Li Chi Hsiang School of Tai Chi Chuan
for Health and Self Defence
A student once asked me what it means to be a good student and what it takes to realise the great benefits of the Art. Following are my thoughts on the matter.
Learning the Art of traditional Tai Chi Chuan can bring with it many rewards. These include improved health, greater peace of mind, enhanced self defence ability and a philosophy of living in harmony with the world rather than struggling and fighting with it. Some of these benefits can be felt almost immediately and some are to be realised over time. All are very worthwhile.
In this, learning Tai Chi Chuan is no different to learning anything really worthwhile - it takes time and effort. It is not quick and nor is it necessarily easy, but it can be immensely enjoyable. Tai Chi is not a destination, it is a journey. Like life itself, there should be no rush to get to the end, but you should enjoy it as much as possible at every moment.
It must be said that to get all the many benefits of Tai Chi Chuan there must be a commitment to the process. This process is not just a matter of learning with the intellect. It is also much more than just learning movements.
To learn this Art properly you have to go within yourself, and that is the most difficult part of all. It takes persistence and a sincere desire to pursue self-cultivation.
Empty your cup
Yes, it absolutely requires having a good teacher who already "has" the Art and who can help impart it to you. Just as important is that it also requires the student to "empty your cup". If your cup is already full, then how can you add to it?
No teacher, no matter how highly skilled, or how good the teaching, can GIVE you the Art. You must open your mind, forget preconceived notions, comparisons and automatic objections and be ready and willing to listen and take on board what you are taught, then practice it faithfully.
Of course, you may ask questions - and a good teacher will encourage this because it helps to show the teacher where your understanding is at. But ask questions that will help you to understand what is being taught, not just because you think it differs from what you already think you know. Don't just question out of hand, without thinking it through or without trying to experience what is being presented.
Look for the essence of what is being taught, examine it and try to find the truth of it in your own body. Your eyes may trick you; your mind may deceive you; but your body will not lie to you.
A two-way street
It is important to realise that learning Tai Chi Chuan is also a two-person process - a partnership between teacher and student. As in the real world, because we are dealing with human personalities it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge for both parties to find common ground. We are, after all, only human. Where we find that common ground is in our desire to learn the Art.
My teacher has always been profoundly generous in sharing his time and knowledge and I know he would love to see every person in our school find the skills and other benefits that come with learning a true internal art. Sadly, this will not be the case. The fault does not lay with Sifu - it is simply that not every student will find the necessary desire, attitude and application of what is taught. In this sense, a teacher is only as good as the student. You cannot give a student the Art, however good your intentions. The student must take it on board themself.
The process
The teaching process itself can sometimes be frustrating because these skills must be taught in a multi-layered progressive manner. Each step of development has to be experienced first before going on to the next.
What this means is that in the early years, what you are learning is not actually the final way of doing things, but steps along the path that takes you to a fuller understanding of what the Art is really about. Just as with learning a musical instrument, for example, you cannot play a concerto until you have learned basic skills and then practiced and polished them to a high degree over time.
There are fundamental concepts that have to be put into your body first before you can move on to the next concept. It takes quite some time to learn what even the physical side of the art is all about. Your body has to eventually take on the quality of sung (soong) among other things as you progress toward understanding.
It's not like an "external" practice such as karate or kung-fu where students get put through class after class of drills, exercises, calisthenics, techniques and so forth. Learning an Internal Art requires a closer one-to-one connection between each student and their teacher and there is a large "philosophical" component. While some students come to an understanding fairly quickly, others may take longer.
The personalities
For a teacher, dealing with a whole bunch of personalities with different backgrounds and ways of thinking can be a real challenge. This is all the more so because this Art is very personal.
It can be frustrating to have a student who shows ability and potential but who does not apply themselves. What is more frustrating however, is a student who is disruptive to the class or interferes with the learning of others.
A good teacher cares about the progress of each and every student. Good students feel the same way. It is up to you to help each other, where you can. Help teach by example. Show respect for your teacher and respect for the Art.
The keys to learning
In the long course of my training I have experienced my own ups and downs, and seen this in others, even instructors. In each case, the course of action I have set myself on is to hang in there and not to look outside myself for the problem, but to look INside. And try to be better. This Art is, after all, all about self-cultivation.
One of the most valuable lessons I have learnt is that you can't change the world, but you can change yourself! If I can summarise the keys to successfully learning this Art, from my experience, I would say they include:
- Talk less and listen more. Listen to what is really being said.
- Don't analyse, just do. Doing is learning.
- Don't just think, try to feel. Tai Chi Chuan is not theory, it is experience.
Like many of the guiding ideas and principles you will hear repeated over and over in class, these are not just pithy sayings. They are simple, but deep concepts. Don't treat them as clichés and dismiss them out of hand. Like the principles, they need to be taken on board quite literally. Re-examine them often as your understanding grows. Try to look at them continually with fresh eyes.
Don't expect to understand everything straight away, it takes time for the tea leaves to settle. Try to explore the ideas mindfully in your own practice. Do first - ask later. Focus very strongly on the basics and eventually things will fall into place.
That there are many good things to come for anybody who practices the Art consistently and mindfully. To quote Professor Cheng, a great benefit of learning Tai Chi Chuan is that “…by the time you realise what life is really all about, you will still have the good health to enjoy it.” And in learning the real lessons of the Art, Tai Chi Chuan will help you learn what life is really all about.
Stephen Duncombe
Li Chi Hsiang