Friday, August 24, 2018

A Little About Learning

Life is a learning journey that does not end, and taiji is part of that learning journey.

Since moving to Japan, I have not had many opportunities to train with my teacher, Mr Kwek, but I still try to find time to practise with him when I am back in Singapore. Today, I wish to share a bit about my attitude towards learning.

At class, I avoid sitting down. No matter how tired I may be, I do not sit down. I only sit when circumstances require me to sit, such as when I need to sit beside my teacher to share something (like a video) with him. To me, not sitting down is my way of saying "I am interested in learning, and I am always ready to get back to practice."

When I am doing forms for my teacher to check and comment on, he sometimes closes his eyes. But I do not stop. I do not think, "Why am I spending time practising if he is not looking?" Instead, I know he is probably tired (he teaches at many places, and gets home late). And I also know that if I am good, he will be interested in seeing. So the motivation for me when he does close his eyes is, "How do I up my taiji such that he will be so interested, he cannot look away?"

This is similar to when I am practising outdoors in public. Sometimes, people will stop to take a look. But most do not stay long. "How do I catch their interest?" That is the question I have at the back of my head which keeps me going. Maybe one day, someone will stop, and continue watching until I finish the entire form.

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