Auditory processing

The ability to analyze, blend, and segment sounds. Auditory processing is a crucial underlying skill for reading and spelling success, and is the number one skill needed for learning to read. Weakness in any of the auditory processing skills will greatly hinder learning to read, reading fluency, and comprehension. Students with auditory processing weakness also typically lose motivation to read.

Good use

Operating with good use could be described as doing everything with the minimum possible muscular effort. We want just enough tension in the muscles for them to do what is required at any given moment, no more and no less. 'Maximum output from minimum muscular effort' would be one definition of the most efficient use of the body.

(Glen Park)

Keeping it real

Every jing is the product of the way in which you move your body.
By turning the hips, flexing the spine, shifting the weight and adjusting the limbs - you produce an outcome.
There is nothing spectacular about this.

Students should be wary of talking about 'qi'.
Can you prove that qi produced the outcome?
Perhaps there is a more simple, straightforward reason?

Visual processing

The ability to perceive, analyze, and think in visual images. This includes visualization, which is the ability to create a picture in your mind of words or concepts. Students who have problems with visual processing may have difficulty following instructions, reading maps, doing word math problems, and comprehending.

Indoor, but not lineage

Family members are always offered the inner teachings.
This makes them an 'indoor student' but not necessarily a 'lineage student'.
To become a lineage student they must undergo the bai shi ceremony and make the formal pledges.

Learn how to teach

There are 3 instructor grades in our school:

1. Level 1
   - training takes place during the 3rd dan syllabus
   
2. Level 2
   - training takes place during the 6th dan syllabus
   - 10,000 hours of practice required
    
3. Level 3
   - training takes place during the 7th dan syllabus
   

Having completed each level of instructor training, the student is given a certificate qualifying them to teach our syllabus.

Dave

Bear Arms

http://www.oriental-weaponry.co.uk

Bear Arms offer a Price promise, whereby they'll match the price of any bona fide competitor.
Well, they are true to their word, so we recommend them for swords.

Processing speed

The ability to perform simple or complex cognitive tasks quickly. This skill also measures the ability of the brain to work quickly and accurately while ignoring distracting stimuli. Slow processing speed makes every task more difficult. Very often, slow processing is one root of ADHD-type behaviors. Symptoms of weaknesses here include homework taking a long time, always being the last one to get his or her shoes on, or being slow at completing even simple tasks.

Media

The media depict martial arts in an unrealistic way; either as entertainment in movies and TV shows, or as sport.
Now and again tai chi is lauded as being wonderful for the health.

Somewhere along the way, people become convinced that it is easy to learn a martial art.

Nothing could be further from the truth.
It does not matter whether you plan to learn tai chi, baguazhang, wing chun, ju jitsu or the countless other styles and systems available to you.
Martial arts are not easy to learn.

The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba

T'ai Chi Chuan: The Internal Tradition

Natural range

In tai chi you must always remain within your natural range of movement.
Any stretching is done subtly and never forced; the body is allowed to open by itself, rather than be forced.
By encouraging the joints to be free, mobility increases radically and the body can move more comfortably.
Tai chi should never strain or hurt the body.

Some movements may feel uncomfortable if you have bad postural habits and this is to be expected - your body is already used to set patterns of movement and poise - and the tai chi is gently changing these.

Beyond knowledge

A person may know a lot of information and be academically clever, but neuroplasticity is not about knowledge.
It is about functionality.
Application.

How flexible is your mind?
How easily and skilfully can you adapt, change and improvise?
Can you learn from everything you encounter?

Is it really taijiquan ?

If your school promises to make you an instructor in 2 years, they are deceiving you. After 2 years, you have a vague sense of taijiquan - nothing more. You should be capable of self defence and possess the ability to deliver raw jing, but your skills are fledgling.

Taijiquan is a martial art. You cannot learn any martial art in a brief span of time.

If you think you're an instructor after 2 years, go try your skills out in a real martial arts class. Go see what happens.

If your school is teaching bona fide taijiquan, then you are gaining hard-earned physical skills that require patience, correction and a thorough understanding of what you are learning.

If you are learning 'taiji-style exercise', you are gaining only a fraction of the health benefits and your practice will be bereft of martial competence.

Wang Shujin

Poked and prodded

Peter Southwood once asked Sifu if he'd be willing to submit to a battery of NLP tests, designed to investigate and catalogue Sifu's unusual cognitive talents. Sifu did not care for the idea and Peter never brought it up again.

(Shaun Ullah)

Weight

Working with a heavy weapon can be pretty taxing.
Stick work involves a rattan stick or staff for everyday practice and an oak staff for strength-building.
Practice swords are very lightweight, but a real sword is extremely heavy.

January Sales: kicking you when you're down...

January Sales are very cynical.

People overspend approaching Christmas and then they are usually broke until the end of January.
Then, early January the Sales begin...

You get to see items discounted that you paid full price for a few weeks earlier...

You are goaded into sending more and more and more...

On what? And why?
What is it that can't wait? What is so important? So immediate? So necessary?

January Sales are designed to get rid of excess stock and take even more money from the consumer.
You will be encouraged to over-stretch. To over-spend. To go into debt.

It is quite easy to say no.
Why not spend January doing quiet things at home or outside?
Avoid the shops.
Avoid online shopping too.

You'll barely even be aware that the January Sales exist...

Broadsword

Students practice broadsword drills and the sabre form.
This heavy weapon offers a notable workout.

It develops upper body strength, whole body movement and wrist flexibility. Students learn how to extend their energy through the blade.