The Yin Yang sign - What do you know about it?

[David Jamieson]

OK. Now that I have determined that YiLiQuan1 is a hopeless case, I can stop wasting time on him and hopefully deal with the rational and curious people.

The Yin Yang sign is famous in Asian philosophy and martial arts. We have many people here that claim to know lots and lots about martial arts. People who can write 5 inches of sentences per post.

For me though, these people usually never say anything. They repeat buzzwords and things they read in a book, weave it together with their own style of writing, then behaving as if they have told you something.

I don't get it. I get lots and lots of words that have no meaning to me because I did not grow up in chinese culture. I don't know what all that stuff means.

When I ask them to boil it down to english that is understandable, for some reason they cannot. "It is too complicated".

Baloney. Nothing about kung fu is complicated. Anyone can explain it in plain english to anyone else if they want to. Or if they actually have the knowledge to.

To prove my point I have a very simple question or challenge. Say something useful and meaningful about the Yin Yang sign. You cannot say "Yin is soft and Yang is hard". A gradeschooler knows that. You must provide some honest kind of insight into what the Yin and Yang sign signifies or teaches or implies.

Don't be afraid. Put your reputation on the line. I am. You have nothing to lose if you really do know kung fu. You only have something to lose if you have self doubt about your own knowledge.

Come on. Don't be shy. Let's stop all the name calling and game playing and get down to the interesting stuff. Say something simple but meaningful about the Yin Yang sign in plain english that anyone, even a teenager, can understand.

lol. It's funny that you post this and then look at some of the replies. They are very complicated and cryptic. No offense to those who wrote that stuff, but the riginal question asked for a simple explanation. I would like to attempt.

Yin/Yang is symbol made of two significant aspects. It is however only One thing (a symbol, self contained).
It points to the dual nature of everything and symbolizes that duality that is contained in each of us and in all things. Even in the world around us, day/night, man/woman, left/right, up/down, and so on and so on. It is also representative of other dualistic concepts such as cause and effect, but most of all it is a sign or an indicator of the dualistic nature and quality of all things.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

was that simple enough?

[Anderzander]

He also said:

You cannot say "Yin is soft and Yang is hard". A gradeschooler knows that. You must provide some honest kind of insight into what the Yin and Yang sign signifies or teaches or implies.

So perhaps yours is too simple? and perhaps doesn't provide anything useful to a martial understanding of Yin Yang that a teenager could understand.


Its tough to judge what people have posted thought because of other Agenda's that seem prevalent and people not attempting to address the question, rather just talking around it.

[cam]

Simple answer
Tai Chi Bob already gave it.
Change
It can't get any more simple!

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

The general problem is that people project meanings onto the symbol.. rather than let the symbol project the principles outward.. Rather than look for meanings in the symbol, i try to find the principles in whatever situation i am facing, the symbol is a reminder.. If people discect the symbol searching for meaning, it is like chewing on "the finger pointing at the moon"..

Be well..

[matt]

meaning of the double fish diagram
first it is represented by two fish swimming around each other the spot it there eye they tend to look at each other.
2nd the diagram was taken on by tai chi because it was a nei jia art all nei jia arts relate to the double fish diagram becasue the origanal movement of the art was a patten from that when done properly makes the arms look like a fish if you know how to view it.

it was a kind of greating. now they have shortened it to the normal hand over fist pattern that you see most places now.

this was the opening movement because one it showed you knew kung fu and two because someone that didnt know kung fu would not recognize what it was anyway.

in the particular opening all things had a up down left right closed open state or hence the yin yang of what we know today was displayed.

the art of tai chi uses it in a different manner in tune with traditional magic of china. all though there are some who still manage to know what there doing and dont put it off as something that is like faith

faith the substance of things unseen

thanks

bugg

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

meaning of the double fish diagram
first it is represented by two fish swimming around each other the spot it there eye they tend to look at each other.

Do you suppose that the creator(s) relied on their observation of two fish when they created the diagram? or, do you suppose that subsequent observers projected their impressions of fish and movement onto the diagram? Again, i assert that the power of the diagram is its applicability to almost any situation, not in confining it to a particular situation of preference..

Be well..

[qiphlow]

i believe it was robert anton wilson who came up with this (i'll paraphrase as best i can): our minds have 2 parts--the thinker and the prover; whatever the thinker thinks, the prover proves.

this is probably in line with bob's assertion that the symbol on it's own has no inherent meaning or value apart from that which the observer of the symbol gives to it.

people will see what they want to see or what they need to see.



(mmmmmm........
......chicken)

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings,

Johnny: First, do not attempt to speak on my behalf..

Bob is full of hot air. If you believe him when he says there is nothing in the Yin Yang sign, you are shooting yourself in the foot.

What i say is that everything is represented by "applying" the symbol..

Again, i assert that the power of the diagram is its applicability to almost any situation, not in confining it to a particular situation of preference..

But you, Johnny, will fall into the category of those that "chew on fingers"..

If people discect the symbol searching for meaning, it is like chewing on "the finger pointing at the moon"..

Johnny: What is with the photo interpretation? If you have something to say (though you have provided NO evidence that you do), just say it, man!.. You come into productive conversations with negative commentary criticizing people and yet, you offer NOTHING constructive.. you offer nothing relative to the topic at hand.. you say i am blowing smoke?..

It really bothers me that instead of admitting you have no idea, you tell people there is no such thing. They should just give up becauase there is no point.

There's your "smoke", i suggest that people apply the principles to "living".. you would have them compare photos of chicken parts to the diagram.. you and your photos Now, if you want to be heard, say something, anything, relative to the topic..

Be well..

[cjurakpt]

I assume that by now, Johhny Mnemonic has me on his ignore function, since I've called him on his true identity (Happeh) and he has not 'fessed up; that said, if he actually read my comments of late, I call him out on grounds of bald-faced deception: why won't he admit to his "true" identity? why won't he admit that he has a very specific agenda? why does he keep comming back to a forum where, to a man, people have no interest in his belligerence, his innuendo, his pseudo-scientific theories? he has assumed the role of "eye-opener" when no one asked him to do so in the first place;

Johnny is a snake in the grass - he nips at our collective ankles all the while accusing us of persecuting him for his pains; he's useless, unwelcome, obnoxious and borderline clinical;

why waste time arguing with this troglydyte? he should be re-banned by the mods post haste...