FeathersinHair said:
I'm just curious, since I've been interested in Tai Chi for awhile. There aren't any instructors near enough that would be feasible. I know it's supposed to be a difficult thing to learn without the aid of a human instructor, but I'm starting to wonder....
Can you learn it through books, videos and such-like? Or is it pretty much impossible to do it that way?
Feathers learning without an instructor espcially in the beginning years is a really unwise idea. The reason is that lots of information that is transfered in martial arts cannot be done with media such as videos and books.
I have learned most of what I know from two sources. Touch and hearing. Feeling a technique (like push hands in tai chi) is the only practical way to pick-up a lot of the information. For me, and I don't study tai chi but I have studied other arts for almost two decades, I have seen things many times but could not really grasp it until I used my sense of touch.
When I say hearing I am more referring to direct feedback. Espcially in the beginning. I may work a movement or combination of movements and when someone watched they would say things like, "move foot here instead" use this vector instead breathe this way ect ect. The instant feedback was often not based on direct questions by me but by direct observations by those of greater knowledge than I at the time. Meaning if I was not in the presence of them I could have done it "my way" for days, weeks months or years before catching on.
I am not saying that one cannot learn from a book or vcr but I am saying that by circumventing direct instruction, espcially in the early years, will likely severly retard your learning curve in the arts.
I am really excited you are interested in this. Tell us what you learn and find !!
