Learning

What I find most amazing about the syllabus is how everything is interlocking and interconnected.

(Tim, maths teacher)

Learning

We are a tai chi chuan school, not a drop-in class.
Students attend school in order to learn.

This is a very important fact for all new starters to consider.


Three factors

There are three factors to consider when learning tai chi:

1. The art

2. The instructor

3. The student

The art has endured for centuries; this alone speaks of its value.
The skill of the instructor will determine how well the art is taught to the student.
The attitude and ability of the student is the deciding factor.
 

The art

Tai chi is a complex, sophisticated martial art.
Its secrets unfold gradually as students work through a structured syllabus, gaining skill and comprehension.

If you are curious and have the heart to endure a journey of discovery and practice, then the mysteries will be answered.
Should you expect an overnight payoff, please reconsider your expectations...

The instructor

A good instructor is concerned with the spirit of the art. Their tai chi should be lively and fresh, not droll.
Vibrant tai chi possesses spirit.

The instructor should look lively and expressive.
Their applications are varied and diverse, spontaneous and effective.
The art flows from them without effort. They are natural, comfortable and at ease.


Fit to teach?

In order to teach any subject, an instructor needs certain requirements:

1. Subject knowledge
   - the information the instructor plans to impart
    

2. Experience
   - a good instructor should have at least 10,000 hours of practice behind them
   - Dr. K. Anders Ericsson found that this was true of any art; whether tai chi, dancing or playing the piano
    

3. Teaching skills
   - the ability to explain things logically and thoroughly
   - reasoning
   - articulate
   - engaging
   - awareness
   - compassion
   - humour
   - patience
   - differentiation
   - time management
    

4. A goal
   - aim, objective
   - purpose of the lesson
    

5. A syllabus
   - defining the components that will enable a student to achieve the objective
   - a path leading to the knowledge
   - a scheme of work
   - how the student will proceed
    

6. Topics
   - breakdown of the syllabus into modules of information
   - logical building blocks
   - small steps along the path
   - teach according to the students ability to learn
    

7. Discrete lessons
   - a lesson is an opportunity to explore a given skill
   - examples must be provided
   - thought-provoking
   - stimulating
   - encourage enthusiasm and participation
   - engage the student
   - allow for different ability levels
    

8. Proof
   - examinations, tests, grading
   - pressure-testing
   - an increasing scale of hardship

The student

A dedicated student aims to steal their instructor's art.
This is akin to acquiring a trade secret.
Only by taking responsibility for their own learning can a student hope to learn the true depth of the art.

Motivation, commitment, intelligence, enthusiasm - these are all relevant factors.
To quote the proverb: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

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Page created 28 May 1995