Teaching

[Path to Mastery 2/2/10 - Wk21 D2 (Str 9.12.09)(Ph2 11.16.09)]

Sang's World:



The challenges of teaching.

I have been contemplating a lot on the most effective way to teach lately. The most effective way to deliver it, the most effective way to write it.

First of all it has to be to the point and clear.

Then, it must be unanticipated, and different so that the message is interesting and will stick.

Typically this is well done with parables, analogies, some sort of story that paints a picture.
Any type of visual prop always aids the process. As they say, a picture says a thousand words.
The whole things needs to be spaced out and organized so it is visually appealing to the mind, so the reader or audience does not feel overwhelmed and is easy to digest. The information has to affect the emotions otherwise it will not have impact.

Of course knowing all this does not help. What helps is the effort to produce a great teaching material. This keeps honing my sensitivities and sometimes when given the opportunity to put a lot of time in the material, we have something that is good.

Today, I was contemplating this and what our next steps should be for Phase 3. Even as I write these words, I contemplate whether I can be clearer, shorter, be better spaced out and be interesting.

For Phase 3, I would like to clearly identify the goal, and then I would like to create a clear definition of success, so that when you reach it, there is no question.

I would like to know the following through your comments for tomorrow:
1. What is it you would like to master
2. What do you think should be the measure of success? How do we test it?
3. How long do you think Phase 3 should be?



Today's Lesson:

8 Type Pushing Hands
1. Ting Tui-Shou

Ting Tui-Shou means Stationary pushing hands. Ting means still, or not moving.
Ting Tui-Shou is the first of the 8 type Tui-shou and teaches the 2 most basic techniques in Tai-chi, Peng (commonly known as ward off) and Lu (Commonly known as lead). Peng is a upward and outward moving force, and Lu is a yielding force that first neutralizes the opponents force and at the same time puts them in a disadvantageous position.
Person A and B stand facing each other with their feet shoulder width apart. The distance between them is determined by extending a fisted arm straight out and the fist has the barely touch the partner.
Person A starts by punching B in the solar plexus with the right arm and B defends by using Peng to ward of the attack to the left of himself using his right arm as well. Then B circles A’s redirected arm over towards A’s head and then grabs A’s wrist while placing his left hand on A’s right elbow. A neutralizes this attack and then circles up using Peng, and then grabs A’s wrist and puts his left hand on A’s right elbow reversing the elbow locking technique. Now the whole process is repeated again.
In this Pushing Hands, the concept of technique and principle is distinguished. You can have a technique that produces an upward and outward moving force. You can have a technique that is yielding and then leading. However, the upward and outward moving force and the yielding and leading forces are not confined by these techniques. In the first pushing hands, that concept is clearly demonstrated. The technique is only there to point you in the right direction, but energy and force is beyond any technique. This force that is generated, the method of power that is generated is called Jing.
When A grasp’s B’s wrist and puts his hand on B’s elbow applying a joint lock, this technique even though called Lu, which uses yielding and leading Jing, is also controlling Jing. B who will be neutralizing the joint lock, will in fact use the yielding Jing, and then use leading jing, and then upward and outward Jing to put the opponent eventually in a disadvantageous position. Then, when the partner moves in response to the joint lock, B will listen and follow and lead until he can control the joint better. As you can see the cycle of following and leading, outward and inward is always in place and goes beyond each technique. The technique is only there to apply the principles, but the principles are there to guide the techniques. All techniques come out of the principles.