training and learning

[liangzhicheng]

IMHO, students oftentimes are not students but imitators. What I'm talking about is the student who goes to class, tries to imitate the teacher, may even train outside of class, but never actually explores or learns on his/her own. Teachers are not supposed to spoon feed us, but rather guide us. Some students I've known complain about how the teacher doesn't teach them {fill in technique here} when they don't think about the art themselves. Teachers are important, but one's own efforts are just as important. I think this is especially true for an internal art such as Tai Chi. For instance, take relaxation. The teacher says relax, drop the elbows, sink the shoulders, etc. Mentally, it makes sense, but cannot be absorbed until it is practiced, and will keep changing as one's experience grows. Thoughts on this?

 

[Taiji fan]

Yes you are right to a degree...but, in the beginning you do need to be spoon fed, you need a high level teacher who instills the basics into you, ie the correct foundation, right from the start, otherwise no amount of practice will do you any good. As you progress, there are some things a teacher cannot teach you, you have to experience those things for yourself, like what it actually feels like when the body alignment is correct.

Mentally, it makes sense, but cannot be absorbed until it is practiced, and will keep changing as one's experience grows. Thoughts on this?

:cheers: Yes!

 

[liangzhicheng]

in the beginning you do need to be spoon fed, you need a high level teacher who instills the basics into you, ie the correct foundation, right from the start, otherwise no amount of practice will do you any good

Good point, I need to remember that absolutes are a dangerous thing

Do you have any experience teaching? I've been assistant teaching for a few months...still learning how to teach. Any advice?

 

[Taiji fan]

For the last 5 years I have worked full time teaching taijiquan (Yang), although I have only worked with a high level teacher for the last 3 years. The thing with taijiquan is that it is always 'work in progress' so I am personally going through different stages of development in my own training and that often shapes the way I teach. It can't be emphasised enough.....to progress in taiji you need to continually work on your understanding of basics, basics and more basics. Everything has to come from understanding the foundation, the structure, regardless of wether you train health, personal development, martial etc. Every part of taijiquan has to be built on the foundation. Its funny cos I know when we are starting out, or teaching beginners, all everyone is concerned about is....what's the next move......or the person is overly focussed on what the arms and hands are doing....when with out the correct structure, they are irrelevent....

It is good that you are learning to teach and able to do this as an assistant, just be kind to the people you are dealing with and be kind to yourself too. If you are continually working on your own development then you will be a great teacher. You don't need a huge repertoire of forms or supplimentary exercises, just a deeper understanding of a smaller repertoire will put you streets ahead........good luck with it.:asian:

 

[liangzhicheng]

Thanks for the kind words

Our school's teaching philosophy is to teach the basic forms, without focusing too much on the correct structure. Once the student has finished learning the form, then we start enforcing the correct structure. The reasoning behind this is that students will get too frustrated if they are required to have correct posture as it's often hard enough for them to just remember the sequence. Proper structure is talked about and shown, just not emphasized for beginners. From what I've seen, this works. The students who want it (taiji) work on the structure, while the others don't.

I've also read about teaching one posture, training it until it's correct, then moving onto the next posture. What's your style of teaching?

 

[Taiji fan]

I do a bit of both really. From the begining I teach the correct placement of feet in horse stance, bow step and empty step and then how to step ensuring that the feet are placed correctly. We then start the form and students do get to do a few moves to get them started and although we do make structural corrections right from the word go, espcially to make sure people don't injur themselves and we constantly reinforce the postural requirments, so after a time people start to integrate it into their practice and even if they haven't understood it from the start, they have heard it. It is posible for people to get frustrated easily usually cos we are such an instant society, we want everything now,a nd I do get people who just want the next move and the next move or the next form, but these are the people who don't tend to stick at taijiquan very long. I have students who have taken a year to get from the beginning of section 1 to the end of section 1 and its only about 17 moves....I can also teach it intesively in a 10 week block and people know what move comes next but will not be stable in the structure. Some weeks we work very intensively on a small part of the form...just a move or an essence and then the next class we can be working with push hands or pad work or just repeating the section of form for the sake of memory, or silk reeling etc......it is possibly to get really bogged down in the refinements and on a hot evening when people are not long home from work, it is not always appropriate to train this intensivly......so I tend to play it on the general mood and energy of the class.

The students who want it (taiji) work on the structure, while the others don't.

that is very true.

I've also read about teaching one posture, training it until it's correct, then moving onto the next posture

this can be just too intensive for most people...I think it needs a balance between learning the new postures and then refining them.