How long have you learnt tai chi?
If you’re a beginner, maybe this question wouldn’t be too intimidating. But for someone learning it for some time (more than a good few years), I find it somewhat timid to say how long I’ve been doing it. I hastily add “on and off” just to qualify my lack of understanding on tai ji. I might be too harsh a critic on my own progress, but “on and off” is true though.
Why the fear of answering this question? Fear of showing how much I don’t know? Fear of justifying why haven’t I learnt the basics after so long? Fear that someone might find out i’m a fraud?
I guess the answer is all of the above, and probably more. I normally try not to answer the question, and do an evasive manoeuvre if I can.
Trying to recall the years I’ve learnt Tai Ji, it doesn’t add up to the result i’m getting today. I put it down to lack of constant practice. Then I tried pushing myself through fixed regime practising, like how many cycles of silk-reeling, how many times a form is performed etc – it didn’t work. The regime soon became too structured that I wasn’t feeling anything and I began doing it for the sake of meeting the regime quota. It didn’t feel right.
I didn’t meet with a lot of like-minded people so that I can enter into a “penis-measuring contest” (which is a very interesting post from Dave!), but I am in a contest, where I’m the only contestant, to see if I can last the regime I set out for myself.
I’m glad to have found a teacher who teaches me to feel again, rather than to focus on how many times you do it. Practice is still important, but as Dave puts it, quality of practice trumps quantity. The question on “how long have you learnt tai ji” does not tell you much about the skill of a practitioner. He or she will have to show you, either through form, or push hands for some real tai ji.
Conclusion? This question is irrelevant. Just show me the Tai Ji!
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Category: Guides to life | Tags: Tai Chi 3 comments »
February 21st, 2008 at 2:11 pm
6 times 2 equals 12.
3 times 4 equals 12.
How can we say one is better than the other?
How can we say that quality trumps quantity?
February 24th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Ah… my favourite subject, Maths! I take it you mean 6 times of a quality 2 practice is equivalent of 3 times of a quality 4 practice. I guess if we always practice at quality 4 or higher, without reducing the number of times we practice, it will always be better. Also, the breakthrough that normally happens depend on making less of the previous mistakes. Focusing on quality would mean focusing on addressing the previous mistakes, rather than repeating them over and over again.
September 27th, 2009 at 12:54 am
[...] them decide whether Tai Ji is really that easy to learn. When they see me doing it, some might ask how long I’ve been doing it. I would say I’ve been doing it for 10 years (or any 2 digit numbers actually), and they [...]