hey i have been studying basic form tai chi and am a third trough my corse and was wondering when i am finnished what would be the next step in advancing my skills please bear in mind i will be 16 when the corse is finished ! any sugestions
You're prob learning the square version of the form. You'll prob next move onto the round versions of the form. After that then the long form. How old are you now?
It might help if you were more specific about your course. What style are you studying? How many movements in the form? What is meant by 1/3rd through your course? What does the rest of the course consist of? Are you learning in person or from book or video? Until these are answered I couldn't begin to comment. Best, Syd
hey im 15 now i am being taught what i have been told is called green dragon tai chi at an adult deucation center as corse i can take as the corse is divided into three parts and i have finnished the first part i am learning from a person the rest of the corse consists of the other movements in the form i am unsure of how many movements there are so far i have done about 16 movements so far.
It's most likely a variant of Yang (most popular in the UK, I believe). Could be a chance that your learning the 48 form version. Best thing to do is ask your teacher or a senior student.
I was about to say the same thing myself. Shouldn't you just direct these questions to your instructor?
Yep, sorry to tell you but you're never finished when it comes to tai chi. You just do it over and over again. But in general, you can look forward to two person drills, such as push hands training. There are variations of these but the basic exercise is fairly universal. Also, tai chi has weapons forms and it's probably best to start with the sword or staff. Once you know the basics, your teacher will probably take you through the form more, point out your mistakes and show you small variations and the kinds of fighting applications the moves have. Then there will be more and more two-person drills. The more you learn, the more you will be able to focus the energy of your whole body into a movement, or a strike. Look into chinese culture and medicine - a general knowledge of chi and the basics of acupuncture (such as understanding what acupressure points are, and the idea of how chi moves around the body) will be a great help for your practice. Also, read the tai chi classics (don't worry, no-one really understands them - they're supposed to be confusing!). You'll find that your style will become 'heavier' - more rooted to the ground and you will become more coordinated. As the moves become more familiar, you'll have more chance to concentrate on your balance and the different ways to use the moves, rather than just trying to stay upright and get the moves right. If you look at people who have been doing tai chi for a while, you'll see their style is slightly changed to their own body - you make it more personal to suit whether you're tall or short, large or small. DON'T do that now, it's way too early. Just listen to your teacher and learn the basics and it should start to come naturally.
