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What you start with
New students usually begin martial arts training with
preconceptions,
misconceptions and
unrealistic ambitions in mind.
They possess no skill.
No knowledge.
No experience.
Yet, the student has already determined just
how hard/easy it will be and what will be
involved in the training.
A notion
The new starter has an idea, a
notion, an opinion.
And nothing more.
This idea is not the reality of the
training.
Obstacle
This absurd starting point is typically the
first obstacle facing a new student.
They will even judge the value of the class based
on their expectations.
Tai chi fighting method
There are 4 building blocks for the lower grade student:
Without
gaining competence with each level, the student cannot realistically proceed
to the next.
They simply lack the required degree of skill.
4 skills/4 levels
There are only 4 skills to learn:
These
4 skills correspond directly with the
building blocks mentioned above.
If, then
If you possess the coordination to perform qigong, then your form will build
upon this capacity.
It will require greater mobility and
balance.
If your form is OK then you should be able to maintain peng, good
positioning, stickiness and
actively yield during pushing hands.
If you can employ all preceding skills successfully relative to a
practice partner, then you will be able to apply the
art in martial 'practice'.
Trip wire
Martial arts require proof of success at each
stage of progress.
This is akin to placing a trip wire low to the
ground.
To avoid falling flat on their face, the student must step higher.
The amateur/time
waster is always tripped up.
Ambitions
Most students never get through the basics.
Although the work is not hard, it is tougher than they
expected so they fail
from the onset.
Based on what?
The problem facing students is their faith in what they
know.
They may have read a little about
tai chi or attended a few classes.
Although their actual skill is shallow, they fill in the blanks quite
confidently.
This is a mistake.
Harder
It is highly unlikely that the standards of an
instructor will correspond with those of a student.
The road is steeper than you can
imagine.
But the journey is well worth the
effort.
The journey of a lifetime
There are many books written by
authors who have undertaken the journey.
Read: Angry White Pyjamas, Moving Zen, The
Sword Polisher's Record, Zen in the Art of Archery
et al.
Page created
1 October 1996
Last updated
30 November 2023
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