Instructor Leaving

[arnisador]

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.

 

[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.

Cthulhu

 

[arnisador]

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.

 

[Cthulhu]

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

 

[arnisador]

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.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

[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:

 

[arnisador]

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

 

[Dronak]

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.

 

[Sanxiawuyi]

Where are you located? I may know someone!

Sanxiawuyi
:asian:

 

[arnisador]

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

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

 

[thekuntawman]

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.

 

[arnisador]

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.

 

[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 believe that's why it's called internal martial art.
:yinyang:

 

[arnisador]

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.

 

[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 (although it's winter time)

 

[arnisador]

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.

 

[disciple]

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?

 

[disciple]

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.

 

[arnisador]

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 forum.

 

[donald]

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 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: