Taijiquan as Profession

[Bao]

The only problem teaching the arms first is they become the point of primary focus
Energy is rooted in the feet

I agree.

Moreover, everybody "normally" use their body in a fragmented manner, all body parts separated from each other. In Taijiquan, it is important to first teach whole body movement controlled from the feet and by the centerline. When the students have learned to properly sink and internalize the movements, and understand whole body movement, I can see a value of practice focusing on separate body parts and study them one by one. But, IME, this kind of practice is of no use for a beginner who hasn't understood the basics of body method and hasn't developed the necessary body awareness.

[origami_itto]

The only problem teaching the arms first is they become the point of primary focus
Energy is rooted in the feet

I agree.

Moreover, everybody "normally" use their body in a fragmented manner, all body parts separated from each other. In Taijiquan, it is important to first teach whole body movement controlled from the feet and by the centerline. When the students have learned to properly sink and internalize the movements, and understand whole body movement, I can see a value of practice focusing on separate body parts and study them one by one. But, IME, this kind of practice is of no use for a beginner who hasn't understood the basics of body method and hasn't developed the necessary body awareness.

What method have you had the best results with in teaching your students?

[wayne hansen]

I had a student years ago who trained with a famous Shaolin teacher
He had been taught arms and legs seperatly
When we were doing applications mine would work on him
His would not work on me
As we trained one on one I couldn’t work out why
One day I had another student there and could step back and observe
What I noticed was every time I correcteted his arm movement his legs went out
And the opposite also happened
Separating the body parts is good but only as a means to an end
Not to the point it becomes habitual
That is cattywampus’s problem

[Bao]

I had a student years ago who trained with a famous Shaolin teacher
He had been taught arms and legs seperately
...
Separating the body parts is good but only as a means to an end
Not to the point it becomes habitual

I had an opposite problem. In high school, I was in a theater group and we tried learning juggling. I thought I was going be the best and learn fastest because I could coordinate my body very well. But I was the worst because I moved my waist and hips together with my arms, I couldn't separate my arms individually from each other or from my body. THAT is how much I was stuck in whole body coordination, I did it naturally and didn’t even realize I was doing it. This is also why I started to practice Bagua and Xingyi, to do something different and learn how to step out of my body method.

What method have you had the best results with in teaching your students?

The method teaching my students that has worked best for me or for my students? In short term or long term?

I can't really see that there would be several different ways to teach students that could work. Tai Chi is based on whole body coordination. I incorporate it in all practice, drills, standing, applications, punching. I also teach arm swinging exercises, but that is also about driving the limbs from the feet and from the center of the body. Even "lifting" hands is done from the feet, incorporating the whole body to lift and move the arms.

Generally speaking though, what is always most important, IMO, is awareness. I have always taught my students from the beginning to feel their bodies and what they are doing by awareness. Every little weakness in posture or movement, every glitch, every little tension. This is the real key to skill in Tai Chi, IMHO.

Awareness,
Relaxation,
Sinking (sinking down the strength and keeping it there.)
Moving from the feet and the center
Zhong ding, understanding the centerline and use the waist like a wheel

Those are concepts that are important and always amongst the first things I have taught people.

... Emptiness... Yes, this is a very important concept of course. But I think you have to learn a lot and let everything become second nature before you can really dwell in this state.

[wayne hansen]

What do you mean by
Swinging Arm Exercises

[Bao]

What do you mean by
Swinging Arm Exercises

Like this one and similar. Some identical to Tongbei, but I don't always teach them as they are done in Tongbei. First time I was taught this exact exercise was from a Tai Chi teacher in Beijing. He made it with his whole body moving, keeping his whole body very loose. I've never seen it performed the same way in Tongbei.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3j_NQjVXuXM

Should add that it was a long time I practiced this kind of stuff. I see it valuable for beginners, as a coordination exercises and to loosen up the body better. In Tai Chi they don’t have much else use.

[wayne hansen]

I have seen quite a few Ba kua teachers use that one

[Bao]

I have seen quite a few Ba kua teachers use that one

I believe you. The second teacher I met who taught it was a Bagua(/Ba Kua) teacher. But he did it rather differently, he stood perfectly straight and used a cat stance. He was relaxed, but his version used too much independent arm movement.

[greytowhite]

To clarify, I am working for a personal training staffing agency that pays ~$60/hour depending on location and it's taxes via 1099. I am fairly pleased with the rate and number of hours to start. It's been a good experience so far. They are also willing to work with my schedule come fall when I go back to school for physical therapy.

We did some horse stance and then Wuji. After that we did Pulling Down the Heavens and something called 3 Seas of Qi from the Kenny Gong system. Then we went into the Hawaii Maoshan 5 Elements Zhan Zhuang and ended with some more Pulling Down the Heavens. We did basic Hold the Ball 1 step forward and shift back exercise from side to side for Peng and Lu. Then I took them through Grasp Sparrow's Tail and Single Whip. That was enough to fill up most of the hour and I demo'd a short form at the end. Since I was subbing for a yoga teacher last night most of them had no idea what to expect. I mentioned some of the martial arts aspects of it but no one seemed interested in that. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and I heard no complaints. One lady had to take a break for a few minutes because she wasn't used to keeping her arms up that much.