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Apprentice
When you come to the dojo, it is a
recognition the teacher there has something you want. He will give it to you in
his own way. You must accept that. If you do not, you are free to leave. The
dojo, however, is never run by consensus.
(Dave Lowry)
Service industry
New starters sometimes regard a tai chi class as being a 'service', akin
to a hairdresser or a bank.
This is an incorrect perception and can lead to false expectations.
Martial arts classes are not part of the 'service industry'. They are not
selling you a product or a service.
A tai chi class operates in a completely different way to the service industry.
The student is not a client or a customer.
They are more like an 'apprentice'.
Service provider
In the service industry, the client/customer pays money and they receive
a service.
The service provider exists to please the customer, to fulfil their needs.
If the service is inadequate, the customer may go elsewhere, or lodge a
complaint.
Sifu/sensei
In a martial arts class, the student pays money and then begins to learn the
art.
The teacher does not exist to please the student.
Their role is to teach the system, and to re-shape the student into somebody
capable of performing the art.
The student is incapable of
seeing where this
journey will lead or what steps are relevant and necessary.
If a student joins a class and starts to tell the teacher how and what to
teach them, they are off to a poor beginning.
Apprentice
An apprentice commits themselves to earnest study under a skilled
craftsman in order to learn the art for themselves.
Their aim is to 'steal
the art', to acquire the abilities.
The apprenticeship is lengthy, difficult, and will entail a lot of hard work
along the way.
It is not for the half-hearted.
Learning any new skill
If you wanted to learn how to play the piano, it would be necessary to:
seek out a tutor
follow their instructions precisely
practice
The teacher could not simply give you the skill. Such abilities cannot be
bought.
You gain aptitude through hours, weeks and months of ongoing practice,
correction and improvement.
There are no shortcuts and no end to the training.
In this regard, learning tai chi is no different to learning how to play the
piano.
Different attitudes
Some students want to make a serious commitment to tai chi, whilst others
are happy to treat it as a hobby.
This is understandable. Everyone is different.
How you approach the art determines what you get from the tai chi.
If you are casual, expect slower progress through the
curriculum.
If you are earnest and train every day, expect a more significant reward from
the art.
Our school welcomes all types of student.
The joy of learning
Gaining skill is an occasion for enthusiasm and fun.
If you
are studying something you enjoy, it should not feel like hard work.
As your abilities improve and your insight deepens, you recognise how much you
have learned.
Black belt
A student is awarded their 1st Dan black belt when they have completed the fundamentals, the basics.
The student has yet to train any advanced-level material.
They are not an expert.
Nor are they ready to open a school or teach a class.
The general public seem to regard the black belt as being some sort of martial
arts graduation.
This is a misconception.
The Japanese word for black belt is shodan which means 'first step' or 'certified beginner'.
(Michael Gelb)
Gaining a black belt signifies the beginning of a much more
serious journey.
The student has climbed up out of the valley but is a very long distance from
the peak.
Not many people have the wherewithal to go all the way.
In our school,
70% of the syllabus is at the black belt level. Obtaining a black belt is the
beginning, not the end.
There are eight ranks to work through.
Most of the curriculum is explored when you have obtained your black belt.
Page created 11 December 2004