Prana Dynamics refers to ‘Energy In Motion’. It is a course on using ‘internal energy’ rather than ‘physical strength’ in martial arts. During the Taipei Prana Dynamics in-person seminar, I experienced the effective use of energy without feeling the use of physical strength.
Howard’s understanding of and ability to communicate Xing Yi, Taiji, and other related classic texts were effective for my development. In my years of practicing Taiji and self-studying the Taiji classics, I read the instruction,’Raise the spirit and sink the qi’ as a physical practice. In my first lesson with Howard, I realized that this entailed coordinating ‘Heaven, Man, and Earth in Oneness’. It is about rooting, from which all the internal energy variations derive and without which, there is no Kungfu.
Overnight, I learned that I should keep the mind outside the head and not in the body, I should surrender the mind to the command of the heart and should intend from the heart. However, what I should do is not the same as the ability to do. For that, an in-person seminar is necessary.
For example, the Taipei seminar is not about understanding and knowing but about validating your ability with your practice partners. In the seminar, I received many corrections, pointers, and feedback from Howard, as well as from my classmates. They were all constructive, non-competitive, and also open to feedback I gave them, even though many of them had more years of practice than I.
I enrolled in the Prana Dynamics Master Program, which is the prerequisite for the in-person seminars, after I reached a plateau in my Taiji practice. I was initially hesitant because there was a chance that I would not improve and would be wasting my time, but that was not the case.
There is a lot more that I could say about the benefits of learning from Howard, but my best advice is for you to get started sooner rather than later.
