|
|
||
| Following instructions | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
.JPG)
Modern culture
Modern culture is filled with people who have 'attitude'.
Being cocky and macho is applauded. Showing off is
encouraged.
People like to be sarcastic.
They enjoy being a 'smartass'. Television is littered with talent shows and
programmes that embrace the more unpleasant aspects of human nature.
Ugly traits are fostered.
Timeless
It is important to remember that a martial arts class is not modern in
nature.
When you enter the training hall, you must leave modern culture at the door.
You are partaking in a tradition that has continued for centuries.
Fashion, politics and mass media are ephemeral
things. They have no substance.
Tai chi has been practiced for centuries.
Business
Martial arts have always been taught for
money.
The instructor needs a certain income to sustain the
school, pay hall rental and their own fees.
Typically an instructor founds a school or is appointed by a governing body
or the master.
They have a lot of responsibilities.
Authority in martial arts
In terms of the class and all things pertaining to the class, the instructor
must have absolute authority.
You cannot run a martial arts
class by consensus.
Your choice
You (the student) must decide to what extent you are prepared to accept the
authority of the instructor.
If you wish to remain in the class, then you must accept it
unconditionally.
If you are unwilling to acknowledge the worth
of the instructor, then you should leave.
You may have all sorts of wonderful ideas, what you
consider to be valuable contributions and insights, your own personal take on
matters. Nobody cares. Quite the opposite.
The fastest way to alienate yourself
in a dojo is to make known these ideas or to volunteer your suggestions on how
training might be better or more effective.
(Dave Lowry)
Democracy
People are often reluctant to
follow instructions. They get smart with the instructor or seek to
debate the issue.
Martial arts classes are not democratic.
This is not politics.
Understanding
A class is hierarchal.
The instructor has the knowledge and the student
does not.
The purpose of the class is the transmission of
information.
Perspective
If the instructor is not happy with the student, they will withhold
information.
The student has no means at their disposal
to coerce the instructor.
Democracy does not enter into it.
Second-guessing
Second-guessing the instructor is foolish.
Inevitably you are lacking the entire picture.
You are making a judgement from an incomplete perspective.
Sifu Waller
Second-guessing is especially foolish when being taught by
Sifu Waller.
His every lesson contains multiple layers of meaning.
As with a Zen koan, your initial grasp of the
situation is usually limited.
It is only with time and consideration that
a deeper purpose emerges.
The student has nothing to
offer but an absolute willingness to follow the teacher's instructions and
direction without question or comments or personal improvisation.
(Dave Lowry)
Ad-libbing
Students may sometimes think to alter the material,
deviate from the lesson, show
off or try and be clever.
If you want the teacher to take you seriously as a student, it is important
to start off in the right way.
Arguing, time wasting and second-guessing the teacher will only bring you
adverse attention.
Just do what you have been asked to do.
No more, no less.
Improvising is a sign of arrogance and
impatience.
Brain training
Following instructions is good for your brain.
Instead of confusion, approach each task in a clear,
simple, distinct manner.
Avoid adding your personal chaos to the
lesson.
Exercise your mind, calm your
emotions and cultivate
mental
resilience. Learn to act decisively and with purpose.
Obedience?
Following instructions has little to do with obedience and everything to do
with fighting.
If you cannot act without preamble, you will be defeated in
combat.
Thinking, worrying,
planning and dithering will cause you to falter in action.
This deficiency will let you down.
Just do it
When instructed to do something, just do it.
If the directions are unclear, ask for confirmation. But refrain from
argument, discussion or debate.
Just act.
Voltaire wrote: Men argue. Nature acts.
Patience & faith
Martial arts classes require patience and faith.
If your instructor can perform the skills
themselves and is willing to teach them
to you, that is enough.
If you have doubts, look at what the more
experienced students are doing. Do they possess skill?
Tradition
Not all traditional masters are willing to share the
secrets of the art.
If your instructor is sharing their
knowledge, be grateful.
Knowledge & insight
Knowledge without insight will never produce
wisdom.
It is important for you to 'get out
of your own way' and let the skills emerge of their
own accord.
Thinking, pushing, second-guessing can all lead to
arrogance and ignorance.
Understanding requires context, and context comes
from experience, patience and insight.
Not accountable
As much as you may not like this fact, your instructor is not accountable to
you.
They are not answerable.
They do not have to explain their reasons, motives and deeper
intentions.
And if they did reply, you would not understand
the reply.
Without context, meaning cannot exist.
Coaching...
Modern classes often embrace
coaching and mentoring methods
rather than the traditional style of tuition.
Coaching is not favoured by our school.
Personal trainer?
Your instructor is not a personal trainer. They are not in 'the service
industry'.
They are not obligated to please you or give you what
you ask for.
Tai chi cannot be taught piecemeal.
You cannot pick and choose how and what
to study.
If a martial arts instructor had to choose between bowing to the demands of
the consumer marketplace or closing their school to the public, many would
close their school.
Teaching hand-picked students is better than
diluting the art.
Wu nien
Hesitation can be caused by thinking rather than acting.
We train the student to move without
thinking.
This improves timing and produces a
spontaneous response to any situation.
Dithering indicates that your attention is upon yourself,
not on what is happening.
'Wu nien' is a condition of choiceless action,
where body and mind unite without any conscious thought.
It is a state of just 'being'.
When the
hands are clapped, the sound issues without hesitation. When flint is struck
with steel, the spark comes out at once.
(Alan Watts)
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
04 May 2023
▲