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Grading
Students are welcome to move up through our syllabus
at their own pace but ability must be proven at each step of
the Way.
Our assessment methods are relaxed, informal
and cost no extra money.
Each grade in our syllabus ends with a grading.
Frequent
Apart from the grading,
students require weekly corrections and revision with Sifu Waller.
Ask yourself...
Can you do form (section 1) without requiring any obvious
corrections from
Rachel or Sifu Waller?
Do you know the qigong exercises well enough to perform
them at home by yourself?
Are you able to perform the applications
on every school member without any problems?
Is the application thorough and convincing?
Would you be willing to let somebody pressure-test your
application?
Driving a car
Think of tai chi skill as being like driving a car... If you are competent, you should be quite
comfortable having a Driving Examiner test your driving any day of the week, at
any time.
This is quite reasonable.
Your skills should be active and
present at all times.
Otherwise, you are not fit to drive.
Tai chi
Will you get to choose how, when and where you need to use
your tai chi skills?
A student once got hit by a car and involuntarily
yielded.
This reflex/habit saved him from serious injury.He did not get prior warning.
Will a real life attacker give you a heads-up?
Two days to get ready?
Doubt
If you cannot pull off a skill convincingly and consistently,
let's face it... you don't know it well enough. Will a real life attacker cut you any
slack?
Don't spare yourself.
That is just lazy and absurd.
It only serves to show how unrealistic you are being about
combat.
Neo: "I know
kung fu."
Morpheus: "Show me."
(The Matrix)
Proof
What matters is what you can do right now.
It is not about how well you have revised or prepared.
If you do not know something, fine.
This is the truth/reality of the situation.
Practice some more.
Practice until you own it.
Cheating yourself?
When you are certain you know the material well enough, let Sifu
Waller or Rachel know and you can move up a grade.
However, if you cannot do the skill adequately, you probably know the
truth. Which most likely means that your instructor knows the truth too...
There's actually no one to lie to.
Should Sifu Waller or Rachel doubt your ability,
they will test it. This is not mean. It is
helpful.
Go easy on yourself
Tai chi cannot be forced; it takes as long as it takes.
Take small, methodical steps forward.
Proceed at a pace that suits you and your
level of ability and commitment.
Do what you can without becoming anxious or stressed.
Patient
Focus on a topic, learn it and then move onto the
next one.
Be patient with yourself.
Set realistic learning goals
Each grade involves only a limited number of topics,
exercises and drills.
Aim to pass a couple of new items every time you are assessed.
Look to existing skills.
Correct any mistakes, remove gaps in your knowledge.
Do not neglect material from previous grades
With tai chi, you must constantly refine and improve your basic
skills.
The most simple-seeming and obvious drills are
actually quite complex and
sophisticated.
As you move through the grades, Sifu Waller
will be looking for increasing skill in all
areas of knowledge.
You cannot just learn a skill and move on.
You must also go back and re-consider.
Tai chi principles
We are not expecting to see 'perfect' practice, but you must demonstrate
tai chi principles at all times.
Considerations:
Did it work?
Did you compromise yourself? Were you over-committing?
Was there any adverse feedback?
What did it do to the opponent?
Was it easy to perform?
4 ounces, no tension,
composure and softness are the Way.
If it looks like kickboxing or mixed
martial arts, it is not correct.
What happens?
Your tai chi assessment is straightforward:
(i)
Sifu Waller and Rachel will offer corrections, tips & pointers
(ii) You will be expected to practice these without supervision
(iii) Once you can demonstrate the requisite skill it will be ticked off
Grading
At some stage you will have worked through every item for your grade and can
perform everything in a satisfactory manner.
This is the point where you need to be graded.
The journey of a thousand
miles begins with one step.
(Lao Tzu)
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
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