JerryLove Posted September 21, 2004 Posted September 21, 2004 JKD I'm guessing he's not willing to wait the 10 years or so that it will take his mother to understand the art well enough to teach it. That's also a very generous estimate on my part. I have a friend that has taken Taiji Chu'an for 15 years and he says that he's finally starting to understand it a little bit. 2 years. Gimme a student that puts in "decent" effort and I'll have him with a useful fighting skill, decent Taiji, and the ability to teach (what he knows obviously) inside 2 years. https://www.clearsilat.com
Sasori_Te Posted September 22, 2004 Posted September 22, 2004 You can teach someone to relax properly in Taiji in 2 years?? My friend has been training with some of the top instructors from China including his own instructor who is a personal friend of his. You must be a fantastic instructor. A block is a strike is a lock is a throw.
JerryLove Posted September 22, 2004 Posted September 22, 2004 I'm not gonna comment on why the difference... I have no clue, but I'm probably more mediocre of a teacher than anything else. I would think that any time it takes 15 years to "start to understand a little bit", there is a problem. This is, after all, a fighting art. I, for one, would not choose to put in a decade in any activity with no results. https://www.clearsilat.com
Sasori_Te Posted September 22, 2004 Posted September 22, 2004 I didn't say he doesn't get results. In fact, if you run into him it's like hitting a wall. Or, you can try an attack and he just won't be there. What I meant was that he just now feels like he might be able to understand enough to teach these things to someone else. I'm talking more about his attitude than his skill I guess. A block is a strike is a lock is a throw.
tommarker Posted September 22, 2004 Posted September 22, 2004 If you want to learn Tai Chi, you owe it to yourself to find a good instructor, which isn't going to happen overnight. Go out, read some books... Dr. Yang Jwing-ming has a lot of texts out there. Look at the pretty pictures, but don't try to duplicate it yet. More importantly, read what he has to say. You will start to get an idea of what a good teacher can do for you. In the long run, Tai Chi is good for a karate student as it fixes a lot of alignment problems that would normally go unchecked for a few years, and it can make much more efficient and powerful in your movement. Taking it too early may confuse you though. I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
JerryLove Posted September 22, 2004 Posted September 22, 2004 I didn't say he doesn't get results. In fact, if you run into him it's like hitting a wall. Or, you can try an attack and he just won't be there. What I meant was that he just now feels like he might be able to understand enough to teach these things to someone else. I'm talking more about his attitude than his skill I guess. OK. That said, I see two likely options: 1. He's modest (wheather truthfully or intentionally) 2. He has not learned how to teach (a seperate skill). It's not uncommon for martial arts to be taught without learning to teach them. I've seem many an insturctor, especially native Chinese, who will not tell you what to do, and you will learn how to teach when you start to realize what they are doing but not telling. For many this can be a while. https://www.clearsilat.com
italian_guy Posted September 23, 2004 Posted September 23, 2004 I cross trai Goju ryu karate and yang style tai chi chuan. I think it is very beneficial, and the two arts are different enaugh that you do not confuse them. I agree with delta1 about finding a good instructor and not rely on some second hand knoledge, because taichi has quite uncommon movements and if you are not followed by a good teacher you may even harm yourself. About the time you need to really understand Tai chi I agree it may be quite long I can't tell you how many years because it depends on the actual level you want to achive and the level of knoledge in this art is not easily measurable but I can tell you that it takes longer then an external art especially if you expect to use it for self-defence.
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