the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

I wrote a blog post about learning and attitude and I am just going to leave the link right here:
https://taichithoughts.wordpress.com/20 ... chi-chuan/

Not with any intention to market the blog
... Well, I’m being honest. I haven’t found out any way to make money on it yet... ...

Nah, I just want to know if the crew here has any opinion on what makes a good student and if there is a certain mind-set an IMA practitioner needs to develop and stop sucking. Your thoughts?

Probably better to skip the ill written article above and answer directly without being influenced by any lousy English. Sincerely interested in your thoughts about what attitude this kind of practice demands.

Eat bitter and invest in loss

Hi Bao , first off there's nothing wrong with admitting that you have created your own blog and you would like to promote it.
For me there's a couple very difficult obstacles to conquer.
Did you ever hear the term Kung Fu genius? I'm sure you have. Masters are actually looking for the right student who has the mental capacity to handle this type of Art. What does this mean? As I had spoke before about 9D, just like a computer that is bogged down by a very memory intensive 3D program, so is our minds. Learning further and further in depth causes the mind to start to suffer. The information is just too much. Chen Style, at least the version that I'm working on is very much like that.

Listen to the resident genius, Bao.

oragami_itto wrote:Listen to the resident genius, Bao.

you will never understand such a level. your last post proves that you do not have the correct attitude.

Lol

Not quitting.

Although in all seriousness, the right attitude is pretty much the same one you seen in any field where someone achieves what is regarded as a high level of skill: not quitting, continuing to practice the basics over and over, practice on their own between classes and a genuine interest in the subject matter.

The guys with a large amount of genetic ability usually lack the discipline or interest. The guys who were beaten like a pack of spider monkeys from the ages of 4-18 by their family to practice a lineage art quit as soon as they get out of their parents home, although sometimes they start teaching when older as they need the money.

I've often seen teachers put up with a lot of misbehavior from students who continued to work on their art. Mainly because the ones who don't just stick around, but continue to practice on their own and really improve are so rare.

oragami_itto wrote:Eat bitter and invest in loss

Yeah, that's a way to sum it up. Now we can close the thread, thanks.

willie wrote: there's nothing wrong with admitting that you have created your own blog it.

Nothing to admit really, I have had it in my signature for years. But I don't like using a message board too much for self-promotion.

Did you ever hear the term Kung Fu genius? I'm sure you have. Masters are actually looking for the right student who has the mental capacity to handle this type of Art. What does this mean? As I had spoke before about 9D, just like a computer that is bogged down by a very memory intensive 3D program, so is our minds. Learning further and further in depth causes the mind to start to suffer. The information is just too much. Chen Style, at least the version that I'm working on is very much like that.

It's slightly OT, but dimensions can be an interesting topic. I have had a T'ai Chi teacher who is a professor in psychology and likes talking about such things. He mentioned different amounts of dimensions in psychology, maths and other disciplines. He thought that T'ai chi is a good art to combine with other kinds of practice like certain types of meditation that can bring your mind or spirit to other dimensions. T'ai chi would balance your mind so it doesn't get trapped there. ...He was very serious about this...

But IME most teachers don't care much about dimensions or geniuses and only believe in money...

Bao wrote:
It's slightly OT, but dimensions can be an interesting topic. I have had a T'ai Chi teacher who is a professor in psychology and likes talking about such things. He mentioned different amounts of dimensions in psychology, maths and other disciplines. He thought that T'ai chi is a good art to combine with other kinds of practice like certain types of meditation that can bring your mind or spirit to other dimensions. T'ai chi would balance your mind so it doesn't get trapped there. ...He was very serious about this...

But IME most teachers don't care much about dimensions or geniuses and only believe in money...

I don't really think that it's off topic because in my opinion it is definitely one of the main obstacles in actually learning Tai Chi. The level required is very frustrating because the mind gets so bogged down. It is way more of a burden to the mind then it is hard on the body. I'm not talking about the transcendental part either. That is a different topic. What I am talking about is beyond 3D movement or more appropriately Beyond 3 axis capabilities. So let's say that I started off with a negative attitude like itto. He believes that he himself has seen or acquired or believes it's irrelevant so how could he ever see any kind of progression? Especially because the people who he is learning from, do not have this level of capability.

You misunderstand. I don't believe I have attained even moderate accomplishment in the art, I just find you to be a buffoon

willie wrote: I don't really think that it's off topic because in my opinion it is definitely one of the main obstacles in actually learning Tai Chi.
...
What I am talking about is beyond 3D movement or more appropriately Beyond 3 axis capabilities. So let's say that I started off with a negative attitude like itto. He believes that he himself has seen or acquired or believes it's irrelevant so how could he ever see any kind of progression? Especially because the people who he is learning from, do not have this level of capability.

I appreciate your thoughts and the contribution to the thread. Thanks.

oragami_itto wrote:, I just find you to be a buffoon

such an awful thing to say. You don't even know me. are you really planning to crap all over this guy's thread already? That's what he means by bad attitude

Bao wrote:Probably better to skip the ill written article above and answer directly without being influenced by any lousy English. Sincerely interested in your thoughts about what attitude this kind of practice demands.

I think you've covered it well in your article.

The only thing I'd stress is to ask questions, to have an inquisitive attitude, to seek beyond the external choreography. Ask questions not only of one's teachers but of oneself.

charles wrote:

Bao wrote:Probably better to skip the ill written article above and answer directly without being influenced by any lousy English. Sincerely interested in your thoughts about what attitude this kind of practice demands.

I think you've covered it well in your article.

The only thing I'd stress is to ask questions, to have an inquisitive attitude, to seek beyond the external choreography. Ask questions not only of one's teachers but of oneself.

Great complement. Thanks.

Bao,
IMO, one of the first things a good IMA student has to be able to do, is to put aside any past training and martial arts experience, as they will get in the way of the necessary processes for developing the "internal" method. It's a completely different and separate practice, using the body in a very different way, so it has to be given its own space.

After you develop a certain degree of understanding and skill, then you will have an adequate basis for comparison with the other things you've studied, without it interfering with the process. There will almost always be a way to integrate IMA principles into whatever "external" arts one was practicing before.

I guess you'd say that, ordinarily, in taking on any new practice, you have to "empty your cup." But in this case you just put your already-full cup aside and bring out a new, empty one to fill. Later on, you can savor whatever is in each cup without the different flavors spoiling each other, and you may even be able to blend them in some way to create something new and useful.