1% (2) | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
Percentages
Thinking of the tai chi syllabus in terms of percentages is
interesting. And inspiring. How much of the syllabus do you
actually know?
Sifu Waller would
contend that nothing is truly
mastered,
and that everyone should be continually
expanding their
knowledge/skills/understanding.
So what?
Be ambitious.
Gain some
perspective.
A beginner is not competent. They are introductory.
To train at the basic level
indefinitely is to
deny yourself any real
understanding of the art.
There is an Indian folk tale
about six blind men inspecting an elephant:
The first man encounters the side of the animal
and believes it to be a wall.
The second man imagines the tusk to be a spear.
The third man thinks that the trunk is a snake.
The fourth man considers the leg to be a tree.
The fifth man feels an ear and believes it to be a fan.
The sixth man finds the tail and is certain it is a rope.
(Zen story)
Two way process
Learning tai chi involves acquiring new skills, principles and
insights, in addition to
refining what you
have previously been taught.
The degree of progress is entirely
relative to how much each individual
invests in the
training.
Class is fine for
corrections but offers little scope for
refinement.
Time served
In some
martial arts schools belts are given out to students
for 'time served'; rewarding loyalty,
commitment,
attitude.
Our school does not offer credit for attendance.
Attending class
Attending class and working through the
syllabus are sometimes
mutually exclusive
matters.
Many people compartmentalise class.
They set aside Monday night for tai chi and have a great time but think no more
about the art
until next week.
This is not at all the same as
working through
the grades.
Commitment
Your progress is inextricably linked to your degree of
commitment.
If you attend casually, your progress will be slow.
If you attend weekly lessons,
your progress will be steady.
If you train daily
at home, your progress will be strong and
rewarding.
Individual priorities
Not everyone
wants to commit themselves to weekly lessons and daily practice. Nobody says
that you should.
It is important to do what feels
right for
you.
Similarly, you must not
resent the progress of others in the class who are
dedicated and
skilled.
Each student is free to proceed at a
pace of their
own choosing.
If you want to
attend once or twice a month, that is fine providing you accept that you will
need plenty of revision
and your progress will be slow.
Under pressure?
Feeling to be under
pressure runs contrary to the very spirit of tai chi.
Be patient and allow
that things take time.
As you like it
If your personal commitments are such that you
cannot (or do not
want to)
put a lot of time and
effort into your tai chi, that is fine.
You must do what feels right for
you and your
lifestyle.
People all get something different from the art.
Take it easy.
Do what you can. Do what suits
you. And let
the art unfold at its own
pace.
Page created
7 November 2012
Last updated
30 November 2023
▲