I just found out tonight that my Tai Chi instructor is moving out of state next week. Since I live in a small town, I may not have another option for studying Tai Chi. Many of the students intend to keep studying as a group, but none of us are sufficiently advanced in my opinion.

Maybe you could arrange to videotape the instructor. This way, your group would have a reference to use if they elect to continue training.

Also, if the instructor is willing, some of you could periodically videotape your own forms and send them to the instructor for critiques.

Cthulhu

Originally posted by Cthulhu
Maybe you could arrange to videotape the instructor. This way, your group would have a reference to use if they elect to continue training.

Also, if the instructor is willing, some of you could periodically videotape your own forms and send them to the instructor for critiques.

She has already agreed to the former. Unfortunately her poor English would make the latter difficult.

I don't feel quite right practicing it without a qualified instructor present. There's no danger of course but it just doesn't feel right with only a senior student there.

Though I suppose I was studying arnis with Mr. Hartman before he earned his black belt...still, that was different. We were young.

Originally posted by arnisador


She has already agreed to the former. Unfortunately her poor English would make the latter difficult.


Of course, there is always the option of just practicing on your own. Just keep practicing what you know to the best of your ability. Then, if you're ever fortunate enough to find another instructor, you can go from there.

Cthulhu

Originally posted by Cthulhu

Of course, there is always the option of just practicing on your own. Just keep practicing what you know to the best of your ability. Then, if you're ever fortunate enough to find another instructor, you can go from there.


I think I'll do this, at least with the 24-step form. I may not try to keep up with the 42 and 13 step sword forms, and I never learned the entire 88 step form, but I'll keep the basic form and as you say hope for another instructor to appear.

[mod note] Split thread [/mod note]

Good luck. I've found that practicing on your own is hard when learning materials, but if you already have some experience, its not too bad.

:asian:

I'm sticking with the 24 step form but can already feel my form slipping! Hopefully a new instructor will show up some day.

I think I basically agree with the other posts. If your instructor has agreed to let you videotape her doing the form(s), you'll have a good reference to use while practicing whether it's on your own or in a group. Learning from a video would be difficult at best, but you've already had some personal instruction. You'd be able to use the video as a reminder/refresher of what you've already been taught. In that case, following the video won't be so difficult. Good luck with it. Do your best and keep a look out for a new instructor in the area.

Where are you located? I may know someone!

Sanxiawuyi
:asian:

Originally posted by Sanxiawuyi
Where are you located? I may know someone!


Thanks, but I'm in the middle of nowhere!

if martial arts will be a part of your life, and important one, then dont be afraid to travel. my students come to me from all over the place, and one guy comes out one weekend each month, and he trains 8-8 (hours). if the martial arts mean a lot to you, find a teacher anywhere, and go train with him. its better than a videotape or one seminar thats made for "all people". a in person teacher will give you the training you need even if its for one day only.

I agree. The martial arts are important to me, but with respect to the Tai Chi I have switched to studying JKD/BJJ with a local instructor rather than traveling to Chicago to work with my old instructor. Arnis remains my principal art and the others I may study are less crucial to me.

I believe that you should continue you practice even if you feel your form "slipping". One of the most important point in tai chi is the breathing practice to strengthen you chi in your body. I believe that's why it's called internal martial art.
:yinyang:

Originally posted by disciple
I believe that you should continue you practice even if you feel your form "slipping". One of the most important point in tai chi is the breathing practice to strengthen you chi in your body.

I continue to do the 24 step form as best I can. I do believe that it gives me something other forms of practice don't. I never learned the whole 88 step form.

Too bad you didnt have the chance to learn the whole 88 steps. It's really kinda fun to practice them, it usually takes me 45 minutes from to do the whole sequence and by the time I'm done, I am usually drenched in sweat (although it's winter time) :)

Originally posted by disciple
Too bad you didnt have the chance to learn the whole 88 steps. It's really kinda fun to practice them, it usually takes me 45 minutes from to do the whole sequence and by the time I'm done, I am usually drenched in sweat

I was surprised how much of a sweat I could work up doing the 24 steps twice in a row or when I followed through the 88 steps as best I could. That was unexpected. I'm glad I had the chance to study it. I learned the 42 step sword and almost all of the 13 step sword as well.

So it's not too bad for you that you have learned the 24-steps, 42- and 13- step sword.
BTW, I assume this is Yang style? or not?

I apologize, arnisador..didnt mean to sound arrogant :asian:
What I meant was that its not too bad for you that you could learned so much from the instructor before she moved away. At least you have something to practice.

Originally posted by disciple
I apologize, arnisador..didnt mean to sound arrogant

No no, I understood what you meant! Yes, I got something from it first and am glad for that. But after only a year I know that there are just too many subtleties, especially as my instructor had very little English so we had to learn by imitating her and not from her verbal instructions. Sounds neat in theory but it would take longer than a year!

This was the national form, often called Peking (or Beijing) form, that was simplified from the Yang style. (I live in a small town and it was my only choice for Tai Chi--I would have preferred a more martial version.) I said a bit more about it in a thread in the Tai Chi (http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=754) forum.

Originally posted by arnisador


No no, I understood what you meant! Yes, I got something from it first and am glad for that. But after only a year I know that there are just too many subtleties, especially as my instructor had very little English so we had to learn by imitating her and not from her verbal instructions. Sounds neat in theory but it would take longer than a year!

This was the national form, often called Peking (or Beijing) form, that was simplified from the Yang style. (I live in a small town and it was my only choice for Tai Chi--I would have preferred a more martial version.) I said a bit more about it in a thread in the Tai Chi (http://www.martialtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=754) forum. Is it the Yang system you've been studying? Can't you pick up some training tapes? I believe the Tracy's offer at least some of this system on tape. I could be wrong, but if they do its probably worth picking up. The experiences I've had with their training tapes were positive. Just a thought... :asian:

I would be careful though in selecting which videos to buy. Some are good in details but kinda hard for someone who hasn't learned anything about the style, while others are good for introduction but not so details

Tapes might help and the book by Zhang Fuxing "Handbook of Tai Chi Exercises" has been very helpful--it's exactly the form I learned--but I feel that I need a live instructor to progress further right now. I practice the 24 step form and still have my arnis and have begun studying JKD and BJJ but they don't substitute for Tai Chi as interesting as they are.

Originally posted by arnisador
Tapes might help and the book by Zhang Fuxing "Handbook of Tai Chi Exercises" has been very helpful--it's exactly the form I learned--but I feel that I need a live instructor to progress further right now. I practice the 24 step form and still have my arnis and have begun studying JKD and BJJ but they don't substitute for Tai Chi though each is interesting in its own way.

I have a video by Fu Sheng Yuan (Yang Cheng Fu's grandson) and a book by Fu Zhong Wen (Yang Cheng Fu's son) for Yang style taijiquan. I think this is a great combination if you want to go in details, also accurate I believe since this is the direct lineage from Yang Cheng Fu

arnisador, I sort of taught myself the simplified 24 posture form from a combination of books, videos, and TV series. Since you've had personal instruction in it though, I'm sure you've learned it better than I have. I know exactly what you mean about learning via "copy what I do" and verbal instruction. As a general rule, it takes me longer to learn by copy and repeat than if someone just tells me what to do. Our teacher seems to prefer the copy and repeat method though so I have to work at it a bit. So far it's OK, but things are still relatively simple. I bet it will be harder for me with more complicated moves and forms.

disciple, you mentioned a video by Fu Sheng Yuan. A catalog I have lists both a video and a book by him. What do you think of the video? Do you have the book as well? I was considering purchasing the book, but it's kind of expensive. I posted a little about it in the Library forum if you want to see it and/or reply there. I'm currently learning a long form of Yang style tai chi and while I do have books on the subject, if there's a better one out there I'd certainly consider getting it.

Basically the Fu Sheng Yuan's book explains more about the movements with a lot of photos, I think (I dont have his book). His father's book, though, explains the movements in very details using words and pics. So basically, the video helps me with the general movement and the book helps me with the details.
How's your learning shaolin gongfu go?

Thanks for the notes, disciple. For now though, I think I'll hold off on buying those books and/or videos. I've already purchased a few and I'm thinking of getting a couple more. I may hold off for a while on those though, too, so as not to spend too much money all at once. My kung fu training is coming along. We had a performance yesterday. I'll probably post a little bit about it in the thread I started called A Newbie's Intro. That's where most of my updates have been going since I don't think the new stuff I have is really worth starting separate threads for.

Tonight I could really feel how my form is slipping. I'm going to go practice it some more right now but I am pessimistic! I still have my arnis and am studying JKD and BJJ but Tai Chi gives me something different from what these do for me.

Originally posted by arnisador
Tonight I could really feel how my form is slipping.

Well that sucks! To add to your confusion, there are two versions of yang style 88/108 tai chi. One is the really old one(I assumed the original), and the other one is supposedly the "new and improved" version of it.

Originally posted by arnisador ...Tai Chi gives me something different... [/B]
Of course it does :D

salute
:asian:

It's too bad that your form is slipping, but it's understandable how that can happen without your teacher there to help you. Keep trying though. If you've been taught the form, you can continue to practice it. Try to keep in mind a picture of how your teacher did it. I'm sure you've seen him/her do it often enough in classes. Try to remember just how he/she did it and mimic that. And yes, each art will probably have something that others don't offer, but if you're still actively learning and training in three other arts, you're probably getting a lot out of them. Good luck with trying to keep up the tai chi though.

Are you sure there is no one practicing tai chi in the park nearby? In the park nearby my home, there is usually at least one tai chi group practicing every Sat and Sun. Or you could check the park in china town/neighborhood or they might have some program in the gym nearby. Dont Ever Give Up!!! :yinyang:

salute
:asian:

Nope, we're much too small a town for that, and also somewhat isolated--it'd be an hour drive to anywher else. It was well known that there was only one teacher in town, and she has left.

You could also go to China for a couple of months and learn the whole style :D

salute
:asian:

Sure, everyone's got a valid passport, plenty of spending money, and free time off from work/school just to travel to another country to learn martial arts. :)

Originally posted by disciple
You could also go to China for a couple of months and learn the whole style

I would love to do so! Alas, it isn't realistic.

I have arnis and am studying JKD and BJJ so it is not as though I am without martial arts training in town. Were I to drive for instruction I'd go an hour plus away and study iaido, which I have always really enjoyed.

You could invite one of the tai chi masters from anywhere and hold a seminar with entrance fee. Who knows, maybe he/she will stay there.

Yes, I would also like to go to china someday (hopefully in the coming years) to learn tai chi and wushu.

salute
:asian:

disciple's idea of inviting an instructor to your town for a workshop/seminar isn't a bad idea. It would probably require some work and planning to do it, but it could be useful if you or others were willing to go for it. I'll agree that training in the art's home country could be a very good experience. Our teacher claims that someday we may be able to go back to Taiwan with him for a performance or competition or something and we might have a chance to meet his master then, too. While certainly an interesting prospect, I have to wonder if that will ever really happen. Our teacher seems to have rather high hopes for us. :)

Are you also learning 108/88 yang style tai chi...cuz I learned 108 movement from my previous taiwanese tai chi master and now learning just a bit different movement (88) from my chinese tai chi master. He said usually master from taiwan has the really old style while master from china has the more updated one. Just so you know. :D

salute
:asian:

My instructor was from China and she taught the 24 and 88 step forms (and rarely a faster 13 step form that was more self-defense oriented) plus the 42 and 13 step sword forms, plus a fan form (to women only!). I learned before she left the 24 step form and the 42 step sword form and most of the 13 step sword form. I had been walked through the 88 step form but never learned it.

disciple, if you were asking me, the sheet we were given lists 100 postures in the form. :) I had heard that the long form of Yang style was pretty much the same and the number only really changed depending on whether or not you counted repeats as separate postures or how you grouped things. The actual postures used and their order didn't change though, I thought. Grouping example -- is Peng, Lu, Ji, An / Ward Off, Roll Back, Press, Push considered one group of postures or four separate postures? Our list has them as four separate postures the first two times they appear, but groups them together as one for the remaining repetitions. I think our teacher said that the form we're learning was slightly modified. IIRC, instead of doing the closing moves only at the very end of the form (third section), we will do them at the end of the first two sections as well. That would add a couple of moves in there. If there is a real difference between the 88 and 108 posture forms (not just grouping/repeat count differences) then I'm not sure which one is closer to what we're doing in class.

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-Arnisador
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