Unlearning

Discussion in 'Tai chi' started by Sandus, Apr 8, 2008.

  1. Sandus

    Sandus Moved Himself On

    First a little background. I don't dance. When I go out, I'm the guy on the couches surrounded by people and drinks, and when dance time comes, I just sit there and watch the ladies. Why do I avoid it so much? The answer is simple. I can't dance. People have tried to teach me and have all come to the same conclusion: I can't move individual parts without moving the rest of my body.

    And then it hit me. Dancing is the exact opposite of Taijiquan! I spent years retraining my body so that all motion would be as a whole, so that every muscle I have takes part in every movement, creating maximum power. Dancing is about separating all the parts of your body, moving your hips or arms without moving anything else.

    So how do you unlearn that unified movement? Can it be done only for dancing? Or will learning to break apart my movements destroy all that body training I did in the past? Or worse, am I doomed to spend the rest of my life on the couch with my vodka while everybody has a good time on the dance floor?
     
  2. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    The same thing is true for me. The same thing WAS true for my brother, but he's been taking ballroom dance classes for the last 6 months. He's now a good dancer, plus he gets to spend a couple hours a week rubbing himself on women without getting arrested and slapped with a restraining order.

    ******* :D
     
  3. Puzzled Dragon

    Puzzled Dragon Valued Member

    Sandus, may I ask you: are you talking about free-style dancing or form-dancing.
     
  4. number 6

    number 6 Valued Member

    Been able to seperate is a very important Taji skill. If some body grabs your arm and pulls your arm you dont want to move as a single unit, losing balance. You give them nothing! That is seperating you arm from the rest of your body (not literally).
    But then again drinking vodka by yourself can be fun (if a little sad):eek:
     
  5. Sandus

    Sandus Moved Himself On

    Freestyle, like at a club.
     
  6. Cathain

    Cathain Lily Lau Gar

    I could never dance. I feel like an idiot when I do it. It feels so unnatural.
    Even if I copy others who look fine, I feel like a dumpling.
    I learn to live with it. I can't dance, I don't like dancing, I don't care if I never danced in my life as it's meaningless to me.

    I just get by with my stunning good looks and charm.
    Makes up for the lack of dancing skills, no problem ;)
     
  7. davefly76

    davefly76 Valued Member

    i'm exactly the same. can't dance, don't dance. you'd think that after nearly 10 years of martial art training i'd be able to move my body with some sort of rhythm but no, i just look like a fish out of water!

    i even went to salsa dancing classes but that still didn't help. my brain somehow puts me into martial art mode in the dojang and salsa mode in the salsa classes but won't allow me to relax and get into the music in clubs. and here lies the main problem, dance/pop music sucks! i just can't relax to it because i hate it so much. put me in a mosh pit of rock/metal gig and i'm away without a care in the world.

    so, the solution? get even more drunk! :D
     
  8. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    Sandus,that's the first time I've ever heard that dancing is not integrated whole body usage.

    Granted, when learning a "formal" type,tango,swing,jitterbug,etc,pieces may be broken down and isolated, but that's not unlike learning martial movement.

    Now, if one could care less about dancing, that's one's perogative.

    But remember,like it or not-One part moves,everything moves.

    I've always felt that due to the integrated segmentation, a tango adept could make a highly skilled Hsing I practitioner!

    Ok, I just threw that in there.
     
  9. Puzzled Dragon

    Puzzled Dragon Valued Member

    Practise at home! You like black blues? Make sure you are alone, forget all imaginary onlookers and get into the music and change with it as it goes on changing. And let go. No harm in unfocussing or closing your eyes, either. If anything can be whole body movement, then free-style dancing.

    But you know, not all music and particularily not much of the popular music, is enhancing to free and integrated movement. And people dancing in a club may have other objectives than to enjoy movement, and the music there may fit those aims instead.

    You might not fit the music. Maybe try find another club, or dance alone and find other ways to socialise that suit you better. :)

    Kind regards from possibly a fellow misfit,
    Puzzled Dragon
     
  10. fatb0y

    fatb0y Valued Member

    Do you think you look cool doing taiji, cos I can tell you that to most people you look like a <big> idiot when you do taiji. Don't worry about it - if you want to dance then dance and if ppl think you look like gimp boy that's their problem.
    <forget> them.

    dr.fatb0y
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 16, 2008

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