Learning In Phases
Although there are many ways to learn Tai Chi all of which require a good deal of time, I refer to learning in phases because I think that while one progresses with their Tai Chi, this progression needs to be logical in terms of the students readiness to grasp and practice.
“Some concepts and advanced routines are best learned only after the “basics” and other introductory activities have been properly learned and well understood”
While I refer to more than one phase in my diagram, there could be more or less, this is just a way of providing a logical order of progression through different concepts and advanced routines that, while not essential for everyone, can be learned to enrich our Tai Chi learning experience. My phased road map gives those of my students who want to broaden their Tai Chi learning an idea as to what they can expect to learn progressively under my instruction, a sort of “high level learning strategy”.
Certain concepts and more advanced routines are best learned only after the “basics” and after introductory activities. The duration of each phase need not be defined, it is a learning process and the time one takes to learn depends on the individual, the teacher and of course the amount one is prepared to devote to practicing.
I must admit, not all of my students adopt this long term broad learning approach. Many of my students and often the older students are quite satisfied to simply practice the Tai Chi principles and the sequence of movements learned in the early beginner phase and enjoy their Tai Chi for the meditative and calming effects they experience from routine practice. There are other students however, who are always keen to learn more about the connections to the fighting forms and other related and more advanced routines. They embrace my “bigger picture”, my phased learning approach and are always keen to progress through the phases.
Below is the graphic that I created to give my students the “Big Picture” my phased learning road map.