Which has a parallel with what Eva told me about why few people stick with this and most people don't. The line of understanding as to the why and wherefore of this question became very clear yesterday as I talked to a student, let me explain:
"I
have written this and other articles as well in my brainchild Classical
Tai Chi facebook group in the hope of engaging the curiousity of
students and offering inspiration. Inspiration however, is a difficult
thing to pin down and a teacher can inspire but it is only the student
who can do the work. I cannot offer curiosity and can only offer
inspiration to the point where a student has engaged their curiosity.
The inspiration is never earth shaking and I have met many who came and
went in relative silence. So it is incredibly rare when I meet a student
as I did today who seemingly has the integrity and is forthcoming
enough to not only say they are leaving but state a reason.
It
is even more of a rarity as happened today, when I hear a student say
they liked me, liked the classes, but were chagrined to admit they
could not find the "inspiration" to go home and practice anything from
the very first day for three months, not one bit of silk reeling, not
one posture. As I said, a teacher cannot go home with the student
supplying inspiration. But in most of these cases whether gone silently,
gone with bombast or gone while being forthcoming the student has not
seen the forest for the trees.
What
this takes is "gumption" or as one dictionary defines, it is the guts
and subsequent determination to stick things out to the point where the
tai chi begins to give genuine sustaining inspiration. This is also
known as "Uncovering the Treasure" of which books have been written on
how to not only uncover it but provided details on how to take it with
you. I've said this many times that initial enthusiasm is no substitute
for persistence and dedication. It rewards you in proportion to
commitment and devotion and that is not my job as a teacher, the onus is
on the student.
There
is no "secret" to sticking this out and doing the work. Tae Kwon Do is a
sport which I did for several years at the same time I was doing Tai
Chi, but I once wanted to learn a back turning side kick that could
stop an attacker dead in their tracks. I went home and kicked the bag an
hour, sometimes two, each day for a year. I kicked to the point where I
could move the bag from vertical to horizontal...hitting the suspended
ceiling above. One could say, what a specialized skill and of what
value? Someone tried to knife me on the street , while I was walking to
work, munching on a sandwich and the kick worked, did not even drop the
sandwich. I guess Eva is right, there are not many people willing to do
that, to stick it out, but the "secret" never changes...it takes
initial gumption followed by persistence and devotion.
It
is a cliche to say this takes a long time or a lifetime, for "Time" is
what we have in this moment and is therefore no guarantee that the lack
of practice will yield anything but a fallow field."
