Good Evening,
I present myself here, in english language,
and in NEWS / EVENTS forum of camptocamp,
to expose a special point of view.
For the further understanding of my perpective,
I shall precise that:
§ I dispose of a french health protection
as I know (by side) since twenty years a psychical affection
§ I’m a basque (french) citizen,
standing in defense of individuals but also collective political rights
§ I’m a member of MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS (French section) since the end of 2007
to defend the natural and cultural quality of mountain life
My so told « special point of view » concerns the mountain life as,
after some few years of re-aproximation of my ancesters’ small basque valley
(Soule / Xiberoa, the most pyrenean)
and the chance to cumplish some wandering
with a « pyreneist » friend as guide,
and as he would futher get specialize for a long while in rock climbing,
I, on my own, specialized in the internal chinese martial arts,
then also with Zen Buddhism and some few Budo.
So to say, it is now five years,
since the autumn of 2004,
that I practice under the authority
of a french chinese master called Ming Shan,
issued from the most valuable Yi Chuan chinese tradition.
Yi Chuan is a boxing art between
Zen principles (named Chan in China) and Tai Chi like internal boxing:
It is mostly at 60 % composed of unmoved postures standing,
either for some fighting purpose, wether for a healthcare purpose.
The specificity of my Yi Chuan learning is that Master Ming Shan has get back,
like some other grant masters, to wild nature, wilderness in nature,
as main partner of the training.
Since some years, I use to stand so, unmoved or very slow, in the mountains neighbourhood
or in basque border coast side between Biarritz (Fr.) and San Sebastian (Esp.)
or in basque Pyreneas on the borders of french Pyrenean National Park.
I exercice between one and three hours each day,
wandering about one hour go and back, and getting up with my only vehicle:
a small taiwanese 125 cc road motorbike (scooter).
As a kind of « fictive » mountain worker,
and as I am free from work (and money earning) wth an health protection till now,
I get there, in one or other part of basque mountains, every day.
I often add a session of Zen Soto practice of one / two hours in the evening.
And from those experiences,
and verifying the tells of the ancient Zen / Chan masters
or the modern martial masters of Yi Chuan in XXth century,
to walk is to displace,
when you walk you displace your own aim,
and as you stand in this behalf,
unmoved or also walking,
life comes to you in this standing,
then truth can arrive.
To know a mountain, to know the mountain life,
you don’t have to perform this or that competency,
you just have to be simple, and as you are honest (as you are…),
life meets you as you stand and care, unmoved or nearly,
defending or fighting, resting or enjoying.
And as I have a mountain life as an art,
and that I’m neither alpinist, or climber, or mountaineer,
I wanted to precise this experience, this point of view.
What are the mountains ?
Are we, to the mountains ?
Or are the mountains, to us ?
To get further elements,
we invite you in our web activity:
www.zendoken.over-blog.com (mostly in french)
www.blogari.net/zendoken (in basque language, with summaries in self made english and spanish)
Jean-Philippe Erbin (Yon)
Basque Pyreneas (french side)
Mountain Practice between Zen and Tai Chi