中國醫學研究社 & 太極拳

Memories

I still remember when I joined the Chinese Medical Club during my freshman year. It was because my family had hopes that I would complete my studies in foreign languages and then pursue a Bachelor's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. At that time, our society's mentor was this seasoned doctor from a nearby traditional Chinese medicine clinic. He was a really cool teacher. Every Tuesday evening, he'd guide us through acupuncture, the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, and I even got a crash course in pulse diagnosis, basic traditional Chinese medicine, yin and yang theory, pharmacology, massage, moxibustion, and a whole lot more. He was like a Renaissance man of traditional Chinese medicine.

White Malaki on Unsplash

During our clinical sessions, the doctor would have us feel pulses, make observations, listen, and ask questions before we'd make our diagnosis and suggest a treatment plan. After that, it was the doctor's turn to review our findings and set us straight. I distinctly remember one clinical session when a fellow classmate had unusually red lips and a robust build. My initial diagnosis leaned towards an excess of heat, so I recommended a treatment aimed at reducing that heat. However, the doctor corrected me, saying that you can't just treat a headache by focusing solely on the head or address foot pain without considering the foot. You have to dig deeper and understand the root causes. If you suspect it's an excess of liver heat, then what's causing that excess, and what other factors might be involved? Observing isn't enough; you have to inquire and understand the reasons behind the symptoms.

Punching bag

Our mentor was a true polymath; he even practiced martial arts. What left a lasting impression on me was when he shared how, in the old days when there were no punching bags, they'd stuff a large stone inside a cloth bag and pummel it until it turned into smaller stones. This was their way of practicing punches, an ancient version of a punching bag.

When I learned about this, I couldn't help but think,

Our country's senior traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are truly formidable!

Without sandbags, they just smash large stones – is that their improvised version of a sandbag?

Feng shui

He also believed in feng shui and intentionally designed the entrance of his traditional Chinese medicine clinic to look uninviting. He believed this way, he wouldn't be overwhelmed with too many patients, allowing him to enjoy life more.

Tai Chi

I was always running late for my Tai Chi class (which our traditional Chinese medicine teacher scheduled for 6 in the morning). The dormitory doors opened at 6 AM, and I'd dash out, usually reaching the meeting point around 6:15 AM. I'd slip to the back row, eager to see what we'd be learning that day. After Tai Chi practice, I'd grab breakfast with my seniors around 7 or 8 AM.

Tai Chi Chuan is truly a formidable challenge, involving various elements such as movements, footwork, power generation, stomping, leg shaking, force application, practical scenarios, and more. It's all quite demanding. My first two years were marked by frustration and frequent injuries. Thankfully, my teacher was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who often warned us about movements that could lead to injuries. But I was a headstrong student who didn't always heed his advice, preferring to do things my way, with consequences...

They say, "poor in literature, rich in martial arts." Learning martial arts can be a costly pursuit. Firstly, you need to maintain a nutritious diet, and you must have the financial means to consult with a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner because injuries can occur quite easily. Additionally, the materials needed for martial arts practice can be rather pricey. I recall I had a desire to practice Iron Palm, but it was a costly endeavor. Just getting a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner to prepare the herbal soaking solution for daily hand conditioning was beyond my budget.

Practicing Tai Chi Chuan should always be under the guidance of a qualified instructor because certain movements can be precarious. I remember doubting the advice and attempting to practice on my own. I was working on the "Diamond Pounder," and the vibrations left my head feeling uncomfortable—not to the point of vomiting, but I did feel dizzy. I recall that my next class was Western Cultural Introduction, but all I could tell was that the lecturer was discussing Greece and Rome. I had a vague idea but was too dizzy to grasp the specifics. I sought a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner's advice, and the doctor informed me that the vibrations had indeed caused dizziness and had harmed my internal organs. I had to temporarily suspend my practice! Lesson learned! Fortunately, with some rest, I was back to normal.

You genuinely need to exercise caution; going against advice and practicing recklessly can lead to nausea, or worse, a concussion. It's no wonder they say medicine and martial arts have common origins; after experiencing injuries for a while, you start to gain a deeper understanding of the conditions.

Thankfully, traditional Chinese medicine treatment proved to be highly effective, and I particularly developed a fondness for acupuncture.

Danger

Practice martial arts can be very dangerous, so it is essential to have a teacher or coach!

中醫義診

還記得我大一時加入了中國醫學研究社，因為我家裡人希望我念完外文系後去考學士後中醫。那時候我們社團的老師，是學校附近中醫診所的一位老醫生。那是一位很酷的老師，每個星期二晚上教我們針灸、黃帝內經、我還和他學了把脈、基礎中醫學、陰陽五行、藥理、按摩、艾灸等等，超級多才多藝的中醫生。我們義診時，醫生就叫我們先把脈、望聞問切之後講出我們的判斷，以及我們會開什麼藥，接著才輪到醫生看，並糾正我們的觀點。我印象很深刻的一次義診，有位男同學嘴唇很紅、身體很壯，我判斷他應該火氣大，所以我就說直接開火氣大的藥。醫生卻說不能頭痛醫頭，腳痛醫腳。應該要找根本原因。

古早人的沙袋

老師真的很多才多藝，他還會打拳。我印象最深刻的是他談論到，以前那年代沒有沙袋，他們就拿一塊大石頭裝到布袋裡面，把他打成小石頭─這就是古早人練拳的沙袋。

知道這件事情的時候，我心裡想

原來我們國家的老中醫師，這麼猛的ㄇ!!!!!

風水

老師也滿信風水的，他特地把中醫診所門口設計成不太會有人來的樣子。說這樣他就不會太累，可以好好享受生活。

這大概就是

大隱隱於市

練太極拳

我一開始練太極拳都遲到(中醫師約早上六點)。大一宿舍六點開門，我六點一衝出宿舍、跑到學校集合地點的時候大概是6:15分。我會躲在最後面一排，看看今天學什麼。練完拳大概七、八點再和學長姐們去吃早餐。

太極拳真的很有挑戰性，包括動作、步法、發勁、跺腳、震腳、出力方式、實際應用等，都相當困難。我學的頭兩年真的是充滿挫折。幸運的是，我的老師是一位中醫師，經常提醒我們哪些動作容易受傷，建議不要亂練。但我是個固執的人，並不聽從他的建議，經常自作主張，結果就......

真的窮文富武，練武最好要有點錢。首先，要吃得營養，還要有錢去看中醫，因為真的很容易內胕受傷。還有練武藥材也挺貴。還記的其實我想要練鐵砂掌，但是練鐵砂掌真的挺貴，光是請中醫師配每天泡手的藥水錢，我就出不起 = =!

P.S. 我練鐵砂掌的學長，跑去當中醫師了

練太極拳一定要有老師，因為有些招式真的挺危險的。還記得我不信邪，自己回去練，練金剛搗錘，震得我後腦好難受，沒有到吐，但有點暈。我還記得下一堂課是西洋文化概論，但我只知道台上講師好像在說希臘、羅馬怎麼樣怎麼樣，具體講什麼我不知道，暈暈暈暈了。去看中醫，醫生說我不只腦袋震暈了，五臟六腑也傷到了，要暫停練習！好吧！還好我休息會就沒事情了。

真的要小心，沒有照要求自己亂練，會練到吐、還有腦震盪！難怪有人說醫武同源，受傷久了就知道大概是什麼狀況。

還好看中醫很有效。

總結

1. 練武術很危險，一定要有老師或教練！

2. 最能打的，可能是你家附近診所的中醫師>d<