Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

Greetings,

I have decided to return to this Discussion Board to get feedback from like-minded Taiji practitioners. I got quite frustrated with the Facebook group site, as it seemed to have all sorts of members, many of whom seem to post matters irrelevant to improving one's practice or understanding of Taiji. Hopefully, there will be others who share my interest in restarting this discussion board.

The matter I wish to get some comments and advice on is, how to maintain my energy and motivation as a teacher, when the students demonstrate little interest or motivation in advancing their skills and knowledge. A factor to consider is that I teach mostly an older demographic, as my classes are conducted in a Seniors organisation.

Most seem happy enough to learn the 103 Long Form and the qigong forms I include in my classes. Then, they mostly stay at that level and do not progress further. Also, many seem to just treat it like a line dancing class.

I also have a more advanced class where I teach another qigong form, the mirror image of the Long Form, the Tung Family Fast Form and Push Hands. However, these students struggle at improving their proficiency and show little motivation in doing more than going through the motions, except for maybe a couple of them. I've previously also tried to introduce the two person form, but again, they find it difficult to learn the moves. Perhaps I have failed in my instruction.

What I am finding frustrating and a little depressing is the absence of significant progress after many years of instruction. I have provided detailed descriptions, explanations on the intent directing the movements and postures, Taiji principles and philosophy, etc.

I would like to hear whether others have experienced similar frustrations and doubts, and what they may have tried that provided a way forward.

Looking forward to your advice and feedback.

Yours in Taiji,
Frank

Hi, Frank!

It can be frustrating dealing with people who only have - and want - the most superficial relationship with our art. "There's so much more out there to discover! There are so many more opportunities to learn and grow!" I suspect we sometimes have the same feelings as a French-taught chef watching one of his customers take the meal he worked so hard to create, and pour Tabasco sauce all over it before even taking a bite. "Why are you here? If all you wanted was meat-and-potatoes, you could go down the street to the chain restaurant in the shopping center!"

The key to releasing this frustration, I think, lies in shifting the focus from the art to the student.

You've surely read the quote attributed variously to Leonidas of Sparta, Heraclitus and others: "For every hundred soldiers, ten shouldn't even be there. Eighty are just targets. Nine are fighters, and we're lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one. He is a warrior, and he will bring the others home."

I've seen the same exact dynamic in my own time in the Army. But not only there; in any organization and indeed just about any pursuit imaginable. I'll use my experience in my Masonic Lodge - the proportions are identical. For every hundred Lodge Brothers, ten don't belong there. Eighty just pay dues. Nine are active, and we're lucky to have them show up at Degrees and business meetings. Ah, but the one. He is a True and Faithful Brother Mason, and he will lead the Lodge after you've passed the gavel.

So it is with our students. Ten shouldn't even be there - they may have physical or mental limitations, or tai chi just isn't for them. Eighty just show up once a week and don't practice at all during the week. Nine are engaged, enthusiastic and inquisitive - they make the class lively and fun for teacher and student alike.

Ah, but The One. He or she is the one you've been looking for, who will be a teacher in their own time.

The "top Ten" need special attention, but different from "The Eighty." For the Top Ten, the art itself is their motivator. You don't have to work very hard to keep them interested in tai chi, but you have to work EXTREMELY hard to guide their progress. They're the ones who keep the art alive and relevant.

But what about "The Eighty"? They need your time and effort too. Why? These reasons:
o They're getting exactly what they want from you, just like the "Top Ten" are getting what THEY want
o They're healthier and happier than they'd be without the class you provide and the environment in which you provide it
o (most important) THEY KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

The Eighty may not have the same level of dedication as the Top Ten; but like it or not, wherever you're teaching would likely not be able to afford a class that only had the Top Ten (understand I'm dealing with percentages - if you really had a hundred students we wouldn't be having this discussion ), so we have to accept that the overwhelming majority of our students aren't going to be as fully dedicated as they could be. But their money spends just as well as everyone else's, so it's in our interest to give them what they want, and let them know there's always more if they want it.

A student may not be as dedicated to the art as they could be; and yet, your class may be extremely valuable to them. It may be the only exercise this one gets in a week. It may be the only social outlet that one has. Some other one may not feel safe at home, and this is the only place they feel accepted and welcome and comfortable. Some others may have reasons you'd never be able to understand, and which they never could put into words. But your class is important to them - just not for the reasons we think it should be.

Lastly, if we're working with seniors, we really need to honor their presence more than we need to challenge them to improve. They're at an age where they really don't have to learn or do a bloomin' thing if they don't care to. Values and priorities change as we age. Likewise, just showing up to class might be all the challenge they're capable of handling. Some of your students might be at the edge of dementia, not knowing why their world has got so unrecognizable. One thing few people seem to realize until they've had a family member go through it is how terrifying dementia is for the sufferer; and how long that terror goes on until it gets diagnosed and treated. Like my Brother Past Master Gerald Hancock says, "This 'growing-old' $#!+ isn't for the squeamish."

Going back to the chef metaphor, it might be best to stay away from treating tai chi like a perfectly-plated gourmet dish your students are expected to marvel at. You shouldn't even treat tai chi like your mom when she admonished you to clean your plate.

Maybe, instead, it's best to treat tai chi like the Pastor of a church treats the potluck "Fellowship Lunch" that happens after his service. For some people, it's the most important part of the service. For some, it's the only time they get out of the house and see their friends. For some, it's an opportunity to use their talents and be of service. The Pastor accepts the people there as he finds them; he knows that his church has much more to offer them but doesn't judge them if they're just there for a meal - it might be the best meal they get that week. But he holds out the offer of much more for those who want it, he's grateful for those who show up (not just to prepare the meal but those who eat it), and he hopes they keep coming back.

gvi

Greetings GVI,

It is great to hear from you and the advice you offered. You have given me a perspective that I have mislaid and forgotten. I have been hoping for more than the 1 percent, but the reality check you have given me is quite timely. I will have to reconcile to myself that I will not be able to share all my knowledge and pass on what I have learnt from my teacher and what I have learnt on my own journey, to another. It saddens me, but it is something I have to accept. As all my students are seniors, it was probably unreasonable of me to expect otherwise. By the way, as my classes are free there is also no financial incentive to put the effort in to maximise the return on investment.

Anyway, was great to hear from you.

Take care,
Frank

If it's any consolation, I find myself referring back to the discussions we've had here when I teach.

Not a week goes by when I don't find myself going back to the things we've talked about:
o My student asked me a question - what was it Frank said about this?
o How did Frank describe such-and-such?
o I promised my students we'd work on so-and-so tonight - what was that phrase Frank used way-back-when?

You've very much shared your art and secured your legacy; just not, perhaps, in the way you expected

gvi

[edited to add] There's another way of looking at "The Eighty" and how they "keep the lights on."

Whose lights are they keeping on?

I used the financial example but at the same time and in the same way, I could have allowed it to stand as a metaphor.

They're keeping YOUR lights on.

Think of the things you've learned from them and the value you've derived from them - how to teach, how to bridge the inevitable gaps between teacher and student, how to re-frame concepts from your understanding to theirs, and so on.

Our students teach us as much as we teach them. Even "The Eighty."

Hi GVI,

How very true. In the effort to better articulate and inform my students on the various aspects of Taiji, both the civil and martial, I have delved much deeper into and developed a greater understanding of the practice and principles of Yang Taiji. It has certainly made me a far better teacher and more knowledgeable and confident of what I speak. I have setup a Facebook Group for the exclusive use of my students, where I post demonstration videos of the various forms I instruct on and other material that I think might be useful to them, including detailed descriptions of the movements and postures, as well as the possible martial applications for each posture. All this I have done, so as to ensure that my students have a resource they can turn to to support them on their Taiji journey. It also saves on resources, environmentally speaking.

I have begun, this year, to introducing some of my more advanced students to push hands. Surprisingly, this exposed weaknesses in their posture, stance, rooting, etc. So much so that I have now taken a leaf out of Chen Yan Lin's book, and gone back to the basics for push hands. I would be interested in how you handle push hands with your students. What it also exposed is that most people do the form, but fundamentally only go through the motions like line dancing or a gym class of body balance, etc. They seem unable or unprepared to cultivate the awareness, or should I say mindfulness, of how their mind and body needs to be fully integrated to execute the postures, including the transitional movements.

Cheers,
Frank

Hey, Frank!

Push-hands is hard for me to teach because it's such a delicate balance. It's not sparring but you can be put on your tuchus if you're not doing it right. It takes a LOT of explaining and patience and experimentation to find the right "magic words" for each student.

Remember also that half the reason for push hands is to expose students' weaknesses. It's a testing ground and a laboratory. So if your students are showing their bad posture and movement in push-hands, THAT'S GOOD! That's what push-hands is supposed to flush out!

I know who you're on about in the "going through the motions" students. Doing push hands with them is like trying to knead whipped cream - there's no substance there. One of the ladies who goes to the class I share with my colleague used to be a classmate when we all took instruction from our mutual teacher. Her "An" in push-hands is insubstantial, and her "peng/liu" can hardly be said to exist. But she's been doing tai chi for almost ten years, is as dedicated to it (and the class) as anyone, but she has zero aptitude or interest in the martial aspect. She's happy in class, feels a sense of accomplishment and commitment to the art, and is probably better off physically, mentally & emotionally because of it. What's more, she's close to 80; and at that age, you can do whatever the heck you want.

About a month ago I had the closest thing I think I'll ever have to a "class-wide enlightenment" when I did an experiment I pulled out of my 4th-Point-of-Contact on the spur of the moment. I think it has lessons to teach us.

Our focus that evening was on one of the Ten Essential Principles. I forget which - it was probably "Drop the Shoulders and Hang the Elbows" but it doesn't really matter. I told the class "If you're tense or limp anywhere, that's where your qi gets stuck and won't move any further." To do this, I had them all do push-hands with me, and I'd purposely tense up or go limp in some part as I was either pushing or warding off. They were to see if they could feel where "my qi got stuck." After a few tries, every one of them discovered, to their amazement, that they could feel exactly where I was tense/limp (shoulder, wrist, waist, etc.) and that this was where "the qi got stuck." They were able to make this discovery on their own, but they couldn't have done it with each other because their partners couldn't yet do what I was doing.

Honestly, I didn't even know if the experiment would work, or if it could, whether I'd be able to pull it off - I'd never done anything like it before. But their push-hands got better as a result; not great, but you could tell they had made the discovery and the improvement was real. Whether they retained it is another question altogether. But the key for us is that some of the best learning comes from setting up the conditions for the student to make his or her own discoveries. You've had it happen yourself, I'm sure - some teacher has set up conditions for you to find something out on your own; and when you do it's like you've discovered freakin' Atlantis.

When we're dealing with students who only see us weekly, I think the best thing we can do as teachers is to keep their enthusiasm going. More than teaching specifics, more than showing applications, more even than any actual benefit they derive from the art, the student needs to look forward to coming to class. Their reasons for looking forward are varied - I discussed that before - but so long as the enthusiasm is there, they'll keep coming. That means we have to be enthusiastic even when we're not. Not the sort of artificial, clownish "C'MON, GANG!" silliness you see on workout videos. Anyone can see through that.

Cheers,
Phil

Greetings Phil (aka GVI),

It was interesting reading of your exercises in Push Hands and how by coming at it from different directions can result in Eureka moments, for both student and teacher. On this note, I will relate to you something that I tried just yesterday in my more advanced class, following a suggestion by one of my students.

I have been getting this class to practice the Long Form in mirror image, since early this year. Yesterday, I informed this class that I was asked/invited to conduct a "Taiji in the Park" program for a Summer School (I am in Melbourne, Australia) in January next year, and I wanted some volunteers to participate. I had developed a couple of simple forms which incorporated executing the forms one way and then in mirror. The reason being that the forms I demonstrated would be facing towards the participants and all the movements are visible so that they can be followed. It would also be fun for the participants and quite possibly even a bit of a challenge to those familiar with Taiji, as most practitioners rarely ever do mirror forms.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, one student suggested why we didn't divide the class in two and, facing each other, one half doing the normal Long Form and the other doing the mirror Long Form. To my surprise they credited themselves very well, as I was a little worried that there might be some confusion in the class. What was even more satisfactory was an observation made by some students that they had to really focus on what they were doing, if they weren't to be distracted by the group facing them. This, I must say, was quite enlightening. Maintaining mental focus throughout the Long Form is quite difficult for many, and if this is a mechanism to further hone their ability to focus for a sustained period, it is a good thing. What I was also pleased about, was that they had demonstrated that they have indeed progressed quite a lot since I got them to practice in mirror image.

Cheers,
Frank

global village idiot wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2023 3:07 am

Lastly, if we're working with seniors, we really need to honor their presence more than we need to challenge them to improve. They're at an age where they really don't have to learn or do a bloomin' thing if they don't care to. Values and priorities change as we age. Likewise, just showing up to class might be all the challenge they're capable of handling. Some of your students might be at the edge of dementia, not knowing why their world has got so unrecognizable. One thing few people seem to realize until they've had a family member go through it is how terrifying dementia is for the sufferer; and how long that terror goes on until it gets diagnosed and treated. Like my Brother Past Master Gerald Hancock says, "This 'growing-old' $#!+ isn't for the squeamish."


Maybe, instead, it's best to treat tai chi like the Pastor of a church treats the potluck "Fellowship Lunch" that happens after his service. For some people, it's the most important part of the service. For some, it's the only time they get out of the house and see their friends. For some, it's an opportunity to use their talents and be of service. The Pastor accepts the people there as he finds them; he knows that his church has much more to offer them but doesn't judge them if they're just there for a meal - it might be the best meal they get that week. But he holds out the offer of much more for those who want it, he's grateful for those who show up (not just to prepare the meal but those who eat it), and he hopes they keep coming back.

gvi

Love these observations on teaching seniors. I have been frustrated recently in doing this, and your words are giving me some insight. I think i need to alter my expectations.