Accuracy
Tai chi contains essential principles,
all of which are fundamental and similar in the different styles. When you
concentrate on the essential, you speed up your progression, and you improve, no
matter what style you do. Don't worry about the minor details.
Focus your practise on these principles.
(Dr Paul Lam)
What is accuracy?
Accurate means 'to be free from error'.
In tai chi, what would you consider an error to
be?
Failure to
copy what the teacher is doing?
Postural faults,
misalignment?
Holes is your self defence
applications?
Lack of
groundpath?
Any number of criteria could be considered in terms of accuracy, but you
need to ask yourself what the most important concern should be...
Surely the first concern must always be your physical wellbeing?
Awareness
Many students are more
interested in learning
forms than having
awareness.
Tai chi is found in the
quality of the exercise, not the amount.
If you practice tai chi with awareness, feeling how every step and movement
affects your body, you are less likely to injure yourself.
In-built mistakes
You may be capable of copying your teachers form exactly and doing precisely
what they do, with no errors.
Yet, the form itself may have positions that put a strain on your joints.
If the angle of a step is too far or if you are
overstretching - you may be loading the knee or twisting it.
A form may be ancient, but is it flawless?
Balance
Dr Paul Lam encourages students to explore
tai chi carefully and
safely.
By remaining
balanced and moving with constant
awareness, there is far less risk of injury.
If you follow the criteria of the
tai chi classics, listen to your body and
remain in the
immediate moment - your practice will be
balanced.
Accuracy is a form of measurement.
If your intent is to be healthy, then you must consider the accuracy of your
practice relative to
the effect it has upon your body, rather than how the tai chi looks.
Page created 10 July 1999