by TheTurtle » Tue 05 Feb 2008, 20:10:04
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mercurygirl', 'A')nything like this, Turtle? Not to derail, but it's worth a view.
No, this particular guy never demonstrated healing gifts, but rather martial skill.
He was 72 years old, usually half asleep, but he taught taiji on Sunday mornings to those who were interested. A young friend of mine, about 23, very athletic and a black belt in Okinawin karate asked the old guy to prove the value of what he was offering to teach us. He calmly and gently agreed.
My friend (let's call him Bob) danced about as if he were Bruce Lee. He told the taiji master (let's call him Dr. Su) to get ready. The old guy stood there without changing his stance or attitude and said that he was ready. Bob threw a half hearted side kick at Dr. Su's stomach. Dr. Su turned slightly and Bob was on the ground. Bob threw a variety of more vigorous kicks, with the same result.
Finally, in frustration, Bob proceeded to throw a chain of hard, fast punches toward the good doctor's face and chest. Afterwards, Bob told me that it felt to him as though Dr. Su's palms just floated gently up in front of him and Bob's hands just flew ineffectively toward the palms as they appeared, though he was trying his best to smash the old man in the face.
Bob stood back, panting and starting to sweat and looked at Dr. Su in confusion. The old man smiled, motioned toward Bob and told him, "Get ready." Bob stepped back and bowed to the taiji master. Afterwards, he became a very serious student of the man.
I have studied aikido for twenty years and have seen many remarkable people demonstrate an understanding of the potential of ki, but that old man so many decades ago was the most remarkable to watch.
“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” (Ted Perry)