Appledog wrote:Isolating silk reeling applications into qigong or jibengong exercises divorces them from application as the intent of the exercise has changed into creating the underlying body mechanic.
I didn't suggest "isolating silk reeling applications into qigong or jibengong exercises". I suggested just the opposite, that silk reeling involves three components, mechanics, "energetics" and applications and that they should be/can be taught together, not in isolation.
Secondly, teaching the application to beginners at that stage is often a waste of time -- the application does not fufil the criteria of something that can fit into the self defense prorgam at the white belt level.
I disagree. Knowing that "this motion" has the intention of using the shoulder, the elbow and the hand, and that it is not just choreography is essential to understanding what the art is about and how it works. Knowing that provides the foundation for more advanced work.
Edit: So what I mean is, if it's not a basic punch, kick or block it might not do so well as part of the white belt program. And I don't want to make white belt too difficult because part of the early goal is to instill confidence and a sense of achievement, however minor.
Well, as I've been taught it, at its foundation, Taijiquan really isn't about a basic punch, kick or block. Sure, it includes basic punches, kicks or blocks, but that isn't really what it is about, what differentiates it from any other art. If your intention is to "dummy it down" to the point that it no longer is a foundation for the rest of the art, I think you'll just produce McDojo Taiji. Children are often taught the punch, kick, block approach; adults are capable of more complexity and depth.
I think where we differ here is in how long it is acceptable to wait for the student to get some idea of what is going on. I think six months is too long to wait. I'm still working on it.
Perhaps. In my opinion, students should begin understanding what distinguishes Taijiquan from other arts starting in the first class. If the first class is largely indistinguishable from any other first martial arts class - say the kick, punch, block of a beginner's Karate class - the class has failed to do so and students are already headed in the wrong direction.
Well as I wrote in my post I won't be awarding myself the highest rank...
That makes no sense to me.
I've spent the last week developing a number of one, two and three step sparring sets and teaching them to children. Some of these lead directly into push hands. Initial results are very encouraging.
This is pretty common in most children's classes in most arts.
I have also slightly revised the belt requirements to include more attack and defense techniques early on, which fit into the tai chi form later.
The danger in that method is that you teach students how to do choreographed attack and defense techniques that do not form the basis for the higher levels of the art. You might as well have students spar during the first class: students will spar using whatever mechanics they know for punching, kicking, interacting. In so doing, they aren't learning anything specifically about Taijiquan. Same stuff they'd learn in any martial arts class.
The obvious question is, should adults use the same progression as children?
I am considering putting in hard requirements in at each level. For example part of the belt test for white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red, brown and black and so on could be doing 100 kettlebell swings at 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36 respectively. Or for example, we could say one has to do full splits for green belt, full back bridge for blue belt, etc.
And, by so doing, you place an emphasis on physical strength and flexibility. Those are good things for any martial art, or even health, in general. But, how is YOUR class much different, then, than simply going to the gym to build strength and flexibility, or going to any Karate, Judo, White Crane... beginner's class? How many years does a student have to "participate" before you actually teach them foundations specifically for Taijiquan?
Your quest to assign belts seems to result in a distortion of what Taijiquan is and how it can best be taught to adults. I wish you well with it, but I think you are barking up the wrong forest.