|
Internet-based Lessons |
| Chen
Family style Tai Chi Chuan - beginners |
| Bowing |
| Curiously, the
same bowing procedure is used to both start and end the class.
For a student, the bow |
| at the beginning
is an exchange of messages between your hands (speaking for your
whole body) |
| and your mind to
communicate that it is time for serious business. For a teacher,
the beginning bow |
| is a promise to
himself or herself and to the students not to merely instruct,
but instead to teach, the |
| difference being
the latter is going to be written in the teacher's life-blood
and delivered to individual |
|
students. Sometimes, or maybe even most of the time, the
teacher speaks to explain. And the bow |
| of a student
says the student is ready to listen and absorb. More important
is the second level which |
| is the
student commits to trying to visually follow the actions of the
teacher and of the grandmaster. |
| The bow also
signals that third level communication is starting: that is
heart to heart. The toughest |
| of all. The
reason we practice serial (one movement per student in series)
in addition to parallel |
| (everyone does
the same movement at the same time) is to strengthen this
channel. The real test |
| comes in formal
exhibitions where not only are students communicating with
fellow performers, |
| but also
projecting to the audience. You will see when we film the
audience reaction at an exhibition. |
| |
| For those who
have asked - the bow is done without a weapon in hand signifying
you are not afraid. |
| |
| While physically
the same as the opening bow, the closing bow differs greatly in
intention. The |
| process now is to
close down the channel and lock in the memories until the next
time. |
 |