Notes for best use of training forums

[Marin]

While this is probably obvious I just want to suggest that those who want to get the most out of the online training should make sure they read all of the corrections written for others on the moves that they have access to. There's gold in them there hills.

The videos are time consuming and very memory challenging to make. Normally when teaching moves (in person) I will go over a basic framework the first time around and that is enough. In fact anything more is too much for the student to attain and becomes distracting. Subsequent teachings on the same move would involve deeper layers of detail completely dependent on the level of foundation presented by the student, so the point is I don't have to remember 10 layers of detail and requirements all in one moment. Even for 1/8th section of one movement sequence all those layers of detail can be quite a lot to remember.

When making a video, while I am not including all the layers of detail, I am still required (hoping) to include all the requirements and rules one must know for the move and that is challenging and certainly fallible. It is not the way teaching is naturally done. I am quite certain I forget important things that need to be included.

Written instruction is also an imperfect approach to learning this art, but as an addition to the videos it can become quite functional and useful. With the foundation of visual (video) learning with hopefully most of the points included and the understanding of shape and action, the additional written instruction based on that video learning can be pretty rich. However, there are plenty of things that I just cannot remember to address, or think of how to address until presented with some individual's error, or unique interpretation of what they saw. I am not sure if this approach is unique to me either, but it's always been the way that worked best- a whole lot of deeper teaching comes from just addressing different errors and interpretations. In person, this is where very much of the best comes from.

So, if anyone has not been paying attention to those written corrections that were not intended for them, or thinking they did not apply to them this is a reminder to change that approach- if you have time and want to get the most out of this, and get the special bits. That is often where they are found. Anyhow, that's my suggestion, take it or leave it. Thanks

 

[Marin]

To crystalize this though, sometimes I am writing a correction for someone and find something difficult to explain so I take my time and try to figure out what exactly the action is I am trying to illustrate, what they are not doing or should be doing. I might have to do the move myself to feel/see what I am doing and then describe it. Sometimes I end up with quite a revelation; I knew what I was doing but never had to describe it before and once I have it's really interesting how it illustrates the principle and method of the art. It is often very thrilling (to the nerdy) and I want to immediately ping every student that knows the move "LOOK AT THIS!!!". For the serious student that stuff is really really important.

For what it's worth, all these things I might be researching my own movement to explain were taught to me at one time or another but often not in English, and/or not in articulated a detailed descriptive way, maybe more visual. Sometimes to see it written out in detail is a bit shocking and revealing of just how organized and in line with specific repeating principles it really is.