Weekly Chi Gung & Ba Gua Classes in East Bay

[JessOBrien]

Next month, we will begin our weekly class. It will meet three times in November, December and January.

Weekly Chi Gung & Ba Gua Classes w/ Isaac Kamins and Jess OʼBrien.
November 5, 12, & 19, 2008
December 3, 10, & 17, 2008
January 7, 14, & 21, 2009
Wednesdays from 6pm - 8pm
Veterans Hall 6401 Stockton St. El Cerrito, CA.
$180 for the 9 weeks / $25 Drop-in

This nine week session of weekly classes will cover the “Opening the Energy Gates”
chi gung set and begin an ongoing study of Ba Gua Zhang.

In the first hour we will cover the standing dissolving, cloud hands, the three swings,
and the spine stretch from Opening the Energy Gates. These exercises form the core of
the Energy Arts system of BK Frantzis and are applicable to all styles of Tai Chi
Chuan, martial arts and other chi gung systems. We will be giving special focus to Outer Dissolving, energy movement and safe practice of the Three Swings.

In the second hour of class we will teach Ba Gua Zhang beginning with the Single Palm
Change. The Single Palm is the root of all the movements in Ba Gua Zhang and is both the
place to begin oneʼs journey into the art of Ba Gua Zhang but also the place to return
if one wishes to deepen oneʼs understanding of the internal principles of the art. These
classes are open to practitioners of all ages and abilities. Those who have completed basic training in Circle Walking and Single Palm Change will move on to the Double Palm Change and further.

Individuals interested in attending Bruce Frantzisʼ Ba Gua instructor training in Summer ʼ09 will find these classes an excellent way of preparing for the training.

Visit www.watertradition.net for more details
Contact Isaac Kamins 415.720.7905 [email protected] or
Jess OʼBrien 510.499-4150 [email protected]

[JessOBrien]

This will be the first weekly class that I've ever helped teach. Wish me luck you guys! It's exciting but also a bit scary to teach. I have a lot of enthusiasm but there is much I don't know about teaching and how to motivate and inspire people. I have a lot to learn about reaching people who aren't totally martially focused. I guess the only way to get better at it is to do it, and just learn from one's mistakes...

-Jess O

[fuga]

Good luck, Jess!

[shawnsegler]

I think you can teach a lot of that stuff to peeps who aren't martial just fine. You just change the terminology a little bit and teach them stuff as pure movement drill. Just don't let the intenisty diminish and make sure that you include at least a little as far as "concentrating their yi" or whatever. You know...make sure that since they aren't making the assumption of the functionality of it that you give it them by other means. Make sure they focus their attention into what they're doing. My guess is that if you do that when they start to get a little skill and you've got them focusing on the two person drills just as an exercise for sensitivty that they'll gain an interest in doing it correctly. I guess what I'm saying is don't sacrifice the integrity of the teaching just to dumb it down for someone.

Anyhoo...my 2c. Good luck.

S

[qiphlow]

what shawn said. your own enthusiasm for the material will go a long way towards getting the students to be enthusiastic as well.

have fun with it, bro!

[JessOBrien]

Thanks you guys! We should have fun, any time you wanna come through for Single Palm Change, please feel free.
I've avoided teaching because being a student is more fun. But we thought it would be fun to train with more people and see what we can accomplish, so it's going to be an interesting experiment.

I'll post how it goes..

-J

[qiphlow]

i was blown away by how much teaching forces you to examine your own practice. i stopped because it's more fun to practice!

[Brian L. Kennedy]

Jess, I am sure you will do fine. You are a natural teacher (you taught me about the book business!) One thing I notice that I always do wrong when I teach is.....try to teach too much. I find when I just get started with new classes I want to "impress them" with how much I know and I want them to feel they are going to get a lot of new material; and I end up way overloading them with stuff. I learned from Andy Wang, who I consider one of the best teachers of martial arts I have ever met, Andy told me, keep it to 3 new things a class. Not 2, not 4; 3 things. And he would tell folks right at the beginning of class; "today we are going to learn and work on item 1, item 2, item 3.

And he also told me that as a teacher you simply have to put you foot down (nicely, because the students are paying your wage, but be firm about this) and not start showing all kinds of stuff just because one ( or more of the students) says something along the lines of "oh, Laoshi, I got it, show me something else, let me see the next move, what is the next exercise...").

It is good advice because one of the other martial arts teachers I had in the past few years was the opposite. He would show you a million moves a class. And it was real obvious to me, he was just trying to show how smart he was, and how he knew ten million moves and variations. And then I used to laugh to myself thinking, "yeah Brian, you used to do that same way of teaching back when you taught hung gar and for the same reasons too". But the result is, because the teacher blazes through a million moves----nobody learns anything.

You will do great.
take care,
Brian
p.s. the Jing Wu book is almost done

[chud]

...keep it to 3 new things a class. Not 2, not 4; 3 things. And he would tell folks right at the beginning of class; "today we are going to learn and work on item 1, item 2, item 3.

Yes, and drill those three things over and over for the rest of the class session.
Excellent advice Brian.

[JessOBrien]

Very good advice Brian!

It is tempting to rip through material going as fast as you can. As a teacher you feel like you have to give them something new and exciting every time that they've never heard before. Whereas, as a student, I always appreciate taking the time to really drill and solidify one principle or move at a time. So I guess I have to curb my enthusiasm slightly and think about what will be best for students rather than my own ego...

Thanks guys, will report back soon!

-JessO