Saturday
Friday
Coping with doubt
After an initial spurt of enthusiasm, even the most ardent student may suffer from doubt.
The mere promise of self defence skills, good health, flexibility and martial prowess are no longer as meaningful.
There must be something else.
Other interests and commitments may begin to encroach.
It becomes easy to miss lessons. To stop training. And to consider the possibility of quitting.
No instructor can guide you through this period of doubt.
You will either come to see the art as being something you want to persevere with, or you will simply quit.
You may see that the art is more than the sum of its parts.
That it has changed you in ways that you may not be able to explain.
Students who choose to stay often recognise that they have lost faith and become half-hearted.
They train harder, attend more training opportunities and quietly make space in their lives for the art to flourish.
The mere promise of self defence skills, good health, flexibility and martial prowess are no longer as meaningful.
There must be something else.
Other interests and commitments may begin to encroach.
It becomes easy to miss lessons. To stop training. And to consider the possibility of quitting.
No instructor can guide you through this period of doubt.
You will either come to see the art as being something you want to persevere with, or you will simply quit.
You may see that the art is more than the sum of its parts.
That it has changed you in ways that you may not be able to explain.
Students who choose to stay often recognise that they have lost faith and become half-hearted.
They train harder, attend more training opportunities and quietly make space in their lives for the art to flourish.
Wednesday
The folly of teaching other students
Be patient.
And be wary of asking the blind to lead the blind...
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.
You do not understand the syllabus.
You are the blind man and the syllabus is the elephant.
You see what you want to see.
What you are capable of seeing.
Be patient.
And be wary of asking the blind to lead the blind...
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.
You do not understand the syllabus.
You are the blind man and the syllabus is the elephant.
You see what you want to see.
What you are capable of seeing.
Be patient.
Monday
Sunday
Friday
Wednesday
The role of qigong in the internal martial arts
Taijiquan, baguazhang and xingyiquan use forms to practice combat movements, build strength and gain agility.
The forms are highly intricate, with many different levels of skill.
Yiquan (mind fist)/dachengquan (the great accomplishment) - an offshoot of xingyiquan - does not use forms.
Instead, it uses static standing qigong postures in lieu of form.
Xingyiquan uses form(s) for power development.Dachengquan uses standing qigong.
See the difference?
What should a tai chi school do?The answer is somewhat self evident, isn't it?
Taijiquan is not dachengquan.
It uses forms, not standing qigong postures.
Read The Tai Chi Classics... There is no mention of standing qigong but a whole lot of information about movement.
The forms are highly intricate, with many different levels of skill.
Yiquan (mind fist)/dachengquan (the great accomplishment) - an offshoot of xingyiquan - does not use forms.
Instead, it uses static standing qigong postures in lieu of form.
Xingyiquan uses form(s) for power development.Dachengquan uses standing qigong.
See the difference?
What should a tai chi school do?The answer is somewhat self evident, isn't it?
Taijiquan is not dachengquan.
It uses forms, not standing qigong postures.
Read The Tai Chi Classics... There is no mention of standing qigong but a whole lot of information about movement.
Tuesday
Feedback
I feel extremely lucky to have found a martial arts school where integrity and being a nice person matters, this is missing from every school I have ever attended.
(Dave G)
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