Assays for free Tai Ji book

[SPJ]

Vash;

Thanks a lot for the reply.

[Becca]

What is the incident or words from your MA teacher that inspired you most and why?


I had trouble picking just one incident or comment that inspired me. My teacher is one of those people who can inspire a student just by being in the same room with them. So I decided to explain what it is about my sifu that inspires me this way.

The most striking thing about Sifu is his willingness to live his words. When he suggests a course of action to overcome some issue with my training, I know he has tried it himself. He talks about what he would like to see me do, why he wants me to try it, and what kind of results he expects me to realize. He also tells me about his own experience with this technique. If there is something he doesn’t want me to try, he will explain why. If he doesn’t feel I am ready to know a certain technique, he tells me why. I have studied under teachers who expected complete obedience without question. The frustration this attitude creates is over the top and drives good students away faster than anything.

The other part about Sifu that inspires me would be his dedication. He won’t except “I hurt today, can I just sit out the tough parts?” If my arm hurts, he tells me to drill the other arm instead. If my ankle is twisted while sparring, he’ll check it over, rub in some liniment, then expect me to get back out there. But I know this is just a drop in the bucket of what he expects from himself. I know he genuinely cares about his students’ welfare. But to become the kind of martial artists he is trying to mold us into requires that we work through the pain and soreness. One cannot attain a black belt in our style without pushing yourself to the point of complete physical failure. And while he regrets a student quitting, it isn’t the loss of income that makes him sad; it’s the knowledge that the student didn’t give up on the training, they gave up on themselves.

[SPJ]

Hi;

Please PM me your shipping address.

I will receive the books sometimes this week.

They are available at www.authorhouse.com.

Very soon they will be available at www.amazon.com.

Thanks for replying at this thread.

[Becca]

Cool! I am definantly looking foreward to reading your book. I reread my earlier essy and discided it was kind of cheasy so I'm posting another. This one is better written, I think.

"Learn to Train"

This is the most imprtant part of training at my school. While it may sound redundant, if you look a bit deeper, you will find that it isn't. If you ask several people on the streat, "what does the word training meen," you may get some very conflicting answers. Some will say that training is learning some new skill. Others may say that it is practicing what you already know. Then ask them who they train. You will now likely get a detailed list of what they do in thier training regime.

But if you ask them why, they will likely not be able to answer, at least not with any real spacifics. Maybe that is how thier high school track coach had them do it. Maybe that is how thier sifu said it needed to be done. But most would not be able to explain why they needed to do these things to get the results they are training to achieve.

Some things in life are known from birth, like how to breath and so on. Other things you learn from the simple act of living, like how to walk, talk, and care for your needs. Yet other things are learned from others. One of the most important of these things is how to learn. Have you ever noticed that a person who is otherwise very bright may have trouble understanding something you find simple? Chances are, the concept is not beyond thier understanding. They just don't "get it," or rather, they don't understand the meathod being used to express the concept. This is not a failing of the teacher or the student.

The simple fact is, people are very different. Their learning mechanisms are similarly different. A kinisthetic learner will have trouble learning conspts from an autio/visual teacher, ect. The student must first figure out how they learn best, then figure out how to translate the various teching style into this format.

In the training hall, this consept continues. Someone who has great results with forms may have issues with drills of open sparring. But there are some concepts that just cannot be learned with forms alone. The forms student must first realize that they are a forms student, then figure out how to glean the nesisary lessons from sparring. This is the priciple of "learn to train." Your instructor can only show you and work with you. If you do not take the time and exert the effort to learn how you need to train, you will not be able to learn what he/she is teaching.

[Toby]

SPJ, your book looks good - as do your others. If it's half as entertaining as your posts, I'm sure it's excellent.

What is the most important principle and technique in your school of MA and why?

Principle: centre. Move with the centre, everytime. We want the centre to initiate movement and everything to arrive simultaneously. As long as this happens, you will always have optimal structure. If you step first and the centre follows and your movement is intercepted before the centre catches up, you're off balance and will be destroyed. If you lead with your upper body and the centre follows, you will be thrown or tied up. If your centre moves together and you're intercepted, you will have the best chance to resist or attack. The centre is also the key to power. The same principle is important in both WC and XY in our school.

Technique: footwork. Without footwork, other skills are useless. The better students can evade any attack with their hands by their sides - their footwork takes them to a safe position. They can choose their targets on their opponents - their footwork enables them to find an open flank or get behind their opponent. Watching people spar, it is clear that superior footwork gives a more significant advantage over any other technique.

[SPJ]

Thanks for the reply.

Since it is a color book, the publisher is still fine tuning the book. There are also news or press release and other things still under preparation before the rollout.

The book is not officially for sale yet.

But any how, as soon as I receive the books I will mail a copy to whoever interested and responded in this thread with limited number of copies.

[oasis]

hey spj, just wondering, is it practical to spend money advertising in the magazines before your book's ready to be shipped?

[SPJ]

I decided to keep the old ad.

There are over 450 Tai Chi books in amazon.com. As many had said in the forum, it is an overcrowded market for books and video on CMA.

I cut back on USA today and other ads. I still keep ad on IKF and KFTC mags.

You are right. The ads are too expensive.

I am looking into DVD publishing. It seems to be less expensive than the book publishing. However, I need a digital cam and a computer with movie editing software.

The main thing is that I really do not have time. I have my hands full with work and family matters.

By the way, the books I received last Saturday. I already mailed the books out yesterday. It will arrive in 3-5 business days.

I also sent a copy to amazon.com for search inside the book program. It will take 3 to 5 weeks to be available. Then everyone that is interested may read free pages on amazon.com.

It is a very technical book.