tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305073377595253130.post2866732738159501652..comments2023-12-20T07:00:38.122-08:00Comments on Classical Tai Chi Blog: Saving Face and the Scientific Method in Classical Tai ChiUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305073377595253130.post-75770915862256640882011-06-14T09:43:12.685-07:002011-06-14T09:43:12.685-07:00Thank you for your wonderful blog. I have found m...Thank you for your wonderful blog. I have found many insightful posts and the poster is clearly passionate about his or her studies into taiji. <br /><br />I think where this post veers away from this is in the understanding of face. While "face" plays a large part in chinese culture (there are plenty of insightful articles found online written by Chinese themselves for english speaking westerners) and to some extent chinese martial tradition, it is also a deep found respect for elders. That being said, another factor that is also diminishing to some of this is the hidden factor- I do not think many great Chinese masters ever forced someone to pay before being able to witness the practice.<br /><br />In this case- your belief on "proof before pay" seems to exhibit the opposing extremity of which opposite you are talking about (free skepticism is the opposite). If the point of TaiJi is to give health benefit- how should it be hidden from fellow humans. That is to say, it will be often in the west you will find people witnessing the class who will not understand it, but you will miss any who wish to see/experience/deliberate before paying. <br /><br />This is to moderate- instead of titling it "proof before pay" we should moderate. With the words "see" or "experience" or "deliberate" we can see the more moderate implication that the student wishes to go through the same skeptic process you are praising in this article in his/her assessment of a teacher.<br /><br />Now reverse it to understand the potential student view- "pay before proof" goes against any skeptic reasoning. Or even moderate it "Pay before deliberate/see/experience" would sound not well reasoned out by anyone with a budget looking for a legitimate internal health art practice. It also goes against any high level students who may be wishing to further studies with a great teacher and experience/see/deliberate about more than their words.<br /><br />In this respect- anyone who has foundation in internal discipline from eastern arts, will unlikely be convinced by a high tuition rate and a couple videos that your art is of a high level. In much of China, some of the highest masters have no "face" or name, but to the people they teach. Just as many of these Yang style masters from your Sifu's Sifu's Sifu's time (Yang Cheng Fu era) taught for free at public parks. This free teaching is to say that any sort of "deliberate/see/experience before you pay" does Not diminish a proper teacher-student relationship. (although as a side note even his disciples/family have commercialized for money since his time).Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14934658579999631358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305073377595253130.post-53455909631082807822011-05-03T20:37:07.762-07:002011-05-03T20:37:07.762-07:00Master Hwa's understanding of the principles o...Master Hwa's understanding of the principles of Tai Chi and his ability to instill those principles in his students is what makes learning from him such a pleasure.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00330015035882594724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305073377595253130.post-84255452064553424052011-05-03T14:06:27.331-07:002011-05-03T14:06:27.331-07:00I think it's necessary to question everything ...I think it's necessary to question everything that we learn. Evaluate and experiment to ensure that it is valid. A teacher should be able to back up anything they profess. However, just as vital is that this questioning be genuinely motivated by a desire to understand. All too often it is simply a desire to catch the teacher out and gain some ego points. That video was an excellent of a genuinely inquisitive atmosphere.Russellhttp://www.universal-taichichuan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2305073377595253130.post-90050298289560680052011-03-25T22:09:56.931-07:002011-03-25T22:09:56.931-07:00Enjoyable post. Thank you!Enjoyable post. Thank you!Hua Kanghttp://www.taichihuakang.com/noreply@blogger.com