Getting it Wrong

It is important to get things wrong.

To make mistakes.

Because this is how we learn.

When I first started Tai Chi, people would not practise because they couldn't remember the postures and were afraid to get it wrong. Invariably their progress stalled and they soon dropped out.

Instead we should practise and not be afraid to get it wrong. When we then go over the postures or receive a correction/advice/suggestion from a teacher/instructor it is more meaningful and allows us to progress.

Get it wrong to get it right.

Single Posture

When learning a form, we are usually taught one or two postures on a weekly basis which we then piece together with what we have previously learned.

The danger lies in practising the form without understanding the postures, because we are focusing on the wrong approach.

We must "get" the form, right?

No.

Study each posture individually. Understand the movement and the application. Each posture contains opening, connecting, joining and closing.

Then, when linking postures together, understand the point at which one posture ends and connects to the next without fudging that moment.

Liao Zhen Xiang

Liao Zhen Xiang is an old calligrapher who studied with Cheng Man Ching