# What to do -or- Not again



## Xue Sheng (Sep 8, 2008)

This use to happen about once every other year with the local YMCA (I taught there years ago) and I have generally turned them down but thanks to my first Sifu I have someone contacting me to teach taijiquan. And thanks to my wife I have another organization contacting me to teach taijiquan and thanks to one of my wife&#8217;s patients I have yet a 3rd group calling me to teach taijiquan. 

If I teach it would obviously be Yang style but I am not sure I can since my second Sifu never gave me permission and I am short on time these days. I suppose I could teach 24 form the Yang Long form and a Wu form I still toy with but I am not sure. It would help support my CMA habit, since I may have to do some serious travel should I pursue Chen style the way I believe that I want to. But I do not know if I have the time, I do not know if I want to because I am to busy working on another Taiji style, Chen style, and I have been working on Xingyiquan (although Xingyiquan may have run its course, more on that later&#8230; maybe) and I am still considering a 3rd style that I am training to get into better shape for. 

I have to think about this one for a bit I guess

Any comment or input would be appreciated.


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## jow yeroc (Sep 8, 2008)

Sounds like alot on your plate bro xue sheng.  You may be well capable of handling it all but
at what cost?  If you don't want to teach, don't.  Continue to focus on your own learning
and advancement. Easy to burn yourself out, then your own practice suffers. My opinion
only though, bro.
On the other hand you sound like you have a bit to offer.  Maybe you can teach me when you get a chance. =).


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## ggg214 (Sep 8, 2008)

&#25945;&#23398;&#30456;&#38271;
when you teach, you also progress!


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## grydth (Sep 8, 2008)

Just say no.

You'll be the first one to eat yourself alive - probably here - if you don't give these new students 1000%. Between time shortage and your own personal journey of deciding what style(s) to follow, this is the wrong time.


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## Black Tortoise (Sep 8, 2008)

Who says the IMA can help with ADD? Honestly, between Xingyiquan, Yang and it sounds like Wu tajiquan.. You have your plate a little full. Here is the real question, what do YOU want to do in your heart? Has Xingyi run it's course and is Chen where you want to devote your attention? Is teaching what you want to do? Remember teachers often learn more about themselves and the art the more they teach it. Is there any desire of your own to teach, after all you are talking about moving towards Chen and want to teach Yang/Wu.  I will also lay this out there... There is also the possibility of doing nothing and letting your inaction make your path for you(eventually something will compel you to do it or you will end up doing one just because..Yes, that's very Chan)


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## Xue Sheng (Sep 8, 2008)

Black Tortoise said:


> Who says the IMA can help with ADD? Honestly, between Xingyiquan, Yang and it sounds like Wu tajiquan.. You have your plate a little full. Here is the real question, what do YOU want to do in your heart? Has Xingyi run it's course and is Chen where you want to devote your attention? Is teaching what you want to do? Remember teachers often learn more about themselves and the art the more they teach it. Is there any desire of your own to teach, after all you are talking about moving towards Chen and want to teach Yang/Wu. I will also lay this out ther... There is also the possibility of doing nothing and letting your inaction make your path for you(eventually something will compel you to do it or you will end up doing one just because..Yes, that's very Chan)


 
Wu is a form from a long time ago from my first sifu that I on occasion dabble in but not much. I discovered long ago that if I train Wu everything starts to look a little like Wu style. 

I have been in traditional Yang Style Taiji for over 13 years, but recently stopped, however my very first traditional form was an old version of Chen Laojia Yilu and I have never been able to get that out of my system. 

Xingyiquan I have trained a few times in my life and I have always wanted to devote more time to it but I found myself, a few weeks back, working in Laojia Yilu again and it felt just perfect for me and there is a lot to training Chen (form, Qigong, Stance, etc) and it may be that Chen is filling what I found lacking (for me) in Yang that Xingyiquan was filling. But I do not know yet, every time I have stopped Xingyiquan previously I have always been drawn back but the first time I stopped that and Chen at the same time to train Yang and the second time I was only training Yang. 

But I cannot find a Xingyiquan sifu that is closer than 4 to 6 hours away that I would train with if they would allow it and to be honest I am only certain of the skill level of the one abot 6 hours away. After that we end up with a 21 hour flight to a Sifu. The Chen sifu I want to train with is about 4 hours away and very very good. And I will admit teaching would give me some extra cash to cover the expense. 

As to teaching, I would love to, when I first taught I liked and I learned a lot (one thing I learned was that I did not have enough knowledge to teach like I felt I should  so I buried myself in traditional Yang style, a Chen teacher was not available) but it is the lack of time at the moment and this internal drive to try one more thing before I am to old that is getting in the way. Regardless I know I do not have time to teach at 3 different places at best 2 and more likely 1 if at all. And I would focus mainly on Yang since that is what most of my training is in, if I do anything at all.


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## marlon (Sep 9, 2008)

If you had the time, would you  LOVE to do it?  If yes, create something semi realistic in terms of a program and the limits of your time...then make it work.  You have a great deal to offer students.  There are many benefits to teachingas well as many difficulties!  If no, then don't.

Respectfully,
Marlon


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## bowser666 (Sep 9, 2008)

I would suggest teaching it.  Get permission from your Sifu and spread the knowledge. Help keep CMA alive and flowing.


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## clfsean (Sep 9, 2008)

grydth said:


> Just say no.
> 
> You'll be the first one to eat yourself alive - probably here - if you don't give these new students 1000%. Between time shortage and your own personal journey of deciding what style(s) to follow, this is the wrong time.



Ditto... good points.

In reading one of your later posts, aren't you in the Bay area?


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## Nebuchadnezzar (Sep 9, 2008)

Chen Style. What is the style you're training for?


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## Xue Sheng (Sep 9, 2008)

Nebuchadnezzar said:


> Chen Style. What is the style you're training for?


 
Yup Chen apparently it infected me years ago and it is a chronic condition :uhyeah:.

As to the other style I am not ready to go public with that just yet, not until I get there.


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## terryl965 (Sep 9, 2008)

Xue if you are to thinned out what good could you do for these students, remember quality over anything else. That means time to devote to a location and students, students need proper dedication from a instructor.I have come to know how important that is is so your only answer is No at this time, if it is meant to be it will be back at a better time.


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## jks9199 (Sep 9, 2008)

Are you up to the commitment involved in teaching right now?  The time to prepare for classes, being there for the classes, and so on?  Do you have the personal energy to spend on instruction?  Because those answers may make whether or not you have permission to teach -- or can obtain it -- irrelevant.

It's great to be asked to teach.  But it's a lot of responsibility, and it's actually cut into my personal training as we added a Saturday morning class.  In theory, my partner was going to do the Saturday morning thing mostly, since I work every other weekend.  Between one thing and another... that's not how it's worked out.  But it's a commitment that I've accepted...  Doesn't mean I'm always happy about it, though.  Don't get yourself into that situation.


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## East Winds (Sep 10, 2008)

Xue Sheng,

  It seems to me that you have not yet settled within yourself what is your primary CIMA. If you go into teaching at this stage, you need to ask yourself EXACTLY what is it you will be teaching.  Yang style whilst you are still learning Chen yourself? Wu style with some Yang influences? Chen style that you are still learning yourself? There is no doubt in my mind that you have the experience and ability to teach but that you are not yet clear what your own goal in IMAs is. Teaching requires a huge commitment to your students. Not only to your best students but also to your excrutiatingly bad students:shrug:!! You cannot pick and choose who you teach. Well you can, but your school wont last long. Finally you have to ask yourself honestly, why do you want to teach? Ego based teaching is bad teaching. I have experience of Chen, Sun, a little Wu and Traditional Yang. I also have experience in Bagua and Liu Ho Pa Fa. I exclusively teach Traditional Yang. Students ask me to teach them Chen and I say no, find a Chen teacher. Students ask me to teach Bagua and I say no, find a Bagua teacher. It is easy to end up as a Jack of all Trades  Master of None. How many schools do you see advertising instruction in a dozen different disciplines? I always wonder, to what depth do they teach? After 20 years of involvement in CIMAs (many years of form chasing) -  for the last 7 years I have concentrated solely on Traditional Yang. I am still plumbing the depths of this form. I am now following my current Masters take on the subject I you were allocated 100 years to learn Traditional Yang, you would spend 1 year learning the form and 99 years refining it. I am now 7 years into the refinement!!!

  As always, I wish you the best in your decision and hope you manage to resolve it to your own satisfaction.

  Very best wishes


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## marlon (Sep 10, 2008)

East Winds said:


> Xue Sheng,
> 
> It seems to me that you have not yet settled within yourself what is your primary CIMA. If you go into teaching at this stage, you need to ask yourself EXACTLY what is it you will be teaching. Yang style whilst you are still learning Chen yourself? Wu style with some Yang influences? Chen style that you are still learning yourself? There is no doubt in my mind that you have the experience and ability to teach but that you are not yet clear what your own goal in IMA&#8217;s is. Teaching requires a huge commitment to your students. Not only to your best students but also to your excrutiatingly bad students:shrug:!! You cannot pick and choose who you teach. Well you can, but your school won&#8217;t last long. Finally you have to ask yourself honestly, why do you want to teach? Ego based teaching is bad teaching. I have experience of Chen, Sun, a little Wu and Traditional Yang. I also have experience in Bagua and Liu Ho Pa Fa. I exclusively teach Traditional Yang. Students ask me to teach them Chen and I say no, find a Chen teacher. Students ask me to teach Bagua and I say no, find a Bagua teacher. It is easy to end up as a Jack of all Trades &#8211; Master of None. How many schools do you see advertising instruction in a dozen different disciplines? I always wonder, to what depth do they teach? After 20 years of involvement in CIMA&#8217;s (many years of &#8220;form chasing&#8221 - for the last 7 years I have concentrated solely on Traditional Yang. I am still plumbing the depths of this form. I am now following my current Master&#8217;s take on the subject &#8220;I you were allocated 100 years to learn Traditional Yang, you would spend 1 year learning the form and 99 years refining it&#8221;. I am now 7 years into the refinement!!!
> 
> ...


 

Excellent excellent point!  My thanks.  One primary art and anything else is to compliment and further understanding and skill in the primary art.

Respectfully,
marlon


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## Xue Sheng (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks to all, I needed the input. 

Based on the responses I received and a lot of thinking as well as my view of teaching based on the last time I did it I have decided to tell everyone that I am not interested in teaching at this time. The last time I took it very seriously so seriously in fact that after training with my Yang Sifu I realized that based on what I had learned from him in a very short time and comparing that with what my first Sifu had taught me (he had given me permission to teach) I simply did not have the knowledge and understanding of the style that I was teaching that I felt it was necessary to have if I wanted to call myself a teacher. None of my students ever complained and from time to time I run into one that asks me if I am going to ever teach again and a few have even asked for private lessons and all I have turned down. 

If I were to teach it would have to be Traditional Yang style and one none traditional form Yang 24, which to be honest looks very traditional when I do it these days. But after a little over 13 years of traditional Yang with the same Sifu I am not surprised. 

I frankly see no problem with training another style after you have trained one for a long time and my Yang style Sifu and my Sanda Sifu agree. However my Yang style Sifu when I first started with him did ask me to stop all other styles and I did for 10 years. He now knows I train Xingyiquan and doesnt mind although he has said he would prefer that if I must train another style that I stick to something like Chen style with the Chen family or Bagua, basically IMA styles ONLY. My Sanda Sifu says pretty much the same thing but does not care what the second style is. But then Sanda training has stopped for all intensive purposes and likely it has stopped permanently so that does not even enter into it any longer.

I am supposed to meet with my Yang Taijiquan Sifu this month; he wants me to return to class. I will see what comes of this conversation but regardless I doubt I will teach even if he gave me permission to do so, I simply do not have the time. But after a recent discussion with some from the class it may be best for them if I do not return. They are rather happy with their social time and multiple forms and no applications and no push hands and since I stopped going there has been none of that and they like it much better. I was the last of my Sifus long time students and we all were interested in the MA of it and he was teaching it but since no one is asking apparently he is not teaching it. They are nice people they just have a much different idea of what Taijiquan is than I do, but this is stuff of another post

But even without all this I am working on Chen and my actual Job is a REAL PIA these days and I am looking to see how the heck to change this but so far it just gets worse so as many have already said, and I needed to hear this by the way to face reality, I do not have the time. 

Thanks :asian:


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## Xue Sheng (Sep 10, 2008)

marlon said:


> Excellent excellent point! My thanks. One primary art and anything else is to compliment and further understanding and skill in the primary art.
> 
> Respectfully,
> marlon


 
Unless of course you take into account Sun Lutang and Tung Ying Chieh and mulitple Xingyiquan/Baguazhang Masters.


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## marlon (Sep 10, 2008)

Xue Sheng said:


> Unless of course you take into account Sun Lutang and Tung Ying Chieh and mulitple Xingyiquan/Baguazhang Masters.


 

that is, of course, if you have your life to give to training full time.  I cannot fathom mastering so many diverse systems and working and teaching and being a husband and being a father...XS, i meant no offense to you with my earlier post, nor any judgement.  what Eastwinds said struck a cord with my own thinking for *myself* and so my response.  what anyone else chooses to do may be right for them and is entirely none of my business, unless asked      Be well and i am certain that you will always be true to your training.  For the record i appluad your return to Chen as it seems to be your first love in taiji.

Respectfully,
marlon


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## Xue Sheng (Sep 10, 2008)

marlon said:


> that is, of course, if you have your life to give to training full time. I cannot fathom mastering so many diverse systems and working and teaching and being a husband and being a father...XS, i meant no offense to you with my earlier post, nor any judgement. what Eastwinds said struck a cord with my own thinking for *myself* and so my response. what anyone else chooses to do may be right for them and is entirely none of my business, unless asked  Be well and i am certain that you will always be true to your training. For the record i appluad your return to Chen as it seems to be your first love in taiji.
> 
> Respectfully,
> marlon


 
No offense taken by your post but after a bit more than 1 year of Chen, over 13 years of Yang and now Chen again I really do not see them as all that different anymore. Don't get me wrong they are not the same but it is not comparing apples to motorcycles either. More like Red delicious to Fuji :asian:


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## Black Tortoise (Sep 11, 2008)

It sounds like you have made your decision and congratulations. I wish you all the luck in studying Chen and I truly hope you find happiness and peace with your decision.


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