronnie Lott would read Sunzi The Art of War. Bill Walsh, the late great Niners coach used to visualize himself behind a glass wall before the game.  The practice of this unique exercise stabilized his emotions and enabled him to stay focused on the  the game.  He would then look at his master script before doing anything else. (The last two practices are some of our favorite psychological preparation tactics.)

Dominik Hasek, the former great goalie of Detroit Red Wings used to stretch continuously before the game and during the breaks within the game.  This act of stretching enabled him to become one of the greatest hockey goalies.  Do you know why it works?

The former Oakland Raiders quarterback, Ken Stabler was famous for drinking Jack Daniel's whiskey before and after the game.  

One Celtics point guard preferred to sprint around the arena as a part of his pregame ritual. The current S.F. Niners QB Colin Kaepernick also performed a similar routine.  ... Do you know why it works?   ... Some athletes would also consume gallons of coffee or cans of Red Bull before the game begins. The reasoning should be obvious. 

So, what set of "competitive mojo accelerating" practices have you been utilizing? Has it always connected you to your well-being?

Other Unique Practices
From the Six Secret Teachings book, Jiang Tai Gong suggested the act of fasting before making a consummate decision..  

Thoughts From The Compass Desk
In some cases, one must have a competitive drive to do anything relevant. Knowing the approach to energized oneself is quite the challenge.

To build the competitive mojo, one must be consciously aware of their own internal being. Studying it through a book is not going to help anyone. 

There are many ways to achieve this arcane feat. Our friends at Cook DIng's Kitchen are profound practitioners of the internal martial arts and have advised us that one of the most effective practices is the Yi Quan's standing post. 

The intent behind this practice and other rituals is the centering of oneself psychologically and spiritually.

We will review more on the topic of "The Art of the Focus" in a future post.

Side note
The Cult of the Art of War has a tendency of preaching that that one becomes competitive by reading the Art of War. From our observations and our experience , that tactic does not work unless that person has successfully compete at that present level or above.  In an extreme situation, the amateur "Art of War" reading competitor would be slaughtered like a lamb.

Profiteering in the Chinese Economy (Humor)

( source: Winextra )  

Side note: There is no truth whether this crime was ever committed.

During a robbery in Guangzhou, China, the bank robber shouted to everyone in the bank: "Don't move. The money belongs to the State. Your life belongs to you."

Everyone in the bank laid down quietly. This is called "Mind Changing Concept” Changing the conventional way of thinking.

Comment: The robber sold the Big Picture of understanding the importance of carefully making the right choice to the bystanders within the bank.  

When a lady lay on the table provocatively, the robber shouted at her: "Please be civilized! This is a robbery and not a rape!"

This is called "Being Professional” Focus only on what you are trained to do!

Comment: The robber depicts his alleged "professional" image to the audience in hope that everyone understood that he and his partner were only there for one grand purpose.

When the bank robbers returned home, the younger robber (MBA-trained) told the older robber (who has only completed Year 6 in primary school): "Big brother, let's count how much we got."

The older robber rebutted and said: "You are very stupid. There is so much money it will take us a long time to count. Tonight, the TV news will tell us how much we robbed from the bank!"

This is called "Experience.” Nowadays, experience is more important than paper qualifications!

Comment:  The older robber believed that his perception of experience was the golden rule.

After the robbers had left, the bank manager told the bank supervisor to call the police quickly. But the supervisor said to him: "Wait! Let us take out $10 million from the bank for ourselves and add it to the $70 million that we have previously embezzled from the bank”.

This is called "Swim with the tide.” Converting an unfavorable situation to your advantage!

The supervisor says: "It will be good if there is a robbery every month."

This is called "Killing Boredom.” Personal Happiness is more important than your job.

Comment: The supervisor quietly understood the factors behind the current circumstance for transforming an unfavorable situation (to others) toward his own advantage. 

The next day, the TV news reported that $100 million was taken from the bank. The robbers counted and counted and counted, but they could only count $20 million. The robbers were very angry and complained: "We risked our lives and only took $20 million. The bank manager took $80 million with a snap of his fingers. It looks like it is better to be educated than to be a thief!"  ... This is called "Knowledge is worth as much as gold!"

Comment: The robber concluded that their perception of reality was a minuscule of the reality of their grand settings.

The bank manager was smiling and happy because his losses in the share market are now covered by this robbery.  ...  This is called "Seizing the opportunity.” Daring to take risks!  ... So who are the real robbers here?

Comment: By being calm, the supervisor mindfully saw the opportunity to utilize a chaotic situation to their vantage.  He utilized the results of one event to concealed his previous move and his next move. (This approach is similar to "Waiting at Leisure While Waiting for The Enemy" Stratagem from the 36 Stratagems essay. 

Comments From The Compass Desk
With the foreknowledge of the after effects of their situation, would the two robbers have committed the crime?  We quite doubt it.  The probability of them securing that intelligence is quite low. Most people rarely ever think past their current objective. Because of their possible financial plight, these robber would have executed their plan regardless of the circumstances.

The masses have a tendency of perceiving most situations with generalities, without ever knowing the specifics of the  view is a minuscule of the reality (the Big Tangible Picture) that prevails over the grander setting.  They are frequently focused on the immediate gains without knowing the negative after-effects.  ... This category of behavior rarely changes because of their need for immediate gratification.

How to Stay Ahead of The Curve 

When being mindful of the connectivity behind the Big Tangible Picture of their setting, one could become attentive to the possibilities of the on-coming opportunity.  (Side note: It requires a mindful practice of calming the mind, body and spirit.)

Without any understanding of the risk consequences, the practice of "immediate perception is reality" has prevailed over the masses of "unmindful" amateurs. These people just want that one ignition key applicational solution. Understanding how things are connected within the grand terrain and beyond is a waste of their time.  They are always living for that moment.

The exception are the few mindful observers who occasionally possessed the advantage of time, resources and the grand understanding of their current situation and beyond, that enables them to capitalize on some of the possible opportunities.

The Compass Practice

The customary Compass practice is to focus on one's current objective while being mindful of the "matrix of connectivity factor" that quietly operates within one's grand terrain.  You do know how to do that.  Do you?

Disclaimer

We do not endorse the commitment of any crime with this unique strategic practice. 

#

The Art of Focus (11): Centering Oneself

/// This post has been updated on 11.18.2015 at 11:18am.

One cannot learn or perform anything strategic if he or she is not consciously centered to the present moment. Any acts of assessing, positioning or influencing would be a waste of time and a waste of effect.  

There are those who believed that they can think their way or read their way to a state of centering or a state of enlightenment. They do not have an idea what they are talking about in reference to not mindfully understanding the singularity of the situation. Some claimed that it is a preferential situation where different strokes are for different folks.   

However, there is a psychological deficiency to the neophyte's perspective.  Reflect on your past strategic experience. That should tell you whether it is effective for you.

By spending some time assessing the outside world. he or she would realized that this act of grinding it out in a high stake, high reward realm does not work especially in a "time and resources-finite" situation.

Psychologically, the utilization of a checklist of quotes and operational steps to stay focused, might only help them for a short timeline.  But gaining the feeling of staying focused through the practice of principles is the challenge for many competitors.

Some people centering themselves through food, drinks, yoga or a prayer. Others do it through sports or internal martial arts (IMA).

The Internal Martial Art Solution
Feeling relax.  Feeling  grounded.  Feeling center.  Feeling calm.  Feeling whole. Practicing those principles simulataneously usually enables one to become mindfully steady and ready for anything. 

In our cases, most of us "center" ourselves by practicing those five principles through our Yi Quan exercises and some variation of the various Taijiquan systems or other internal martial art systems.

Click here of an item written by Rick Matz and his Cook Ding's Kitchen associates on the practice of Yi Quan.  

Yi Quan: Use your intent not your physical strength.

The Positives of YiQuan
 YiQuan teaches the practitioner to relax regardless of the surroundings. As you become more relaxed, you accrue many common-sense health benefits. Nothing needs to be more complex than that.

The first thing you might notice is that you sleep better. When you sleep well, you feel better, are more alert, your body works better, you have more energy, and so on. You become more sensitive about what your body feels: the effects of what you eat and drink and your environment. As you relax, you have less of a need to eat to relieve stress, for example, and other nervous compulsions seem to drop away.

You create 'space' around you. In this space, the stresses of life become somewhat diffused, so you have less stress and can look at things more objectively. You become less worried about time. What is considered important becomes more refined. You will find it easier to drop things that don't add something positive to your life.

You'll find that your reaction time becomes quicker. With the quicker reaction time and the psychological space, you can better respond to what happens around you, rather than just reacting.

A result of all of this is that you become … more relaxed and so set up a cycle of positive feedback, improving your physical and mental health.

YiQuan practice doesn't require a special space, such as a training mat or special equipment. You can practice wherever you are. While partner practice is of huge benefit, you'll spend most of your time training on your own so you don't have to depend on the availability of someone else.

Training
YiQuan training falls into one of the following seven categories (with the first three discussed later in greater detail):

• Standing like a stake (zhan zhuang)
• Gathering strength (mo jin)
• Testing strength (shi li)
• Walking exercise (mocabu)
• Push hands (tui shou)
• Issuing force (fa jin)
• Combat (san shou)

The foundational root of YiQuan training can be found in its mother art, XingYiQuan, and in the other internal martial arts, BaGuaZhang and TaijiQuan. Like these other martial arts, YiQuan puts a premium on relaxation and connected, whole-body movement.

Unlike the other internal martial art systems, YiQuan does not rely on the use of the Qi theory as a basis for teaching; but in no way does it contradict that theory.

Zhan Zhuang, The Basic Exercise (The Objective of Developing Mindfulness)
The first fundamental YiQuan training exercise is stake standing or "zhan zhuang." The principal focus of this practice is learning how to relax to promote both good health and martial ability. After a good understanding of "relax" is reached, then you can work with visualizations. Learning "how to relax" is the common first step in all internal martial arts. Once this level of relaxation has been reached, the next step is to proceed toward advanced exercises.

During this standing practice, wherever tension is felt, just let it go. It'll probably come right back in a microsecond, but that's okay. The tension will be noticed and you will counter by just releasing it. Let it go again and again. Eventually that tension will subside and you'll notice tension somewhere else. Repeat the process. As long as you are alive, it will never end.

The more you train and learn to relax, the more sensitive you'll become to noticing tension. You'll find that you notice how poorly other people are standing. They are reflections of you, past and present. Pay attention and let the tension go throughout the day. Constantly relax and let go.

As you progress, you will be able to feel any specific tension in you body with finer resolution. You will be able to identify individual muscles. The more relaxed you become, the more you can feel and become more relaxed. It's positive feedback. Relaxing the tension is similar to that of the action of peeling the layers of an onion.

The interesting thing about the process of concentrating on coming relaxed is that once you get into a very relaxed state, your structure becomes very sound. It must be sound in order you to be relaxed.  When you are truly relaxed, you'll feel as though you were expanding in all directions.

Being relaxed, balanced, and so on, isn't some fixed point. It's a dynamic point that's always moving. When you stand, you're basically physically still, but because this point is always moving around, you are intent with it and you always have the possibility of movement. You could support a mountain, but if a fly landed on you, you'd be in instant motion. You have the potential to be still or move.

How you train is a strategy. Think about what you are doing, how you are approaching it, and why. If you are not getting results, you are doing something wrong. Back up and examine your methods; then try again.

As mentioned previously, the basic purpose of standing was to learn to relax. That is the gateway to learning how to use the visualizations.

YiQuan (YQ) uses vivid imagery to train the body to respond to the mind's intention. Once the novice practitioners have learned how to relax, they will begin to focus on specific visualizations. With each incremental sequence of specific visualization, the muscles of the body will begin to respond in the development of a coordinated frame of whole-body strength.

The essential points of this stake exercise are to focus attention, relax the body, and breathe naturally.

Mo Jin, Gathering Strength
The next level of stance and visualization practice is called Gathering Strength or "mo jin."

Where previously the student used very basic stances and visualizations, during mo jin, a fighting stance is used and the imagery has to do with manipulating heavy objects at a distance. The purpose is to train the mind to project the intent away from the body.

Shi Li, Testing Strength
During the practice of both zhan zhuang and mo jin, the student remained motionless or very nearly still. Through the Shi Li exercises the student learns to move while keeping the characteristics learned during the practice of zhan zhuang and mo jin—the collective practice of whole-body movement using visualizations of "overcoming heavy springs" or "strong currents."

The student pushes forward and pulls back against them. The goal is to have coordinated movement with no breaks or gaps. At each instant, if stopped, the position would be balanced, centered, and relaxed.

"Producing a feeling with a fixed method
Giving up the method after getting the feeling
Letting the feeling follow into everything
Personal feeling leads to complete awareness"   —   Han Jing Yu

Nothing in YiQuan training is done without a reason. YiQuan is meant to be pursued on a "scientific basis." Practice, understand what you are practicing and why. Look at your results. If you aren't getting the results you should be getting, examine what you are doing, your expectations, why you are doing it, and make adjustments.

There is an unity point in YiQuan training. Once your practice has matured, whenever you practice any part of YiQuan, you are practicing all of it. Like a hologram, each part of YiQuan carries the image of the whole.

During the practice of any YiQuan exercise, the four words that any serious YiQuan practitioner must remember are:  Song Huo Yuan Zhang. 

Song means Relaxation, Huo means Flexibility in movement, Yuan means Circle, and Zhang means Whole Body. 

This set of words encompasses the principles that define all of the exercises in YiQuan. Any move that is executed must have these four particulars to be correct.  Other YiQuan principles will be elaborated in future articles.

My previous YiQuan mentor used to tell me that " … Daoism is a pragmatic way of looking at the world, but YiQuan is a pragmatic way of training one's own being to be internal."

A rule of thumb is that 50% of your time should be spent on the basic standing practice, known as zhan zhuang, and the other 50% on everything else. 

When in doubt, err on the side of spending a little more time in zhan zhuang. Standing for relatively lengthy periods regularly is helpful. If you only have a little time, invest it in zhan zhuang for most of your training.

The use of visualizations is the signature of Yiquan training. With the visualizations, you can practice YiQuan virtually anytime, anywhere.

An example of eight different YiQuan Health-Enhancing postures performed by Yi Quan master HanXingYuen.

Click here for a better copy.

More Points

The emphasis of real internal martial arts is the attributes of centering, relaxing, sinking, and complete body alignment. Details on those attributes will covered in future articles. After each YiQuan exercise, the practitioner becomes more relaxed.

The focus of YiQuan is about releasing tension through the practice of proper internal principles and visualization.  It is a good starting point for those who study other internal marital arts training.  Currently, much of the internal martial arts teaching does not focus on the practice of relaxation through "still" posturing.  YiQuan is a technical return to that necessity.

From the constant practice of "Never stop relaxing", my physical balance got better. My concentration was enhanced.  My health improved dramatically.  If there were other better reasons to practice YiQuan and other internal marital arts, I do not know.

My previous YiQuan mentor also used to remind me, "…Wherever you are at. … Whatever you are doing, … always relax. …"

Questions and Answers
Sometimes people asked me the following questions:

• What do I do after learning YiQuan exercises?
• How do I keep up with my training?

Many of us are in the business where we spend much of our time on our feet. In most cases, we do not spend enough time practicing our YiQuan exercises.

After some research, we were able to continue our training of YiQuan through the use of standing tables.

Regardless of the work, we are almost always standing while practicing the YiQuan principles of Song Huo Yuan Zhang.

• Song means relaxation
• Huo means flexibility in movement
• Yuan means circle
• Zhang means whole body

This set of words encompasses the principles that define all of the exercises in YiQuan. Any move that is executed must have these four principles to be correct.

Fundamental Practice

Stand still.  Center yourself to the ground by concentrating all of your weight to the ground.. Connect the body to the ground. Focus your attention to the ground. Relax by dropping your shoulders and your wrists.  Choose a posture.  Be still for a minimum of 30 minutes.  Focus on the action of slowing down your breathing, and stabilizing your balance while centering your body rhythm to a zero state. Let your swallowed breath ripple down to your heels and beyond. 

Inhale by stimulating the quiet action of swallowing. Then exhale by stimulating the action of spitting. Sink your weight to the ground. This will physically calm you down.  Slow and deep inhale and slower and shallow exhale is another practice principle. (The phrasing sounds better in Mandarin Chinese.)  The process of feeling of each and every inch of your body begins.

After awhile, you might become aware of the following five meta-physical states in your standing practice:

• the relaxation state; 
• the 'connective' grounded state;
• the center state;
• the calm state; and 
• the whole state. 

The practice of the mentioned steps usually enable one to be focused on that one task while being mindfully ready for anything around you.   Unlike what the other "mind over matter"gurus have espoused to you, we can guarantee that Yi Quan will not resolve all of your spiritual conflicts.

There are more detailed steps, specific drills and unique variations off this basic set of steps.  We will dwell deeply on this specific topic in our future posts.

If those eight postures do not work for you, start with the next picture.  It is a simple posture of standing while positioning both hands downward.  Study the visual specifics carefully.

Sun Lu Tang's Wuji Posture  

# The Standing Table Practice
(This material has been updated.)

Mission Desk from Standupdesk.com

Regardless of the range of space in your cubicle, use a proper elevated table with a cleared desktop as a "centerpoint" for standing, strategizing, planning, producing and resting. 

Start by  fasting for a minimum of six hours.  Log off from your desktop unit and your mobile phone.  Wear a solid color, wool baseball cap or a hooded sweatshirt to keep the head warm and/or a headset to insure that there is no noise.  De-activate any electronic devices. Turn off any white noise.  Check  the temperature in that room is between 68* and 72* degrees.

Take a long sip of "room temperature" water.  If you really need the feel of space, either position the table many feet away from you.

Another Famous Follower of The Standing Table Practice .

You can also choose one of the following eight different YiQuan health-enhancing postures performed by YiQuan master Han Xing Yuen. (Look at the previous set of pictures.)

This Yiquan posture works those need to de-stressing themselves. 

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Feedback

When standing, we felt that we were able to quickly devise plans, becoming more innovative and taking more initiative than our professional counterparts.

Standing up while working has improved our health and productivity. From our personal experience, it's true. Before our practice of standing, each one of us used to suffer lower back pain. Since our practice, there has been immediate relief to our lower backs.

Some of our ailing associates learned some of the YiQuan postures and tried using the standing tables exercise and now no longer suffer from backaches, leg cramps, and poor digestion. They also reported a dramatic increase in their productivity. There is also less fatigue at the end of the day as a result of improved circulation and exercise.

The Compass Principles of Centering

1. The quality of your standing is proportional to the quality of focus.
2. The quality of your focus is proportional to the quality of assessing, positioning and influencing.
3. One's ability to assess a situation has nothing to do with one's skill to position and influence.
4. It is important to be moderately rested and hydrated before proceeding to the practice of Centering 
5. Skills and strategies are irrelevant if one cannot stay focused to the current objective.  
6. When in doubt, look at rule #1.

Another Macro Practice Pointers

Start by being slow in your practice.  After awhile, the practice of the steps will become automatic.  Slow is smooth  Smooth become fast.   Fast is good.   Your practice will slowly evolve to a state of quiet and quick.

Beside the practice of the YiQuan postures, we also recommend the standing postures from Taiji, Bagua Zhang, and Xing YiQuan.

Trivia
The great Renaissance man Zheng Manqing (aka Cheng Man Ching) (one of the greatest Yang Taiji players was the master of the "Five Excellences" of painting, poetry, calligraphy, medicine, and martial arts) performed most of his drawings while standing.

Other users of the standing tables were: Mozart, Hemingway and Churchill.  Of course, none of them have ever studied internal martial arts.

Summary
As players of YiQuan and other internal martial arts, we have always believed in the importance of standing. To most beginners, it is quite boring. Some of our practice time is spent just standing in front of a table working.

If you want to be productive in your work, we recommended the combination of practicing YiQuan standing exercises while using stand-up desks. It will increase and improve your health and productivity. Our personal experience supports that point.

From our constant practice of "never stop relaxing," our physical balance, concentration, and health improved. Many internal martial arts instructors that we have met, constantly advise the following: "Wherever you are at, whatever you do, always relax."   

The other advice is, “When your attention goes, the energy flows.”

Some experienced YQ players preferred the advice of always being in the metaphysical state of relax, ground, center,  calm and whole.  Attaining it on a 24/7 basis is the challenge. Do you have the time and the patience to achieve this level?

Hint: There is a subtle positive to this practice.  Those who properly do it consistently, usually understand the full benefit of being well-centered. 

References

• yiquan.chinamartialarts.net/
• www.yiquan.com  Popular sources for YiQuan articles, history, links, etc.
• The Way of Energy, Lam Kam Chuen
• The Way of Power, Lam Kam Chuen

Other Favorite Internal Martial Arts (IMA) Websites
English translation on the various IMA training pointers and notes can be found at Smiling Tiger.net.


Videos of YiQuan exercises, Taiji Quan, BaguaZhang, Xing YiQuan, and other Chinese martial art systems can be found at ChinafromInside.com and Plum Publications.

Minor Jottings

We are not martial artists.   Those who are interested in this topic, can find more tangible information at Cook Ding's Kitchen.   Remember that one can only learn or perform anything strategic if he or she is consciously centered to that present moment.  Therefore, the act of assessing, positioning or influencing, is quite possible.

Rick Matz is a practitioner of YiQuan and other forms of internal martial arts systems. He runs the Cook Ding's Kitchen.

This item  was originally published at Jade Dragon  (Part #1  and Part # 2 )  and was conceptually updated for this blog.

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